1 I, H& v, u3 O8 M8 E, J6 n, |; c& `- ? SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- It would be a pity not to see the javelin throw on account of the smog.) ^! u7 b N) }( A+ ~- D# N
Just a year before thousands of athletes and tourists descend on Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics, China's government recently vowed to crack down on its air pollution. & J, b; r4 A/ p% T$ c6 z# ^% x / O8 T" E* h# e" LIn the next three years, China aims to cut harmful sulfur dioxide emissions by 10% from their 2005 levels and rein in the heavy industrial activities that have made its cities among the smoggiest in the world. 9 N7 ], c$ D! @5 p
7 v, x& L: u/ Y! k6 {4 p# OA push to clean up its cities' notoriously grimy air -- combined with huge and growing electricity needs -- spells opportunity for the handful of international companies that make pollution control systems for the power industry. + Y$ d6 l! `2 W3 E& F : \9 E. G+ N, W0 BNiche player Fuel Tech, Inc., global engineering firms Foster Wheeler Ltd.and McDermott International Inc.unit Babcock & Wilcox Co., and industrial behemoths like General Electric Co.and ABB Ltd.are all positioning themselves to sell more low-emissions electric generation parts to China. # \ d8 y4 z* H8 g: }; T. n
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"If you're in the air pollution control business, you go to where the need is," said John Norris, chief executive of Fuel Tech, a Batavia, Ill. company makes products to reduce plants' nitrogen oxide emissions. 2 e/ z2 z& S; D- E: M- `. e& g! ^ + z7 O2 l4 J; t i# L, \"The two biggest-fossil burning entities in the world are China and the United States," he said in a recent interview. 7 P/ [. j; j9 A) J/ n! s$ E1 D; h' u6 z7 j5 z1 ~+ k v K2 K
Some 23% of Fuel Tech's $75 million in revenues last year came from international customers, with China the largest contributor. In January, it won two contracts to supply Chinese coal-fired power plants with its nitrogen oxide reduction equipment. 5 [. {+ h. ?9 z( u, Q8 L
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Norris is hopeful the government's labeling of plants using Fuel Tech gear as demonstration projects will lead to more deals. "We've got a lot of bids in there," he said. ' D8 P+ W# ~: }! X5 R# F) ? & W b: a4 |3 N2 Y9 L2 n$ H! tAt the other end of the spectrum, $163 billion-revenue General Electric is selling China Jenbacher engines that capture methane gas from coal mining, gas turbines that reduce nitrogen oxides, and gasification systems. The Fairfield, Conn. conglomerate is also partnering with a Chinese university to research cleaner coal generation. , X k' c1 L! P8 R
"What intrigues me is going right to China and India with these technologies," said Jeff Immelt, CEO of General Electric, at a conference last month to promote the company's success selling $12 billion last year in environmentally friendly products, from cleaning systems for coal-fired boilers to wind turbines. , r" K6 o/ k6 z' m) X9 D" K% ~
6 B. E' y- `8 W- @$ ASuch revenues could double or triple if GE makes the same push in those countries, he said. 1 j( k9 f% I, V$ Q+ K% V) H5 v; g
But it is likely to take years before China's appetite for cleaner power translates into sizeable and consistent earnings for firms that supply emissions-reducing power parts, say analysts. Among the hurdles, managers of China's centrally-planned economy are constantly weighing the increased costs of pollution controls against electricity demand. And sales to utilities take time.% o4 `1 W$ z+ C9 K e8 R9 r
2 L6 `. M) A) I$ I; O! }& z6 D- R[ 本帖最后由 日月光 于 2007-6-21 09:53 编辑 ]