CHN Energy pursues cleaner coal technology

China Energy Investment Corp (CHN Energy), the country's largest coal-fired power generator by capacity, has vowed to continue stepping up investment in renewable energy and clean utilization of coal this year, as it seeks to balance energy supply and decarbonization.

The company will accelerate efforts to push forward pilot projects in cleaner coal technology, including carbon capture and alternative fuel co-firing, company spokesman Huang Qing said during a news conference held recently in Beijing.

The State-owned energy giant reported that its self-produced coal output in the first quarter matched its historical single-quarter daily production record.

Monthly self-produced coal output has remained above 50 million metric tons for 42 consecutive months, highlighting its significant contribution to energy supply stability, said Huang.

Simultaneously, CHN Energy is pushing forward with the optimization and upgrading of its existing, newly built and next-generation coal power units to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions.

Specific demonstration projects include biomass co-firing at power plants in Shouguang, Shandong province and Jingmen, Hubei province; a 10 percent ammonia co-firing trial at the Taishan power plant in Guangdong province; and the construction of carbon capture, utilization and storage systems with capacities of 150,000 tons per year at the Jinjie plant in Shaanxi province; and 500,000 tons per year at the Taizhou plant in Jiangsu province.

Analysts believe State-owned enterprises, historically central to China's large-scale development, have significantly increased investments in renewable energy in recent years.

This shift is seen as strongly aligned with national goals for sustainable growth and energy security, and is considered essential for China to achieve its 2060 carbon neutrality target, said Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University.

Huang said the group will continue deepening technological research into clean and efficient coal utilization and accelerate the construction of a new energy system that optimizes the combination of coal power and new energy sources.

Looking ahead, the group plans to further explore the feasibility, economics and applicability of large-scale low-carbon co-firing and significant carbon reduction technologies in coal power units, aiming to build a mature, reliable and widely applicable technical system, he said.

The company's newly installed and operational capacity of renewable energy surpassed 30 million kilowatts for the first time in history last year, with renewable energy accounting for over 40 percent of the company's total installed capacity.

The company also highlighted the application of artificial intelligence technology, undertaking national AI infrastructure tasks and implementing "AI+" initiatives in areas such as safe production and equipment maintenance.