China seeks purchase of electricity from renewables

China's National Energy Administration asked power grid firms to maximise the purchase of electricity from renewable projects instead of coal, in order to ease power outages in the country.

China has been struggling with power crunch that left millions of households and businesses in the darkness, especially in the north eastern industrial hubs.

Last week, the government has previously said that they are "confident" that they can ensure sufficient coal and electricity supplies for the coming cold season.

"China will ensure that coal and electricity supplies for the winter season and next spring will be sufficient, while our commitment of peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 will also be realized," Zhao Chenxin, secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission told a news conference.