Enigin Update - Diesel Shortage due to China's Energy Efficiency Measures
POWER outages imposed on factories by authorities in China to meet their energy efficiency targets have led to diesel shortages in several cities as plants are forced to use generators.
The China Daily reported that more than 2,000 privately owned petrol stations in southern China have shut down due to a lack of diesel, citing a petroleum industry body.
Long lines of cars and "sold out" signs at service stations are increasingly common in many cities and diesel prices have surged, the report added.
The shortage is in part due to a blackout policy adopted by some local governments in their efforts to meet emissions curbs and energy-saving targets set by Beijing, forcing factories to use diesel generators.
Enigin PLC's energy saving solutions manage energy demand, in real-time, even when diesel generators are used, reducing consumption of diesel through effective and best use of the energy supplied, saving on costs and emissions. Enigin Distributors worldwide, are helping many businesses to save energy and reduce costs using technology from Enigin.
China has sought to reduce energy intensity, energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product, by 20 percent from 2005 levels by the end of this year, as part of their current five year plan, also ending this year.
This year, as we have reported several times, China has seen a rise and have been forced to use and iron fist in reducing energy demand, with over 1,000 firms in eastern China's Anhui province were asked to curb electricity use from October, while some plants in neighbouring Zhejiang province were ordered to reduce power use at least two days a week, it said.
Experts have warned that the blackout policy may actually increase emissions and fuel consumption due to the frequent use of less efficient diesel generators, stalling economic growth, according to the paper.
"What local governments need to do is to change economic growth patterns," the report quoted Zhong Yongsheng, deputy director of the Centre for China's Urban-Rural Development Studies, as saying.
At global climate talks in Copenhagen last year, China pledged that it would reduce carbon intensity by 40-45 percent by 2020 based on 2005 levels and has again addressed their targets ahead of announcing the details of their next five year plan.
