Energy Assessments under the Top 10,000 Program – A Case Study for A Steel Mill in China

One of the largest energy-savings programs for the Chinese industrial sector was the Top-1,000 Program, which targeted the 1,000 largest industrial enterprises in China. Because of the success of the Top-1000 initiative, the program has now been expanded to the Top-10,000 program in the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015). Implementing energy audit systems and conducting industrial energy efficiency assessments are key requirements of the Top-10,000 program. Previous research done by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has shown that there is a significant potential for improvement in energy assessment practices and applications in China.

Through the support of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. State Department (with additional co-funding from the Energy Foundation China), LBNL, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC), and DOE Energy Experts worked collaboratively with Chinese local organizations and conducted a series of industrial energy efficiency assessment demonstrations in selected Chinese industrial plants. The project aimed to not only introduce standardized methodologies and tools for energy assessments, but also to bring the “systems approach” for energy system analysis to the Top 10,000 enterprises.

This paper begins by introducing China’s national energy intensity and carbon intensity reduction targets. Then, this paper explains the development of Top 10,000 program. By focusing on a process heating energy system assessment conducted in a Chinese steel mill, this paper presents an example of an energy system assessment conducted on steel reheating furnaces. In addition, the paper provides energy-savings recommendations that were identified during the assessment, as well as potential energy and energy costs savings. To conclude, this paper presents key findings that could further improve the Top 10,000 program.