Summary

In January 2020, China’s Ministry of Education announced a five-year development plan for subjects related to energy storage, covering the period from 2020 to 2024. The plan aims to increase the number of students studying relevant subjects at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as supporting relevant scientific research, as China sees this as an important emerging strategic subject.

The main objectives of the plan are:

• To create specific academic programmes in energy storage technology, energy storage materials and energy storage management, including drawing up relevant standards and creating teaching materials. This task will focus on universities in key regions where these skills are needed, specifically the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Northeast China, the Yangtze River Delta region, and Northwest China.
• To support universities offering courses focused on energy storage under subjects such as power engineering, engineering thermophysics and electrical engineering, and interdisciplinary courses integrating aspects of this technology along with areas such as Physics or Chemistry.
• To develop research talents and expertise in this area through various methods, including encouraging universities to set up specialised research institutes and building an interdisciplinary platform to support research in this area.

Analysis by Kevin Prest, Senior Analyst, British Council International Education Services

New energy sources such as wind and solar power are playing an increasing role in China’s power generation mix, creating a need for energy storage as these sources are more intermittent than traditional power plants. The MoE’s development plan supports national strategies to develop technologies and standards for grid-scale energy storage systems and to expand the deployment of these systems in China.

The new strategy illustrates the importance of this field in China, which presents opportunities for UK universities in terms of joint research partnerships and cooperative education programmes.

Source

Ministry of Education - Ministry of Education, NDRC and National Energy Council announce ‘Action Plan for the Development of Energy Storage Technology Disciplines (2020-2024)’ (in Chinese): http://www.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A08/s7056/202002/t20200210_419693.html