China is facing great challenges in achieving its annual target of energy consumption reduction as the expansion of high-energy-consuming industries fuels energy demand, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Miao Wei said Thursday.

Miao said energy consumption per unit of industrial value-added output only dropped 2.56 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2011, short of the four percent target set for the whole year.

"The reduction is still far short of our annual target," Miao said at a national conference on energy saving and emission reduction.

According to four targets released earlier by the ministry, the country aims to reduce energy use per unit of industrial value-added output by 18 percent by 2015 compared to 2010. Meanwhile, carbon dioxide emission and water use should also be reduced by 18 percent and 30 percent respectively.

Furthermore, the percentage of recycling for solid industrial waste will be raised to 72 percent by 2015 from 60 percent currently.

Miao said that the ministry would make greater efforts in pushing forward energy saving and emission reduction this year by strictly controlling the number of new projects that are polluting and highly demanding of energies.

It would also step up efforts in eliminating outdated production capacities, promoting energy-saving and emission-control technologies, and encouraging the development of the environmental protection industry. Enditem