Northwest China's Qinghai Province is eyeing a more important position in China's future energy supply mix, according to a deputy to the Third Session of the Tenth National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing on Monday. 

Zhao Leji, secretary of Qinghai Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), told the Xinhua reporter that energy industry has been prioritized in his province's future development plan.

Located on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, Qinghai, the fourth largest province in China, covers an area of 722,300 square meters, accounting for 7.52 percent of the nation total. Known for cradling the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers, the largest in China, Qinghai Province is one of the regions garnering the most abundant water and mineral resources.

Statistics show the water energy capacity yet to be developed in the province totals 21.65 million kilowatts, ranking the fifth nationwide.

Presently, around 5 million kilowatts electricity is generated annually, mostly powered by water, and the figure is expected to double in five years following the completion of another six hydropower stations under construction, according to a provincial development strategy cited by Zhao.

"Qinghai will become a pivotal link in the national strategy of' transmitting electricity from west to east'," said the official, also vowing to put forward some thermal power projects accordingly.

In addition, the interior province aims to increase the annual natural gas production output from the current 4 million to 10 million tons in five years, a move to serve the national plan of "transferring gas from west to east."

The crude oil and natural gas reserves in Qinghai's Qaidam Basin, a major supplier of energy products in China, are estimated at 4.1 billion tons and 1 trillion tons, respectively.

"If everything goes smoothly, Qinghai will not only become self-sufficient in coal supply but also able to satiate demand of the neighboring Tibet in this regard," said Zhao, speaking of the potential of local coal production.

He also made clear that projects that might incur pollution are not "welcomed" to visit Qinghai, a less developed but picturesque place "definitely worth a go".

(Xinhua News Agency March 7, 2005)