EnTrans

China wants to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The energy supply is still heavily dependent on coal. Wind and solar energy currently only contribute around 15% of the electricity supply. However, the expansion of renewable energies is making great progress: In 2024 alone, China added 277 GW of generation capacity in the form of solar plants and 80 GW of wind turbines. The efficient integration of such large quantities of fluctuating renewable energies into the energy system requires various factors:

• a smart grid,
• flexibility,
• a market design to coordinate the many, relatively small generation units,
• scope for decentralized solutions and
• greater coupling of the sectors.
   

The Sino-German Energy Transition Project supports the exchange between Chinese government think tanks and German research institutions to strengthen the Sino-German scientific exchange on the energy transition and share German energy transition experiences with a Chinese audience. The project aims to promote a low-carbon-oriented energy policy and help to build a more effective, low-carbon energy system in China through international cooperation and mutually beneficial policy research and modelling. The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) in the framework of the Sino-German Energy Partnership, the central platform for energy policy dialogue between Germany and China on a national level. From the Chinese side, the National Energy Administration (NEA) supports the overall steering. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH leads the project implementation in cooperation with the German Energy Agency (dena) and Agora Energiewende.

dena is involved in five working groups on the following topics:

• Flexibility and grid planning,
• hydrogen,
• decentralized energy transition,
• energy markets and
• energy efficiency in industry.

The support includes studies, workshops, delegation trips, lectures, participation in events and direct talks to promote the exchange of experience between German and Chinese experts.  

• June 2025: Publication of a study and a factsheet on emissions trading
• June 2025: Publication of a factsheet on the topic of carbon, capture, utilization and storage
• December 2024: Online workshop on the topic of carbon, capture, utilization and storage
• November 2024: Online workshop on the topic of emissions trading  
• November 2024: Online workshop on flexibility of the energy system in Germany and China
• 2024: Support for Chinese delegation trips
• 2023: Participation in and presentation of the project results at the ‘International Forum on Energy Transition’ (IFET) or 国际能源转型论坛 in Suzhou, China
• 2023: Publication of the study ‘Facilitating China's Industrial Transformation with CCU/S’
• September 2022: Presentation and discussion of the results of the EnTrans project at a final conference in Berlin
• August 2022: Publication of the study ‘Decentralised Flexibility and Integration of Renewable Energy’
• Since 2020: Participation in annual meetings of the Sino-German working group on energy efficiency
   

2023:

• A Brief Analysis of the Decarbonisation Pathways of German Industry and their Application to China / 德国工业脱碳路径简析及其对中国的借鉴意义
• Approaches to the Low Carbon Transition of Heavy Industries – the Role of Circular Economy Measures / 重工业低碳转型之路——中国和德国循环经济措施的作用
• Facilitating China's Industrial Transformation with CCUS / 碳捕集利用/封存（CCU/S）助力中国工业转型
• Germany’s Regulatory Framework and Instruments for Energy Efficiency in Industry
• Green Power Trading and GOs in Europe and Germany / 欧洲和德国绿色电力交易及来源担保证书（GOs）
• H2GIGA, H2MARE and TRANSHYDE
• H2-Infrastructure Planning in Germany / 德国氢气基础设施规划
• H2-Storage Requirements in Germany / 德国储氢的相关要求
• Priority Sectors for Hydrogen Deployment from a Climate Perspective / 从气候角度看氢能部署的优先部门
• Renewable Energy – Business and Financial Models / 可再生能源的商业和融资模式: 德国经验分享及中国前景展望
• The Logistics of Hydrogen / 氢气的运输
• The Price of Green Hydrogen and Derivates / 绿氢及其衍生物的价格

2022:

• A Comparative Analysis and Simulation of DSM and Energy Efficiency in the Chinese and German Industry / 中德工业领域需求侧管理和能源效率的比较分析与模拟
• EWI-Simulation Tool for Evaluating DSM and Energy Efficiency Potentials in the Industry for Germany and China
• Assessing Power System Adequacy in Germany and Europe, and Lessons for China / 德国和欧洲电力系统充裕度评估及对中国的经验和借鉴意义
• Contributions of Renewables to Ancillary Services and System Stability / 可再生能源对辅助服务及系统稳定性的贡献
• Data Centre Flexibility in Germany and China / 中德数据中心灵活性研究
• Decentralized Flexibility and Integration of Renewable Energy / 分散式灵活性和 — 可再生能源的整合
• Energy Transition in China and Germany / 中国和德国的能源转型
• Flexibility Technologies and Measures in the German Power System / 德国电力系统中的灵活性技术和措施
• Impact of China Wholesale Power Price Reform of Economics of Distributed PV and Storage
• Industrial high Temperature Heat Pumps in Germany and Europe – Potentials, Application Cases and Support Policy /德国与欧洲高温热泵发展经验——潜力、应用场景及政策支持
• Innovative Distributed Generation and Storage / 创新型分布式发电与储能
• Smart Grids in Germany Current Situation / 德国智能电网现状
• The Role of Synthetic Energy Carriers in Sector Coupling / 绿氢在部门耦合中作用

2021:

• Economics of Urban Distributed PV in China / 中国城市分布式光伏的经济性探讨
• Towards a More Effective, Low Carbon Energy System in China / 共塑更加清洁、高效、低碳的中国未来能源系统