On June 25, the Fourth China–Europe Forum on Energy Technology Innovation Cooperation was successfully held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Representatives from 13 countries, including the United Kingdom, Iceland, and Finland, as well as the European Union, together with representatives from Chinese and European energy enterprises, industry organizations, and research institutions, attended the forum. He Yang, Deputy Administrator of the National Energy Administration of China, and Ren Jingdong, Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Sichuan Province, attended the forum and delivered opening remarks.

At the Forum

In his remarks, He Yang noted that China and Europe are two indispensable forces driving the global energy transition. Since its establishment in 2020, the China–Europe Energy Technology Innovation Cooperation Platform has organized more than 100 activities across China and Europe, facilitated phased progress in more than 10 national key research and development projects, and supported the signing and implementation of more than 20 commercial cooperation projects. The platform has evolved into an effective international cooperation mechanism characterized by “rapid demand matching and efficient project incubation.” Looking ahead, he emphasized that the platform should continue to strengthen China–Europe policy communication and information sharing, improve channels linking technological innovation with industrial collaboration, expand opportunities for regional cooperation and project implementation, and ensure that the outcomes of cooperation deliver greater benefits to all parties.

Ren Jingdong stated that Sichuan is a major clean energy province in China and an important base for the research, development, and manufacturing of clean energy equipment. Chinese and European enterprises have carried out extensive and pragmatic cooperation in clean energy across Sichuan, producing a number of replicable and scalable China–Europe cooperation models. He expressed Sichuan’s willingness to work closely with European partners to deepen cooperation in frontier fields such as advanced energy storage, hydrogen energy, and smart energy, jointly tackle key technological challenges, and inject stronger innovation momentum into the green and low-carbon energy transition.

Representatives from China and Europe engaged in in-depth discussions on key topics including clean energy technology innovation, industrial and supply chain collaboration, green electricity consumption, and international mutual recognition. During the keynote session, Zeng Rong, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Tsinghua University Committee and Executive Vice President of Tsinghua University, and Professor Jovica Milanović, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, respectively shared insights on frontier topics including innovation in direct current technologies and sustainable power grid modeling and analysis, providing technical support for the development of new power grids capable of accommodating a higher proportion of renewable energy.

During the forum, a number of major achievements in China–Europe energy cooperation were officially released, including the first batch of 19 exemplary China–Europe energy cooperation case studies, the RE100 - China Green Electricity Industrial Park Initiative, and the Green Electricity (Zero-Carbon) Industrial Park Green Electricity Supply Solutions Collection. These achievements have enhanced green electricity consumption through multiple channels, facilitated international certification of green electricity, reduced supply chain decarbonization costs, and better supported enterprises in green procurement, carbon accounting, and low-carbon supply chain cooperation. The forum also featured thematic country days for the United Kingdom, Iceland, and Finland, together with specialized parallel forums on hydrogen energy, smart energy, energy storage, wind power, and biomass energy.

The forum was hosted by the China–Europe Energy Technology Innovation Cooperation Office (Electric Power Planning & Engineering Institute), the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, and the Administrative Committee of Sichuan Tianfu New Area, and jointly organized by the Science and Technology Bureau of Sichuan Tianfu New Area, the International Cooperation and Investment Promotion Bureau of Sichuan Tianfu New Area, the Tsinghua Sichuan Energy Internet Research Institute, the Sichuan Electric Power Industry Association, and the Electric Power Research Institute of State Grid Sichuan Electric Power Company. The forum provided an important platform for China–Europe exchanges in energy technology innovation, promoted the matching and implementation of cooperation projects, and advanced pragmatic collaboration in the field of clean energy.