Chinese Claim Energy Saving Campaign Back on Track
CHINA’S efforts to make its fuel hungry economy energy efficient is making progress again after rapid growth caused setbacks through increases in energy-intensive industries, the government said yesterday.
China is approaching the end of their latest five-year plan to cut energy intensity, the power consumed per unit of economic output, by 20 per cent from 2006 levels.
Construction boomed through incentives from the Chinese government, which drove an explosion in steel and cement production, increasing energy demand. The government then had to try to meet conservation targets through cutting power to factories and homes.
As we have reported regularly throughout the year China has used an iron fist to try and get their five year plan back on target after suffering increases in energy intensity. In August the government ordered the closure of 2,087 steel and cement mills along with other factories that were deemed too wasteful.
Zhu Hongren, a spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said the campaign has made more progress in the three-month period ending in September and was almost complete, but he didn’t elaborate his statement with any figures.
"We are seeing positive progress in industries in energy conservation and emissions reduction," Zhu said at a news conference.
"Energy consumption per unit of industrial value added is absolutely dropping."
Chinese energy intensity fell by 14.4 per cent by the end of 2009, again primarily due to thousands of outdated steel mills and other factories were forced to close.
Beijing responded in August by ordering the closure of 2,087 steel and cement mills and other factories that are deemed too wasteful. Zhu said that process was nearly complete.
