MIIT carbon dual-control plan: 500 zero-carbon factories and computing sites by 2030

On 3 November a local industry authority republished the full text of the Implementation Plan for Accelerating a Carbon Emission Dual-Control System in Industry and Information Technology (2026–2030). The plan calls for continued supervision of mandatory energy-consumption quotas and mandatory product efficiency standards, for orderly replacement and upgrading of inefficient energy-using products, equipment and processes, and for faster development and deployment of high-efficiency motors, transformers, industrial heat pumps, refrigeration and heating equipment, water-electrolysis hydrogen equipment and ICT equipment, with stronger system coupling and matching of energy-saving equipment.

It also sets out that by 2030 around 400 carbon-footprint accounting rule standards for key industrial products will be formulated and implemented, and around 500 national-level zero-carbon factories and zero-carbon computing facilities built. The document is dated 30 September 2026; MIIT’s disclosure column lists 21 October 2026 as the publication date.

Why compressed-air stations are a focus

Compressed air is among the most expensive secondary energies in a plant: electricity becomes compressed air and is then converted back into mechanical work at the point of use, with losses compounding along the way. Air stations often account for a substantial share of plant electricity, which makes them a natural target in efficiency-standard supervision.

What “system coupling and matching” means in practice

• Do not swap the airend alone: pressure drop across dryers, filters and receivers forces a higher discharge set point, cancelling out a more efficient host.
• Size to the real load curve: variable demand suits inverter control; sustained full load suits two-stage compression — the savings come from different places.
• Lower the pressure to what is actually needed: every reduction in discharge pressure lowers specific power; verify end-user demand before fixing the pressure class.
• Keep auditable data: carbon-footprint accounting needs operating records, so logging and remote reading become part of the specification.

When we prepare energy comparisons we calculate payback directly from the customer’s annual running hours and tariff, and include system pressure drop rather than comparing nameplate power alone.

At a glance

Frequently asked

Why are air stations a priority?

Compressed air is among the most expensive secondary energies in a plant: electricity becomes air and is converted back to mechanical work at the point of use, with losses compounding. Air stations often take a substantial share of plant electricity.

Is a more efficient airend enough?

Usually not. Pressure drop across dryers, filters and pipework raises the discharge set point and cancels the gain, so the whole system must be assessed.

Inverter or two-stage?

Fluctuating workshop demand suits inverter control; a central station near full load suits two-stage compression. The savings come from different places, so judge by the actual load curve.

What does carbon accounting need?

Verifiable operating data, so metering, logging and remote reading belong in the technical agreement rather than being retrofitted later.

Author：Shengyi Technical Department　Reviewed by：Mr. Zhang (Sales & Sizing)　Updated 2026-09-14