Renewable energy policy in remote rural areas of Western China [Elektronische Ressource] : implementation and socio-economic benefits / vorgelegt von Chian-Woei Shyu

Chian-Woei Shyu

Informations

• Publié par: rheinische_friedrich-wilhelms-universitat_bonn
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 10
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Renewable Energy Policy in Remote Rural Areas of Western China:
Implementation and Socio-economic Benefits








Inaugural-Dissertation
Zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde
der
Philosophischen Fakultät
der
Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität
zu Bonn





vorgelegt von

CHIAN-WOEI SHYU



aus

Taiwan



Bonn 2010

Gedruckt mit Genehmigung der Philosophischen Fakultät der Rheinischen
Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn



















Zusammensetzung der Prüfungskommission:

Prof. Dr. Solvay Gerke
(Vorsitzende/Vorsitzender)

Prof. Dr. Uwe Holtz
(Betreuerin/Betreuer und Gutachterin/Gutachter)

Prof. Dr. Wolfram Hilz
(Gutachterin/Gutachter)

Prof. Dr. Xuewu Gu
(weiteres prüfungsberechtigtes Mitglied)


Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 19 Mai 2010


Diese Dissertation ist auf dem Hochschulschriftenserver der ULB Bonn
http://hss.ulb.unibonn.de/diss_online elektronisch publiziert.
iiABSTRACT

Electricity is essential for rural development. In 2005, 1.6 billion people, around a
quarter of the world’s population, living mostly in rural areas of developing countries,
had no access to electricity. In general, remote rural areas in developing countries have
little prospect of having access to grid-based electricity, which usually only extends to
densely populated urban areas, where a large customer base justifies heavy expenditure
for electricity infrastructure. One option for electrification in remote rural areas is to
decentralize electricity systems based on renewable energy sources. However, such an
option is not universally agreed upon. This dissertation examines a renewable
energy-based rural electrification program, the ‘Township Electrification Program’,
launched by the Chinese government in 2002. The Program was implemented in 1013
non-electrified townships in remote rural areas of 11 western provinces, providing
electricity for 300,000 households and 1.3 million people. And at the time of research,
the Program was known as the world’s largest renewable energy-based rural
electrification program in terms of investment volume ever carried out by a country.

Two townships, Saierlong Township in Qinghai Province and Namcuo Township in
Tibet Autonomous Region, were selected as cases for an in-depth examination of rural
electrification practices in remote rural areas of western China. Both qualitative
(interviews, observations, mapping, and transition walk) and quantitative (household
survey) methods were applied in the field to collect data.

The main findings of the study are summarized as follows: First, political leaders’
concern over the unequal economic development of eastern and western China, as well
as rural and urban areas, was the main factor triggering inclusion of the policy issue,
electricity access in remote rural areas of western China, in the government’s policy
agenda. Second, like other energy policies, the formulation and adoption of the
‘Township Electrification Program’ followed a ‘centralized and closed top-down’
approach within China’s communist political framework conditions, which ultimately
resulted in pursuing political leaders’ conceptions instead of the energy needs of local
people. Third, the implementation of the Program possessed a technical orientation (e.g.
construction of stations, installation of systems), and underestimated the financial
implications (e.g. electricity tariff, households’ ability to pay electricity fee, financial
management) as well as human resources available (e.g. training for operators,
household participation) and institutional capacity building (e.g. good governance,
regulatory framework) at the local level.

Fourth, there was a change of households’ energy use pattern from traditional energy
sources (such as candles and dry cell batteries) to electricity from solar PV power
stations in the two investigated townships. But traditional energy sources were not
totally substituted by electricity. This is due to the fact that the current electricity supply
was not sufficient for households’ needs and electricity was not provided daily on a
regular basis. Households still had to rely on traditional energy sources. Fifth, the
impacts of the Program on the improvement of socio-economic benefits for households,
the improvement of township development, and the reduction of negative environmental
impacts were limited. Lastly, based on these findings, this study suggests policy
recommendations for the Chinese government as well as policy implications for
developing countries.
iiiACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author gratefully acknowledges the excellent inputs and generous support of my
supervisor, Prof. Dr. Uwe Holtz. Grateful acknowledgement is also made to the
following people. The members of my examination committee, Prof. Dr. Wolfram Hilz,
Prof. Dr. Solvay Gerke, Prof. Dr. Xuewu Gu, and Prof. Dr. Hans-Dieter Evers have
given valuable advice and comments. Mr. Jens Claussen has been helping me with the
German summary, Dr. Kimberly A. Couvson for editing the dissertation, and Dr.
Anna-Katharina Hornidge for being supportive of my research. Mr. Guido Lüchters
helped me with statistics analysis and SPSS, while Prof. Dr. Jing Shiang supported me
with literature about public policy and encouraged me. The field research was possible
due to the outstanding support by Dr. Ying Chen and her colleagues at the Research
Center for Sustainable Development (RCSD), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
(CASS). The field research received valuable support and information from the
following people and organizations: Mr. Tsultrim Dargye, Mr. Osmanla, Ms. Yi Zheng,
GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit GmbH; German Agency
for Technical Cooperation) Beijing office, and Institute of Electrical Engineering (IEE),
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). In addition, I would like to thank all individuals,
households, and organizations that contributed to this study.

This PhD would also have not been possible without the generous financial support of
the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) for three-year scholarship and a field research fund
of BMZ (Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung;
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development), GTZ, and ZEF
(Zentrum für Entwicklungsforschung, Universität Bonn; Center for Development
Research, University of Bonn). Furthermore, I would like to thank Dr. Günter Manske,
Ms. Rosemarie Zabel, Mr. Völker Merx, Dr. Martin Borowsky, Ms. Reiko Hisada, Mr.
Jens Claussen, Family Smets, Family Mustonen, and Family Elmiger for their
hospitality and assisting my study, stay, and be parting of my life in many ways during
my study in Germany. Lastly, I would like to thank the brothers and sisters at CLW
(Centrum Lebendiges Wort, Freie Christengemeinde eV), SRLW Bonn (Solid Rock &
Living Water Christian Fellowship Bonn), and BICF (Beijing International Christian
Fellowship) for their prayers and spiritual support.

ivMy parents, Rei-Guang Shyu and Mei-Ying Tang, deserve more thanks than I can give
them here, for their never ending trust and love. Special thanks also for my two brothers,
Chian-Yu Shyu and Chian-Jeng Shyu, for their kind encouragement. Finally, I wish to
honor God by dedicating this dissertation to Him. He has been the greatest support
through my difficult times during my PhD study.

Isaiah 40: 28-31
28The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
30Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
31but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.

Psalm 23
1The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil; for you are with me;
your rod and your staff — they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
(Bible, New Revised Standard Version)
vTABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract iii
Acknowledgements iv
List of Boxes xi
List of Figures xi
List of Maps xi
List of Photographs xii
List of Tables xiiAbbreviations xviii
Deutsche Zusammenfassung (German Summary) I

1 Introduction 1
1.1 Backgroun