China tightens coal consumption limit for power generator units

• Average coal consumption capped at 302 g/kWh
• Updated rules target older, inefficient units

Mysteel Global: China has updated its national standard for the energy consumption efficiency of coal-fired power generator units, setting stricter thresholds for both existing and new units as part of its push to substantially curb emissions and advance green energy transition.

The revised standard, issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation, now in its fourth version since the mandatory national standard was first introduced in 2007, was officially implemented on 1 April, state media CCTV reported.

Under the new rules, the average coal consumption of commissioned subcritical and ultra-supercritical power units has been tightened to around 302 grams (g) of standard coal equivalent (basis 7,000 kcal/kg NAR) for generating one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of power.

By comparison, the previous vision – revised in 2017 – listed the limits for average coal consumption in four tiers: 315 grams per kWh for the 300,000-kW subcritical unit, 305 g/kWh for the 600,000-kW subcritical unit, 300 g/kWh for the 600,000-kW supercritical unit, and 295 g/kWh for the 1 million-kW ultra-supercritical unit.

The new efficiency standard mainly targets supercritical power units and units using circulating fluidised bed (CFB) technology, which is widely used in power plants and industrial boilers to burn solid fuels. Typically, the coal consumption level of ultra-supercritical units ranges within 275-285 g/kWh, which is far below the benchmark, while supercritical units have a coal burning efficiency rate ranging within 290-310g/kWh, and CFB units burn 300-320 g/kWh, Mysteel Global has learnt.

In August 2024, Zhang Hong, spokesperson for the China National Coal Association, said coal consumption for power generation at domestic power plants with a capacity of 6,000 kW and above has decreased from 319 g/kWh to 301.6 g/kWh. This suggests the new benchmark is tailored for power plants with a capacity below 6,000 kW.

The Chinese government projects that the average coal consumption in the coal-fired power industry will be reduced below 302 g/kWh by 2030. If achieved, this would translate into cumulative energy savings of 60 million tonnes (mnt) of standard coal and carbon reductions of 160 mnt, a sizeable contribution to China’s broader carbon peaking and neutrality targets.

The updated standard raises the bar for operational efficiency in power plants, steering the coal-fired power industry toward greener, large-scale projects and accelerating the phase-out of outdated infrastructure.

Note: This article has been written in accordance with a content exchange agreement between Mysteel Global and BigMint.