An Overview of Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Policy

for Conventional Boiler Power Sector

SATYA SHAH, RAN LI

Engineering Operations Management,

Royal Holloway University of London,

UNITED KINGDOM

Abstract: - This study follows the logic of policy transmission and begins with the characteristics of China's

energy efficiency and emission reduction policy. Conclusions are drawn through a literature review, PESTEL

analysis, and comparative analysis using German energy policies. The study then selected ABC Ltd.

representing conventional boiler companies. Conclusions were drawn through literature review, CP/CI analysis,

and comparative analysis of vapor and capacity parameters, boiler selection, and some emission technologies

that meet ethical and sustainable standards, but Selective Non-catalytic Reduction (SNCR) technology is

unethical and unsustainable. A-GROUP's ultra-supercritical power generation technology leads the industry and

has a worldwide competitive advantage. The final analysis of the policy reaches down to grassroots

participation. A literature review of A-GROUP's circulating fluidized bed technology and biomass combustion

suggests that farmers can participate to some extent in boiler-related energy efficiency and emission reduction

efforts but with a single means with limited information feedback channels. To conclude, energy efficiency and

emission reduction policies are working smoothly for the boiler industry, but there is still much potential for

improvement.

Key-Words: - Energy Conservation, Conventional Boilers, Power Sector, Emission Reduction, Global

warming.

Received: April 22, 2024. Revised: October 4, 2024. Accepted: November 5, 2024. Published: December 2, 2024.

1 Introduction

Global warming is a severe challenge to humanity in

the 21st century. Academics consider excessive

greenhouse gas emissions a principal factor in

global warming. According to data analyzed by the

International Energy Agency, total global

greenhouse gas emissions have increased from 33.8

billion tonnes in 1990 to 59 billion tonnes in 2021,

[1]. As the world economy rebounds strongly from

the COVID-19 crisis and relies heavily on coal to

drive growth, global energy-related CO2 emissions

have increased by 6% to 36.3 billion tonnes in 2021,

accounting for 61.5% of total global greenhouse gas

emissions, [2]. The increase in global CO2

emissions of over 2 billion tonnes is the largest in

history, [3]. Therefore, the environmental and

emissions standards of the energy industry are

essential indicators of affecting global warming.

Countries such as China been the world's top

carbon-emitting country and are essential in

reducing carbon emissions. As China is the only

major economy to achieve economic growth in 2020

and 2021, the increase in China's emissions in these

two years outweighs the rate of decline in the rest of

the world over the same period, [4]. In 2021 alone,

China emitted more than 11.9 billion tonnes of CO2,

accounting for 33% of the total global emissions,

[3]. [3], the increase in China's emissions is mainly

due to a dramatic increase in electricity demand,

which is heavily dependent on coal power, [2]. With

rapid GDP growth and electrification of energy

supply, China's electricity demand grew by 10% in

2021, higher than the 8.4% economic growth, [5].

Although China also saw the largest-ever increase in

renewable energy production in 2021, the energy

demand gap was forced to be supplemented by coal

power as electricity demand outpaces the growth in

low carbon-emitting energy.

To reduce carbon emissions, the government

has committed to capping the country's peak carbon

emissions by 2030, [6]. Although lowering the

proportion of coal-fired power generation, replacing

it with renewable energy is the key to realizing a

low-carbon energy transition. However, despite the

rapid growth of wind, hydro, and solar power over

the past decade, it will still take time to replace coal-

fired powerfully, [7]. What can be anticipated is that

coal-fired power generation will be the most

influential part of China's energy structure for a long

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time, [8]. Therefore, it is necessary to alleviate

China's serious emission problem in the current

phase through effective ECER policies to deal with

the global warming problem. In the process of

implementing ECER policy in China, three primary

participants are involved. The Chinese government

is responsible for issuing macro policies to regulate

the coal-fired power industry. State-owned boiler

design and manufacturing enterprises respond to

national policies through production line

management and R&D policy management. The

public, mainly farmers, assisted with this process

through biomass management. This research sets

out three core research questions and contains five

sub-questions based on the three main participants

affecting ECER policy as described above.

Firstly, at the government level, which plays a

macro-guidance role, the study's central question is

whether ECER policy is on the right path.

Considering the generalizability of the article for

non-Chinese energy industry scholars to read, the

study chose to include as the first sub-question what

precisely ECER policies are. The study uses a

literature review to summarise the core elements of

the government's report. The objective is to answer

what specific features and targets were set out in

ECER policy in the four Five-Year Plans from 2006

to 2025 and how these policies have changed over

several adjustments.

The evaluation of the justification of a country's

energy policy requires an analysis of the subject

itself and a comparative study with external

subjects. After the reader has gained an initial

understanding of ECER policy by sub-question one,

the second sub-question is about how ECER policy

compares to the experience of developed European

countries. The research uses case studies and data

analysis to select Germany as the country of

comparison. The study is based on the German

reform policy on coal-fired power generation over

the past decades, summarizing the specific

indicators of the German policy and comparing it

with China. The comparative analysis focuses on the

policy adjustments' time span, the indicators' degree

of improvement, and the adjustment dimension of

the specific indicator values.

Secondly, for the enterprises responsible for

implementing the ECER policy, the study selects "

ABC Ltd." This enterprise is a traditional boiler

design and manufacturing enterprise in China. It has

a long history, tremendous production, and much

public data. The second core question of the

research is whether the development strategies of

Chinese traditional boiler design and manufacturing

enterprises in response to the ECER policy meet the

criteria of being proactive, ethical, and sustainable.

The research further split this question into sub-

questions three and four according to the short-term

and long-term strategies of the enterprise.

Sub-question three is whether the short-term

strategy of the A-GROUP meets the criteria of being

positive, ethical, and sustainable. The research

focuses on short-term rapid, one-year, or quarterly

corporate transformations. The three specific areas

include product, production line, and service scope

transformation. The study presents a qualitative

description of a company's product, product line,

and service transformation strategies through data

collection and analysis. Combining case studies of

overseas boiler design and manufacturing

companies helps increase the objectivity of the

conclusions of sub-question three.

Sub-question four is like sub-question three but

focuses on the long-term slow, years-long transition

of the company's R&D strategy. It covers specific

technological breakthroughs made by companies in

the field of research on ultra super-critical power

generation technologies and circulating fluidized

bed boiler units, changes in the parameters of

installed projects, and changes in the direction of

research. The study uses CP/CI analysis and Floyd

& Roussel's theory to answer sub-question four. The

conclusions from sub-questions three and four are

combined to evaluate whether the company's overall

strategies align with policy requirements and

maximize the company's benefits and whether these

strategies are helping China to progress toward

clean energy development, [9], [10]. It also forecasts

the direction of the ECER policy for 2026-2030 and

provides recommendations for the company's

growth and strategy for the next Five-Year Plan.

From a business perspective, policy forecasts and

development recommendations are essential for

traditional boiler companies to increase their

profitability. From a social responsibility

perspective, the analysis of the effectiveness of

ECER policy is vital to the global environmental

cause.

Finally, regarding the general public's

participation level in ECER policy, the research

selects the most representative agriculture and

biomass fuels for analysis. Core question three

focuses on how farmers contribute to the

regulatory structure of the energy sector in the

region. This discussion includes the organizational

structure between government, enterprises, and

farmers, the specific measures farmers take to

participate in the production and combustion of

biomass fuels, and the benefits and problems solved

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by these measures. The study uses a case research

approach to illustrate this question.

The frame is followed in the methodology

section by a detailed description of the three main

analytical tools of the research: PESTEL analysis,

comparative analysis, and CP/CI. At the same time,

the study focuses on the links between key and core

issues and the consistency of conclusions. Finally,

the results, findings, and an analysis of the study's

limitations are given. In the logical order of

research, the research maintains a 'government-

enterprise-people' argument sequence throughout

the chapters. Firstly, the overall ECER thinking is

presented from a macro perspective. Secondly, the

correspondence of specific elements with

enterprises and the measurement of policy

implementation. Finally, the study introduced the

role of the grassroots in the overall policy

implementation process. Recommendations are

given for each of the three main components

individually while ensuring that the offers are

consistent and reasonable for the general ECER

thinking.

At the national level, a comparison between X-

ECER policy and Germany's energy reform policy

can provide a visual representation of the strengths

and weaknesses of the policy, thus helping

policymakers to make better-targeted adjustments in

the next Five-Year Plan. At the enterprise level,

analysis can identify areas of corporate strategy that

are inconsistent with national policy or not ethically

sustainable. The suggestions may help the

management of the enterprise to make better

decisions. At the grassroots level, findings can help

people give feedback to their upstream and improve

the communication between the three components.

This research has important implications for

environmental protection and the slowing of global

warming in the region and worldwide.

2 Literature Review

In the order of the research chapters, the research

will provide a complete description of the content of

ECER policy in the order of the three core issues in

the literature review chapter. Reasons for choosing

Germany as a control. German content on energy

reform for coal-fired power generation. Reasons for

choosing A-GROUP to represent traditional boiler

design and manufacturing enterprises in the region.

Details of the long and short-term strategy of the A-

GROUP. Description of farmers' specific role and

organizational structure in the ECER policy.

2.1 ECER Policies, Targets, and Changes

2.1.1 Initial Establishment Phase

Although ECER policy was first proposed during

the eleventh Five-Year Plan in 2006 by the

government, the earliest energy policy was initiated

two decades ago, beginning with the Report on

Strengthening Energy Conservation in 1980. Initial

energy policy was based on administrative

measures, including establishing a comprehensive

regulatory system based on energy conservation

management, issuing energy conservation

technology policies and reform measures, and

promoting environmental protection legislation and

pollution prevention.

The focus of the government at this phase was

on energy conservation rather than reducing carbon

emissions. The reason for emphasizing energy

conservation was the conflict between energy

development and economic development, [11]. This

phenomenon was manifested in the high energy

consumption per unit of GDP and the excessive

focus of many enterprises on economic growth,

leading to excess fuel consumption. At this phase,

the country formally began work on supporting

regulations and policies for energy conservation and

environmental protection, setting energy

conservation as a national strategy, [12]. The ECER

system was dedicated to strengthening energy-

saving technology transformation and controlling

environmental pollution.

2.1.2 Development & Adjustment Phase

With the introduction of the eleventh Five-Year

Plan and the ECER Comprehensive Work

Programme, the ECER policy of reducing energy

consumption per unit of GDP by around 20% and

reducing total emissions of major pollutants by 10%

has officially become a basic national policy, [13].

In addition to the continuation of the energy-saving

strategy of the first phase, the reduction of pollutant

emissions and the restructuring of energy sources

policies were of equal importance. Within this

phase, the country’s plan for Energy Conservation,

promulgated in 1997, further improved China's legal

system for energy conservation, [14]. Optimizing

the industrial structure and energy consumption

structure of energy-intensive industries, such as

chemical and metallurgical industries, was

proposed, and ECER was formally adopted as

a national development strategy, [15]. In addition to

industrial reform on the energy consumption side,

the State Council's Outline for the Development of

Renewable Energy Sources 1996-2010,

promulgated in 1995, formally proposed structural

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reform on the energy production side for the first

time and began to promote the development of

renewable energy sources such as wind and solar

energy. On this basis, the Medium- and Long-Term

Development Plan for Energy (2004~2020) (Draft)

proposed in 2004 included renewable energy as the

focus of medium and long-term energy development

for the first time.

In addition to restructuring capacity and energy

consumption, the rule of law system relating to

environmental protection and managing pollutant

emissions has improved further. The Law o on the

Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution

by Solid Waste has, for the first time, lowered

management powers to county-level environmental

protection departments, making implementing

policies more effective. Several laws were

promulgated to encourage enterprises to develop

technologies to reduce pollutant emissions and to

strengthen the supervision and management of

emissions work.

2.1.3 Transformation Phase

In this transformation phase, low carbon emission is

the new theme, emphasizing the importance of low

carbon technologies in reducing pollutant emissions.

In this phase, the government first summarises the

achievement of specific ECER targets during the

eleventh Five-Year Plan period. The ECER targets

during the twelfth Five-Year Plan period were

adjusted because there were differences in the

completion within different provinces and cities,

[16]. In addition, the government has further

improved the ECER policy system by modifying the

new Energy Conservation Law in 2008. Besides the

provincial and municipal environmental protection

bureaus, the regulatory powers of the government

structure have been further improved regarding the

obligations of the regulated. The responsibility of

high energy-consuming enterprises under regulation

has been clarified, avoiding the problem of no

responsible party can be found, [17].

One of the most critical changes in the

transformation phase was the attempt to marketize

ECERs. To solve the problem of disparity in the

degree of completion of ECER targets within and

between provincial and municipal regions,

established its first emissions trading center in 2007

in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, [18]. Under the

premise that the total amount of pollutants emitted

within a particular region does not exceed the

permitted emissions, internal sources of pollution

transfer their emissions to each other by using

monetary exchange, thus achieving the objective of

reducing emissions and protecting the environment,

[19]. In essence, this is additional compensation for

the environmental protection behavior of enterprises

through market behavior. Besides this, the energy

development strategy has been further adjusted. At

the end of 2014, the State Council promulgated the

Energy Development Strategy Action Plan 2014-

2020, which for the first time, specifies the

requirements for reducing coal-fired power

generation and increasing the specific proportion of

natural gas and renewable energy generation, [20].

2.1.4 Carbon Emissions Peak & Carbon

Neutrality Phase

After the 2016 thirteenth Five-Year Plan, China

continues to develop a market-based approach to

carbon trading. While gradually opening carbon

trading restrictions between provinces and

municipalities, the region had expanded the number

of industries participating in carbon trading to over

twenty high energy-consuming initiatives. These

industries account for more than 40% of

the country’s total carbon emissions, and the total

annual turnover of carbon trading exceeds RMB 9

billion, [18], [19]. Unlike carbon trading during the

twelfth Five-Year Plan period, the government has

increased its role in promoting the carbon trading

market after the thirteenth Five-Year Plan. The

market trading will accompany equal or reduced

replacement advice for high energy-consuming

industries. This advice includes stricter capacity

restrictions for individual industries with new

energy consumption exceeding 50,000 tonnes of

standard coal to address overcapacity in low-end

steel, for example, and to optimize the industrial

structure while acting as a monitor outside the

market, [21]. The government increased its support

for low-carbon projects after the thirteenth Five-

Year Plan by building a low-carbon-related

investment and financing system for companies that

meet energy consumption standards. The

government has strengthened price-oriented

incentives through tax incentives for low-carbon

green projects and increased differential electricity

prices, [22].

2.2 German ECER Policy, Indicators,

Changes

2.2.1 Germany as a Comparison

Lack of production in the renewable energy sector

due to COVID-19 and the sharp decline in Russia's

oil and gas exports due to the sanctions imposed on

Russia by European countries, both coal power

generation and the share of coal power in the energy

mix of European countries have rebounded

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significantly after hitting bottom. It has almost

recovered from 15.7% in 2019 to 13.2% in 2020 and

then rebounded to 15.2% in 2021. Germany

accounts for 39.2% of all coal power in EU

countries in 2021, followed by Poland with 28.9%

and Turkey with 23.5%. In 2020, Germany

contributed 44.4% of the EU's total incremental coal

power, followed by Poland with 23.6% and the

Netherlands with 11.5% [23], [24], [25]. This

phenomenon shows that Germany highly relies on

coal-fired power generation among European

countries.

Analysis of Germany's installed energy capacity

shows that although Germany achieved peak carbon

before 1990, it has maintained a stable installed

coal-fired power generation capacity of no less than

40GW over the past 30 years, [23], [24]. This is

because coal power owns a special place in

Germany's energy mix strategy. Considering that

Germany's official carbon peak and carbon

neutrality dates are 1990 and 2045, and China's

planned carbon peak and carbon neutrality dates are

2030 and 2060, it is reasonable to assume that the

gap between China and Germany's energy structure

reform is around 30 years, [26]. A comparison of

the electricity generation mixes in Germany around

1990 and China in 2020 shows a significant

similarity. Furthermore, Germany's location in

Europe means its renewable energy reserves are not

exceptional. For these reasons, Germany has been

chosen as a control for China's ECER policy in the

coal power sector.

2.2.2 German Coal-Fired Power Generation

Germany is the eighth-largest coal producer and the

ninth-largest coal consumer globally. Until Russia's

restrictions on natural gas exports, Germany's coal-

fired power generation and coal production

industries have gradually stepped into the shutdown

phase, [27]. Coal is an essential source of electricity

in Germany. Still, in recent years the coal industry

has undergone an overall policy change due to

Germany's renewable energy-led "energy transition"

strategy, [28]. Germany is gradually removing

subsidies for hard coal mining and closing hard coal

mines. In 2018, Germany's domestic complex coal

production stopped, and coal-fired power plants shut

down Programmatically, [29]. The phasing out of

coal-fired power generation in Germany results

from changes in the structure of primary energy

consumption and the critical importance of coal-

fired power.

The sharp reduction in the proportion of coal

power in Germany comes from a determined coal

industry and coal power sector policy. The German

coal industry has gone through the whole life cycle

from the initial simple mining to modern

development, from the transformation of enterprises

to the closure of coal mines. In 1997, the German

federal government, coal companies, and mining

energy associations agreed on hard coal subsidies.

Under this new financial subsidy agreement, federal

support for grant sales was reduced from €6.7

billion in 1996 to €2.7 billion in 2005. An

agreement was reached in February 2007 between

the Federal government, the governments of NRW

and Saarland, the German complex Coal companies,

and the Union of Mining, Chemical and Energy

Industries (IG BCE). The agreement is that, under

the Coal Industry Financing Act introduced at the

end of December 2007, subsidies for hard coal

should be phased out by the end of 2018. In 2007,

EU competition regulations required Germany to

end hard coal subsidies by 2018. In January 2008,

the top two parties in power agreed to close all coal

mines in Germany by 2018.

According to Germany's greenhouse gas

emissions list, coal consumption accounts for 45%

of Germany's CO2 emissions from all energy

sectors (58% in 1990), with hard coal accounting for

21.3% and lignite for 23.7%. For several decades,

Germany has been ineffective in reducing emissions

in the coal sector, despite several emission reduction

policies adopted at both EU and domestic levels.

For Germany to meet its emissions reduction

targets, the energy sector, and coal-fired power will

have to make an above-average contribution. In

June 2018, the German government created the

Commission on Growth, Structural Change and

Employment (also known as the "Coal

Commission"), which submitted recommendations

to the government in 2019 to phase out coal-based

power generation projects by 2038 (possibly as

early as 2035). In 2019, the Coal Commission

recommended that the government phase out coal-

based power generation projects by 2038 (2035 at

the earliest), [30]. Based on the recommendations of

the Coal Commission, the German Cabinet adopted

the Coal Retirement Act in 2020, which sets out a

policy to phase out coal-fired power generation by

2038.

2.2.3 Energy Transition Measures in Germany

Renewable Energy Law and Electricity Market

In Germany, the second Renewable Energy Law

was promulgated in 2000. The Renewable Energy

Law provides detailed and long-term regulations on

investment protection, investment costs, and

financial incentives. In contrast to the Chinese

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policy approach, Germany has identified the

importance of economic instruments for

implementing renewable energy policy from the

beginning, [31]. Non-business customers who invest

in renewable energy equipment can receive financial

subsidies for the entire process of investment

purchase, network installation, and long-term return

on investment. Germany has also led the world in

reforming its electricity market. Renewables can be

traded more easily under the "prioritization

principle" of the European Energy Exchange, with

lower marginal offers. This beneficial treatment

contrasts with the difficulty of getting renewable

energy online in China. Regarding monopoly

breaking and marketization, Germany started its

electricity market reform in 1998 by adopting the

Electricity Market Opening Regulation. The

German government first broke up the companies

that had monopolized the electricity market,

creating conditions for new energy companies to

enter the market and compete.

The development of renewable energy

Germany has one of the world's most aggressive and

robust renewable energy strategies. On 7 July 2022,

in the wake of the Russian gas supply disruption

crisis, the German government introduced a new

amendment to the Renewable Energy Act. The new

law calls for an increase in the share of renewable

energy in the electricity supply from 65% to 80% by

2030 and asks for the "carbon-neutral electricity"

plan to be largely completed by 2035, [32]. In

addition, the new bill's big step is also reflected in a

significant increase in the installed capacity target,

the degree of preferential policies, the reduction of

financing costs, tax incentives, governmental

simplification and standardization of the approval

process, and other aspects, to increase the promotion

of the energy transition. Germany's renewable

energy generation currently accounts for more than

40% of the total power generation. Offshore and

onshore wind power, photovoltaic, and biomass are

Germany's most important sources of renewable

energy power, [33]. Most of the provisions of the

new bill, which will be implemented from 2023,

specify specific installed capacity targets: onshore

wind power capacity from 69 GW in 2024 to 160

GW in 2040; photovoltaic systems from 88 GW in

2024 to 400 GW in 2040; and cumulative onshore

wind, solar and biomass capacity to reach 568.4 GW

in 2040, [32].

The new bill stipulates that 2% of Germany's

land will be used for wind power alone in the future,

with each state having to allocate 2% of its land for

installing wind power installations. Currently, the

average share of such land is around 0.8%. Suppose

the installed area does not meet the requirement. In

that case, the minimum distance between wind

power installations and buildings established by the

Länder will lapse to reduce the impediment to wind

power installation caused by land restrictions. This

marks the first time in more than a decade that

environmental regulations have been given a lower

priority in Germany, as renewable energy

construction can be given a higher priority than

environmental regulations, [34].

2.3 A-Group Public Information Summary

2.3.1 A-Group for Analysis

A-Group is one of China's leading integrated energy

solutions providers and is part of ABC Ltd, China.

A-Group, named for its boilers, focuses on efficient

energy use and holds core technology patents in

supercritical, ultra-supercritical, secondary reheat,

and other power generation technologies. The

circulating fluidized bed technology, carbon dioxide

boiler technology, low calorific value coal

combustion technology, and other aspects of the

leading position in scientific research.

A geographical division of responsibility

characterizes China's energy companies. A

company's R&D and regular service areas are

relatively fixed. The southeast coastal region of

China, where A-GROUP is located, is characterized

by high energy consumption and low energy

consumption per unit of GDP, which is caused by a

combination of regional industrial adjustment and

technological innovation in power generation. In

addition, China's economic development and

research investment centres are concentrated in the

southeast coastal region. A-GROUP has a better

R&D environment than other boiler companies in

northwest China. These geographical advantages

can be reflected in the company's technical

indicators and the time of commercial use. In

addition to the southeast coastal area, the ECER

index requirements are more stringent, putting

higher requirements for boiler design and

manufacturing companies. Considering the need for

emission and environmental protection, A-GROUP

is also the first boiler company in China to propose

the concept and service of an "environmental

protection island." Based on the above reasons, A-

GROUP was selected as the research object.

2.3.2 Main Technical Introduction and

Advantages

A-GROUP's main advantages include ultra-

supercritical power generation and circulating

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fluidized bed technology. Ultra-supercritical power

generation technology can cope with the "energy

saving" part of the national energy policy by

reducing coal consumption per power generation

unit and improving energy conversion efficiency.

Circulating fluidized bed technologies can utilize

biomass fuels generated in rural areas through

hybrid combustion technologies and address the

"lower emissions" part of energy policy by reducing

the direct combustion of emitted biomass in rural

areas.

Ultra-Supercritical Power Generation technology

Ultra-supercritical power generation technology

refers to coal-fired power plants with water vapor

pressure and temperature above the supercritical

parameter to significantly improve unit thermal

efficiency and reduce coal consumption and

pollutant emission. The specific parameters are

25MPa and 580℃. Its power generation efficiency is

43.8% ~ 45.4%, much higher than the 37.5% of

subcritical units, [35]. With the progress of

materials related to power generation technology,

ultra-supercritical power generation technology with

higher parameters of 630℃ and 760℃ will become

the primary choice of the next generation thermal

power generation, and its power supply efficiency is

expected to reach 47% ~ 53%. Compared with the

current most advanced 600℃ ultra-supercritical

power generation, the coal consumption can be

reduced by 40 grams of standard coal/KWH. Up to

250 grams of typical coal/KWH below can

significantly improve the power generation

efficiency of units and reduce coal consumption and

emissions of pollutants, CO2, and other greenhouse

gases. The core advantage of advanced ultra-

supercritical power generation technology lies in

low carbon, high efficiency, and clean and technical

inheritance.

Under the guidance of the Eleventh Five-Year

Plan in 2006, Boiler design and manufacturing

enterprises began to increase investment, research,

and development of ultra-supercritical power

generation technology. A-GROUP is responsible for

Guodian Taizhou Phase II, Shenneng Pingshan

Phase II, and other projects that have exceeded

the 600℃ level, which is in the leading position of

national installed units (A-GROUP). The Guodian

Taizhou Phase II Project is the world's first

secondary reheating megawatt ultra-supercritical

coal-fired generating unit. The design parameters

are 31MPa /600℃ /610℃ /610℃. The design power

generation efficiency is 47.82%, and the design coal

consumption is 256.82g/kWh (A-GROUP). The

average annual coal consumption of other coal-fired

units during the same period of operation is more

than 310g/kWh, which is sufficient to demonstrate

the advantages of A-GROUP technology, [36].

Circulating fluidized bed combustion technology

The country’s total CFB coal-fired power capacity

exceeds 100 million kW. It accounts for more than

10% of the whole coal-fired power generation and

more than 50% of the thermoelectric heating

market. A circulating fluidized bed boiler is a

particular type of boiler that circulates fuel in a

flowing state for combustion. The main structure

includes two parts: a combustor and a circulating

furnace. The power flow state refers to the

phenomenon that when a gas or liquid flows upward

through a solid particle at a certain speed, the solid

particle layer behaves like a liquid state. Because

the fuel needs the joint participation of gas and

liquid to maintain the flow state, CFB is different

from the traditional pulverized coal boiler, which

has excellent tolerance for fuel. The country’s coal

resources contain a large proportion of high ash and

high sulphur coal. A large amount of gangue is

produced in the coal washing process, and the coal

slime needs to be used. Fluidized bed combustion is

the best way to use these fuels on a large scale.

A-GROUP can design and manufacture 660MW

class ultra-supercritical circulating fluidized bed

boilers. The boiler heating surface design of the

product is accurate; The combustion chamber

temperature design is consistent with the operation,

which overcomes the problem of excessive emission

of pollutants caused by the extreme error between

the design and operating temperature of similar

products in other countries. Nitrogen oxide and

sulfuric oxide emissions were better than expected.

The specific values are as follows: the average

sulfuric dioxide emission concentration of

192.04mg/Nm3 is lower than the designed value of

380mg/Nm3, and the average nitrogen oxide

emission concentration of 111.94mg/Nm3 is lower

than the designed value of 160mg/Nm3. This marks

A-GROUP's CFB development, manufacturing, and

operation level to the world's highest level, [37].

2.3.3 Development and Transformation Strategy

of A-GROUP

A-GROUP is one of the country’s earliest boiler

design and manufacturing enterprises to carry out

industrial transformation. A-GROUP has partnered

with the government on household waste disposal

and direct biomass combustion projects. The

utilization project of household garbage can provide

solutions for different technical routes according to

waste characteristics, processing scale, and user

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needs. A-GROUP also provides equipment

production, technical consultation, system

integration, operation and maintenance, and other

complete industry chain services simultaneously to

establish a transparent modular system, [38].

A-GROUP also provides solutions for biomass

direct combustion, gasification, and coal-fired

power generation projects. The most advanced

project is A-GROUP biomass gasification coupled

with a coal-fired power generation plant, which uses

fixed bed gas cooling technology. The heating value

of gas is 5%-10% higher than that of conventional

heat exchanger cooling, and the problem of

contamination/corrosion of the heating surface

caused by tar and alkali metal precipitation is

avoided. We can provide the overall solution with a

power of 10MW~50MW according to user demand.

3 Methodology

3.1 PESTEL Analysis and Comparative

Analysis

Whether a country’s ECER policy is on the right

path is the most macro problem for the logistic level

of the three core issues in this study. The PESTEL

analysis model is an effective tool for analyzing the

macro environment. As for core question one, the

research mainly focuses on formulating and

adjusting energy policies at the national level, a

complex issue involving many considerations.

According to the analysis of the sequence from

policy formulation to implementation, the

government of the country making the policy should

be considered first, which involves the governing

characteristics of the government and the experience

in policy formulation and other factors. When a

policy is formulated and implemented, it is

necessary to consider the economic means to

promote implementation and the economic response

after implementation. Then, it is essential to carry

out legislative and judicial guarantees through legal

means to ensure the smooth performance of the

policy. Enterprises mainly accomplish the specific

implementation of policies. To implement a policy,

enterprises should consider whether there is

sufficient technology accumulation and need to

consider the relationship between the performance

of the procedure and the society and the masses. The

PSETEL analysis method can cover political,

economic, social, technological, environmental, and

legal factors. The components of PSETEL's analysis

method coincide with the perspective that needs to

be considered in macro policy analysis, so PESTEL

analysis is an excellent approach to answer core

question one.

The PESTEL analysis method also has obvious

disadvantages. First, it involves too many variables,

changing factors, and uncertain factors, which

means that measuring the strengths and weaknesses

of any one indicator alone cannot prove the extent

of its scope. This study addresses this shortcoming

by introducing the German energy policy system as

a reference for analyzing a country’s energy policy.

For example, discussing a country’s adjustment to

the decline in energy consumption per unit of GDP

is not an objective indication of the impact of this

policy or adjustment on the overall ECER policy.

However, the comparison with Germany's policy of

reducing energy consumption per unit of GDP over

the same period enhances the objectivity of the

conclusions. Secondly, PESTEL analysis only

considers macro market factors but does not

consider specific market reaction measures. The

way to deal with this shortcoming in this study is to

strengthen the connection between macro analysis

and exhaustive implementation means of enterprises

in the analysis chapter. Secondly, in the discussion

of core question two, this research plans to compare

the conclusion between core questions one and two

to prove the consistency of the findings.

3.2 CP/CI Analysis

CP/CI analysis is short for Competitive

Position/Competitive Impact. Philip A. Roussel

developed this theory in his 1991 book Third

Generation R&D, [10]. This method needs to

measure the extensive degree of specific technology

applied in related industries and the advanced

degree of technology. Then the technology is

classified as Base, Key, step, and Emerging

Technology. These categories can show how

technology is making a Competitive Impact on

companies. The method also measured how well the

firm mastered the technology or how well it planned

to invest in it. Then it classified the technologies as

Clear Leader, Strong, Favourable, Tenable, and

Weak. These categories can show how Competitive

Position a company holds in technology.

Finally, Competitive Impact is taken as the

vertical axis and Competitive Position as the

horizontal axis. The position of coordinate points in

the chart measures enterprises' mastery of specific

technologies and development strategies. Suppose

the CP/CI data of the same technology at different

times can be obtained. In that case, the development

and application strategy of the technology in the

enterprise can be directly represented by the

movement of arrows and coordinate points. This

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study only uses specific cases that have been

published and put into commercial applications for

CP/CI analysis, considering the legality of

enterprise data acquisition. It can visually show the

development degree of boiler-related technology

owned by A-GROUP in 20 years, which reflects the

enterprise's short-term and long-term goals.

CP/CI analysis also has its most significant

disadvantages: it is subjective and inaccurate

enough to measure specific technologies' CP/CI

position. Different authors have different degrees of

understanding and mastery of the same technology

and its related knowledge background. This

difference will lead to subjective differences in

CP/CI location selection. This difference can also be

seen between multiple technologies in the same

CP/CI position range, resulting in a lack of

accuracy. The approach of this study to address this

shortcoming is firstly to select technologies for

analysis with quantitative indicators to support them

in preference. This was followed by a comparative

analysis citing similar technologies and their

quantitative indicators from competitor companies.

Concerning the objectivity of the conclusions,

technology positioning after comparison of

indicators is more convincing than technology

positioning through subjective judgment alone. For

the analytical significance of the conclusions, the

CP/CI analysis method was originally a tool for

measuring the performance of a company's

technology in the inter-competitive process. Using

competitor data can assist CP/CI in the analysis of

conclusions.

4 Analysis

4.1 Is Energy Efficiency Policy on the Right

Track?

Summary and analysis of China's ECER policies

PESTEL analysis was conducted based on the

analysis in Section 2.1.1 and the data summary in

Table 1 (Appendix). From the political point of

view, country’s ECER work is in the initial phase,

and the government has no experience in energy

policy decision-making. The policy thinking of this

phase shows the characteristics that the government

forces enterprises to implement by rough

administrative orders. Specific measures include:

 Setting energy-saving requirements.

 Charging for excess energy consumption.

 Implementing a permit system for

emissions.

Distinct from other phases, these measures are

not tailored to specific regions and industries.

Therefore, the political performance of the initial

formation order of the country’s ECER policy is

inefficient. In terms of law, since China has not had

any relevant laws on ECER or environmental

protection before, the judicial management and

responsibility division are very confusing in this

phase. The government is only partly responsible for

the whole process, from formulating policies to

implementing supervision. At the same time,

enterprises and individuals do not have any

responsibilities or clear obligations in this process.

This makes it difficult to implement energy policies

and is not conducive to cultivating environmental

protection concepts among grassroots people.

Therefore, the legal performance of the initial

formation stage of ECER policy is poor.

In terms of social culture, environment, and

science and technology, this phase in the country

has no concept related to environmental protection

from the government to enterprises and the public.

The lack of relevant laws makes it difficult for

relevant ideas to spread widely. There is also no

incentive policy related to science and technology,

and whether to develop energy-saving technology

depends entirely on the consciousness of

enterprises, so it cannot be evaluated.

Development and Adjustment Phase

PESTEL analysis was conducted based on the

analysis in Section 2.1.2 and the data summary in

Table 2 (Appendix). From the political point of

view, the Chinese government began to upgrade the

industrial structure while carrying out the ECER

work. In this phase, the government has clarified the

list of backward industries in energy consumption

and strengthened the supervision of old enterprises

and the qualification of new ones. In addition, the

country’s government has determined six specific

ECER indicators across the country so that

enterprises can implement policies in a clear

direction and carry out targeted R&D investments

according to the indicators. The political

performance of this phase's ECER policy in China

began to show the trend of quantification and

refinement of indicators. Still, the rough

management mode of not subdividing different

regions and different industries has not been

improved.

In economic terms, the government has begun

to try to stimulate policy. Additional taxes will be

collected from companies with high energy

consumption and emissions. These funds are used to

subsidize and reward research and development of

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ECER-related technologies and the construction of

related infrastructure. Companies can choose

between shrinking capacity or maintaining capacity

but developing better ECER technology. This is the

first time the region’s enterprises can obtain

financial subsidies by actively developing ECER

technology, which is of great significance. The

problem is that the market regulation mechanism is

still imperfect, and the lack of direct government

funding supports the incentive policy.

From the legal perspective, this phase makes up

for the problems of the previous phase through

legislative work. A target accountability system was

introduced for the first time to break down ECER

targets by region. While incorporating the reduction

target for energy consumption per unit of GDP into

the comprehensive evaluation system for local

economic and social development, we will hold

local people's governments at all levels accountable

for their energy conservation work. The specific

supervision and rectification work is responsible for

the energy bureau under each province and city, and

the overall ECER results of each province and city

people's government are responsible. This measure

significantly strengthened the government's

awareness of energy conservation responsibility to

local governments. It enhanced the efficiency of

policy supervision, so the legal performance of this

phase was very successful.

From the perspective of science and

technology, in addition to the initial establishment

of the enterprise ECER R&D incentive system, the

most critical thing in this phase is that China has

included renewable energy technology R&D into

the national key energy policy for the first time.

Around the eleventh Five-Year Plan period,

the country’s energy consumption structure changed

for the first time, with renewable energy and natural

gas as the main growth points, increasing by 3%.

However, the country’s overall ECER and

renewable energy technology are still very

backward in this phase and lack low energy

consumption and pollution production capacity.

Therefore, the technological aspect of this phase's

ECER policy in the country shows slow growth.

From the perspective of social culture and

environment, this phase's national special fund

subsidy is still insufficient to make some enterprises

switch from economic growth to energy

conservation and environmental protection. ECER

work remains one of the audit conditions for

companies and individuals to complete average

production and economic growth rather than a

business development goal. ECER's awareness of

environmental protection has been initially

popularized but lacks deep understanding.

Therefore, the socio-cultural and environmental

performance of this phase is still poor, [39].

Transformation phase PESTEL analysis

PESTEL analysis was conducted based on the

analysis in Section 2.1.3 and the data summary in

Table 3 (Appendix).

From the political perspective, first, regarding

the adjustment of ECER indicators, it is worth

affirming that the government has objectively

acknowledged the problems in some indicators

during the eleventh Five-Year Plan period. Due to

the significant differences in the completion of

indicators reported by various provinces and cities

and the low confidence of some provinces and

cities, the government appropriately lowered some

indicators. Unfortunately, Although the government

is aware of the differences in completion between

province and municipalities, the policies and tasks

issued under the twelfth Five-Year Plan are still not

fine-tuned according to the differences between

provinces and municipalities. For the indicator

setting itself, in addition to the indicators related to

GDP, this adjustment adds the indicators related to

industrial added value and further improves the

emission management requirements. At the same

time, the requirements for low-carbon industries and

optimization of the energy structure have also been

strengthened. Therefore, the policy performance of

this phase is objective and practical but still not

accurate enough.

The deepening reform phase of the country’s

ECER policy is very good at adjusting the economic

perspective. As for the fiscal expenditure policy, the

central government's allocation after the twelfth

Five-Year plan period was significantly higher than

that during the eleventh Five-Year plan period. For

the first time, a government procurement

mechanism has been introduced. The government

will centrally purchase and provide price subsidies

for products that meet low-carbon production

standards. This strategy will ensure that these

products have a higher competitive advantage in the

market, encouraging companies to pursue ECER-

compliant low-carbon production. As for tax

policies, the government provides tax incentives to

enterprises and products that meet low-carbon

production standards. All business and value-added

tax (VAT) are exempted for enterprises that meet

the highest environmental protection standards. For

enterprises that do not meet the standards of low-

carbon production, in addition to punitive taxes, the

export of products is strictly restricted, forcing

enterprises to carry out industrial reform. As for the

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preferential price policy, the government has

detailed the categories of high-energy consumption

industries and set different punitive electricity

prices. The government will subsidize the feed-in

tariff for enterprises that use renewable energy to

generate electricity to ensure a reasonable

investment return cycle. In addition, the pilot work

of emissions trading has started in some regions,

which has improved the degree of market-oriented

management. In general, the financial performance

of this phase has many advantages, and the fiscal

policy has brought a comprehensive incentive effect

for the enterprise ECER.

From the perspective of technology and law, the

motivation of enterprises to develop low-carbon

technologies that meet the requirements of ECER

has been comprehensively strengthened, so the

related technologies of this phase accumulate

rapidly. The perfection of legal work makes it

possible to combine market adjustment and

mandatory government adjustment. As for social,

cultural, and environmental factors, objectively

speaking, the country’s voice in global climate and

environmental protection issues has been gradually

strengthened, and the general public's awareness of

environmental protection has been significantly

enhanced. However, these social environments are

not directly related to the excellent development of

ECER work and the guidance of ECER policies for

people and the social environment. The Chinese

public still does not have the means to participate

directly in the work of ECER, [40].

Summary of all phases with PESTEL analysis

The analysis in section 2.1.3 and Table 3

(Appendix) was used to conduct a PESTEL analysis

in conjunction with the previous sections. From a

political perspective, twenty years have passed since

the Chinese government first made political

demands related to energy efficiency. China has

gained a great deal of experience in formulating

energy policies, and there has been a dramatic shift

in policy style.

In the fourth phase, policies on ECER targets

were finally broken down by province and city

region, with detailed requirements based on the core

industrial layout of each province and city. The

overall focus of the policy also changed from simply

saving energy in the previous century to focusing on

the transformation of the energy structure and

industrial structure and the rapid development of

related technologies. As ECER efforts matured, the

policy implementation cycle was extended from the

previous five-year period to a long-term plan for

2030 and 2060. In summary, the political

performance of ECER policy is characterized by a

refinement of management and comprehensive

development that is gradually coming into line with

the cutting-edge ideas of the international

community.

From an economic perspective, the piloted

emissions trading strategy gained importance during

the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan. The new policy

enables the trading of emission allowances and

energy credits across provinces, cities, and sectors.

This approach takes full advantage of the market's

self-regulation and fills the international mandatory

policy gap between provinces, municipalities, and

industries. Strategies that have performed well in

practice, such as government procurement, tax

incentives, and financial subsidies, carried over

from the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan period, have

been further strengthened. In summary, the

economic performance of ECER policies has been

characterized by a combination of market economy

and government coercive measures, with an

increasing variety of economic incentives for ECER

as shown in Table 4 (Appendix). Increased

government guidance capacity helps to eliminate

backward industries. Increased self-awareness of

enterprises helps to achieve industrial upgrading. By

motivating enterprises to use new energy sources,

the government reduces the demand for carbon

credits, thus achieving ECER.

Regarding science and technology, the 14th

Five-Year Plan-related policies indicate that the

focus has shifted from the traditional coal-fired

power generation end technologies to renewable

energy technologies. Along with this shift in policy

focus, there are two potential problems. Firstly, for

conventional energy sources, even if China reaches

peak carbon emissions by 2030, it is foreseeable that

coal, oil, and gas-based thermal power generation

will still be a large part of the country’s energy mix.

Whether the country has invested enough in ECER

technologies for traditional energy sources is worth

considering. Secondly, regarding renewable energy

sources, the region has made significant

technological achievements in wind power and PV

generation and has already achieved grid parity in

areas rich in renewable energy reserves, such as

western China. However, these technologies have

applied the centralized route. The country so far has

no aggressive strategy to develop distributed energy

technologies due to the lack of saturation of

renewable energy deployment in the western region

and the lack of related energy storage and

sequestration technologies. In summary, the

scientific and technological performance of ECER

policy shows the beginning of a transition from

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traditional ECER technologies to renewable, low-

carbon technologies, but there are still significant

technical gaps.

To summarise the legal aspects of ECER

policies, the establishment and revision of relevant

laws can indeed guarantee a country’s progressively

more complex political, economic, and

technological strategies. There is a trend toward an

increasingly detailed division of responsibilities and

management. There is a trend toward

decentralization of supervision to local governments

and units. To summarise the social and

environmental performance of the country’s ECER

policies, there is an overall trend towards

improvement but insufficient grassroots

participation. As the target of ECER, enterprises

play a role in linking the government with the

masses. In previous analyses, it could be concluded

that the enthusiasm of enterprises to participate in

policy is determined by the government incentive

system and the strength of penalties. However, the

study did not collect data relating to the degree of

familiarity of the public with ECER efforts or the

degree of acceptance of the social climate for ECER

efforts. Enterprises are organizations made up of

grassroots people. There is a gap in research on how

the public and social environment are optimistic

about enterprises but with policies.

4.1.1 Comparison of German ECER Policies

with Chinese Policies

The comparative analysis of this study for core

question one consists of two main parts. For those

parts of China's and Germany's policies that are

inconsistent, the discussion focuses on what is

missing in China's policies. This part of the analysis

focuses on the reasons for the missing policies and

whether China should supplement these policies.

For those parts of the policy that are consistent

between China and Germany, if there is data to

support specific technical indicators, the data is used

to compare the strength of China's ECER policies.

Policy differences in the coal industry

The most significant difference between Germany's

overall approach to ECER and China's policy is the

German government's direct regulation of the coal

industry. Since achieving peak carbon emission in

1990, coal has slowly declined in Germany's

primary energy consumption, and renewable energy

consumption has increased over the same period. In

2019, Germany's total primary energy consumption

was 436.0 Mtce, of which oil accounted for 35.3%,

natural gas for 25.0%, coal for 17.7%, renewable for

14.8%, and nuclear energy for 6.4%. Compared to

1990, total primary energy consumption has fallen

by 14.3%, with coal consumption falling by around

59% and renewable energy consumption rising by

approximately 8.7 times, [41]. Germany's domestic

energy production is dominated by coal and

renewable energy, with oil and gas relying heavily

on imports. Renewable energy production increased

significantly from 1990 to 2019, from 6.8 Mtce in

1990 to 65.0 Mtce in 2019, an increase of about 8.6

times, while coal production fell by 77.3%.

Germany is phasing out complex coal mining

subsidies, closing hard coal mines, phasing out

lignite power plants, and withdrawing from coal-

fired power generation. 2018 saw the cessation of

domestic hard coal production in Germany. The

corresponding subsidies for hard coal sales were

reduced from €6.7 billion in 1996 to €2.7 billion in

2005, with the hard coal subsidies ending in 2018,

[42].

A comparative analysis shows that Germany's

overall thinking on ECER is to limit the coal

resource, which accounts for the largest share of

primary energy consumption. Restrictions on coal

are reflected in mandatory reductions in the

proportion of primary energy consumption

accounted for by coal, limiting the mining of

domestic coal resources through reduced subsidies,

and reducing coal imports. The advantage of such

policies is that the effects are intuitive. A reduction

in coal use corresponds directly to a decrease in

carbon emissions. However, the disadvantage of

such a policy is clear: the decline in coal's share of

primary energy consumption will directly lead to a

power shortfall. Managing the electricity gap

requires other forms of energy generation to

compensate and downstream energy-consuming

industries to reduce production or improve energy

efficiency. Coordinating the entire process of energy

production and consumption requires complex

management systems. This is difficult for the

government, which has a much larger overall energy

demand, a larger volume of coal-fired power

generation, and a lack of experience with

management systems.

However, the German approach to direct cuts in

the coal sector is still worthy of study and

experimentation by the government. The

government has tried to reduce national coal

consumption by one standard coal unit as early as

the initial ECER stage. However, due to the

government's management and legal system's

backwardness, this policy was not effectively

implemented. Directly reducing coal consumption is

an inevitable choice after a certain level of energy

restructuring has taken place. The country should

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start restructuring its coal industry by 2030 when it

reaches its peak carbon emissions.

PV power generation policy differences

The most significant component of German PV is

distributed PV. As of 2013, in countries such as

Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, the installed

capacity of rooftop distributed PV power generation

accounts for nearly 80% of the total PV capacity,

which is different from the characteristics of China,

where large, centralized PV power plants are

dominant.

Distributed PV brings the problem of unstable

power generation and is difficult to reconcile with

conventional energy sources. With the growth of

renewable energy installations, Germany has seen a

gradual increase in renewable energy electricity

over-generation and abandonment in recent years,

with negative tariffs becoming a major problem. In

contrast, is the terrible weather, such as continuous

rains. The overall grid faces a shortage of electricity

supply. Solving this problem requires Germany to

maintain the installed capacity of conventional

means of power generation. This is why Germany

still has a significant proportion of installed capacity

despite its determination to abandon traditional

power generation, such as coal-fired power

generation.

The reasons that constrain the country’s choice

of the distributed route for PV power generation are

energy layout constraints, inadequate supporting

technologies, and insufficient social and

environmental support. For energy layout,

the western region has the world's richest solar

resources. The Country’s PV power generation has

prioritized the centralized PV plant route to utilize

these resources efficiently. The technology

developed in conjunction with this is long-distance

ultra-high voltage transmission technology. This

development strategy has indeed boosted the

economy of western China through feed-in tariffs,

PV agriculture, etc. In 2021 country’s cumulative

grid-connected PV capacity reached 308GW, the

world's largest in terms of both new and cumulative

installed capacity. Annual PV power generation was

325.9 billion kWh, up 25.1% year-on-year,

accounting for approximately 4.0% of the country's

total annual power generation. While significant

results have been achieved, distributed PV

technologies, distributed energy storage

technologies, and technologies related to distributed

PV networking have not received sufficient

attention. Although the installed capacity of

distributed PV in the country is expected to reach

126.8GW by 2021, the proportion of connected PV

is much lower than in European countries, the US,

and Japan. The feed-in tariff in the country is only

£0.0125/kWh for non-owner-occupied homes and

£0.0375/kWh for residential homes (the average

price of domestic electricity in the country is

£0.065-0.077/kWh for the same period). The low

feed-in tariff subsidy has led to a lack of enthusiasm

among the grassroots to participate in distributed PV

projects, which has led to a lack of social support

for energy policy, [43].

Based on the above analysis, it can be

concluded that the country still has the largest

installed capacity of distributed PV in the world

without primarily developing distributed PV.

Therefore, there is no problem with the basis for the

application of distributed PV among the people. The

first problem that needs to be solved in the country

is the lack of feed-in tariff subsidies for distributed

PV. By increasing the feed-in tariff subsidies, the

enthusiasm of the grassroots to apply distributed PV

will increase, which in turn will promote the

upstream R&D work of the industry towards

distributed PV. The next issue the country needs to

address is the energy storage and transmission

technologies associated with distributed PV

interconnection. Once it has addressed these two

issues, the socio-cultural and environmental factors

of the country’s energy strategy will also improve.

Comparison of Policy Intensity and Effectiveness

By analyzing Figure 1, the curve of GD energy

consumption per unit in the country decreased

significantly around 1990, which marked the

beginning of Phase I of energy reform. Germany's

energy consumption per unit of GDP curve around

1990 showed a significant decline in the standard to

reach the peak of carbon emissions, [44].

Fig. 1: China-Germany Comparison of Energy

consumption per unit of GDP 1980-2015

The country’s carbon emission is expected to

peak by 2030, and its energy consumption per unit

of GDP in recent years has been close to Germany's

in 1990. In summary, the country’s current overall

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energy strategy is effective from the results

perspective, and the country’s future energy plans

are relatively credible. Figure 1 and Figure 2 show

that renewable energy has sustained the overall

energy consumption increase in Germany since

1990, while all other forms of energy generation

have shown a decreasing trend in fluctuation. This

finding is consistent with the conclusion that

Germany had already reached its peak carbon

emissions in 1990, [45].

Fig. 2: German Power Generation (1990-2021 by

energy type)

Fig. 3: China's Power Generation 2000-2020 by

Energy Type

The growth in the country’s overall energy

consumption has been sustained by traditional

thermal power generation, while the remaining

forms of renewable energy generation have grown

to varying degrees. This is consistent with the

conclusion that the country has not yet reached peak

carbon emissions. The growth rate in the country’s

total thermal power generation has declined since

2018 and is the lowest in almost 20 years (shown in

Figure 3), which suggests that China has a chance of

achieving peak carbon emissions in 2030, [46], [47].

Figure 4 and Figure 5 show that the country’s

installed renewable energy capacity has not risen as

much as Germany's, simply in terms of the share of

each type of installed renewable energy capacity in

the country's overall installed power generation

capacity. However, considering China's overall

energy consumption is more than ten times that of

Germany, the growth in installed renewable energy

capacity of any type is far greater than that of

Germany. And the country has maintained its rapid

growth in installed renewable energy capacity

during COVID-19. In conclusion, the country’s

overall strategy for renewable energy generation is

effective and promising and is expected to continue

to rise steadily in the future, [48].

Fig. 4: Installed Power Generation Capacity in

Germany 2002-2021 by types of Energy Source

Fig. 5: Installed power generation capacity in China

2000-2020 by type of energy source

4.2 Development Strategies of A-GROUP in

Response to the ECER Policy

4.2.1 Analysis of A-GROUP's Typical Projects

List of major A-GROUP projects

The Table 5 (Appendix) shows the 12 typical coal-

fired power plant projects produced, constructed,

and put into commercial operation by A-GROUP in

China from 2010 to 2020. The data contains the

project name, the installed capacity size, the

commercial operation time (if a project has more

than one unit, the time the last unit is used), and the

technical route; they are listed in order of time.

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Analysis of A-GROUP boiler parameters

strategy

The coal-fired power station projects built by A-

GROUP show a trend of gradually increasing water

vapor parameters and installed capacity from 2010

to 2020, which is the most effective way to increase

the thermal cycle efficiency. The most direct

advantage of increasing the thermal cycle efficiency

of boilers is that per unit of standard coal can

produce more energy, which meets the ECER policy

from the energy production source. Any boiler

design and manufacturing company should treat it

as one of the most important long-term goals to

increase its products' water vapor parameters and

unit capacity by R&D methods. A-GROUP meets

this requirement, and therefore, A-GROUP's

scientific and technological strategy in terms of

water vapor parameters and installed capacity as a

long-term strategy for the company is proactive,

ethical, and sustainable.

Analysis of the A-GROUP boiler selection

strategy

The Π-boiler and the tower boiler have their

characteristics and are widely used worldwide for

high-parameter and high-capacity boilers. The main

advantage of the Π boiler is its relatively simple,

compact structure, resulting in a low steel frame and

low installation and maintenance costs. Π boilers

have an exhaust port below the boiler, which

facilitates the installation of air supply and dust

removal equipment. The main disadvantages of the

Π boiler are its large footprint and the fact that it has

two 90° turns inside the boiler. These two turns lead

to an uneven flue gas velocity, temperature, and

density distribution within the boiler, further leading

to localized wear on the heating surfaces. Π boilers

have the problem of difficulties in arranging the coal

economizer and air preheater on the tail heating

surface due to the similar height of the combustion

chamber and the tail flue, which is not conducive to

the combustion of poor-quality coals, [49].

The main advantage of the tower boiler is that

the convection heating surfaces are all arranged in

the flue above the combustion chamber. This

structure does not have a corner, so the flow rate,

density, and temperature of the flue gas in the

convection heating surface can be easily predicted

by thermal calculations with little error in actual

operation. The height of the combustion chamber

and the height of the tail flue of the tower boiler are

asymmetrical, making it the best choice for boilers

burning lignite and lean coal. In addition, the

boiler's flue has a self-ventilation function, and the

resistance to flue gas transfer is low. The main

disadvantage of the tower boiler is the significant

height of the boiler itself and the high cost of

installation and maintenance. The second is that the

air preheater, coal economizer, and other equipment

are installed at the top of the boiler, which is

initially high. This type of installation places higher

demands on the load-bearing capacity and stability

of the overall structure. For boiler design and

manufacturing units, load calculations are more

complex, boiler steel requirements are higher, and

the production and material costs of building the

boiler are higher.

Considering the poor quality of China's

indigenous coal and the need for mixed combustion

of coal and biomass, which the Chinese government

requires. Traditional coal-fired boilers in China need

to ensure the efficiency of coal-fired power

generation while balancing stability when burning

poor-quality fuels. Once energy policies have been

adjusted, boiler companies can retrofit existing

boilers more quickly and easily. This is why Japan,

the US, and the former Soviet Union chose Π

boilers based on more stable coal quality. In

contrast, some European countries with mixed

combustion requirements chose tower boilers. A-

GROUP's ability to anticipate policy is

demonstrated by the fact that it started to transform

its products at the beginning of the Twelfth Five-

Year Plan to meet the requirements for mixed

combustion of biomass and coal during the

Thirteenth Five-Year Plan. From a corporate

efficiency perspective, A-GROUP spontaneously

changed its strategy to produce a less economical

solution in the short term when other competitors

opted for the lower cost Π boiler. This corporate

strategy demonstrates that the management team has

courage and policy foresight. In conclusion, as a

long-term corporate strategy, A-GROUP's boiler

selection strategy is positive, ethical, and

sustainable.

Analysis of A-GROUP's boiler denitrification

emission technology strategy

A-GROUP is gradually adding a compound air

classification low NOx tangential combustion

system with a tail thermoregulation baffle to the

company's product. The compound air classification

low NOx tangential combustion system is a

particular type of boiler fuel combustion. The

system splits the combustion zone of the boiler into

several zones. Firstly, under superoxide conditions,

75% of the fuel is fully combusted in the main

combustion zone. Afterward, the remaining fuel is

fed into the upper part of the main combustion zone.

After the remaining fuel is fed, the fuel/oxygen

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chemical equivalent ratio is less than one, creating a

reducing atmosphere. The remaining fuel reacts

with the NOx generated in the main combustion

zone to produce N2, reducing NOx emissions. The

technology requires boiler design and

manufacturing companies with solid boiler

modification calculation capabilities. Companies

can achieve higher NOx emission standards at

relatively low development costs and with as few

modifications to existing products as possible.

Therefore, A-GROUP's development of low NOx

tangential combustion technology as a short-term

strategy for the company is in line with proactive,

ethical, and sustainable requirements.

Unfortunately, with the introduction of the

Thirteenth and Fourteenth Five-Year Plans, NOx

emission requirements have become more stringent,

and A-GROUP's low NOx tangential combustion

technology can no longer meet the policy

requirements. The leading boiler flue gas

denitrification technologies are selective non-

catalytic reduction (SNCR) and selective catalytic

reduction (SCR), [50]. SCR has high denitrification

efficiency and low reaction temperatures, but more

complex catalysts and increased R&D and

equipment retrofit costs. The main denitrification

strategy chosen by A-GROUP for its current boiler

products is SNCR technology. This technology does

meet the latest emission standards, but the higher

flue gas temperatures lead to lower boiler thermal

cycle efficiency. Instead of explaining the progress

of our SCR technology development, A-GROUP

has identified additional opportunities in SNCR

technology. The higher temperature leads to a worse

corrosion rate of the flue piping, which should have

been replaced on a five-to-ten-year cycle, and now

needs to be replaced on a two-to-three-year basis.

A-GROUP has reacquired the flue piping line,

which had been outsourced to a contractor, to

generate a high profit for the company. Therefore,

A-GROUP's developing SNCR technology as a

short-term strategy for the company is extremely

unethical, unsustainable, and not conducive to

developing the country’s ECER policy shown in

Table 6.

4.2.2 A-GROUP Boiler Technology CP/CI

Analysis

A side-by-side comparison of boiler parameters of

other boiler design and manufacturing companies in

Europe and Japan can more accurately determine

the competitive position of A-GROUP's current

technology for mastering ultra-supercritical coal-

fired generating units.

A-GROUP's ultra-supercritical coal-fired unit

technology reached global leadership by 2015 when

A-GROUP began its research and development of

this technology in around 2000 and 15 years before

the Guodian Taizhou project went into operation.

The current competitive position of A-GROUP's

UCSG technology is therefore shown in Figure 6.

Table 6. Data of Major Ultra-Supercritical Units in

Operation Worldwide

Fig. 6: The competitive position of A-GROUP's

ultra-supercritical technology

4.3 Farming Contribution to the Energy

Sector

Biomass energy is another way to solve the global

energy problem. The country is predominantly

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agricultural, with abundant biomass energy

resources in rural areas. As early as 2001, to

cooperate with the Pilot Program on Ethanol for

Vehicle Gasoline issued by the State Planning

Commission, the country carried out experiments

using surplus grain stocks to simultaneously

produce fuel ethanol in some pilot areas. The

conversion efficiency of this method is low, and it

cannot effectively recycle the straw and other

wastes produced in grain production, [51]. In 2005,

the Renewable Energy Law introduced the idea of

"efficient development and utilization of biomass

fuel, biomass fuel in line with national standards

into the fuel sales system." This idea considers the

requirement of direct biomass combustion and

subsidizes farmers through marketizing biomass

fuel. During the eleventh Five-Year Plan period, the

government gradually refined the criteria for

biomass fuel utilization, including the direct

combustion of straw and forest matter for power

generation and the incineration of waste for landfill

power generation. Under the promotion of the

government, biomass power generation installation

increased rapidly. In 2021, the cumulative installed

capacity of biomass power generation in the country

was 37.98 million kW, an increase of 27.67 million

kW compared with 2015, with a CAGR of 20.48%.

Biomass generation increased from 52.7 billion

KWH in 2015 to 163.7 billion KWH in 2021,

reaching a CAGR of 17.58%. The share of biomass

power generation in the total electricity generation

increased from 0.92% in 2015 to 2.02% in 2021, an

increase of 1.1 percentage points in seven years,

[52].

The development of biomass energy requires

the joint efforts of both biomass production end and

biomass use end. For farmers at the production end

and biomass recycling and processing enterprises,

the government put forward a variety of financial

subsidy policies during the fourteenth Five-Year

Plan period, including biomass energy electricity

price subsidy, investment, and construction cost

subsidy, clean energy heating subsidy, straw total

utilization subsidy, loan subsidy, and local policy

extra subsidy. For using biomass energy, the

government has gradually adjusted and tightened the

requirements for biomass fuel combustion within

ten years. During the twelfth Five-Year Plan period,

the application of biomass fuel was mainly through

the transformation of traditional coal-fired boilers

into biomass fuel boilers or mixed combustion.

During the thirteenth Five-Year Plan period, with

the improvement of the biomass industry chain, the

policy was adjusted to form large-scale biomass

power generation in counties and rural areas to

replace traditional coal-fired power generation. At

the same time, investments in clean-burning

biomass and clean-heating technologies have begun

to increase, positioning biomass fuels for

widespread use in municipal heating in the country.

During the fourteenth five-year period, emission

standards for biomass combustion were further

regulated.

5 Findings and Conclusions

The political authorities of the country’s ECER

policy have evolved from being able to rely only on

crude administrative orders to now having specific

control targets for each province, city, and type of

enterprise. It has gradually changed from the simple

idea of energy saving to energy structure reform and

industrial reform and has set carbon emission targets

for decades.

The economic instruments of the country’s

ECER policy have gradually increased from the

policy of fines at the beginning to a combination of

financial incentives and cash penalties. In recent

years it has gradually approached the advanced

market-based thinking of the international

community. The self-regulation of 40% of

the country’s energy-consuming enterprises has

been achieved through multi-provincial and multi-

industry energy and emissions trading and

mandatory administrative measures. The legal

protection of ECER policies has been adjusted from

the initial state, where the central government was

solely responsible for policy formulation,

implementation, and supervision. Through

legislative and judicial improvements, the power to

supervise the implementation of policies has now

been passed to county-level energy bureaus and

people's governments. This has significantly

improved the efficiency of policy transfer and the

degree of completion of implementation. The R&D

and technology for ECER policies have gone from a

free rein for enterprises to conduct R&D based on

emission targets in the beginning to a complete

guidance and incentive system. The technological

route has gradually shifted from energy

conservation to low carbon, and the R&D and

accumulation of renewable energy technologies

have achieved remarkable results. The social and

environmental aspects of ECER policies in

the country have been relatively under-appreciated.

Still, with the improvement in education and

national quality, the grassroots have become more

aware of and supportive of energy conservation and

emission reduction efforts.

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After 20 years of technology accumulation, A-

GROUP's ultra-supercritical power generation

technology and circulating fluidized bed technology

have gained absolute technological superiority

within boiler manufacturing companies worldwide.

A-GROUP's boiler selection efforts demonstrated

the management's excellent policy foresight and

ability to implement policies regardless of short-

term interests. However, A-GROUP has made

mistakes in the choice of technology route between

SCR and SNCR, resulting in a short-term strategy

that is unethical and not sustainable for the

company. Although the country’s farmers play a

singular role in ECER policies, the simple and

repetitive nature of their work does have an impact

on the country’s route to energy reform in rural

areas. The policy shifted from retrofitting boilers for

coal-biomass combustion to the direct replacement

of coal by biomass in biomass-producing areas

within the decade of the 12th to 14th Five-Year

Plan. The share of biomass in thermal power

generation in rural areas has been increasing

annually.

6 Recommendations and Limitations

The ECER policy should include an industrial

upgrading effort for the coal industry. The country

is approaching the carbon emission peak and should

consider reducing the proportion of coal-fired power

generation from the perspective of primary energy

consumption. Specific strategies could include

limiting the amount of domestic coal mining,

reducing subsidies to the coal industry, and

controlling coal imports. It should also increase

financial investment in distributed renewable energy

for individual customer subsidies and scientific

research and development. Distributed renewable

energy is a global trend in the energy route. It just

reached the inflection point in 2020 when the

growth rate of distributed renewables exceeded that

of centralized renewables. The country should

complete the technology shift before centralized

renewable energy construction in the west nears

saturation. For A-GROUP, companies should

review the ethical and sustainability requirements of

other low pollutant emission technology routes in

their businesses while adapting SCR and SNCR

technology routes. Companies can also take

advantage of the rising trend of biomass fuel use in

rural areas to continue their corporate

transformation to provide circulating fluidized bed

technology and services to rural areas and to act as

an information bridge between farmers and the

government. This study applies a significant amount

of comparative analysis to overcome the inaccuracy

of purely supervisory analysis. However, as coal-

fired power generation and boiler-related

technologies are no longer the focus of R&D in

developed countries, all conclusions obtained from

the study regarding the competitive position of

technologies, the strength of technology targets, etc.

are relative to developed countries being at their

peak carbon emission stage in the last century. All

readers of this study should be fully aware of the

gap between the country’s energy development and

that of the developed world, rather than being

optimistic about the positive conclusions drawn

from the study.

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Contribution of Individual Authors to the

Creation of a Scientific Article (Ghostwriting

Policy)

The authors equally contributed in the present

research, at all stages from the formulation of the

problem to the final findings and solution.

Sources of Funding for Research Presented in a

Scientific Article or Scientific Article Itself

No funding was received for conducting this study.

Conflict of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

(Attribution 4.0 International, CC BY 4.0)

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Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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APPENDIX

Table 1. Major policies and indicators in the initial establishment phase of ECER track

Sector

Year

Policy Document

Summary of Priority Tasks

Energy Conservation

1980

Report on Strengthening Energy

Conservation Efforts

Reduce oil consumption by compressing.

unreasonable oil burning; conserve coal, fuel oil,

and coke and save electricity;

reduce self-use and losses in the energy production

sector.

1981

Implementation Measures of the

Fuel Price Increase Charge for

Excess Consumption

Supplement energy-saving costs by increasing

charges for excess fuel consumption.

1984

Outline of China's Energy

Conservation Technology Policy

Vigorously carry out energy-saving technology

renovation; strengthen energy management and

improve the energy-

saving management system; develop

energy-saving services.

1986

Interim Regulations on Energy

Conservation Management

Improve energy-saving technology policies;

adopt supportive policies for energy-saving

technology transformation; speed up the

development of energy-saving regulations,

standards, and norms; gradually establish energy

information systems.

Environmental Protection

1982

Provisional measures for the

collection of sewage charges

Specify the standards and targets for sewage

charges and fully implement sewage charges

1989

Rules for the implementation of

the Law of the Country on the

Prevention and Control of Water

Pollution

Carry out work on water environmental protection

and adopt countermeasures and measures to

prevent and control water pollution.

1990

The decision of the State Council

on Further Strengthening

Environmental Protection

Take effective measures to prevent and control

industrial pollution by the law; actively carry out

comprehensive urban environmental improvement

work; develop ecological protection science and

technology.

1991

Rules for the Implementation of

Air Pollution Prevention and

Control of the Country

Accelerate the Prevention and Control of Soot-Tyle

pollution; put forward higher requirements and

targets for the prevention and control of air

pollution.

1994

China Agenda 21 – White Paper

on Country’s Population,

Environment and Development

in the 21st Century

Rational use of resources and protection of the

environment to reduce the hazards caused by

environmental pollution.

Sector

Year

Indicators

Implementation Measures

Energy

Conservation

1980-1982

Average annual energy savings

of 40 million tonnes of standard

coal.

Compression of industrial boilers and kilns burning

oil, conservation of electricity, conservation of

refined oil, protection of coal for industrial boilers,

and development of rational energy use for coal

washing and processing.

1981

Penalty for excess fuel

consumption.

A 50% markup fee is charged to enterprises whose

fuel consumption exceeds a fixed amount as a

supplement to the cost of energy-saving measures.

1983

Energy saving technology loan

subsidy.

The annual interest rate on investments in energy-

saving infrastructure funded by the treasury was

reduced from 5% to 2.4%.

Emission

Reduction

1982

Penalty for excess emissions.

Emission charges for pollutants emitted over

national standards.

1989

Emission permits.

Enterprises and institutions that exceed the

national or local standards for the discharge of

pollutants are granted emission permits after a

deadline for treatment.

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on POWER SYSTEMS

DOI: 10.37394/232016.2024.19.39

Satya Shah, Ran Li

E-ISSN: 2224-350X

471

Volume 19, 2024

Table 2. Major Policies and Indicators in the Development & Adjustment phase of ECER

Sector

Year

Policy Document

Summary of Priority Tasks

Energy Conservation Management

1997

Law of the People's Republic

of China on Energy

Conservation

Set energy conservation standards and energy

consumption limits. Eliminate outdated and

high energy consumption products; reduce

energy consumption per unit of output value

and unit of products; and improve energy

development, processing, and supply.

1999

Measures for the

Administration of Energy

Conservation in Key Energy-

using Units

Strengthen the energy conservation

management of critical energy-using units,

improve energy use efficiency, and control total

energy consumption.

2006

The decision of the State

Council on Strengthening

Energy Conservation Work

Adhere to the development and conservation

policy, prioritize protection, and vigorously

promote ECER.

2007

Notice of the State Council

Approving the Implementation

Plan and Measures for

Statistical Monitoring and

Assessment of ECER

Effectively carry out the work of ECER

statistics, monitoring, and assessment.

Energy

Planni

1995

Outline of the Development of

New and Renewable Energy

Sources for 1996-2010

Develop and promote clean energy by local

conditions, strengthen scientific research and

demonstration of new and renewable energy,

and promote industrialization.

2004

Draft Outline of Medium and

Long-Term Energy Planning

Adjust and optimize the industrial structure;

promote technological, institutional, and

management innovation.

2007

The Eleventh Five-Year Plan

for Energy Development

Accelerate renewable energy development,

promote resource conservation and

environmental protection, and actively respond

to global climate change.

Pollution Prevention

and Control

2002

Law on the Promotion of

Cleaner Production

Promote and implement cleaner production and

encourage the development of cleaner

production technologies.

2003

Regulations on the

Administration of the

Collection and Use of Sewage

Charges

Strengthen the supervision and management of

sewage charge collection.

2004

Law on the Prevention and

Control of Environmental

Pollution by Solid Waste

(Newly Revised)

Preventing and controlling solid waste pollution

and strengthening environmental enforcement

means.

Sector

Year

Indicators

Implementation Measures

Ener

Cons

erva

tion

2006-2010

Reducing energy consumption

per unit of GDP.

Decrease from 1.22 tonnes of standard coal in

2005 to less than 1 tonne of standard coal, a

reduction of around 20%.

Emission Reduction

2006-2010

Reduce sulfuric dioxide

emissions.

Sulfuric dioxide emissions were reduced from

25.49 million tonnes in 2005 to 22.95 million

tonnes, around 10%.

Reduce chemical oxygen

demand.

Chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduced from

14.14 million tonnes to 12.73 million tonnes,

around 10%.

Increase the rate of urban

sewage treatment.

No less than 70%.

Increase the total utilization

rate of industrial solid waste.

No less than 60%.

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on POWER SYSTEMS

DOI: 10.37394/232016.2024.19.39

Satya Shah, Ran Li

E-ISSN: 2224-350X

472

Volume 19, 2024

Table 3. Major policies and indicators in the Transformation phase of China's ECER track

Sector

Year

Policy Document

Summary of Priority Tasks

Policy Reform

2008

Law on Energy Conservation

Establish a market mechanism for ECER; improve

implementation policies; and strengthen

management and assessment.

2014

Government Work Report

Increase ECER efforts; control total energy

consumption; increase the proportion of non-fossil

energy generation; develop clean production,

green, low-carbon technologies, and a circular

economy.

2016

Comprehensive Work Plan for

ECER in the 13th Five-Year Plan

Optimize industrial and energy structures,

strengthen energy conservation in key areas,

enhance emission reduction of major pollutants,

and strengthen technical support and service

system construction for ECER.

Energy

Strategy

2008

Eleventh Five-Year Plan for the

Development of Renewable

Energy

Guide the development and use of renewable

energy and direct the development of the

renewable energy industry.

2014

Strategic Action Plan for Energy

Development 2014-2020

Promote the clean and efficient development and

use of coal, strictly control the excessive energy

consumption growth, and vigorously develop

renewable energy.

Low Carbon Development

2007

Country’s National Programme

to Address Climate Change

Adhere to the principle of equal emphasis on

mitigation and adaptation, control greenhouse gas

emissions, and strengthen scientific research and

technology development on climate change.

2011

Work Plan for Controlling

Greenhouse Gas Emissions in

the 12th Five-Year Plan

Make extensive use of various means, such as

optimizing energy structure and increasing carbon

sinks. Carry out low-carbon pilot projects;

strengthen the research and development and

application of low-carbon technologies; accelerate

the establishment of an industrial system

characterized by low carbon; and improve the

ability to cope with climate change.

Sector

Year

Indicators

Implementation Measures

Energy

Conservatio

2011-2015

Reducing energy consumption

per unit of GDP

Adjusted from a reduction of around 20% in the

11th Five-Year Plan to a decrease of 17%.

Reduce water consumption per

unit of industrial value-added

Reduction of 30% (not adjusted).

Reduce energy consumption per

unit of industrial value-added

Reduction of 18% (new).

Emission Reduction

2011-2018

Reduce carbon emissions per

unit of industrial increase

Reduction of more than 18% (new)

Reduce chemical oxygen

demand, carbon dioxide (old),

ammonia nitrogen, and nitrogen

oxide (new) emissions

Add two new categories with a total reduction of

8 to 10%.

Increase the proportion of non-

fossil energy in primary energy

consumption.

Add two new categories with a total reduction of

8 to 10%.

Increase the proportion of non-

fossil energy in primary energy

consumption.

Increase by 3.1 percentage points from 8.3% to

11.4% (new)

Increase the comprehensive

utilization rate of industrial solid

waste

Adjusted from no less than 60% in the 11th Five-

Year Plan to no less than about 76%.

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on POWER SYSTEMS

DOI: 10.37394/232016.2024.19.39

Satya Shah, Ran Li

E-ISSN: 2224-350X

473

Volume 19, 2024

Table 4. Major policies in the Carbon Emissions Peak & Neutrality phase of the Country’s ECER track

Sector

Year

Policy Document

Summary of Priority Tasks

Energy Mix

2017

Energy Production and Consumption

Revolutionary Gold Strategy (2016-2030)

Clarify the strategic objectives of the energy revolution

and promote the clean-up of fossil energy and the

energy consumption revolution.

2021

Opinions on the Complete and Accurate

Implementation of the New Development

Concept for Carbon Neutrality

Clarify the targets and implementation plans for the

"double carbon" initiative and promote energy

conservation and recycling.

2021

Action Plan for Carbon Peaking by 2030

Identify the critical tasks to achieve peak carbon and

promote carbon compliance actions.

Carbon

Trading and

Green

Finance

2016

Guiding Opinions on Building a Green

Financial System

Support the green transformation of the country’s

economy by developing financial products and services,

implementing relevant policy instruments, and building

a better green financial investment environment.

2017

National Carbon Emissions Trading Market

Construction Programme (Power

Generation Sector)

Accelerate the construction of a carbon trading market,

expand the scope of market coverage, and enrich the

variety and trading methods.

Low

Carbo

n Tech

2020

Proposal of the Central Committee on the

Formulation of the 14th Five-Year Plan for

National Economic and Social Development

and the Visionary Day Target for 2030

Adhere to green and low-carbon development

principles and promote research and development of

green and low-carbon technologies.

Table 5. A-GROUP Major Construction Projects 2010-2020

Project

Name

Project Type &

Capacity

Business

Operation

Time

Technology Route

Huadian

Luohe

Two 330MW sub-critical

coal boilers

29 May 2010

Π arrangement solution, tangential combustion system

Tianji II

Two 660MW ultra-

supercritical π-type

boilers

28 April 2014

Π arrangement, compound air classification low NOx tangential

combustion system

Guodian

Taizhou II

Two 1000MW secondary

reheat ultra-supercritical

tower boilers.

13 January

2016

Tower arrangement, combined air classification low NOx tangential combustion system, tail

baffle temperature control.

Shenneng

Pingshan I

Two 660MW ultra-

supercritical tower boilers

30 March 2016

Tower arrangement, combined air classification low NOx tangential combustion system

Anuhui Banji

Two 1000MW ultra-

supercritical DC π-type

boilers

17 October

2016

Π arrangement, combined air classification low NOx tangential combustion system

Inner

Mongolia

Hangjin

Two 330MW subcritical

circulating fluidized bed

boilers

1 January 2017

Wide range of coal types, high reliability, high combustion efficiency, low NOx emissions,

wide range of steam temperature regulation, uniform bed temperature, low wall

temperature deviation, low plant electricity consumption, and easy maintenance.

Jiangsu

Shazhou II

Two 1000MW ultra-

supercritical tower

boilers.

21 September

2017

Tower arrangement scheme, compound air classification low NOx

tangential combustion system

Guoyue

Shaoguan

Two 350MW ultra-

supercritical circulating

fluidized bed boilers

10 November

2017

Safe and reliable hydrodynamics, high boiler efficiency, low cost to achieve ultra-low

emissions, uniform wall, and bed temperature, no deformation and wear of the furnace

screen, no slag leakage from the air cap, and large proportion of poor-quality fuels such as

coal slurry and gangue can be blended.

Guoxin

Zhundong

Two 660MW supercritical

pressure unit tower

boilers

27 January

2018

Tower arrangement, compound air classification, low NOx tangential combustion system

Guangdong

Yangxi II

Two 1240MW ultra-

supercritical tower boilers

1 February

2018

Tower arrangement, compound air classification low NOx tangential combustion system, tail

baffle temperature control

Guodian

Suqian

Two 660MW ultra-

supercritical secondary

reheat tower boilers.

March 2019

Tower arrangement, combined air-graded low-NOx tangential combustion system, flue gas

recirculation with tail baffle.

Shenneng

Pingshan II

One 1350MW secondary

reheat ultra-supercritical

tower boiler.

August 2020

Tower arrangement, combined air classification, low NOx tangential combustion system, tail

baffle.

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on POWER SYSTEMS

DOI: 10.37394/232016.2024.19.39

Satya Shah, Ran Li

E-ISSN: 2224-350X

474

Volume 19, 2024