CHINESE regulators have released an action plan on boosting industrial energy efficiency, detailing major targets and tasks to optimize the energy structure as the country takes steady steps to spur green transformation.

By 2025, China aims to achieve a comprehensive improvement in the energy efficiency of major industrial sectors, a substantial rise in energy efficiency in key areas such as data centers, and an increase in the proportion of green low-carbon energy use, according to the plan jointly released yesterday by six government departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

The action plan will focus on traditional sectors like steel, nonferrous metals, and construction materials as well as growing high-energy consuming segments like data centers. Energy efficiency in those sectors will hit an internationally advanced level by 2025.

By 2025, China aims to cut the energy consumption per unit of the added value of the country’s large industrial enterprises with annual revenues of more than 20 million yuan (US$2.99 million) by 13.5% from the 2020 level.

Earlier data showed that the energy consumption per unit of added value of China’s large industrial enterprises in 2021 dropped 5.6% from the previous year, after logging a 16% decline in the 2016-2020 period.

In an explanatory statement on the plan, the MIIT predicted that China’s energy demand is set to grow for the 2021-2025 period as the proportion of the energy consuming manufacturing industry will remain stable.

The ministry took note of China’s energy usage problems, including a low level of green energy use structure and weak links in technological innovation and equipment application concerning energy efficiency.

The plan set a slew of targets for a wide range of industries, seeking to bring the proportion of new energy-efficient motors to more than 70% by 2025 and that of new energy-efficient transformers to more than 80%.

The power usage efficiency of new large and super-large data centers will be less than 1.3, and the proportion of electric energy in industrial areas will reach 30% of terminal energy consumption, according to the plan.

Industrial enterprises will also be encouraged to source more energy from low-carbon sources, achieve efficiencies in coal use, and install digital technology to monitor consumption, while policies will also be devised to allow financial institutions to support technological upgrades, the plan said.

The move came as boosting industrial energy efficiency is deemed crucial to achieving the goal of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. (SD-Xinhua)