S China power grid ramps up new energy promotion

State-owned China Southern Power Grid is stepping up efforts in promoting new energy development in a bid to reduce coal consumption and battle air pollution.

"Power transmitted to South China's Guangdong and Hainan provinces, places with huge needs for electricity that are used to burning coal to meet the demand, is mainly water and wind energy that comes largely from Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Guizhou province and Yunnan province, areas with abundant natural resources," said Liu Yingshang, deputy chief engineer at China Southern Power Grid.

The company has transmitted 217.5 billion kWh of electricity by 2018, a 7.2 percent increase year-on-year.

That saves about 15 million metric tons of standard coal consumption in the area it covers, and reduces emissions including 40 million tons of carbon dioxide and 300,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, according to the company.

The company also said it will support new energy production in China's economic hub, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with a goal of installed capacity of new energy accounting for 80 percent of the region's total.