Editor's Note: The &#34;14th Five-Year Plan&#34; outlines the implementation of a new energy security strategy, accelerating the construction of a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient new energy system. In the face of the turmoil in the Middle East leading to tensions in the global energy security chain, the importance of the new energy system is increasingly highlighted. This issue of the Global Roundtable invites three scholars to discuss related topics.
Zhou Chengxiong: Researcher at the Institute of Science and Technology Strategy Consulting, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhang Honglin: Deputy Director of the Planning Institute, China National Nuclear Corporation Strategic Planning Research Institute
Lin Boqiang: Chair Professor at the School of Management, Xiamen University, and Director of the China Energy Policy Research Institute
Core Approach to Ensuring National Energy Security
Zhou Chengxiong
Energy is the food of industry, the lifeblood of the national economy, and a strategic resource related to the rise and fall of a nation. Currently, global geopolitical conflicts continue to escalate, key energy transport routes such as the Strait of Hormuz are obstructed, international oil prices are highly volatile, and the global energy supply chain is under significant pressure.
General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the new energy security strategy of &#34;four revolutions and one cooperation,&#34; which points the way to solving the energy security dilemma. In the face of a complex and severe external environment, accelerating the construction of a new energy system is not only a practical necessity to cope with global energy turmoil but also a strategic choice to ensure the long-term development of the country, promote green transformation, and cultivate new productive forces, thereby laying a solid energy foundation for Chinese-style modernization.
The ongoing fragility of the global energy supply chain has exposed the structural shortcomings of the traditional energy system. Recent regional tensions have led to rising global logistics costs and energy prices, creating a vicious cycle that exacerbates the uncertainty of the world economic recovery. For China, the resource endowment of &#34;rich in coal but lacking oil and gas&#34; has kept the dependence on foreign oil and gas at a high level for a long time; any fluctuations in the international market will directly transmit to the domestic energy market. The traditional energy system's heavy reliance on multinational transportation and centralized supply models significantly increases risks against the backdrop of intensified geopolitical competition.
The new energy system relies on non-fossil energy as the main supply source, with fossil energy as a backup guarantee. Through multi-energy complementarity and system integration, it fundamentally reduces dependence on the international oil and gas market and enhances the autonomy and resilience of energy supply. China possesses unique renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, and hydro, with installed capacities of wind and photovoltaic power ranking first in the world. The technological costs have significantly decreased compared to a decade ago, providing a solid foundation for large-scale development and utilization. Building a new energy system means transforming resource advantages into supply advantages, promoting the shift of energy supply from &#34;external dependence&#34; to &#34;self-control,&#34; and constructing an energy supply network that is not subject to external constraints, thereby firmly grasping the initiative for development amid global energy turmoil.
To ensure national energy security, the construction of a new energy system has become a core approach. Energy security is an important component of national security. In the context of increasingly fierce great power competition, without energy security, there can be no economic security or industrial security. The new energy system, through the construction of distributed energy, energy storage facilities, and smart grids, achieves diversification, decentralization, and intelligence in energy supply, effectively hedging against the risks of international supply chain disruptions.
On one hand, by vigorously developing clean energy sources such as wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear power, the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption can be gradually increased, reducing the rigid demand for imported oil and gas; on the other hand, promoting the deep integration of traditional and new energy sources, leveraging coal's role as a backup guarantee, and achieving &#34;establishing first and breaking later, steady and steady progress,&#34; to avoid supply interruptions during the energy transition process
At the same time, relying on a new type of national system to strengthen key core technology breakthroughs, overcoming technical bottlenecks in energy storage, ultra-high voltage, hydrogen energy, etc., and addressing the shortcomings of the energy industry chain, will make energy technology and its related industries an important engine for driving industrial upgrades and cultivating new productive forces.
Building a new energy system is the only way to achieve the &#34;dual carbon&#34; goals and promote high-quality development. Responding to global climate change and promoting a green and low-carbon transition is a shared responsibility of the international community and an inherent requirement for our country to achieve sustainable development. The traditional energy development model characterized by high energy consumption and high emissions not only exacerbates resource and environmental constraints but also restricts economic transformation and upgrading. The new energy system, with green and low-carbon as its core characteristics, promotes a comprehensive green transformation of production and lifestyle through fundamental restructuring of the energy structure, which can reduce pollutant emissions, improve the ecological environment, lower energy consumption costs, and enhance the quality and efficiency of economic development.
Looking globally, energy transition has become a new arena for geopolitical competition. Whoever can first build an autonomous, controllable, clean, and efficient new energy system will gain a strategic advantage in future international competition. As the world's largest energy producer and consumer, accelerating the construction of a new energy system is not only necessary for ensuring its own security but can also contribute a Chinese solution to global energy stability. By strengthening international energy cooperation, sharing new energy technologies and construction experiences, and promoting the global energy supply chain towards diversification, resilience, and greenness, we can demonstrate the responsibilities of a major power.
Steadily develop nuclear power, focusing on &#34;three key points&#34;
Zhang Honglin
Energy is the lifeblood of modern civilization, and nuclear power, as a safe, efficient, clean, and low-carbon energy source, is an indispensable strategic option for the construction of a major country's energy system. In the coming period, China's energy and electricity consumption will continue to grow steadily, and the strategic value of nuclear power in constructing a new energy system and a new power system is becoming increasingly prominent, with significant development space remaining.
Globally, a new wave of nuclear power revival is emerging, and the &#34;Triple Nuclear Energy Declaration&#34; has garnered broad consensus in the international community. Facing the &#34;14th Five-Year Plan,&#34; under the dual background of pressure on energy security and supply and tightening carbon emission constraints, actively and safely developing nuclear power is both a guideline and a pathway. Nuclear energy has extremely high energy density (the energy released from the complete fission of 1 kilogram of uranium-235 is equivalent to about 2,700 tons of standard coal), stable power generation output with a high capacity factor (nuclear power units typically have annual utilization hours of over 7,000 to 8,000 hours, with capacity factors exceeding 90%), very low carbon emission intensity throughout the entire lifecycle, mature technology, and scalability, occupying an important position in the power supply systems of many countries worldwide.
In the new development situation, major global economies are accelerating the reassessment of the strategic value of nuclear power. The &#34;Energy Law of the People's Republic of China,&#34; which will be implemented in 2025, and the &#34;Atomic Energy Law of the People's Republic of China,&#34; which will be implemented in 2026, clearly state that &#34;the country actively develops nuclear power in a safe and orderly manner.&#34; The &#34;active,&#34; &#34;safe,&#34; and &#34;orderly&#34; development of nuclear power is an organic whole that supports each other and collectively constitutes and guides the framework and principles for the development of nuclear power in the new era
&#34;Active&#34; is the direction, and priority should be given to nuclear power in planning layout, project approval, and resource allocation. Currently, China's nuclear power accounts for less than 5% of the electricity installed capacity, which still has significant room for improvement compared to France (67% by 2025) and South Korea (30% by 2025). The next 10 years are a critical phase for building a new power system in China and a decisive period for achieving carbon peak. We must maintain our own pace of nuclear power development, with the expectation that by 2035, the proportion of nuclear energy generation will reach around 10%. Key projects include the Hualong One and Guohe One, utilizing independent third-generation technology to reduce construction costs through mass and standardized construction. We will adhere to the &#34;three-step&#34; strategy for nuclear energy, maintaining strategic R&amp;D investment in fourth-generation reactor types (integrated fast reactors, very high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, etc.) and fusion reactors, enhancing AI empowerment levels, and promoting demonstration reactor construction in a timely manner to lead global nuclear energy development. We will actively promote the entire nuclear power industry chain to &#34;go global,&#34; turning the comprehensive advantages of Chinese nuclear power into our &#34;new business card&#34; and providing &#34;Chinese solutions&#34; for countries planning to develop nuclear power.
&#34;Safety&#34; is the lifeline of nuclear energy development. China adheres to the nuclear safety concept of &#34;four balances,&#34; clearly defining nuclear safety requirements at the institutional level, implementing supervision and management according to the strictest standards, and integrating nuclear safety into the entire process of nuclear energy development and utilization. According to the performance indicators data released by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) for 2025, China's nuclear power units rank first globally in both the number of full-score units and the average WANO comprehensive index.
In the future, China will adhere to the highest safety standards, ensuring that nuclear power development is &#34;absolutely foolproof,&#34; increasing technological innovation, continuously improving feedback on experiences, and enhancing the inherent safety of reactors. We will strengthen the assessment and response capabilities for extreme scenarios, focusing on rising sea levels and extreme weather scenarios around coastal nuclear power plant sites. We will enhance safety supervision and innovation for new reactor types and technologies, providing targeted and precise institutional support for the innovative development of new nuclear power technologies.
&#34;Orderly&#34; is the rhythm, a profound respect for the laws of nuclear power development. Nuclear power differs from wind and solar projects in that its construction cycle is long (usually 5-6 years), site resources are limited, and the industrial chain requires highly matched development. The boom and bust of nuclear power development may lead to a series of deep-seated contradictions such as equipment capacity bottlenecks, talent supply issues, and regulatory capabilities lagging behind, which could harm long-term development capacity. Currently, we must actively focus on the sustainable construction of the industrial system, and in conjunction with nuclear power construction, establish a diversified natural uranium security system and improve the strategic reserve system. We will accelerate the construction of capacity for uranium purification, conversion, enrichment, and nuclear fuel components.
In summary, the active, safe, and orderly development of nuclear power is a strategic necessity under China's triple goals of energy security, climate responsibility, and technological independence. The rise of nuclear power will stabilize the new energy system; a stable energy supply will solidify the foundation for Chinese-style modernization. This is the fundamental logic behind our promotion of high-quality nuclear power development and our solemn commitment to the future.
The development and application of energy storage technology is a top priority
Lin Boqiang
This year marks the beginning of the &#34;14th Five-Year Plan&#34; implementation, which also means that the construction of China's new energy system has entered a substantive phase of tackling challenges, and clarifying the core of this system has become a prerequisite for overall development
Currently, large-scale clean energy bases and supporting cross-regional ultra-high voltage power transmission channels are being constructed urgently. The concentrated construction of these grand projects is not merely about scaling up, but aims to address the structural contradictions arising from the spatial mismatch between China's energy resource endowment and load centers. Under the rigid constraints of the &#34;dual carbon&#34; goals, building a new energy system dominated by non-fossil energy has become a national strategy.
The traditional energy system, primarily based on fossil fuels, possesses inherent physical stability and ease of storage, with relatively simple logic for peak shaving and supply assurance. In contrast, the new energy system, dominated by wind and solar power, exhibits strong intermittency, volatility, and randomness, necessitating a rethinking of peak shaving, storage, and transportation logic throughout the entire energy system. Therefore, the large-scale application and development of energy storage technology have become a top priority for the development of the new energy system.
In recent years, China has established a globally leading capacity advantage in the manufacturing of new energy equipment such as photovoltaic modules, wind turbines, and power batteries. However, leading in manufacturing equipment does not directly equate to efficiency and safety at the macro energy system level. With the accelerated grid connection of large clean energy bases during the &#34;14th Five-Year Plan,&#34; the systemic risk of &#34;only generating without using&#34; urgently needs to be eliminated. While cross-regional ultra-high voltage channels solve the problem of green electricity &#34;spatial mismatch,&#34; they cannot address the temporal mismatch between wind and solar generation and user loads. The energy system is a complex physical and economic network; without a diversified energy storage system for time-shifting electricity, the strong manufacturing capabilities at the front end will lead to significant resource waste. Therefore, deeply embedding energy storage into various segments of the backbone network, distribution network, and even microgrids to achieve the synergy of &#34;source-network-load-storage&#34; (i.e., power sources, power grids, loads, and storage) is key to breaking the constraints on new energy consumption and transforming the advantages of clean energy endowment and equipment manufacturing into stable and controllable grid operation capabilities.
At the backbone network and power source level, in the face of the centralized grid connection of the million-kilowatt &#34;Shagehuang&#34; wind and solar base, the large-scale configuration of high-capacity new energy storage and pumped storage power stations can effectively smooth out frequency fluctuations and voltage flicker caused by the large-scale transmission of high proportions of new energy. At the distribution network level, with the explosive growth of distributed photovoltaics and the widespread access of high-power electric vehicle charging piles, the distribution network is evolving from a traditional unidirectional receiving network to a bidirectional interactive system.
At the microgrid and user side level, industrial parks and &#34;zero-carbon parks&#34; have raised stricter requirements for power supply reliability and the proportion of green electricity used. The introduction of user-side energy storage allows microgrids to flexibly switch between grid-connected and island operation modes. Ultimately, through advanced digital technologies and the aggregation of virtual power plants (VPPs), the vast dispersed energy storage resources scattered across the backbone network, distribution network, and microgrid will be physically and informationally linked, aggregating isolated adjustment potential into system-level flexibility resources, thereby truly achieving dynamic synergy and mutual assistance of &#34;source-network-load-storage.&#34;
With a clear long-term development framework centered on energy storage, it is still necessary at this stage to coordinate the supporting role of traditional coal power, using it as a transitional support until energy storage matures comprehensively. Theoretically, the development of the new energy system relies on the cleaning of new energy and energy storage, but during the actual transition period, constrained by the current cost and scale bottlenecks of long-duration energy storage technology, the system still faces severe challenges of supply-demand imbalance under extreme conditions
Therefore, at a time when energy storage technology cannot yet provide low-cost adjustment capabilities across months and seasons, it is necessary to accelerate the transformation of coal power into flexible adjustment power sources, complementing new energy storage, to jointly provide a safe and controllable foundation for the rapid development of new energy.
The new physical architecture built around the core of energy storage must also be coordinated with the deepening reform of the electricity market system and mechanisms to fully unleash the overall efficiency of the system. To ensure the sustainable development of the new energy system centered on energy storage, it is essential to accelerate the construction of a nationally unified electricity market system that adapts to a high proportion of new energy access.
Relying on comprehensive breakthroughs in energy storage technology and system-level applications, supplemented by the support of traditional coal power and the guidance of the electricity market, China will rapidly build a new energy system that is clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient in the future

This issue of the Global Roundtable discussed the importance of accelerating the construction of a new energy system, emphasizing that in the context of a severe global energy security situation, building a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient energy system is a strategic choice to ensure national energy security. Experts pointed out that the vulnerability of the traditional energy system has exposed structural shortcomings, while the new energy system will be primarily based on non-fossil energy, reducing dependence on international markets and enhancing autonomy and resilience. China has advantages in renewable energy, and promoting the transformation of energy supply is key to achieving the country's long-term development

Global Roundtable Dialogue: Accelerating the Construction of a New Energy System and Strengthening the Foundation of Security