China could cut its coal consumption by 300 million tons
annually, or 13.5 percent of the total last year, with energy
efficiency measures, a report from a government economic agency
said on Thursday.
However, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)
said in the report that the prospects of introducing basic energy
efficiency moves to make the savings were "not promising".
The country urgently needed to upgrade aging industrial
facilities, the report said. China had 500,000 small and
medium-sized boilers, 90 percent of them coal-fired, consuming 400
million tons annually.
Up to 70 million tons of coal could be saved by upgrading the
technology and management of these boilers.
China was the world's biggest producer of energy-saving light
bulbs, but only 30 percent of them were sold on the domestic
market. More than 60 billion kilowatts of electricity could be cut
if energy-saving bulbs were applied nationwide.
However, the NDRC acknowledged the country was experiencing
intensive energy demand, and it took time for energy-saving
measures to show effect.
Energy consumption growth exceeded the 10.9 percent economic
growth rate in the first half year, said the report.
Energy consumption per unit of domestic gross product (GDP) was
set to drop by 20 percent by 2010 from the current 1.39 tons of
coal per 10,000 yuan of GDP.
The report suggested measures to meet the goal, including deeper
industrial restructuring, more effort on energy saving projects,
and the promotion of recycling.
(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2006)