Effects of Wind and Solar Power Development on Electric Power Structure Adjustment and Carbon Reduction in Henan Province

Constructing an electrical power system based on renewable energy is a necessary road for China to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality by 2060. As an important province in China, Henan has significant potential of renewable energy but the existing electric power structure is still dominated by traditional coal power. In this work, the potentials of wind and solar energy resources in Henan province are evaluated and the corresponding development roadmaps are proposed. Then the effects of renewable energy substitution on electricity structure adjustment and carbon reduction are analyzed. Three scenarios are designed, i.e., the declared policy scenario (DP), the energy revolution scenario (ER) and the baseline scenario (BS). The result indicates that the installed capacity of wind and photovoltaic power will be 184 and 234 million kW in 2050 in the ER scenario, respectively, accounting for 40.9 and 50.9 % of the total. Compared with the BS scenario, 278 Mt of emission reduction and 93.6 % CO2 reduction can be achieved in 2050 in the ER scenario. It is concluded that developing an electrical power system based on renewable energy will yield significant environmental benefits. Finally, some suggestions to promote the green transformation of electricity structure are proposed. This study provides a useful guide for achieving the goal of carbon peak and carbon neutrality for the electric power sector in Henan province.