China targets 1.8 per cent cut in average coal use by 2025

• 3 years ago (2021-11-04)
• David Flin

Asia 892 Coal 296

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China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has announced that the country is targeting a 1.8 per cent reduction in average coal use for electricity generation at power plants over the next five years. Average coal use for electricity generation fell by 17.4 per cent in the 15 years till 2020.

NDRC’s statement did not refer to the COP26 talks, which China’s President Xi Jinping is not attending.

According to the statement, by 2025, coal-fired plants in China must adjust their consumption rate down to an average of 300 grams of standard coal per kWh, compared to the 2020 level of 305.5 grams/kWh.

NDRC said: “Further promoting the energy saving and consumption reduction at coal-fired units is an effective means to improve energy efficiency and is of great significance for achieving carbon emission peak in the power industry.”

China, the world’s biggest source of greenhouse gases by a big margin, producing more than twice the emissions of the next largest polluter, has said that its carbon emissions will continue to rise until 2030, when they will peak. It claims to hope to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

NDRC has mandated that new power plant projects adopt ultra-super critical units that consume coal at an average rate below 270 grams/kWh, new water-cooling units in power plants must not exceed 285 grams/kWh, and air-cooling units must not exceed 300 grams/kWh.