From the Readers

Real power problem lies elsewhere

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-15 07:55

Comment on Li Xing's column "Power cuts call for energy efficiency" (China Daily, Sept 10)

The column presents a useful summary of the power cuts being forced upon industries. It concludes with the usual call for better environmental responsibility in China, including reducing the consumption of natural resources.

But the columnist says nothing about the ridiculous situation, well described in an earlier report, Southeastern firms feel pinch of power shutdown (China Daily, Sept 8). The report says power cuts have reduced production at Dongyang Chuangjia Craftsman Manufacturing (Jinhua, Zhejiang province), and that general manager, "like thousands of his peers", responded to the cuts by buying a diesel generator to offset the power cuts to maintain factory output.

"Thousands" of small generators will emit more carbon dioxide, and use a lot more fuel to generate electricity than would very large power plants.

Pollution and combustion can (or, at least, should) be much better controlled at a few very large central generating plants than at "thousands" of small units, scattered across the country where they are likely to receive less-than-optimal maintenance.

The result is that diesel (more expensive, more scarce) is burnt instead of coal (less expensive, more readily available), and that a smaller percentage of the fuel's thermal energy content gets turned into usable electricity. Isn't it better to burn coal in a few large well-engineered central generating plants?

It's a strange game, which the highest levels of the Chinese government need to address firmly. Local administrators are told to reduce carbon dioxide emission and increase energy efficiency (energy per GDP unit). So, they reduce the supply of power from central generating plants. Consumption, amazingly, goes down, and the administrator gets a checkmark on his scorecard.

But in reality, consumption and pollution actually increase because of the inefficiency of the "thousands" of diesel generators being used. If we keep track of those "thousands" of small generators, we would find energy efficiency has actually decreased.

James G. Johnson, via e-mail

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