Abstract
China is presently undergoing an intensive industrialisation. As the world’s largest emerging economy, energy efficiency is expected to play a critical role in China’s ever-rising demand for energy. Based on factual overviews and numerical analysis, this chapter presents an in-depth investigation into the effectiveness of policies announced or implemented in recent decades targeted at energy conservation in energy-intensive manufacturing sectors. It highlights nine energy-intensive sectors that achieved major improvements in their energy technology efficiency efforts. Under the umbrella of the 11th Five-Year Plan, the success of these sectors’ energy-saving efforts reflects the effectiveness of China’s energy conservation policies. The Chinese government has introduced various measures to reduce the road transport sector’s demand for energy and its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: by implementing fuel economy standards, and by promoting advanced energy-efficient vehicles and alternative fuels. Coal-based energy-saving technologies, especially industrial furnace technologies, are critical for China’s near and medium-term energy-saving goals, which include the improvement of the direct technical efficiency for power generation, iron and steel production, non-ferrous products production, and non-metal mineral products production. In the long run, renewable energy development and expanding the railway transport system are the most effective ways to reduce China’s energy use and GHG emissions. Its road vehicles are projected to consume 370–520 million metric tons of oil and produce 1.6–2.0 billion tons of GHGs by 2050. Fuel economy standards could reduce oil consumption and GHGs by 34–35 %.
Dr. Libo Wu, Professor, School of Economics, Fudan University, China; Email: wulibo@fudan.edu.cn.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
O&M cost represents the operation and maintenance cost of an energy technology. For example, in a coal-fired power plant, the fixed O&M cost includes the salaries of employees and the repair fees of power equipment, while the variable O&M cost implies the cost of electricity and some fuel oil associated with the use of the power plant.
References
Alfstad, T. (2005) “Development of a Least Cost Energy Supply Model for the SADC Region”. Master thesis, University of Cape Town.
Chen, W. (2005) “The Costs of Mitigating Carbon Emissions in China: Findings from China MARKAL-MACRO Modeling”. Energy Policy 33, 7: 885–96.
Chen, W. and Z. Wu (2001) “Use MARKAL Model to Study the Future Sustainable Energy Development Strategy in China”. Journal of Tsinghua University (Science and Technology) 41, 12: 103–6 (in Chinese).
Chen, W. and Z. Wu (2002) “China’s Future Policies to Control SO2 and CO2”. Journal of Tsinghua University (Science and Technology) 42, 10: 1320–3. (in Chinese).
Chen, W., P. Gao and J. He (2004) “Use MARKAL-MACRO Model to Study the Impact of Carbon Emission on Chinese Energy System”. Journal of Tsinghua University (Science and Technology) 44, 3: 342–6. (in Chinese).
Chen, W., Z. Wu, J. He et al. (2007) “Carbon Emission Control Strategies for China: A Comparative Study with Partial and General Equilibrium Versions of the China MARKAL Model”. Energy 32, 1: 59–72.
Chen, W., J. Liu, L. Ma et al. (2009) “Role for Carbon Capture and Storage in China”. Energy Procedia 1, 1: 4209–16.
Dagoumas, A.S. and T.S. Barker (2010) “Pathways to a Low-Carbon Economy for the UK with the Macro-Econometric E3MG Model”. Energy Policy 38, 6: 3067–77.
Delaquil, P, W. Chen and E.D. Larson (2003) “Modeling China’s Energy Future”. Energy for Sustainable Development 7, 4: 40–56.
Gielen, D. and C. Chen (2001) “The CO2 Emission Reduction Benefits of Chinese Energy Policies and Environmental Policies: A Case Study for Shanghai, period 1995–2020”. Ecological Economics 39: 257–70.
Hainoun, A., M. Seif Aldin and S. Almoustafa (2010) “Formulating an Optimal Long-Term Energy Supply Strategy for Syria using MESSAGE Model”. Energy Policy 38: 1701–14.
Kannan, R. (2009) “Uncertainties in Key Low Carbon Power Generation Technologies: Implication for UK Decarbonisation Targets”. Applied Energy 86, 10: 1873–86.
Makela, J. (2000) “Development of an Energy System Model of the Nordic Electricity Production System”. Master thesis, Helsinki University of Technology, 2000.
Manne, A., R. Mendelsohn and R. Richels (1995) “MERGE: A Model for Evaluating Regional and Global Effects of GHG Reduction Policies”. Energy Policy 23, 1: 17–34.
Sands, R.D. (2004) “Dynamics of Carbon Abatement in the Second Generation Model”. Energy Economics 26, 4: 721–38.
Song, H.-J., S. Lee, S. Maken, S.-W. Ahn et al. (2007) “Environmental and Economic Assessment of the Chemical Absorption Process in Korea using the LEAP Model”. Energy Policy 35, 10: 5109–16.
Wu, Z., P. Delaquil, E.D. Larson et al. (2001) “Future Implications of China’s Energy-Technology Choices: Summary of a Report to the Working Group on Energy Strategies and Technologies”. Energy for Sustainable Development 5, 4: 19–31.
Zhang, Z.X. (2003) “Why Did the Energy Intensity Fall in China’s Industrial Sector in the 1990s? The Relative Importance of Structural Change and Intensity Change”. Energy Economics 25, 6: 625–38.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Appendix
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wu, L. (2016). Efficiency Improvement in China’s Energy-Intensive Industries and Their Contributions to Carbon Emission Reduction Targets. In: Su, B., Thomson, E. (eds) China's Energy Efficiency and Conservation. SpringerBriefs in Environment, Security, Development and Peace, vol 30. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0737-8_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0737-8_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-0735-4
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-0737-8
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)