Irreplaceable in short term, more efficient utilization seen as key to climate goals

Vice-Premier Han Zheng has called for intensified efforts to promote the clean and efficient utilization of coal, which dominates China's energy reserves and consumption mix, stressing they are vital to realizing the country's climate targets.

Noting the importance of national energy security, Han said the country should bolster coal's clean and efficient utilization in accordance with national conditions and prevailing realities.

Efforts should be made to see coal play its role in guaranteeing stable electricity supplies and energy security, he said on Tuesday while presiding over a meeting on the clean and efficient use of coal.

Experts endorsed Han's call, saying promoting the clean and efficient consumption of coal is necessary for the country in the short and medium terms as it strives to see carbon dioxide emissions peak before 2030 and realize carbon neutrality before 2060.

To achieve the climate targets, China needs to vigorously develop renewable energy, they said.

Despite marked progress, renewable energy development in China is not yet able to meet the growth in energy demand as its economy keeps expanding, said Lin Boqiang, head of Xiamen University's China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy.

According to the National Energy Administration, the share of coal use in the country's primary energy mix stood at 56.8 percent in 2020, compared with 96.3 percent when the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949.

At the current stage, the country cannot develop without consuming coal. "This is the reality, a national condition," Lin said.

While coal consumption cannot be brought down greatly in the short term, emissions can be reduced by enhancing efficiency, he said.

To ensure successful realization of its climate targets, China needs to promote large-scale development of renewable energy at the same time, Lin said.

Wang Weiquan, deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association, said the clean and efficient utilization of coal can help relieve the country's dependence on energy imports in its climate progress.

Coal constitutes 94 percent of the fossil fuel reserves in China. Roughly 70 percent of the oil supply in China is imported, according to official figures, and the country also depends on imports for 40 percent of its natural gas.

In the event that imports were disrupted, coal could help ensure the country's energy security, Wang said.

Han urged synergy in promoting coal's clean and efficient use by strengthening overall planning with a focus on key fields and integrating resources from different sectors.

Carbon reduction retrofits in coal-intensive industries like power generation need to be ramped up and more endeavors should be devoted to the management of coal that is consumed in very small amounts, he said.

Traditionally, many rural homes in northern China, for example, have used coal-fired stoves for heating and cooking. Such low-efficiency coal consumption in small amounts generates lots of airborne pollutants.

Aside from promoting the application of advanced technologies, Han said research and development efforts should be beefed up to achieve breakthroughs in core technologies in coal utilization and boost the principal role of enterprises in innovation.

China is leading the world in coal-fired plant efficiency, Wang said. One viable approach to promote the clean and efficient utilization of coal in China is to reduce small-scale coal consumption and increase the proportion of coal used for power generation.

He said some emerging technologies that gasify coal are expected to help further raise the efficiency of coal-fired power generation.