Adhere to the system concept and properly handle the "three relationships" of coal-fired power transformation
Energy is the source of power for the economic system and the indispensable material foundation for the survival and development of human society. Since the Industrial Revolution, humans have used more and more energy, especially fossil energy, and the constraints of energy on the economic environment have become more and more prominent. The contradiction between supply and demand of energy resources has become prominent on a global scale. Climate warming caused by fossil energy consumption has gradually developed into a common challenge for human economic and social development. At the same time, with the sustained and rapid development of the economy, rapid population growth and continuous improvement of people's living standards, people's demand for energy is also growing. Against the background of tightening resource constraints and intensifying climate change, there is an urgent need for countries to accelerate the promotion of low-carbon and clean energy transformation to ensure healthy, stable and sustainable economic and social development.
The energy system is an integrated system that includes energy production, conversion, transmission, consumption and management systems. Therefore, energy transformation is a process of transformation or replacement of the energy system, a process that seeks change, progress and innovation. Judging from the trend of energy consumption, the transformation is towards electrification, high efficiency, cleanliness, and low emissions. From the perspective of the type of energy supply, it is transforming from simplicity to complexity, diversity and transformation. From the perspective of energy technology, we are transforming towards the direction of integration and innovation of digitalization, big data, artificial intelligence technology and clean and efficient development and utilization technology. From the perspective of the energy system, the transformation is towards legalization, unified opening up, and orderly competition. From the perspective of international cooperation, we are transforming towards all-round and global governance. On the whole, energy transformation is a transformation from high-carbon development to low-carbon development, from extensive development methods to intensive development methods, and from economic-led development methods to environmentally friendly development methods.
Energy transformation is a complex and systematic project. Based on my country's energy resource endowment, how to deeply understand and solidly do a good job in forward-looking thinking, overall planning and specific work in energy economic research? The key is to adhere to the concept of system and strengthen systematic thinking. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China emphasized that to further comprehensively deepen reforms, we must summarize and apply the valuable experience of comprehensively deepening reforms since the reform and opening up, especially in the new era, and implement the principles of adhering to the party's overall leadership, adhering to the people-centered approach, adhering to integrity and innovation, and adhering to the principles of taking system construction as the main line, adhering to the comprehensive rule of law, and adhering to the concept of the system. Adhering to the system concept means properly handling major relationships such as economy and society, government and market, efficiency and fairness, vitality and order, development and security, and enhancing the systematicness, integrity and synergy of reform. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposed to actively and steadily promote carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, based on my country's energy resource endowment, insist on establishing first and then breaking, implement carbon peaking actions in a planned and step-by-step manner, further promote the energy revolution, and strengthen clean and efficient use of coal., accelerate the planning and construction of a new energy system, and actively participate in global governance to address climate change.
Guided by the concept of system, adhere to systematic thinking, bottom-line thinking and extreme thinking, and promote energy transformation in a steady and orderly manner. For coal-fired power transformation, the "three relationships" need to be properly handled.
The first is to properly handle the relationship between the government and the market and achieve energy transformation in the process of expanding the advantageous clean energy industry. It is necessary to give full play to the government's goal guiding role in the transformation of coal-fired power, and make good use of the four major starting points of formulating coal-fired power development goals, raising pollutant emission standards, providing economic compensation and integrating corporate resources to ensure that the direction of coal-fired power transformation does not deviate and the goals can be implemented. At the same time, market-oriented competition is the main means to promote the transformation of coal-fired power. Through full competition between various power generation resources and coal-fired power and different coal-fired power types, the economy of coal-fired power withdrawal can be guaranteed, assets can be prevented from sinking, and the market can be used as the only "invisible hand" ensures the sustainability of coal-fired power transformation. Developing and expanding the advantageous clean energy industry is the foundation of transformation. Our country has rich wind and solar resources. Although my country's wind power and photovoltaic production, manufacturing, installed capacity and export capabilities have ranked among the top in the world, large-scale development still needs to solve bottlenecks such as low-cost development and safety. Grid connection and efficient utilization.
The second is to properly handle the relationship between security, development and emission reduction to ensure the smooth and orderly transfer of old and new energy sources. First of all, we must pay attention to the safety role of coal power in the power system, make long-term plans for carbon neutrality of power, clarify the positioning of various power sources, formulate emergency reserve plans, and accelerate the exploration of commercialization such as energy storage, demand response, and electricity hydrogen production. Models to make reserves in advance for the withdrawal of coal power. Secondly, it is necessary to plan in advance for the integration and reuse of coal and electricity infrastructure. It is necessary not only to tap the potential of clean utilization of existing infrastructure and promote the integrated development of coal and electricity and heating, but also to plan in advance for coal-fired power plants to transform into biomass cogeneration or electricity hydrogen production plants. Upgrading and upgrading, give full play to the reuse value of exiting coal power plant infrastructure. Thirdly, we must objectively understand the problem of carbon emissions from coal power. Coal power emission reduction is related to coal-fired power generation. Increasing coal power installed capacity does not mean increasing carbon emissions. We must make plans to withdraw coal power from storage and reuse.
The third is to properly handle the relationship between short-term goals and long-term goals to prevent "sport-style" carbon reduction and "peak" coal power. Looking around the world, we must firmly and deeply realize that the gradual reduction of coal power is a long-term irreversible trend. Coal power is the main source of carbon emissions in most countries. Under the carbon neutrality goal, reduction and substitution of coal power is an inevitable trend in the energy transformation of most countries. Although the situation of economic development and energy security continues to evolve, the role of coal and electricity in providing security cannot be ignored. The short-term situation cannot be misunderstood as a long-term trend and emergency measures should be regarded as a long-term strategy. Based on my country's resource endowment, it is advisable to attach great importance to the supporting and regulatory role of coal and electricity, vigorously promote the flexible transformation of coal and electricity as an important path for the transformation of coal and electricity stock units, so as to avoid "breaking before establishing" alternative energy sources cannot top the list, and treat long-term strategies as deviations such as short-term tasks.
Author's unit: Institute of Energy, China Academy of Macroeconomics
