On October 25, 2024, the National Forum on Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Development in the Oil and Chemical Industry took place in Guangzhou as part of the “Lingnan Science Forum” series. This forum brought together petrochemical companies across various segments of the industry to promote energy-saving and carbon reduction technologies, as well as hydrogen energy application demo cases, all aimed at helping these companies accelerate their journey towards carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.
The event was guided by the Guangdong Association for Science and Technology and organized by the Guangdong Energy Conservation Engineering Technology Innovation Promotion Association (GDIEC) among other entities. The forum focused on the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals within the oil and chemical sector, facilitating technical exchanges on energy-saving and carbon reduction, relevant policies, and general low-carbon and water-saving technologies.
During the forum, the GDIEC announced the release of eight group standards, awarding certificates to the drafting institutions. These included standards such as the “Technical Specification for Regular Energy Conservation Checks on Industrial Boilers” and the “Guidelines for Calculating Energy Savings and Carbon Reduction in Industrial Boilers.”
In her remarks, Ma Xiaoqian, the chairwoman of GDIEC, highlighted that Guangdong has been actively promoting sustainable development within its industrial clusters under the green petrochemical strategy. She noted that the province’s strategic support for green petrochemicals and its current industrial cluster development are particularly noteworthy. Various key industries in Guangdong have implemented supportive policies for enhancing energy efficiency and upgrading energy-utilizing equipment, encouraging companies to engage proactively in energy conservation and carbon reduction.
Ma also pointed out that the Daya Bay Petrochemical Zone has ranked first in the “Top 30 Chemical Parks in China” for five consecutive years and is currently exploring paths for green and low-carbon circular development. By leveraging innovative technologies and management models, the zone aims to continually improve energy efficiency, carbon efficiency, and resource recycling rates, thereby promoting the efficient utilization of energy resources and high-quality development of industrial parks.
Experts at the forum expressed the view that establishing benchmark energy efficiency standards is essential to guide the green development of the petrochemical industry. The energy efficiency benchmarking initiatives in Guangdong and across the national petrochemical sector have shown positive results. Notably, the establishment of a green electricity and green certificate trading market in the southern region is providing companies with more choices for green power, thus supporting their sustainability efforts.
