Expert interpretation | Expand the scope of key areas, scientifically define the level of energy efficiency, and promote the green and high-quality development of the non-ferrous metals industry

　　Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments jointly issued the "Energy Efficiency Benchmarking Level and Benchmark Level in Key Industrial Areas (2023 Edition)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Energy Efficiency Level 2023 Edition"), scientifically delineating the benchmark level and benchmark level of energy efficiency in key industries such as steel, nonferrous metals, building materials, petrochemicals, chemicals, papermaking, textiles and so on. This plays a very important role in implementing the Several Opinions on Strict Energy Efficiency Constraints to Promote Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction in Key Areas (Development and Reform Industry [2021] No. 1464), guiding enterprises in various industries to scientifically do a good job in energy conservation and carbon reduction technology transformation, encouraging and guiding enterprises to base themselves on long-term development, and make overall plans to achieve carbon peaking goals on schedule.

　　First, scientifically defining the level of energy efficiency is of great significance to achieving green and high-quality development of nonferrous industries

　　The non-ferrous metal industry is one of the important basic industries of the national economy and an important support for achieving a manufacturing power, and in 2022, China's ten commonly used non-ferrous metals smelting output of 67.936 million tons. The "Energy Efficiency Level 2023 Edition" clarifies the benchmark level and benchmark level of energy consumption of copper, aluminum, lead and zinc, and industrial silicon in key areas of the non-ferrous metals industry, and guides enterprises to implement energy-saving and carbon-reduction technology transformation to improve energy efficiency through strict energy efficiency constraints, while forcing the withdrawal of production capacity with low energy efficiency levels, effectively improving energy resource utilization efficiency, and promoting the green and low-carbon transformation and upgrading of the industry.

　　Second, the scope of key areas of the non-ferrous metal industry is expanded

　　Considering the development of the industry, the energy efficiency indicators related to industrial silicon added to the non-ferrous metal industry in the "Energy Efficiency Level 2023 Edition" are mainly due to the following reasons.

　　First, in 2022, ten commonly used non-ferrous metals will undergo the change of "mercury to silicon", industrial silicon has become the fifth largest non-ferrous metal variety in China, after the double carbon goal is proposed, industrial silicon as the core raw material in the upstream of the new energy industry chain has developed rapidly. Driven by the national "dual carbon" strategic goal, industrial silicon, as the basic core raw material of the "silicon energy" industry, has broad prospects for future development.

　　Second, China is the main country for industrial silicon production, with production capacity accounting for more than 70% of the world. From the perspective of comprehensive energy consumption per unit product, the comprehensive energy consumption is about 3500 kg of standard coal/ton, second only to magnesium smelting, ranking second among the ten commonly used non-ferrous metals; From the perspective of total energy consumption, the total energy consumption is second only to electrolytic aluminum, which also ranks second. In recent years, with the significant increase in industrial silicon production capacity, the total energy consumption in the industrial silicon field has increased significantly. Setting industrial silicon energy efficiency indicators has important guiding significance for improving the energy efficiency level of the industry, reducing carbon emission intensity, accelerating the green and low-carbon transformation and upgrading of the industry, and promoting the low-carbon, green and high-quality development of the non-ferrous metals industry.

　　Third, the benchmark level and benchmark level of industrial silicon energy efficiency are formulated

　　The 2014 edition of the "Energy Consumption Limit for Industrial Silicon Unit Products" (GB31338) requires that the comprehensive energy consumption limit of existing industrial silicon enterprises per unit product is not more than 3500kgce/t, the access value of the comprehensive energy consumption limit of new industrial silicon enterprises per unit product is not more than 2800kgce/t, and the advanced value of the comprehensive energy consumption limit of industrial silicon enterprises per unit product is not more than 2500kgce/t. Due to the early formulation of this standard, it is no longer in line with the actual situation of the industry. In recent years, the industrial silicon smelting process has undergone great changes, and the production process with charcoal as the main reducing agent has changed to the production process with coal and petroleum coke as the main reducing agent, so the energy consumption of industrial silicon smelting has increased to a certain extent. At present, the energy consumption of domestic industrial silicon smelting is 2500-3600kgce/t. Considering that there are great differences in silicon smelting energy consumption due to different reducing agents of various enterprises, combined with the 1st and 3rd level indicators of the energy consumption limit level of industrial silicon and magnesium smelting unit product (draft for approval) (GB21347) that is being revised, the benchmark level and benchmark level of energy efficiency of industrial silicon are determined.

　　The "Energy Efficiency Level 2023 Edition" implements the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on coordinating industrial structure adjustment, promoting the green development of manufacturing, and promoting clean and low-carbon transformation in industrial fields, scientifically sets the energy efficiency level on the basis of fully considering the actual situation of industry enterprises, development expectations and the overall energy efficiency level of production equipment, provides effective guidance for key enterprises to carry out energy-saving and carbon-reduction technology transformation in an orderly manner, and provides effective guidance for the overall and orderly work of energy conservation and consumption reduction and carbon peak and carbon neutrality. Promoting the high-quality development of the non-ferrous metals industry has provided strong support. (China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association)