IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/recore/v117y2017ipap25-33.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Analysis of energy savings potential of China's nonferrous metals industry

Author

Listed:
  • Shao, Yanmin

Abstract

China is one of the world's leading producers of refined copper, primary aluminum, lead, refined zinc, refined nickel, antimony, primary magnesium, manganese ore, tin ore, tungsten, and molybdenum. The production of the nonferrous metals industry is also energy-intensive, its energy consumption increased from 31.5million tons of oil equivalent in 2000 to 112million tons of oil equivalent in 2012, which is almost the same as Australia's total energy consumption (133million tons of oil equivalent) in 2012. Thus, it is imperative for the industry to reduce its energy consumption. This study tries to analyze the energy savings potential of China's nonferrous metals industry by employing the directional distance function approach to model the nonferrous metals industry's production system. Further, the energy savings ratios and energy savings amounts of the 27 administrative regions of China during 2003–2009 are also discussed. The results show that the nonferrous metals industry, overall, can save more than 20% in energy consumption, and that none of the 27 regions show a year-on-year decrease in their energy savings ratios. In addition, the study finds that the regions with a high proportion of output of secondary nonferrous metals have low energy savings ratio. Another key finding of this study is that the energy savings potential significantly differed according to regional characteristics, and the energy savings opportunities are great in the central and western regions of China. Finally, this study provides several recommendations to improve the energy efficiency of the nonferrous metals industry.

Suggested Citation

  • Shao, Yanmin, 2017. "Analysis of energy savings potential of China's nonferrous metals industry," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 117(PA), pages 25-33.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:recore:v:117:y:2017:i:pa:p:25-33
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.09.015
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344915300926
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.09.015?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lin, Boqiang & Zhang, Guoliang, 2013. "Estimates of electricity saving potential in Chinese nonferrous metals industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 558-568.
    2. Stern, David I. & Common, Michael S., 2001. "Is There an Environmental Kuznets Curve for Sulfur?," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 162-178, March.
    3. Stern, David I., 2004. "The Rise and Fall of the Environmental Kuznets Curve," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 1419-1439, August.
    4. Qunwei Wang & Peng Zhou & Zengyao Zhao & Neng Shen, 2014. "Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving Potential in China: A Directional Meta-Frontier DEA Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(8), pages 1-17, August.
    5. Riccardi, R. & Oggioni, G. & Toninelli, R., 2012. "Efficiency analysis of world cement industry in presence of undesirable output: Application of data envelopment analysis and directional distance function," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 140-152.
    6. Watanabe, Michio & Tanaka, Katsuya, 2007. "Efficiency analysis of Chinese industry: A directional distance function approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 6323-6331, December.
    7. R. G. Chambers & Y. Chung & R. Färe, 1998. "Profit, Directional Distance Functions, and Nerlovian Efficiency," Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 98(2), pages 351-364, August.
    8. Chen, Weiqiang & Shi, Lei & Qian, Yi, 2010. "Substance flow analysis of aluminium in mainland China for 2001, 2004 and 2007: Exploring its initial sources, eventual sinks and the pathways linking them," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 54(9), pages 557-570.
    9. van Berkel, Rene, 2007. "Eco-efficiency in primary metals production: Context, perspectives and methods," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 511-540.
    10. Luenberger, David G., 1992. "Benefit functions and duality," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 461-481.
    11. Wang, Ke & Wei, Yi-Ming & Zhang, Xian, 2013. "Energy and emissions efficiency patterns of Chinese regions: A multi-directional efficiency analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 105-116.
    12. González Palencia, Juan C. & Furubayashi, Takaaki & Nakata, Toshihiko, 2013. "Analysis of CO2 emissions reduction potential in secondary production and semi-fabrication of non-ferrous metals," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 328-341.
    13. Yanjia, Wang & Chandler, William, 2010. "The Chinese nonferrous metals industry--energy use and CO2 emissions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(11), pages 6475-6484, November.
    14. Hu, Jin-Li & Kao, Chih-Hung, 2007. "Efficient energy-saving targets for APEC economies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 373-382, January.
    15. Wang, H. & Zhou, P. & Zhou, D.Q., 2013. "Scenario-based energy efficiency and productivity in China: A non-radial directional distance function analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 795-803.
    16. Rolf Färe & Shawna Grosskopf, 2000. "Theory and Application of Directional Distance Functions," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 93-103, March.
    17. Chambers, Robert G. & Chung, Yangho & Fare, Rolf, 1996. "Benefit and Distance Functions," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 70(2), pages 407-419, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zhong, Mei-Rui & Xiao, Shun-Li & Zou, Han & Zhang, Yi-Jun & Song, Yi, 2021. "The effects of technical change on carbon intensity in China’s non-ferrous metal industry," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    2. Wang, Xipan & Song, Junnian & Duan, Haiyan & Wang, Xian'en, 2021. "Coupling between energy efficiency and industrial structure: An urban agglomeration case," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    3. Guang, Fengtao & Wen, Le & Sharp, Basil, 2022. "Energy efficiency improvements and industry transition: An analysis of China's electricity consumption," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 244(PA).
    4. Jiang, Xuemei & Duan, Yuwan & Green, Christopher, 2017. "Regional disparity in energy intensity of China and the role of industrial and export structure," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 209-218.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kounetas, Konstantinos & Stergiou, Eirini, 2019. "Technology heterogeneity in European industries' energy efficiency performance. The role of climate, greenhouse gases, path dependence and energy mix," MPRA Paper 92314, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Youchao Tan & Udaya Shetty & Ali Diabat & T. Pakkala, 2015. "Aggregate directional distance formulation of DEA with integer variables," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 235(1), pages 741-756, December.
    3. Emrouznejad, Ali & Yang, Guo-liang, 2016. "A framework for measuring global Malmquist–Luenberger productivity index with CO2 emissions on Chinese manufacturing industries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 115(P1), pages 840-856.
    4. Kumar Mandal, Sabuj & Madheswaran, S., 2010. "Environmental efficiency of the Indian cement industry: An interstate analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 1108-1118, February.
    5. Bonasia, Mariangela & Kounetas, Konstantinos & Oreste, Napolitano, 2020. "Assessment of regional productive performance of European health systems under a metatechnology framework," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 234-248.
    6. Napolitano, Oreste & Foresti, Pasquale & Kounetas, Konstantinos & Spagnolo, Nicola, 2023. "The impact of energy, renewable and CO2 emissions efficiency on countries’ productivity," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    7. Briec, Walter & Comes, Christine & Kerstens, Kristiaan, 2006. "Temporal technical and profit efficiency measurement: Definitions, duality and aggregation results," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(1), pages 48-63, September.
    8. Deng, Zhongqi & Jiang, Nan & Pang, Ruizhi, 2021. "Factor-analysis-based directional distance function: The case of New Zealand hospitals," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    9. Beatriz Tovar & Alan Wall, 2017. "Dynamic Cost Efficiency in Port Infrastructure Using a Directional Distance Function: Accounting for the Adjustment of Quasi-Fixed Inputs Over Time," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 51(1), pages 296-304, February.
    10. Wang, Zhaohua & Feng, Chao, 2015. "A performance evaluation of the energy, environmental, and economic efficiency and productivity in China: An application of global data envelopment analysis," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 617-626.
    11. Pestana Barros, Carlos & Peypoch, Nicolas, 2010. "Productivity changes in Portuguese bus companies," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(5), pages 295-302, September.
    12. Song, Malin & Wang, Jianlin, 2018. "Environmental efficiency evaluation of thermal power generation in China based on a slack-based endogenous directional distance function model," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 325-336.
    13. Fangqing Wei & Junfei Chu & Jiayun Song & Feng Yang, 2019. "A cross-bargaining game approach for direction selection in the directional distance function," OR Spectrum: Quantitative Approaches in Management, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research e.V., vol. 41(3), pages 787-807, September.
    14. Zhencheng Xing & Jigan Wang & Jie Zhang, 2017. "CO 2 Emission Performance, Mitigation Potential, and Marginal Abatement Cost of Industries Covered in China’s Nationwide Emission Trading Scheme: A Meta-Frontier Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-17, June.
    15. Emrouznejad, Ali & Yang, Guo-liang, 2016. "CO2 emissions reduction of Chinese light manufacturing industries: A novel RAM-based global Malmquist–Luenberger productivity index," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 397-410.
    16. Picazo-Tadeo, Andres J. & Reig-Martinez, Ernest & Hernandez-Sancho, Francesc, 2005. "Directional distance functions and environmental regulation," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 131-142, June.
    17. Sueyoshi, Toshiyuki & Yuan, Yan & Goto, Mika, 2017. "A literature study for DEA applied to energy and environment," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 104-124.
    18. Mauricio Benegas & Emerson Marinho, 2008. "Duality, Net Supply, and The Directional Distance Function," Anais do XXXVI Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 36th Brazilian Economics Meeting] 200807211656140, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    19. Bruno, Clementina & Manello, Alessandro, 2015. "Benchmarking and effects of reforms in the fixed telecommunications industry: A DDF approach," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 127-139.
    20. Bogetoft, Peter & Leth Hougaard, Jens, 2004. "Super efficiency evaluations based on potential slack," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(1), pages 14-21, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:recore:v:117:y:2017:i:pa:p:25-33. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Kai Meng (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/resources-conservation-and-recycling .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.