The energy-saving sector will become a new growth point in the construction machinery industry, Qi Jun, head of the China Construction Machinery Association said during a competition in Shanghai on Wednesday.

The third Operator Idol contest is aimed at providing a wider platform for operators and at practicing fuel efficiency.

The event is staged jointly by Volvo Construction Equipment, related departments under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the association.

This year, up to 160,000 operators from more than 30 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have registered for the competition with 6,800 attending it in 34 cities. Volvo CE provides free online lessons and training for the operators on fuel-saving techniques.

Data from the company show that if all the operators can save 5 percent of fuel in their daily work, which can be achieved easily with the right operational tips and knowledge, they can save up to 615 million liters of fuel annually.

This is equivalent to reducing 1.62 million metric tons of carbon emissions, according to the data. China has more than 1 million excavator operators, with 800,000 excavators working every day nationwide, statistics from the association show.

Klas Magnusson, senior vice-president of Volvo CE, said the competition is the biggest of its type in China.

The company is considering promoting it overseas in a similar form, because its huge success domestically has shown it has significant value in the industry's sustainable development.