| 1980 China | 1990 China | Advanced level abroad | |
| Comparable energy consumption per ton of steel (tce/t) | 1.30 | 1.03 | 0.6 (Italy) |
| Energy consumption per ton of synthetic ammonia (tce/t) | 1.2 | ||
| Large plants | 1.45 | 1.34 | |
| Small plants | 2.90 | 2.25 | |
| Energy consumption per ton of cement clinker (tce/t) | 206.5 | 185.4 | 108.4 (Japan) |
| Net coal consumption of coal-fired plants (gce/kWh) | 448 | 427 | 327 (ex USSR) |
| Thermal efficiency of industrial boilers (%) | 60-70 | 80-85 |
Table 2: Comparison of unit energy consumption in some energy-intensive industries and devices.