China steps up drive for alternative fuels

China’s cement industry is in line to receive a new raft of legislation designed to encourage the drive away from fossil fuels to alternative fuels. 

This month the government raised its renewable energy targets through the 2024 Renewable Consumption Quota Obligations. Compared to last year’s draft targets, most provinces saw their renewables quota increase by an average of 2.3 percentage points. Notably, Sichuan, Qinghai and Yunnan provinces have already achieved a 70 per cent Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).

To further tighten emission controls, the Further Strengthening the Carbon Peaking Benchmark System Action Plan 2024-2025 was also released in August. This plan sets emissions-related standards at an "international leading level" and enforces these on a project-by-project basis, particularly in heavy industry.

The latest round of legislations follows the publication of  the 2024-2025 Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Action Plan in May, setting stringent energy efficiency benchmarks for energy-intensive industries. The plan mandates that these industries use 20 per cent non-fossil fuels by 2025, with specific targets for key sectors.

Furthermore, in June, the government introduced the Coal Decarbonization Retrofit Action Plan 2024-2027, which outlines a pilot programme to reduce emissions from "low-carbon" coal plants by 50 per cent by 2027. The plan involves co-firing with ammonia and biofuels, as well as implementing carbon capture technology. Quoted in Ben Intellinews, energy analyst David Fishman said, "If successful, it'll be roughly equal to gas plant emissions.”