Shanxi improves energy consumption

Shanxi province has for years been continuously improving its energy consumption patterns, with a focus on greener and low-carbon practices. 

Building upon a solid foundation of coal supply, Shanxi has accelerated its shift to healthier modes and promoted the clean and efficient use of coal. 

As a result, the province has seen a sustained decrease in energy consumption per unit of GDP, while its advanced coal capacity still leads the nation. 

In the first half of this year, coal consumption by industrial enterprises above designated size – those with annual sales revenue of more than 20 million yuan ($2.8 million) – in the province reached 180 million metric tons, maintaining a slow growth of 1.64 percent. 

By the end of September, the proportion of new and clean energy in electricity generation reached 24.53 percent, up 18.53 percent compared to the previous year. 

The total electricity generation from waste heat, waste pressure, and waste gas is expected to replace about 4.2 million tons of coal consumption by the end of this year. 

Shanxi has also made significant efforts to implement clean heating projects during the winter.

The province has encouraged the use of central air conditioning, air source heat pumps, and other new energy heating devices as alternatives to traditional coal stoves. 

Equipment subsidies and electricity price incentives have been provided to enhance the public's enthusiasm for clean energy. 

For instance, the Taigu Heating Project is currently the world's largest long-distance heating project in operation. The project in Taiyuan uses waste heat from the Gujiao Xingneng Power Plant and converts it into clean energy to heat residential areas covering a total heating area of 76 million square meters, which can save 931,000 tons of standard coal and over 57 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.  

Currently, clean heating has been widely recognized by the public as a safe and comfortable way of keeping warm, benefiting countless households in rural areas. 

In addition, the Shanxi Provincial Energy Administration recently announced it would implement measures to replace coal consumption in key areas in a bid to control air pollution from Jan 1, in eight cities across the province. This is seen as crucial to the province's coal consumption control targets.