CEEC aiming for larger energy transition mandate

China Energy Engineering Corp Ltd is planning for a bigger role in global energy transition and infrastructure development through its latest efforts to expand green hydrogen and artificial intelligence, its chairman said.

CEEC is advancing integrated renewable energy, hydrogen, and storage solutions, and its latest green hydrogen projects are expected to play a key role in decarbonizing industrial sectors, Song Hailiang, Party secretary and chairman of CEEC, said at the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference on Tuesday.

"A major milestone will be reached in September, when the world's largest integrated green hydrogen-ammonia-methanol project in Songyuan, Jilin province, is set to begin operations," Song said.

Green hydrogen-ammonia-methanol is a sustainable energy solution that combines the generation of green hydrogen with the synthesis of green ammonia and green methanol, and aims to create a cohesive system for producing essential chemicals and fuels with minimal environmental impact.

Song said: "As the scale of renewable energy continues to grow, building a secure, systematic, efficient and intelligent new energy system has become a global challenge.

"The company will bet big on renewable energy supply, consumption, infrastructure planning, technology, and policy mechanisms to address these issues."

According to Song, CEEC has signed major investment agreements exceeding 110 billion yuan ($15.3 billion) domestically and $11.8 billion abroad, with major energy projects spanning China, Egypt, Morocco, and Central Asia.

The company's domestic green hydrogen and ammonia aviation oil capacity has surpassed 1.35 million metric tons, while its green hydrogen and ammonia production capacity has reached 2.6 million tons overseas.

In addition, Song said that CEEC is also pushing for a deep integration of AI and energy systems. "To develop AI, the ultimate bottleneck is electricity," he said.

In 2024, China's data centers and 5G base stations are expected to consume 250 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, close to triple the annual output of the Three Gorges Dam.

"With data processing and computing power needs surging, the company sees renewable energy and storage solutions as critical for sustaining AI-driven industries," he emphasized.

As part of its strategy, CEEC is developing digital-energy integrated infrastructure. Its east-data-west-computing project combines computing power, enabling better coordination between data centers and power grids.

Further, Song said that the company will accelerate its international operations, expanding renewable energy projects and infrastructure investments across markets involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The company, which operates in over 140 countries and regions, said that its overseas renewable energy contracts now account for nearly half of its total signed agreements.

Song said the company remains committed to high-quality energy cooperation under the BRI, bringing Chinese technology, equipment and expertise to global markets.

"Our goal is to move from simply 'going global' to deeply integrating into local markets," he said, adding that CEEC will focus on long-term partnerships and sustainable infrastructure projects.