As the largest developing country in the world, China is faced with the daunting tasks of developing its economy, improving its people’s livelihood, and building a moderately prosperous society. It is an important strategic task of the Chinese government to maintain long-term, stable and sustainable use of energy resources. China’s energy development must follow a path featuring high-tech content, low consumption of resources, less environmental pollution, satisfactory economic returns, as well as security. It is moving towards the objective of economical, clean and secure development.
The basic contents of China’s energy policies are: "giving priority to conservation, relying on domestic resources, encouraging diverse development, protecting the environment, promoting scientific and technological innovation, deepening reform, expanding international cooperation, and improving the people’s livelihood." The state strives to advance the transformation of its energy production and utilization modes, and build a modern energy industrial system which features secure, stable, economical and clean development, so as to support sustainable economic and social development with sustainable energy development.
– Giving priority to conservation. The state exercises control over both total energy consumption and intensity. It is working to build an energy-savi ng production and consumption system, promote the transformation of the patterns of economic development and household consumption, and accelerate the pace of building an energy-efficient country and an energy-saving society.
– Relying on domestic resources. The country relies on domestic resource advantages and its own development basis, makes special efforts to enhance its energy supply capability and security, improves its emergency energy reserve and emergency response systems, and controls its dependence on foreign energy sources.
– Encouraging diverse development. China endeavors to raise the proportion of clean, low-carbon fossil energy and non-fossil energy in the energy mix, promotes the efficient and clean utilization of coal, develops substitute energy resources in a scientific way, and speeds up the optimization of energy production and the consumption mix.
– Protecting the environment. The state encourages fostering the concept of environment-friendly and low-carbon development, coordinates the development and use of energy resources with the protection of the eco-environment while paying equal attention to both, and actively fosters an energy development pattern that meets the requirements of ecological civilization.
– Promoting scientific and technological innovation. The state strengthens basic scientific research and frontier technological research in the energy field to enhance its scientific and technological innovation capabilities. Through the implementation of key energy projects, the state advances independent innovation in key technologies and equipment, and speeds up the fostering of innovative personnel.
– Deepening reform. The state gives full play to the role of the market mechanism, makes unified planning with due consideration for all concerned, addresses both root causes and symptoms of various problems, and expedites the reform in key fields and links to establish a framework of systems and mechanisms conducive to sustainable energy development.
– Expanding international cooperation. China gives simultaneous consideration to both domestic and international energy development, works to increase the scope, channels and forms of international cooperation, enhances its capability to "introduce" and "go global, " propels the establishment of a new international energy order and promotes mutually beneficial cooperation.
– Improving the people’s livelihood. The state coordinates energy development in both urban and rural areas, enhances energy infrastructure and basic public services, and strives to eliminate energy poverty and improve civil energy-use conditions.
It is stipulated in the Outline of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) for National Economic and Social Development that by 2015 non-fossil energy will rise to 11.4 percent in the national total primary energy consumption , energy consumption per unit of GDP will drop by 16 percent from 2010, and CO2 emission per unit of GDP will decrease by 17 percent from 2010.
The Chinese government has made the commitment that by 2020 non-fossil energy will account for 15 percent of its total primary energy consumption, and CO2 emission per unit of GDP will be 40-45 percent lower than in 2005. As a responsible nation, China will make every effort to fulfill its commitment.
III. All-round Promotion of Energy Conservation
China is a country with a large population but relevant deficiency in resources. To attain sustainable use of energy resources and sustainable economic and social development, it must take the path of conserving energy.
China always puts energy conservation in the first place. In the early 1980s, it put forward the development policy of "stressing both development and saving, with priority given to saving." The Chinese government issued the Decision of the State Council on Strengthening Energy Conservation in 2006. It issue d the Comprehensive Work Plan on Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction in 2007, making an all-round plan for the major sectors of energy consumption, such as industry, construction and transportation. China carried out ten key energy-conservation projects, including the innovation of coal-fueled industrial boilers (kilns), surplus heat and pressure utilization, energy saving in electrical motors, construction of energy-saving buildings, the green lighting project, and energy saving in government bodies, thus increasing its energy-conservation capacity to 340 million tons of standard coal. The Chinese government launched an energy conservation drive among 1,000 enterprises, resulting in a sharp decline in the comprehensive energy consumption index of key industries, and saving energy equivalent to 150 million tons of standard coal. China’s energy consumption per unit of GDP dropped 19.1 percent during its 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010).
In 2011, the State Council released the Comprehensive Work Plan on Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction During the 12th Five-Year Plan Period. This plan proposed the major objectives and key actions in the fields of energy conservation and emission reduction during this period. China aims to establish a "reverse coercion mechanism" through the dynamic integration of its efforts in lowering the intensity of energy consumption, reducing the total emissions of major pollutants, and rationally controlling total energy consumption. The "reverse coercion mechanism" helps promote the strategic restructuring of the economy, push forward the optimization of the industrial structure, and strengthen all aspects of energy utilization management in industry, construction, transportation, and public organizations, as well as in the fields of urban and rural construction and consumption, thus contributing to the building of a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society.
– Optimization of the industrial structure. The country puts the adjustment of the industrial structure in the key place of its energy conservation st rategy. It exercises strict control over low-level duplicated construction, and eliminates industries with high consumption and high pollutant emission, and backward productivity. China expedites the transformation of its traditional industries with advanced and applicable technology. It raises the entry threshold for processing trade, and promotes its transformation and upgrading. It improves the structure of foreign trade, and transforms its energy- and labor-intensive development mode into a capital- and technology-intensive one. It pushes forward the development of the service trades, fosters and develops emerging industries of strategic importance, and speeds up the formation of pioneer and pillar industries.
– Strengthening energy conservation in industry. With its energy consumption taking up about 70 percent of China’s total, industry is the major energy consumer in China. The state has drawn up catalog of advanced and applicable technologies in the fields of energy conserv ation and emission reduction for key industries such as iron and steel, petrochemicals, non-ferrous metals and building materials, for the purpose of eliminating backward technology, equipment and products, and developing energy-saving and high-value-added products and equipment. It has established and improved a mandatory standards system of quotas for en ergy consumption per-unit product in key industries, and strengthened the energy-saving evaluation and supervision system. It has undertaken key energy-saving projects, including simultaneous generation of heat and power, recycling of industrial by-product gas, construction of enterprise energy-control centers, and fostering of energy-saving industries, so as to increase its enterprises’ e
ergy utilization efficiency.
– Promoting building energy conservation. China makes vigorous efforts to construct green buildings and comprehensively advance energy conservation in buildings. It sets and improves the standards for green buildings, and implements rating and identification of green buildings. It actively promotes energy-saving renovation of existing buildings, and sets quotas for energy consumption by public buildings and publicizes their energy efficiency rates. It has set up a management system for the life cycles of buildings, and exercises strict control over demolition of buildings. China has also made and implemented an energy-saving plan for public institutions, and strengthened the establishment of a supervisory system for energy conservation in public buildings. It carries forward heat metering and energy eff iciency renovations on existing residential heating systems in the northern regions of China, builds energy-saving greenhouses, improves the old heat-supply network, and practices metered heat-supply charging
and energy consumption quota management.
– Pushing forward energy conservation in transportation. China continues to give priority to public transport, actively develops intercity rail transportation, and rationally encourages green commuting. China implements the fuel economy standard of the world’s advanced level for automobiles, and popularizes energy-saving and environment-friendly vehicles. It speeds up the elimination of old automobiles, locomotives and ships. Vigorous efforts are made to optimize the transportation structure and develop green logistics. China increases the electrificat ion rate in rail transportation, and launches energy-saving renovations at airports, piers and railway stations. It actively develops and popularizes new energy vehicles, and makes scientific plans for the construction of supporting facilities, including compressed natural gas filling and electricity charging facilities.
– Promoting energy conservation among all citizens. The Chinese government will intensify efforts in energy-saving education and publicity. It works h ard to bring into being a green mode of consumption and green lifestyle among urban and rural residents, and strengthens the public awareness of the importance of resource conservation. It strictly enforces the energy-saving standards of public institutions, and gives full play to the demonstration and leading role of government organs in energy conservation. It mobilizes all sectors of society to participa te in energy conservation by conducting relevant activities in residential areas, schools, government organs, the armed forces and enterprises. All these measures help build a long-term mechanism of energy conservation with the participation of all sectors of s ociety. Attention is also paid to energy conservation and emission reduction in rural areas, such as the construction of energy-saving houses.
IV. Vigorously Developing New and Renewable Energy
Vigorously developing new and renewable energy is a key strategic measure for promoting the multiple and clean development of energy, and fostering emerging industries of strategic importance. It is also an urgent need in the protection of the environment, response to climate change and achievement of sustainable development. Through unswerving efforts in developing new and renewable energy sources, China endeavors to increase the shares of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption and installed generating capacity to 11.4 percent and 30 perce nt, respectively, by the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan.
– Actively developing hydropower. China boasts abundant hydropower resources. Its technically exploitable hydropower resources are equal to 542 millio n kw, putting the country first in the world. Calculated according to power generation, less than 30 percent of China’s hydropower resources are currently utilized, leaving plenty of room for development in this regard. In order to attain the goal of increasing non-fossil energy consumption to 15 percent of the total energy consumption by 2020, more than half will come from hydropower development. On the condition that the ecological environment is protected and resettlements of local people a ffected are properly handled, China will energetically develop hydropower. By integrating hydropower development with promotion of local employment and economic development, the Chinese government aims to "develop local resources, stimulate local economic development, improve the local environment and benefit local people." The country strives to improve its resettlement policies regarding local people affected by hydropower projects, and perfect the benefit-sharing mechanism. China will strengthen ecological-protection and environmental-impact assessment, strictly implement measures to protect the environment of existing hydropower stations, and improve the comprehensive utilization level and eco-environmental benefits of water resources. In accordance with rational river basin planning for hydropower development, China will speed up the construction of large hydropower stations on key rivers, develop medium- and small-sized hydropower stations based on local conditions, and construct pumped-storage power stations in appropriate circumstances. The country’s installed hydropower generating capacity is expected to reach 290 million kw by 2015.
– Developing nuclear power in a safe and highly efficient way. As nuclear power is a high-quality, clean and efficient modern energy source, its development is of great significance for optimizing the nation’s energy structure and ensuring national energy security. At present, nuclear power only accounts for 1.8 percent of China’s total power output, far below the world average, which is 14 percent. Nuclear safety is essential for nuclear power development. Since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, China has launched comprehensive safety inspections at all nuclear power plants. The inspection results show that nuclear security is guaranteed in Ch ina. Over the past 20 years, Chinese nuclear power units in operation have never had accidents at and above Level 2, with major operating parameters being better than the world’s average and some indices even reaching the leading or advanced world level. Upholding a s cientific and rational concept of nuclear security, China implements the principle of "safety first" in the whole process of nuclear power station planning, site selection, R&D, design, construction, operation and decommissioning. It has established and improved a legal system on nuclear power, improved and optimized the safety management mechanism of nuclear power, set a high entry threshold in this regard, and clarified safety responsibility. It has improved the supervision system of nuclear power by strengthening safety supervision and inspection, and radiation environment supervision and management at nuclear power plants in operation and under construction. An emergency mechanism for nuclear ac cidents has been established and improved to enhance the country’s emergency response capability. China will invest more in nuclear power technological innovations, promote application of advanced technology, improve the equipment level, and attach great importance to personnel training. China’s installed capacity of nuclear power is expected to reach 40 million kw by 2015.
– Effectively developing wind power. As a non-water renewable energy, wind power is currently the most appropriate energy source for large-scale development and market-driven utilization. China’s wind power industry is t he fastest-growing in the world. During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, China will stress both intensive and distributed exploitation, and optimize the development layout of wind power. It will push forward wind power construction in an orderly way in the northwestern, northern and northeastern regions, which boast abundant wind energy, and speed up the development and utilization of distributed resources. It will steadily develop offshore wind farms, and improve the standards for wind-power equipment and the supervision system of this industry. China will encourage wind-power equipment manufacturer s to expedite R&D of key technologies, so as to accelerate the technological upgrading of this industry. By means of speeding up grid construction, increasing the grid’s dispatch level, improving the performance of wind-power equipment, and strengthening wind-power prediction and forecast, China aims to improve its power grids’ wind-power integration ability. The installed generating capacity of wind power is expected to reach 100 millio n kw by the end of 2015, with 500 kw of generating capacity coming from offshore wind farms.
– Actively making use of solar energy. China is rich in solar energy, which boasts immense room for development and has a promising future. During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, China will promote diverse patterns of solar-power development by integrating intensive exploitation with distributed utilization. It will construct l arge on-grid photovoltaic power stations and solar power generation projects in Qinghai and Gansu provinces, and the Xinjiang Uygur and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions, which boast abundant solar energy and scattered plots of unutilized land, for the purpose of increasing local supplies of electricity. It will encourage the central and eastern regions to construct distributed photovoltaic p ower generation systems linked to local buildings. Intensified efforts will be made to popularize solar water heaters, and promote the development of solar central hot-water supply, solar heating and cooling, and medium- and high-temperature industrial applications of solar energy. It will spread solar water heaters, solar cookers and solar houses in the countryside, border areas, and small cities and towns. China’s installed generating capacity of solar energy is expected to exceed 21 million kw by 2015, with a total solar heat collection area of 400 million sq m.
– Developing and utilizing biomass energy and other types of renewable energy. China will develop biomass energy and other renewable energy resources under the principle of "orderly development based on local conditions and comprehensive utilization with all factors taken into consideration." It will promote power generation using crop stalks, grain-processing residues and bagasse as fuels in major producing areas of grain and cotton; and carefully develop woody biomass power generation in forest-covered areas. Attention will be given to the promotion of electricity generation by mea ns of waste incineration and landfill gas in urban areas. The country will also speed up the construction of biomass gas, including methane, supply systems in eligible regions, and build production bases of biomass molding fuel in accordance with local conditions. Efforts will also be made to develop biodiesel and industrial c ellulosic ethanol. China will spread the technology of efficiently using geothermal energy on the condition that underground water is protected. It wil l reinforce the tracking and R&D of electricity generation technologies by using tidal energy, wave energy and hot dry rocks.
– Promoting distributed utilization of clean energy. China will energetically develop distributed energy resources on the principle of "giving priorit y to local supply, feeding the surplus into the grid, development based on local conditions, and advancing in an orderly way." It will accelerate the construction of distributed energy systems (DES) for natural gas at energy load centers. It will energetically spread the technology of distributed renewable energy, especially in high energy-consumption centers, including cities and industrial parks. It will carry out distributed renewable energy construction in rural areas, forest regions and islands in accordance with local conditions. Efforts will be made to set standards for distributed energy, and improve the formation mechanism and polices for on-grid price. Hard work will be done to realize direct supply, and non-discriminatory and barrier-free connection to the grid of power generated in the distributed manner. During the 12th Five-Year Plan period, China will construct about 1,000 projects of natural gas des, and ten distributed energy demonstration areas with diverse typical characteristics.123 Home Page Previous Page Last Page Last Page.