China proved to be more efficient on the use of energy

China’s use of power per unit of gross domestic product decreased 3.7 percent last year, beating the government target of cutting 3.4 percent amid upgrading of energy structure, said the National Bureau of Statistics today.

Companies nationwide have upgraded their production process to save energy, such as enhancing efficiency and adopting clean energy instead of using coal power, said Wang Yixuan, deputy director for energy statistics division at the bureau.

Over 80 percent of China’s 39 key energy-consuming industrial companies have cut energy use last year, with their steel use per unit or production losing 0.9 percent, and coal consumption per unit of production reducing 0.8 percent annually.

Across the nation, the use of clean energy -- covering natural gas, hydropower, nuclear and wind power -- increased 1.5 percentage points from a year ago, while the ratio for coal power dropped 1.7 percentage points from 2016, according to the bureau.

Meanwhile, both the domestic demand and supply of natural gas surged, bolstered by the policy of switching from coal to gas for heating. China’s generation of natural gas jumped 8.5 percent annually to 147.4 billion cubic meters in 2017, up 6.3 percentage points from a year ago.

The industrial upgrading and expansion have also boosted total electricity generation last year, with China generating 6.3 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity last year, up 5.7 percent from a year ago.