China Motor System Energy Conservation Program

 

Project Reference: xx/CPR/01/xxx

Countries: China

Background: The China Motor System Energy Conservation Project will develop a variety of education materials, analysis tools and standards for promoting motor system optimization in China and will put a local infrastructure in place in two provinces (Shanghai and Shandong) to promote greater efficiency in industrial motor driven systems. This is an important first step in a planned ten-year effort by the Chinese government to establish and train a network of motor system optimization experts throughout China, and to use these experts to assist individual factories to implement motor system improvement projects. Industrial motor systems are a major user of electricity in China, accounting for more than 50% of overall electricity use. Electric motor systems are widely used in Chinese factories ranging from small town and village enterprises to large state-owned enterprises. Improved equipment design, more optimized system integration, and improved operations and maintenance practices can reduce motor system energy use by 20% or more, providing substantial energy and emissions savings (e.g., CO2 and SOx) while reducing factory operating costs and contributing to the economic viability of the factory. If 50% of electric motor systems in China are better optimized to achieve 20% average energy savings (a reasonable long-term goal), Chinese enterprises will save the equivalent of more than US billion annually and carbon emissions will decline by more than 25 MMT annually.

By training local energy professionals and using existing organizations, the Project seeks to develop a uniquely Chinese program that draws from activities and materials of established motor system programs in the US, Canada, and Europe. The Chinese strategy builds on motor system program activities previously undertaken cooperatively by CECIC, SDPC, and the USDOE. These activities have resulted in this project being included as one of a handful of major energy-saving projects in an initial draft of China's Tenth five-year Plan (covering 2001-2005). UNF support is very important in ensuring that the project is selected for inclusion in the final Tenth Five-Year Plan.

The UNIDO/UNF project will test local implementation strategies and will lay the groundwork for the national program. Discussions have already begun with the UNDP GEF office concerning a GEF grant that will build upon the UNIDO/UNF project to expand the program and also extend it to other Chinese provinces.

This will be the first motor systems program in a developing country. If successful, this Chinese program can be a model for similar programs in other developing countries that UNIDO serves.

Expected target beneficiaries: The direct beneficiary of the project is the private sector of China, notably the industrial enterprises, which will benefit from reduced energy costs as well as other benefits that frequently result from motor system optimization projects including improved product quality (due to improved control over production processes), improved system reliability, improved productivity, and reduced emissions control costs (these multiple benefits are documented in several U.S. Motor Challenge case studies).

Client: The Government counterpart for the project is the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC).

Project objective (purpose): The ultimate goal of this project will be to establish a major national program to promote motor system improvements in factories throughout China. Specific objectives of the project will be to:

• Develop a motor system program delivery infrastructure in Shandong and Shanghai provinces including a cadre of provincial motor system experts;
• Provide training, system assessments, and other services to Shandong and Shanghai factories to help them implement projects to improve the efficiency of their motor systems;
• Assist in the evolution of the Chinese motor systems market by helping Chinese engineering service providers and Chinese factories to develop and use market-based approaches for delivering and obtaining motor system services;
• Develop training materials, tools and standards to support other project components, and to serve as a foundation for starting similar programs in other developing countries;
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the program offerings and delivery structure; and
• Use the results of the evaluation to develop a plan for a national program.

Expected outputs:

• Training modules, software, and print materials that provide technical assistance for achieving motor system optimization will be widely available in Chinese. These materials will also be available for use by UNIDO, USDOE, and others to use in developing projects for other countries;
• Revised Chinese standards for the economic operation of motor, fan and pump systems;
• A total of at least 10 motor system experts trained including at least five in each of the two pilot provinces;
• Eight motor system efficiency improvement projects completed;
• Case studies documenting these projects completed and available;
• At least 200 factory managers and engineers trained in how to identify and implement motor systems optimization projects;
• Technical assessments performed in at least 30 factories;
• A plan for a national motor systems program.