Xinhua Net | SHU Yinbiao: Accelerate the Electrification Process of Energy Consumption and Facilitate Achieving Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality

The Report on the Work of the Government has deployed the key works this year and proposed to take solid steps towards achieving peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality, with an action plan for carbon emissions to peak before 2030 being set. SHU Yinbiao, member of the National Committee of CPPCC, and Chairman of China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd., said that accelerating the process of electrification of terminal energy consumption is an important way to help achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality. By 2060, China’s electric energy consumption shall reach over 70%.

SHU Yinbiao believes that electricity is a clean and efficient terminal energy carrier. Every one percentage point rise of electric energy consumption in terminal consumption can reduce energy intensity by 3.7%. At present, China’s energy utilization in industry, building heating, transportation and other energy consumption fields still faces problems of high consumption and large emissions. Unlocking the improvement potential of electrification is required.

In this regard, SHU Yinbiao has put forward four suggestions:

Firstly, deeply expand industrial electrification to promote energy saving and emission reduction.Accelerate the replacement of electric energy equipment, raise comprehensive energy efficiency and green energy consumption level, and realize the transformation from high carbon emission mode to the low carbon emission mode. Drive technological innovation and business mode innovation. Develop comprehensive energy services through energy saving and industrial heat and pressure recovery, and develop comprehensive energy services,  forming a new energy utility mode featuring complementarity and mutual benefits. Adopt technical methods like “hydrogen + CCUS” to develop advanced low-carbon circular industrial system in the areas of steel, cement and coal chemical industry, etc. Focus on key emission reduction objects of the industry and create demonstration projects which can be popularized and replicated. Promote the application scale of technologies and the wide implementation of electricity replacement in the society.

Secondly, greatly improve the electrification of building energy consumption.Actively promote the electrification of building cooling and heating, and construct green buildings. Optimize the market-oriented transformation mechanism, encourage the development of distributed energy and energy storage system by using roofs and walls, and realize two-way interactions with external energy system.

Thirdly, speed up electrification in the transportation sector. Encourage battery electric vehicles in urban transportation sector, explore the use of electric trucks in logistics, and strengthen the construction of charging infrastructure to gradually increase the proportion of electric vehicles. Actively develop rail transit and port electricity usage, etc., to form a comprehensive energy system for transportation.

Fourthly, accelerate the breakthroughs of core technologies to provide technological supports for the green transformation of energy consumption mode.>Focus on cutting-edge technologies like hydrogen energy storage, and carbon capture, storage and utilization, to further reduce emissions. Apply digital technologies to foster smart energy systems. Speed up realizing the advanced industrial foundation and the modernization of industrial chains, and promote domestic and international circulations via effectively converging upstream and downstream standards of industrial chains and promoting the internationalization of energy and power standards. Guide the structural adjustment of energy consumption side and realize sustainable development through market-oriented ways, such as power market, carbon market and new energy consumption mechanism.