Economy

Markets

Industries

Insights

Reports

Events

For energy efficiency

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-05 14:15

A national check on energy-saving performances of over 900 industrial enterprises in 2007 shows there is a great potential to cut energy intensity. The total energy that these firms had saved in various ways last year was equal to 38.17 million tons of coal.

What was impressive was the way they spared this amount of amount of energy rather than the amount itself, according a report published by National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The message is that the degree of emphasis that an enterprise places on energy-saving makes the difference. The heavier the pressure is from governments, the greater are the efforts the enterprises make in cutting their consumption of coal, gas or oil.

All these enterprises had signed responsibility documents with relevant government departments to achieve specific goals in energy-saving. And 879 of them completed their yearly goals in cutting energy consumption per unit of output, thus accounting for 92.02 percent of the total firms checked.

It is no coincidence that more than 91 percent of these firms have made specific energy-saving plans. They have broken up the total amount of energy that they must cut on an annual basis for workshops or even groups. The amount of energy to be saved by a workshop or a group has been linked to the economic benefits of all members in the workshop or group. Failure to save the required amount of energy means less bonuses or even fines.

Little wonder that many of these firms have worked out ways to collect heat or other forms of energy discharged and then reuse them.

The total sum of money these enterprises had invested in technology innovation for lowering energy intensity amounted to more than 50 billion yuan in 2007. Which was much more than what they had spent on this earlier. The more than 8,000 new energy-saving technologies are expected to save 200 million tons of coal annually.

The Chinese government has set itself a goal of cutting energy intensity by 20 percent between 2006 and 2010. That means 4 percent for each of the five years. But energy intensity was cut by 3.66 percent in 2007 and only by 1.23 percent in 2006. The percentage in the first half of this year reached 2.88.

In spite of the fact that only a quarter of the five-year goal has been reached during the past two years, the check results are inspiring. They show the great potential that enterprises have for achieving their targets.

What is even more encouraging is the severe punishments by NDRC for those firms that have not met their goals. They are given one month to make specific plans for fulfilling their goals, and then a specific period of time to meet them. Those who fail will be deprived of the benefits of the government's preferential policies, which their successful counterparts will enjoy. And the approval of their increased land for industrial use will be suspended.

With the resolve of the central government and efforts by the enterprises, it should be possible to meet the energy-saving target.