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Announcement of the “Leaders in Energy and Water Efficiency” in the petrochemical industry / Author/Source: Sinochem News Network / Date: 2021-10-15 / Clicks: 48. From October 13th to 14th, the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation held the 2021 National Forum on Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality in the Petrochemical Industry in Beijing, as well as an announcement ceremony for the “Leaders in Energy Efficiency” and “Leaders in Water Efficiency”. The conference released the list of industry energy efficiency \"leaders\" for 2020 as well as the first list of water efficiency \"leaders\", and at the same time outlined the approaches, goals, and key priorities for energy conservation, water conservation, and low-carbon development in the industry during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. At this conference, the list of benchmark enterprises and the corresponding metrics for the \"leaders\" in energy efficiency for 20 products in the petroleum and chemical industry, including crude oil processing, for the year 2020, were released. To date, the Petrochemical Federation has been carrying out the initiative to identify industry leaders in energy efficiency for 10 consecutive years. The number of key products included in this evaluation has increased from 10 in 2011 to 20 by 2020, with the total number of product types covered rising to 33. Over the past 10 years, the benchmarking role of the Energy Efficiency \"Leaders\" program has continued to grow, fostering a culture of competition and improvement within the industry; as a result, the energy consumption metrics of these \"Leaders\" have decreased significantly. Taking the production of synthetic ammonia from bituminous coal (including lignite) as an example, the comprehensive energy consumption per unit of product for the enterprises that were recognized as energy efficiency leaders in 2020 was 1,192 kilograms of standard coal per ton, which represents a 23.3% reduction compared to the 1,554 kilograms of standard coal per ton recorded in 2011 when the first list of energy efficiency leaders was established. The energy consumption of products such as yellow phosphorus, polyvinyl chloride, calcium carbide, and caustic soda also decreased significantly, by 27.8%, 22.2%, 16.8%, and 9.5% respectively. The conference also released for the first time the list of ‘leader’ benchmarks and corresponding indicators for water efficiency of 11 products, including refining, ethylene, and synthetic ammonia. At present, many large and medium-sized petrochemical enterprises have established a three-level water conservation management system, implementing strict planned management of water usage. Water conservation projects are included in the enterprise’s annual list of key technical initiatives aimed at reducing costs and increasing efficiency, and an industry-wide water conservation management system has been initially established. **Shi Zuoting, deputy director of the Energy Conservation Center, said in his speech at the event that energy conservation and improved energy efficiency, as well as reducing fossil fuel consumption at its source, are the foundation and key measures for cutting carbon emissions. “During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the petroleum and chemical industry will still face considerable pressure in terms of energy conservation and carbon reduction; it is recommended that the industry continue to deepen these efforts from several aspects. First, it is necessary to carry out thorough inspections and oversight of high-energy and high-emission projects in order to prevent their uncontrolled expansion. Second, continuously optimize the industrial structure and energy consumption structure, and accelerate the phasing out of outdated facilities and the reduction of excess production capacity. Third, improve management mechanisms and systems, raise enterprises’ awareness of energy conservation and carbon reduction, and accelerate the development of market players in the green industry. Fourth, by making use of market-based approaches, high-quality services such as energy-saving diagnosis and assessment, initiatives for energy efficiency leaders, case studies, and matchmaking between supply and demand sides in the field of energy saving and carbon reduction are provided, thereby promoting the adoption of advanced technologies and products for energy saving and carbon reduction. Fifth, actively build a green production system, striving to create green products, green factories, and green industrial parks. Yan Yong, deputy director of the National Water Conservation Office under the Ministry of Water Resources, hopes that the petroleum and chemical industries will demonstrate a high level of political responsibility and truly \"give priority to water conservation in terms of concepts, awareness, and measures,\" thereby pushing forward various water conservation efforts with determination ； Adhere to a dual-driven approach of systems and technological innovation” ； At the same time, efforts are made to leverage market mechanisms, bring in social capital and professional technical expertise, in order to effectively reduce the risks associated with water-saving upgrades for enterprises. Zhao Jungui, Vice President and Secretary-General of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, delivered a keynote speech on behalf of President Li Shousheng titled \"Deeply Implementing Energy Conservation and Low-Carbon Development Strategies to Drive High-Quality Development of the Petroleum and Chemical Industry Forward.\" Leaders from relevant ministries and commissions, including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the **National Development and Reform Commission, attended the meeting and delivered speeches. The conference also featured a forum on energy and water conservation as well as carbon peak and carbon neutrality, where the development trends in energy-saving technologies and water conservation policies were presented. China’s strategies for achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality, along with policies related to the petrochemical industry, were discussed. Companies such as CNPC, Sinopec, CNOOC, and Covestro shared their experiences in areas such as carbon asset management, low-carbon development strategies, carbon emission monitoring, and the circular economy. More than 350 representatives from oil and chemical industry manufacturers, research institutions, technology and equipment companies and related research organizations, as well as industry associations, attended the conference.