Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
To support these ambitions, the CPC actively sponsors major research and
development eforts to improve indigenous designs and develop techno-
logical prowess in fuel enrichment, fuel processing, and waste storage.
Even China's notorious coal-ired power sector has undergone sweeping
changes, aimed in part at reducing the adverse environmental impact associ-
ated with low-tech coal-ired energy generation.
10
A 2006-2009 government
initiative to replace small-scale, ineicient coal-ired power plants with more
eicient coal-ired generation technologies eliminated 60,000 MW of inei-
cient coal-ired generation capacity.
11
Consequently, between 1993 and 2009
coal utilization eiciency in power generation improved 18%, from 417 kilo-
grams of coal equivalent per kilowatt hour (kgce/kWh) to 342 kgce/kWh.
Overall, developments within China's electricity sector depict a nation
where inroads by alternative energy development have been negated by
increases in fossil fuel electricity generation capacity, as the nation strives
to develop an electricity network that can efectively support unbridled
industrial growth.
12
Between 1990 and 2009, when global GDP in pur-
chasing power parity terms (GDP-PPP) grew by 92.7%, China's GDP-PPP
grew 532.8%. In aggregate, China's 2009 GDP-PPP amounted to 19.3% of
global GDP-PPP.
13
Over this same 20-year economic boom period, China's
total primary energy (TPE) consumption increased 160% from 876.1 mil-
lion tonnes of oil equivalent (mtoe) to 2,272 mtoe.
14
Figure 6.7 illustrates
how expansion of coal-ired power capacity averaging 1,200 MW per week
between 2005 and 2010 has negated progress in alternative energy capac-
ity expansion and left China's energy mix virtually unchanged.
China Electricity Generation By Source
(
Data
below
the c
hart r
epre
sents total GW installed capacity)
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Wind power
1.26
2.56
5.87
12.02
25.81
44.73
Nuclear power
6.85
6.96
9.08
9.08
9.08
10.82
Hydropower
116.52
128.57
145.26
171.52
196.76 13.4
Thermal power
384.41
484.05
554.42
601.32
652.05
706.63
Wind power
Nuclear power
Hydro power
Thermal power
Figure 6.7
. China's Electricity Generation Mix
Source of data
: Yuan (2011).
