China BRI17 Mar 2025 10:32
Energy and coal, remain high on its agenda.........GLA
Extracts from China BRI 2024 Report
Sector trends of BRI engagement - In 2024, particularly the energy sector (+ USD11.5 billion), the technology sector (+USD5 billion) and metals & mining (+2 billion) grew compared to 2023. When comparing construction and investment in different sectors, it becomes clear that in mining and technology, Chinese firms are increasingly prioritizing equity investments, despite the higher risks involved; meanwhile, energy investments continue to be dominated by construction deals rather than equity-based investments.
Energy-related engagement in the BRI at highest levels with green growth accelerating
China’s energy–related engagement in 2024 again set a record as the greenest since the BRI’s inception in 2013: in 2024, China’s green (solar, wind, waste-to-energy) energy engagement was about USD11.8 billion, about 30% of China’s total energy engagement, plus an additional USD639 million in hydropower.
China’s engagement in the energy sector represents the largest share of its total BRI engagement. In 2024, total engagement in the energy sector approached USD40 billion, the highest level since 2017.
Two developments stand out: first, China’s engagement in green energy (solar, wind and biomass) reached a record of USD 11.8 billion (excluding solar equipment exports).
Second, China maintained a continued engagement in fossil fuels, particularly gas, but also coal (through coal mining). Also, engagement in distribution systems (e.g., substations, power lines) constituted more than 11% of Chinese BRI energy engagement.
https://greenfdc.org/china-belt-and-road-initiative-bri-investment-report-2024/