Thermal power generation is a power generation method that uses the heat energy generated by the combustion of combustibles and converts it into electric energy through the power generation device. China is rich in coal resources, with an annual output of 1.09 billion tons of coal in 1990, of which coal for power generation accounts for only 12%. Thermal power still has great potential.

Thermal power generation is the main way of power generation in China. As one of the three main equipment of thermal power station, utility boiler develops with the development of thermal power industry in China. When environmental protection and energy conservation have become an important direction for the structural adjustment of China's power industry, the thermal power industry has actively promoted the optimization and upgrading of the industrial structure under the policy guidance of "increasing the pressure of small", closed a large number of small thermal power units with low energy efficiency and heavy pollution, and accelerated the upgrading of domestic thermal power equipment to a great extent.