China will technically transform its coal-burning power plants and cut by big margins the emission of sulfur dioxide in the coming few years.

According to a spokesman for the national electrical power corporation at the 10th clean fossil energy seminar of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Organization held in Chengdu, the corporation will control the concentration and total emission amount of sulfur dioxide and hope to attain the target of a total designed capacity of 21.5 million kw of generators fixed with desulfurization equipment, accounting for 16 percent of the total designed capacity of generators with coal burning, by the end of the 10th five-year plan period. The total amount of emission of sulfur dioxide will drop by over 10 percent.

China that is abounds in coal resources is one of the few countries in the world that takes coal as the primary energy source. By the end of 2001, 80 percent of the electricity generated in China had come from coal-burning power plants. By 2030, the percentage will be still over 60 percent. China tries to cut the emission of sulfur dioxide by applying coal with a low content of sulfur, shutting polluting small sets of power generators and installing desulfurization equipment. Compared with 1997, the corporation added a designed capacity of 25.2 million kw of generators in 2001 and cut 700,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, a drop of 20 percent of sulfur dioxide per kilowatt/hour.

China has made the clean coal-burning electrical power generation demonstration project as part of the 21st century scientific and technical advancement program, worked out a long-term plan and try to catch up with the advanced world level. The price of the China-made desulfurization equipment has considerably dropped, providing conditions for large-scale desulfurization efforts. China now boasts of a designed capacity of 5.3 million kw of generators fixed with desulfurization equipment and another designed capacity of 8 million kw of generators are under construction.

China has made remarkable successes in saving energy and getting better economic results by instituting a green lighting project. Thanks to the project, the damages to the environment by power generation have lessened and electricity economy has become part of the national awareness.

According to a spokesman of the office in charge of the work, the project will help save 103.3 billion kw/hour from 2001 to 2010.It means that an equivalent of 900,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, 100 million tons of carbon dioxide and 500,000 tons of nitrogen oxide less will be emitted.

The green lighting project was introduced in the 9th five-year plan period by the State Economic and Trade Commission and 13 other national departments. It was designed to save electricity, improve energy efficiency, protect the environment and promote economic and social sustainable development. Last year, the commission launched a promotion project with funds from the UNDP.

According to a 1998 sample survey, 177 million highly efficient lighting products were promoted, saving 17 billion kw/hour, an equivalent to the power output of a power plant with an annual designed capacity of 4 million kw. Better social results have been made in improving lighting quality and cut pollution to the environment by lighting. This has also helped standardize the highly efficient lighting products in China.

(www.cenews.com.cn December 9, 2002)