Recently, the 55th Annual Conference on Production and Operation Management of Coal‑fired Power Plants 2026 and Energy Efficiency Benchmarking Release Conference, co‑hosted by the China Electricity Council (CEC) and China Datang Corporation Limited, convened in Jinan, Shandong Province.

In his address, Hao Yingjie, Deputy Party Secretary and Secretary‑General of CEC, summarized new achievements in China’s energy‑power development and coal‑fired power technological progress. He analyzed the situation and challenges facing the transformation of coal‑fired power amid the development of the new‑type power system, and put forward three proposals for further high‑quality transformation of coal‑fired power. First, prioritize energy security as the primary responsibility of coal‑fired power development, continuously improve unit reliability, availability and peak‑shaving capacity, so as to give full play to coal‑fired power’s role as a safety back‑stop and support pillar. Second, take flexible regulation as an inevitable path for coal‑fired power transformation and upgrading, accelerate retrofitting of in‑service units and pilot demonstration of new‑generation coal‑fired power, and enhance capabilities for deep peak‑shaving, rapid load change and stable operation under low‑load conditions. Third, regard energy‑saving and carbon‑reduction retrofits as a key driver for clean and efficient coal‑fired power development, steadily advance low‑carbon retrofits of coal‑fired units and popularize proven applicable technologies, and continuously raise the clean and efficient utilization level of coal‑fired power.

Zhao Jianjun, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy General Manager of China Datang, stated that China Datang has consistently implemented the new national energy security strategy. Guided by the development philosophy of “green and low‑carbon, multi‑energy complementarity, high‑efficiency coordination and digital intelligence”, the company coordinates energy‑mix optimization and industrial transformation and upgrading. It will further deepen pragmatic cooperation with CEC, major power generation groups and upstream‑and‑downstream partners across the industrial chain, advance industry‑wide energy‑efficiency benchmarking, concentrate joint R&D on key energy‑saving technologies, tap the energy‑saving and carbon‑reduction potential of power units, and steadily drive coal‑fired power to evolve from traditional main power sources to basic guarantee power sources and flexible regulating power sources within the new‑type power system. China Datang will keep contributing its wisdom and strength to building a clean, low‑carbon, safe and efficient modern energy system in China.

Ling Wen, Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chairman of Shandong Association for Science and Technology, delivered a keynote speech titled Sustainable Energy Development and Industrial Agents. He elaborated on the missions for the 15th Five‑Year Plan period, sustainable development, flexible, efficient, clean and low‑carbon coal‑fired power, as well as industrial agents. He presented practical outcomes covering deep peak‑shaving, life‑extension renovation of aging units, unattended operation of coal‑fired power plants, combined thermal‑storage peak‑shaving and frequency regulation, CCUS and biomass co‑firing. He also proposed building high‑quality industrial datasets and promoting multi‑agent collaboration in industrial operations to facilitate digital‑intelligent transformation of the manufacturing sector.

The conference officially released the 2025 energy‑efficiency benchmarking results for 1000 MW, 600 MW and 300 MW‑class coal‑fired generating units in the power industry. Parallel sessions featured in‑depth discussions on coal‑fired power technologies themed on “clean‑low‑carbon, flexible‑efficient, intelligent support and multi‑energy complementarity”.

The event was co‑sponsored by Datang Shandong Power Generation Co., Ltd., and organized by Datang Dongying Power Generation Co., Ltd. and CEC Science and Technology Service Center Co., Ltd.