Build a solid foundation for security and promote high-quality development—National Development and Reform Commission press conference focused on energy and food security

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 6. Title: Build a secure foundation and promote high-quality development - National Development and Reform Commission press conference focuses on energy and food security

Xinhua News Agency reporter Wei Yukun

Energy and food are the most basic means of production and living needed to support the healthy and orderly operation of the national economy. Focusing on the deployment and implementation measures related to energy and food security during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the National Development and Reform Commission held a press conference on the 6th to explain.

Energy supply during this winter’s heating season can generally meet demand

Keeping warm and ensuring supply during the peak winter is a major livelihood project and a public support project. Tang Wei, deputy director of the Economic Operation Regulation Bureau of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that energy supply during the winter heating season can generally meet demand, and people are guaranteed a warm winter.

According to reports, the National Development and Reform Commission will focus on ensuring the following three aspects. First, the energy supply foundation continues to be consolidated. As of the end of October, more than 210 million tons of coal were stored in unified power plants across the country, which can be used for 36 days. We continue to promote the increase in natural gas production and supply. At present, natural gas resources have exceeded 200 billion cubic meters during the heating season, and underground gas storage has been fully stored, which can generally cover demand. The foundation for safe power supply has been continuously consolidated. As of the end of September, the country's installed power generation capacity exceeded 4.13 billion kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 420 million kilowatts.

Second, the ability to ensure peak supply has been significantly enhanced. In terms of natural gas, the daily peak supply capacity of natural gas during this winter’s heating season exceeds 1.75 billion cubic meters, which is nearly 70 million cubic meters higher than the peak gas consumption in the previous heating season. In terms of electricity, it is expected that the country's highest electricity load during the heating season will reach about 1.52 billion kilowatts, an increase of about 90 million kilowatts from the peak of the previous heating season. The installed capacity of conventional power sources has increased by about 100 million kilowatts year-on-year. The overall increase in power supply capacity can ensure demand growth.

The third is to ensure solid and effective energy utilization for people’s livelihood. Adhering to the national "one game of chess", cross-regional energy mutual aid continues to appear. We will do a good job in signing and implementing medium- and long-term energy supply contracts to secure the bottom line of energy consumption for people's livelihood. Improve demand-side management measures and prioritize energy use for people’s livelihood.

"In the next step, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration will work with all relevant parties to keep a close eye on key areas and key links, strengthen overall coordination and operation adjustment, and do a thorough and detailed job in all aspects to ensure that the overall situation of national energy supply in winter is stable and that the people have a warm winter." Tang Ai said.

Further improve the level of energy supply security

Since the beginning of this year, in the face of turbulent changes in the international situation and violent fluctuations in the global oil and gas market, my country has increased its efforts to increase oil and gas reserves and production, and proactively reduced crude oil imports. On the basis of ensuring stable and orderly domestic supply, it has effectively hedged the global supply gap caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and has made positive contributions to maintaining the stability of the international oil and gas market.

Ge Ju, deputy director of the Development Planning Department of the National Energy Administration, said that domestic supply and diversified imports will be further coordinated to strengthen oil and gas security. We will thoroughly implement the ten-year action plan for oil and gas exploration and development, build a major country's oil reserve system, adhere to "large reservoirs, large stations, and intensive layout" and plan a number of major natural gas reserve projects. Strengthen cooperation in major overseas oil and gas producing areas, consolidate and expand onshore strategic import channels, maintain the safety of maritime channels, and ensure that oil and gas can be purchased and transported.

Ge Ju said that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, driven by emerging industries such as computing power, my country's electricity demand will continue to grow rigidly, and the average annual increase is expected to reach about 600 billion kilowatt-hours, equivalent to the electricity consumption of three new Shanghai cities every year.

According to reports, in order to ensure the supply of electricity, the National Energy Administration will focus on ensuring traditional power sources and implement the transformation and upgrading of new generation coal power. On the other hand, we will focus on safe and reliable substitution of new energy, continue to improve the accuracy of new energy power generation power prediction, and plan to build a number of system-friendly new energy power stations. By 2030, during the periods when the pressure for power supply is greatest, such as the summer peak and the late winter peak, the proportion of power generation contributed by wind power and photovoltaic power to the system will reach more than 20%, an increase of about 10 percentage points.

"Overall, with the joint efforts of all parties, we have the foundation, confidence, and ability to provide strong energy support for China-style modernization." Tang Ai said that in the next step, we will work with all relevant parties to accelerate the progress of the "15th Five-Year Plan" energy planning and construction work, firmly guard the bottom line of energy security with higher standards, and effectively guarantee the energy demand for economic and social development.

Comprehensively improve national food security capabilities

Kou Rong, deputy director of the Economic and Trade Department of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that in recent years, uncertain and unpredictable factors have intertwined and overlapped globally, resulting in greater fluctuations in the international grain market. Overall, the domestic grain market has always been well supplied and operating smoothly, and my country's food security is solidly guaranteed during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.

According to reports, my country has had bumper grain harvests year after year and has achieved "basic self-sufficiency in grains and absolute food security." The per capita grain possession exceeds 500 kilograms, which is higher than the world average and the internationally recognized food security line. The grain reserve system is more complete and the mechanism is more complete. The grain inventory consumption ratio of the whole society is much higher than the international food security warning line of 17% to 18%. The reserve capacity of finished grain and oil in 36 large and medium-sized cities is more than 15 days.

To ensure food security, the key is to maintain food production capacity.

Hu He, deputy director of the Department of Rural Economy of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, we will work with local and relevant departments to conscientiously implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council. Guided by a new round of actions to increase grain production capacity of 100 billion kilograms, we will consolidate the production foundation, refine the path to increase production, strengthen policy support, build good fields and breed good seeds, so that China's rice bowl will mainly contain Chinese grain.

Grain procurement is the starting point of grain circulation and is related to the interests of grain farmers and stable market supply.

Luo Shouquan, director of the Grain Reserves Department of the State Administration of Grain and Material Reserves, said that currently, the country has purchased a total of 100 million tons of autumn grain, and the progress is basically the same as last year. Comprehensive research and judgment shows that with the steady improvement of my country's grain production capacity, the annual grain purchase volume will continue to remain above 400 million tons during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.

"Grain reserves are an important material basis for ensuring national food security." Luo Shouquan said that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, we will dynamically adjust and optimize the reserve scale and structure layout with relevant parties to promote high-quality reserves to meet demand. Promote the application of green grain storage technology according to local conditions, and strengthen grain storage and quality management. Improve the food emergency support system, improve the reserve utilization mechanism, strengthen the connection between reserves, processing, logistics and other links, and improve the efficiency and level of food supply under different situations.