Category: Energy
The China-Shaped Hole in Natural Gas Financing
The role of natural gas in African green transitions has become a flashpoint as Europe tries to maximize its own access to African natural gas while also discouraging African countries from factoring it into their own development plans. New research from Boston University’s Global ...
The Wider Implications of Europe’s Quest for African Natural Gas”?
It’s becoming increasingly clear to me that one of the most important tools for making it through these times is a capacity for grim amusement. Without it, one would simply be crushed by something like the recent UN climate reports which correctly pointed ...
China’s No New Coal Power Overseas Pledge, One Year On
By Han Chen and Wei Shen On 21 September 2021, China’s president, Xi Jinping, told the UN General Assembly via video link that China would increase support for green and low-carbon energy in developing countries, and not build any new coal-fired ...
Where Does China Source Its Natural Gas
China is the world's fastest-growing market for natural gas and imported more last year than any other country -- accounting for 60% of global demand. The bulk of China's imports in 2021 came from Australia (40%), with Malaysia, Qatar and the ...
Shining a Light on China’s Support for Power Plants in Belt and Road Initiative Countries in Africa and Asia
By Oyintarelado (Tarela) Moses In September 2021, Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced that China would not build new coal plants overseas. At the same time, many countries in Africa and Asia continue to seek finance for electricity-generating infrastructure to meet ...
3 Ways to Mobilize China’s BRI for Energy Transitions
By Rebecca Ray A global consensus is forming: countries around the world must embark on energy transitions to mitigate climate change and protect the health of their own citizens. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could play a key facilitating role, ...
China and the Prospect of Early Retirement of Coal Plants in the Global South
By Alex Clark, Christoph Nedopil and Cecilia Springer Formerly the world’s largest public financier of coal, China has committed not to build new coal plants overseas. China has financed between 41 GW and 52 GW of currently operating ...
Why China Building a Small Power Plant in a Small Congolese Town is Such a Big Deal
A consortium of Chinese entrepreneurs based in Angola recently signed an agreement to build an electric power generation facility in the small Congolese city of Kenge, 269 kilometers west of the capital Kinshasa, according to Radio Okapi. Not much is known about ...
Lights On: Prospects for Renewable Energy in Southern Africa Amid Pandemic and Debt Distress
By Cecilia Springer and Magalie Masamba A November 2020 report found the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region could achieve full energy access and 53% renewable energy (RE) installed capacity by 2040 with an investment of nearly $53 billion.
China, Saudi Arabia Meet to Discuss Expanding Military Ties
Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe met with top defense officials from Saudi Arabia over the weekend to discuss closer security and military relations between the two countries. The timing of Saturday's meeting is significant. It occurred just one month before U.S. ...
Why China Won’t Fill a Development Finance Gap for Gas
By Cecilia Springer and Rishikesh Ram Bhandary At the end of May, Group of Seven (G7) countries committed to end public finance for overseas fossil fuel activities, going beyond their earlier commitment from last year to end such finance for overseas coal ...
What Do the African Development Bank Annual Meetings Mean for Chinese Energy Finance in Africa?
By Oyintarelado (Tarela) Moses This week, the African Development Bank (AfDB) convenes its annual meetings in Accra, Ghana under the theme of Achieving Climate Resilience and a Just Energy Transition for Africa. As countries throughout the region experience the effects ...