China Energy Outlook 2020 - Flipbook - Page 25
Energy Consumption by End-Use Sector
Primary energy consumption in China has increased continuously since 1980, at an average
annual growth rate of 5.4% (Figure 1-7). There have been two notable periods when growth
diverged significantly from the historical trend. First, from 2002 to 2005, growth skyrocketed to
an average of 15.7% per year. Then, growth stalled following a short-lived “peaking” of total
energy consumption in 2014 when use slightly surpassed the 4,000 Mtce point and then
dropped in 2015. But this plateauing ended when energy consumption growth resumed again
in 2016 due to economic stimulus programs. Production of many industrial commodities in
China increased during the first half of 2019 compared to 2018. If these trends continue, it is
likely that China’s total primary energy consumption may increase in 2019, largely due to
increased industrial production.
Figure 1-7. China’s Primary Energy Consumption by End-Use Sector (1980-2018)
Source: NBS, various years (b).
Note: Industrial sector energy use also includes agriculture and construction. Sectoral energy use is estimated for
2018.
China’s is now the world’s largest consumer of primary energy, using 4263 Mtce in 2018.
Around 2010, China surpassed the U.S., the world’s second largest consumer of primary energy
(3,644 Mtce in 2018) (U.S. EIA, 2015; U.S. EIA, 2019), and has remained the largest primary
energy consumer in the world since then (BP, 2019a).
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