The citizens of Northern China have been suffering from poor air quality in winter for many years, due to pollution from fuel combustion, industrial emissions and especially from residential use of coal and other unclean fuels for cooking and heating.
Electricity as part of the solution
In 2017, the government of China issued the Clean Winter Heating Plan for Northern China, with a goal to reach 70% clean heating by 2021. As an easy and clean heating solution, a variety of electric heating options have proliferated, such as direct electric heating, air-to-air heat pumps and air-to-water heat pumps.
From 2016 to 2019, nearly 4 million households were converted from coal to electricity in Northern China. As a result of this and other measures, air quality improved measurably. For example, the number of severe pollution days in Beijing dropped from 59 in 2013 to 15 in 2018 and 0 in 2019.
GSEP member State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) is playing a critical role in these efforts. In 2018 alone, SGCC helped 2.1 million households and 5000 factories in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the surrounding areas and Fen-Wei Plains change to electric heating. It has also been strengthening its grid to take into account the increase in electricity use. By the end of 2019, SGCC had completed electric heating projects for 230 million m2 in Northern China, reducing the coal burned in one heating season by 11 million tonnes and increasing electricity demand by 20 TWh.
Electrification–a solution for climate change and improved quality of life.
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