The country therefore seeks even more innovative solutions to reduce its emissions

Prior to his arrival yesterday night in China, the President of the United States, Barack Obama, warned that he would press the Chinese authorities to commit more firmly in the fight against climate change. Tomorrow, President Hu Jintao may he argued that his country is already far and embarked on a modernization plan for its coal-fired plants, which generate still more than 75 of the electricity consumed in the country. "China has become the largest market in the world for integrating modern coal of high-quality emissions control systems," acknowledged a few months ago, the International Energy Agency. "In the West, is underestimated frequently the speed with which China is converted to clean technologies", confirms Philippe Joubert, President of Alstom Power, which points the modernity of the new coal plants built each month in the country.

To accompany Beijing in its Green conversion, the French group inaugurated last weekend, in Wuhan, in the centre of the country, a giant manufacture of boilers for thermal power plant, whose construction has cost EUR 100 million. "With this site that complements our other centers of manufacture of turbines and generators in the country, we will respond to calls for tenders on all thermal power plants in China," said Philippe Joubert.

To benefit from this Chinese "status", the French group had taken control, at the end of a complex OPA launched in 2007, 51 of the public group domestic Wuhan Boiler Company, which will meet next tenders on 600 MW supercritical boilers or ultrasupercritiques of 1,000 MW deemed "clean" in the world. "With the same amount of coal used, it can increase by 50 the volume of electricity produced," said Guy Chardon, the Vice-President of the "thermal products" division of the group. "And of course, is reduced by 50 the volume of CO2 dismissed per unit of energy produced," he said.

Innovative solutions

China, whose coal consumption is now superior to those of the United States, the Japan and Europe together, will depend on coal for even several decades for its electricity. The country therefore seeks even more innovative solutions to reduce its emissions. In Beijing, managers of Al-stom met, last week, the central authorities to propose solutions capture and storage of CO2 (CCS), which they already demonstrate effectiveness in a West Virginia power, in the United States. "It is a perfect solution for China, and we are looking for local partners, including a producer of electricity, to launch a large-scale demonstration plant in the country," said Philippe Joubert, which says not to fear resistance related to the cost of these technologies.

The installation of structures to capture carbon and bury him hundreds of metres below ground propelling, according to the calculations of McKinsey, the price of coal energy, usually very cheap at the level of the wind. "Do not look at the financial projects dimension", blew one of the largest Chinese electricians, who comes to inaugurate the construction of the first the country clean coal plant in Tianjin, near Beijing, in may, Cao Peixi, the President of China Huaneng Group,. "This represents the future," launches the Manager, who should receive economic support from the central authorities, which hope to negotiate financial aid from the developed at the Copenhagen Summit.