The decline in utilization hours of coal power is an inevitable trend

Currently, China's coal-fired power generation accounts for about 65% of the country's power generation, and the average operating age of 1 TW coal-fired generating units in active service is only about 12 years (about 40 years in developed countries). At the same time, judging from the scale of the coal-fired generating units under construction, there will still be about 10GW of coal-fired generating units put into production annually in the next few years. Wang Zhixuan, Vice President of CEC, believes that there are five inevitable trends for the decline in coal power equipment utilization:

1.The decrease of utilization rate of power equipment is universal in the world. 2. The average utilization hours of coal power equipment is 5500 hours, which is the promoted standard for new coal-fired power plant under the planned economic period, a long-term power shortage, and a binary power generation structure. It is not an evaluation "standard" applicable at any stage of development. 3. It is difficult to further increase the average utilization hours of coal power equipment across the country. 4. It is hard to improve the average utilization hours of coal power equipment in certain areas. 5. It is demanding to increase the utilization rate of coal power, ensure power supply, and increase the proportion of power generation of renewable energy simultaneously.

Here are the conclusions and recommendations of Wang Zhixuan: 1. The reduction of the average utilization rate of coal power equipment is the general trend, and the average utilization rate of 5500 hours in coal power equipment as the national or regional standard is no longer applicable in the new economic development stage and for transformation requirements of low-carbon energy. 2. It is difficult to increase the utilization rate of coal power, ensure power supply, and increase the proportion of power generation in renewable energy simultaneously. 3. Due to the different functions of coal power in economic and social, energy transformation, upstream and downstream industries, power systems, etc., large-scale, abnormal and "one-size-fits-all" blockage and withdrawal from coal power development cannot be blindly carried out, and the carbon locking effect of constructing new coal-fired power plants must be fully considered. 4. Actively promote the development of energy interconnection and the response mechanism in the demand side, so as to optimize the utilization of various energy sources such as coal power and interact with the demand side to jointly promote low-carbon development. 5. The reduction of the average utilization hours of coal power equipment will increase the cost of coal-fired power generation, which essentially reflects the cost of low-carbon development and high-quality power supply. 6. Simultaneously promote the reform of electricity marketization and the construction of carbon market. 7. Scientifically and orderly reducing the use of coal and high-carbon energy is a fundamental measure for carbon reduction and an essential requirement for low-carbon development.