One of the experts' interpretations丨Adhere to system integration and highlight key points to build a clean and efficient coal utilization system

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to "strengthen the clean and efficient use of coal." The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed to "improve the clean and efficient utilization mechanism of coal." Clean and efficient use of coal is a common tool to ensure energy security, help achieve the "dual carbon" goal, and promote traditional industries to release new quality productivity. Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and six other departments jointly issued the "Opinions on Strengthening the Clean and Efficient Utilization of Coal" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"), which is a top-level design document for the clean and efficient use of coal, and makes systematic plans and work arrangements for strengthening the clean and efficient use of coal.

1. Strengthening the clean and efficient use of coal is of great significance

Clean and efficient use of coal is an activity in all links of the entire industrial chain of coal development, production, storage and transportation, and use, comprehensively using advanced technology and management to control and reduce pollutant and carbon emissions and improve coal utilization efficiency. In the current and future period, strengthening the clean and efficient use of coal is the only way to promote the energy industry to better coordinate high-quality development and high-level security based on my country's basic national conditions.

First, it is an inevitable choice to ensure the bottom-line guarantee of national energy security. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that the energy job must be held in his own hands. Energy security is a global and strategic issue related to the country's economic and social development. The characteristics of my country's energy resource endowment are "rich coal, poor oil, and less gas". To enhance my country's energy independent guarantee capabilities, we must first do a good job in coal. Coal has long occupied a major position in my country's energy supply structure and plays a "ballast" role in ensuring energy security. my country's energy development still faces challenges such as huge demand pressure and many supply constraints. The characteristics of energy resource endowment determine that the status of coal as my country's basic energy will be difficult to change for a considerable period of time. We must focus on clean and efficient use of coal in order to give full play to our advantages in coal resources and the role of bottom-line guarantee, maintain the bottom line of energy security, and enhance the confidence of safe and stable energy supply.

The second is a key measure to promote the green and low-carbon transformation of energy. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that we must base ourselves on national conditions and focus on coal is our basic national conditions. To achieve carbon peak, we must base ourselves on this reality. On the one hand, clean and efficient use of coal is a key point in promoting carbon peak and carbon neutrality. At present, the carbon dioxide emissions generated by coal utilization are the main source of carbon emissions for energy consumption. Clean and efficient use of coal is a key way to promote energy security transformation based on national conditions. On the other hand, clean and efficient use of coal is also an important guarantee for the high-quality development of new energy. Vigorously developing new energy is the fundamental way to build a new energy system and achieve the goal of "dual carbon". In recent years, new energy sources such as wind power and photovoltaic have developed rapidly and have been connected to the power system on a large scale. However, their randomness, intermittentness and volatility require coal, electricity, and coal to provide support and guarantee. Clean and efficient use of coal is an important measure to promote the complementary and in-depth integration of traditional energy and new energy.

Third, it is an important way for traditional industries to release new quality productivity. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China requires "improving the system and mechanism for developing new quality productivity according to local conditions." Promoting industrial innovation through scientific and technological innovation requires the transformation of scientific and technological achievements into real productivity, which is manifested in the form of giving birth to new industries and promoting in-depth transformation and upgrading of industries. Coal is an important energy, raw materials and materials in my country, and coal-related industries are an important part of my country's industrial system. With a series of breakthroughs in the clean and efficient use of coal, strengthening the clean and efficient use of coal can not only promote the transformation and upgrading of coal, a traditional industry through the promotion and application of green technology innovation and advanced green technology, and release advanced productivity; it can also cultivate a group of coal-based, technology-driven and distinctive emerging coal-related industry clusters through diversified industrial development paths such as coal-based new materials, modern coal chemical industry, and comprehensive resource utilization.

2. Adhere to the systematic concept and strengthen the clean and efficient use of coal

Under policy guidance and joint efforts of multiple parties, the clean and efficient use of coal has been steadily promoted, showing the new characteristics of "three highs and three lows" of high efficiency, high quality, high circulation, low consumption, low pollution, and low carbon emissions. To strengthen the promotion of clean and efficient coal utilization points with wide surfaces and multi-line, we must adhere to a systematic concept and take all work into consideration as a whole.

First, promote all aspects of production, supply, storage, transportation and sales. Clean and efficient use of coal is a complex systematic project with comprehensive and comprehensive connotations, including exploration and development, washing and processing, direct combustion power generation and heating, deep conversion of coal chemical industry, coal-based new materials, comprehensive utilization of co-aggregated resources, ecological environment protection of mining areas, comprehensive utilization of waste, and other links and multiple fields. Therefore, strengthening the clean and efficient use of coal cannot be "only used", but requires the integration of production, supply, storage, transportation and sales to achieve clean and low-carbon utilization throughout the process and all factors. The "Opinions" focus on reducing pollution and reducing carbon and improving energy efficiency. From four aspects: a green and collaborative development system, a safe and environmentally friendly production system, a clean and complete storage and transportation system, and a diversified and efficient use system, it coordinates all aspects of production, supply, storage, transportation and sales, and innovatively proposes specific deployments for building a clean and efficient coal utilization system.

Second, the integration of various chains of upstream and downstream industrial chains. Clean and efficient use of coal is not only related to coal production and consumption itself. We cannot "talk about coal" but should "grow beyond coal" and integrate and optimize from the perspective of the entire industrial chain. Extend vertically to explore the diverse value of coal as energy, raw materials, materials, etc.; extend horizontally to promote the complementarity of coal with oil and gas, new energy, etc.; extend diversify to achieve industrial integration, and build a new situation of coordinated development of coal production and electricity, coal chemical industry, fine chemical industry, new materials, clean energy, energy conservation and environmental protection and other related industries. The "Opinions" systematically plan the exploration and development of upstream coal resources, midstream mining and washing, downstream terminal applications, etc. Especially in the terminal utilization link, detailed deployment has been made for the coal-fired power industry, key coal-use industries such as steel, cement, and coking, coal raw material utilization industries such as coal chemical industry, and loose coal utilization fields such as agriculture and rural areas to promote the diversification, high-end and low-carbon development of the entire coal industry chain.

Third, all the main bodies of government, industry, academia, research and application make efforts. With the increasingly abundant connotation of clean and efficient coal utilization, it is difficult for coal enterprises or coal users to support the systematicity and comprehensiveness of this complex project. It is urgently necessary for the government, enterprises and all sectors of society to work together and work closely together to achieve technology-driven, government-enterprise linkage, and deep integration of production, education, research and application. In the guarantee measures, the "Opinions" proposes to increase policy support, encourage enterprises, scientific research institutions, and universities to in-depth cross-field innovation cooperation, give full play to the role of a scientific and technological innovation platform, improve the independent and controllable key core technologies and equipment level, and promote all entities in government, industry, academia, research and application to jointly support and actively participate in the clean and efficient use of coal.

3. Focus on highlighting and improving the clean and efficient utilization mechanism of coal

To thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, improve the mechanism for clean and efficient use of coal, we must adhere to systematic integration, focus on highlighting key points, and promote the real results of relevant policies and measures for clean and efficient use of coal.

(1) Improve the mechanism for coordinated industrial development. Clean and efficient use of coal involves coal, electricity, steel, chemicals, building materials, etc. from the industry, and it is necessary to coordinate the coordinated and integrated development of related industries. First, improve the coordinated development mechanism of resources, ecology and economy in mining areas, and build major coal bases with high standards. The second is to promote the coordinated development of clean and efficient coal utilization and oil, gas, wind, light and water integration, and effectively realize the favorable development pattern of multi-energy complementarity, efficient coordination and interest sharing. The third is to make full use of the ground, underground space and natural resources of coal mines, tap the potential for coordinated development of mines and new energy, and promote the coordinated development of coal-based diversified energy. Fourth, promote the quality and grading utilization of coal, accelerate the protective exploitation and high-value utilization of scarce special coal such as oil-rich coal, and promote the integrated development of quality and grading utilization with coal chemical industry, power generation, etc.

(2) Improve the standards and improve the mechanism. In combination with the new situation and new requirements, improve the standard system of relevant links, ensure that there are standards to be based on, establish corresponding evaluation mechanisms and promote implementation, and give full play to the constraints and leading role of standards. First, regularly update the benchmark level and benchmark level in key areas of clean and efficient use of coal, establish and improve a comprehensive evaluation system, and strengthen the application of standards. The second is to improve the standard system for energy conservation and carbon reduction in coal mines, deeply tap the energy conservation potential of the production system, and reasonably reduce coal mine production energy consumption. The third is to improve the quality standards of commercial coal and strengthen coal quality supervision throughout the production, storage, transportation and utilization.

(III) Improve the technological innovation mechanism. On the basis of a comprehensive review of existing technologies, we will give full play to the market-oriented role, take multiple measures to accelerate the promotion of advanced technologies, promote the establishment of a scientific and technological innovation system that is mainly engaged in enterprises, market guidance, and organically combines production, education, research and application, and support the development of modern comprehensive energy enterprises with core competitiveness. First, give full play to the role of governments, enterprises, scientific research institutions, etc. in strengthening technological innovation and transformation and application, encourage in-depth cooperation in cross-field innovation, and strengthen the research and development coordination of forward-looking and pioneering major key technologies and equipment. The second is to promote the clean and efficient use of coal to coordinate the research and development, manufacturing and application of advanced technology equipment in all fields and links. The third is to promote the deep integration of clean and efficient coal utilization technology with modern information technology, new materials and advanced manufacturing technology, and promote digital and intelligent transformation and upgrading.

(IV) Improve the market construction mechanism. To strengthen the clean and efficient use of coal, we must give full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, create a fairer and more dynamic market environment, and achieve the optimization of resource allocation efficiency and maximize the benefits. First, promote the integrated and integrated development of coal transportation, warehousing, processing and distribution, and improve coal circulation efficiency. The second is to continue to deepen the construction of the coal market system and promote the improvement of the unified national coal trading market. The third is to strengthen market monitoring and early warning, strengthen big data analysis of energy system, and provide strong support for deepening the clean and efficient use of coal. (Author: Institute of Energy of China Institute of Macroeconomics Feng Shengbo, Wang Juan, Sun Ying)