EU officially adopts comprehensive ban on import of Russian natural gas. China’s cumulative installed capacity of wind and solar power exceeds 1.8 billion kilowatts for the first time
（2026/1/26—2026/2/1）
Author: Shu-Xin Zhang
International Energy News
1. EU officially adopts comprehensive ban on import of Russian natural gas
According to a Xinhua report from Brussels on January 26, the 27 member states of the European Union formally adopted regulations on the gradual ban of imports of pipeline and liquefied natural gas from Russia. Under the regulations, the comprehensive ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas will take effect in early 2027, while the ban on imports of pipeline natural gas will be implemented in the autumn of 2027. The new regulations also include measures to strengthen effective supervision and promote the diversification of energy supply.
Furthermore, the regulations stipulate that in the event the EU declares a state of emergency and one or more member states face a serious supply threat, the European Commission may suspend the import ban for a maximum period of four weeks. By March 1, 2026, all member states must develop national plans to achieve diversification of natural gas supply.
2. Central asia plans to invest $10.18 billion to launch regional electricity trading market
Recently, the executive board of the world bank approved a 10-year “Regional Energy Market Integration and Trade” (REMIT) plan aimed at promoting the establishment of the first regional electricity market in Central Asia, strengthening cross-border electricity trade and transmission capacity, and laying the foundation for large-scale integration of renewable energy.
Under a business-as-usual scenario, electricity demand in Central Asia is projected to triple by 2050. However, the current volume of electricity trade in the region accounts for only 3% of total demand. The REMIT plan aims to develop and utilize Central Asia’s diverse and complementary energy resources: hydropower from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan; coal- and gas-fired power from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan; as well as the region’s rapidly growing solar and wind energy potential.
Over the next decade, the plan sets three main objectives: to increase the scale of regional electricity trading to at least 15,000 gigawatt-hours annually; to triple cross-border transmission capacity to 16 gigawatts; and to achieve up to 9 gigawatts of clean energy integration. The overarching goal of the project is to enhance regional energy security, reduce the risk of power outages, lower electricity costs, and improve the resilience and interconnectivity of the grid system.
3. PowerChina signs contract for Angola’s Sassa Lumba Power Supply Project
On the afternoon of January 21 local time, PowerChina and the Angolan Ministry of Energy and Water signed a contract for the Sassa Lumba Power Supply Project in Bengo Province, Angola. The project aims to provide power infrastructure for the future development zone of Sassa Lumba, which is a key national-level infrastructure and livelihood project promoted by the Angolan government. The main construction content includes the establishment of two new substations, 60kV overhead lines, and underground cable lines. The completion of the power supply and distribution system will significantly improve the reliability of electricity supply in the area, effectively enhance the level of local energy infrastructure, and inject stable momentum into the sustainable economic and social development of the region.
This signing further consolidates PowerChina’s cooperative achievements in Angola’s energy construction sector and demonstrates the company’s capabilities in resource integration and project execution in the local market. PowerChina will continue to uphold its commitment to efficient performance and high-quality construction, ensuring the smooth implementation of the project and supporting the modernization of infrastructure in Angola.
Domestic energy news
1. China’s cumulative installed capacity of wind and solar power exceeds 1.8 billion kilowatts for the first time
By the end of 2025, China’s cumulative installed power generation capacity reached 3.89 billion kilowatts, marking a year-on-year increase of 16.1%. Among this, installed solar power capacity stood at 1.2 billion kilowatts, up 35.4% year-on-year, while installed wind power capacity reached 640 million kilowatts, a 22.9% increase. This milestone represents the first time that China’s combined installed capacity of wind and solar power has exceeded 1.8 billion kilowatts, reaching 1.84 billion kilowatts and accounting for 47.3% of the total installed capacity.
In 2025, the cumulative installed capacity of wind and solar power historically surpassed that of thermal power, exceeding it by approximately 300 million kilowatts by the end of December. Over the past four years, newly installed wind and solar power capacity has consistently broken through the thresholds of 100 million, 200 million, 300 million, and 400 million kilowatts annually. By adhering to a dual approach of centralized and distributed generation, accelerating the construction of large-scale wind and solar power bases in deserts, Gobi areas, and arid regions, promoting the standardized and orderly development of offshore wind power, actively expanding rooftop solar installations in urban and rural areas, and encouraging the development of decentralized wind power in rural areas, China has established the world’s largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system, with its wind and solar power capacity accounting for nearly half of the global total.
2. World’s largest compressed air energy storage project fully operational
Recently, the 2nd unit of the Guoxin Suyan Huai’an Salt Cavern Compressed Air Energy Storage Demonstration Project, in which Harbin Electric Group participated, successfully achieved grid synchronization and simultaneously achieved full-load power generation. This milestone marks the full operationalization of the world’s largest compressed air energy storage power station, providing critical engineering experience for the construction of China's new power system.
The Huai’an Salt Cavern Compressed Air Energy Storage Power Generation Project is a demonstration application of domestically developed “first-of-its-kind” major technical equipment and is also the largest compressed air energy storage power station currently in operation. Utilizing the underground salt cavern resources in Huai’an, the project includes two 300-megawatt non-supplemental combustion compressed air energy storage units. It employs advanced international technologies such as molten salt and pressurized heat-transfer water storage for non-supplemental combustion “high-temperature adiabatic compression,” with an energy storage capacity of 2,400 megawatt-hours and a conversion efficiency of 71%. The project is of significant importance for enhancing regional power supply capacity and reliability, as well as for supporting the development of the new power system.
It is reported that upon full operation, the project will generate approximately 792 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, sufficient to power 600,000 households for a year. It will also reduce coal consumption by 250,000 tons and cut CO₂ emissions by 600,000 tons per year, delivering notable environmental and energy-saving benefits and serving as a new-generation “stability regulator” for Jiangsu Province.
3. National electricity consumption surpasses 10 trillion kilowatt-hours, Guangdong leads with 958.9 billion kilowatt-hours
In 2025, China’s total electricity consumption historically exceeded 10 trillion kilowatt-hours, reaching 10.4 trillion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of 5.0%. This scale is equivalent to more than twice the annual electricity consumption of the United States and surpasses the combined annual electricity consumption of the European Union, Russia, India, and Japan, setting a new global record for electricity consumption in a single country. Amid the robust surge in national electricity consumption, Guangdong delivered an impressive performance—its total electricity consumption reached 958.973 billion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of 4.93%, continuing to lead the nation.
Electricity consumption in the primary industry showed steady growth, reaching 171.512 billion kilowatt-hours in 2025, up 4.99% year-on-year. Electricity consumption in the secondary industry increased by 3.85% year-on-year, with high-tech and equipment manufacturing sectors performing particularly well, recording a 6.65% year-on-year growth. The automotive manufacturing industry and the computer, communication, and other electronic equipment manufacturing industry saw even more rapid growth, expanding by 12.66% and 8.57%, respectively. Electricity consumption in Guangdong's tertiary industry exceeded 228.52 billion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of 7.66%.
The annual electricity consumption of 307 data centers across the province surpassed 10.9 billion kilowatt-hours, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 28.58%. The Shaoguan data center cluster maintained a growth rate exceeding 50% for 12 consecutive months, with a particularly sharp increase of 500% recorded in December 2025.
(Main news sources: CCTVNEWS APP, Xinhua New Media, International Energy Network, China Energy Network, National Energy Administration)
