Under the background of international crude oil price
instability and limits on usage of electric power domestically,
Chinese energy experts agreed that China has great potential to
develop renewable energy.
According to the plan by 2015, China will annually develop new
and renewable energy resources amounting to 43 million tons of coal
equivalent (TCE), or 2 percent of the country's total energy
consumption.
The Chinese government has supported the development and
utilization of renewable energies, such as wind power, solar
energy, hydropower, said Zhou Fengqi, director in charge of the
renewable energy development under the State Development and Reform
Commission.
"The law is expected to be brought to the Standing Committee of
the National People's Congress for discussion by the end of this
year," acknowledged Zhou, "We hope it could pass in next year."
China has abundant renewable energy resources. Statistics shows
that two thirds of China's land receives 2,200 hours of sunlight
per year. The wind power resources which could be utilized stands
at 253 million kilowatts. China has great reserves of terrestrial
heat.
The China Energy Research Association noted that the development
of renewable energy could improve the energy structure in the
country and help solve the pollution problems caused by the use of
common energies.
According to calculation, by 2015, with the new and renewable
energy sources, the country's coal consumption will be cut by 60
million tons annually. This will amount to a reduction of
pollutants including 30 million tons of carbon dioxide and 2
million tons of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and soot.
The development of renewable energy will provides nearly 500,000
job opportunities and help solve power problem for 5 million
residents in remote areas, according to the China Energy Research
Association.
Many investors have laid their sights on the sector, encouraged
by its rosy prospect.
In north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, which boasts
rich wind power resources, the largest wind power generation
station in Asia will be built before 2008.The project, with
generating capacity of 1 million kilowatts of electricity annually,
was backed by 1.2 billion US dollars of investment, according to
the agreement signed recently between Erenhot City of the
autonomous region and the Avalon Power Corporation of Canada.
Sources with the local development and reform commission said
that by the end of 2005, the generating capacity of wind power
stations in the autonomous region will increase to around 600,000
kilowatts, from 100,000 kilowatt at present.
But experts also acknowledged that the overall development of
renewable energy in China is still at a low level. The country
should encourage the technological upgrading and mechanism
improvement to help promote the rapid development of the sector,
noted the China Energy Research Association.
(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2004)