China Maintains Sustainable Energy DevelopmentChina is stepping up rational and sustainable development of both conventional and renewable energy sources to meet the country's growing demand for energy.According to the China Energy Research Society (CERS), China is carrying out a series of energy reforms focusing on developing natural gas and electricity in the western part of the country. Energy industry will vigorously develop petroleum, gas and nuclear power and other new and renewable energy sources, said a senior expert with CERS. He noted China will launch a series of strategic drives in the next century. In the coal sector, the focus of production will be shifted to China's western region. Efforts will be made to expand the Shenfu and Dongsheng coal fields between Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, and improve coal transportation. The country will speed up the construction of terraced hydropower stations in river valleys and the construction of power stations near coal mines. In developing the petroleum industry, priority will be given to oil and gas exploration in western China and in offshore areas. In this way, a network of energy-supply bases will be set up nationwide. Namely, Sichuan, Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia region and Xinjiang will focus on gas development. Petroleum will be largely produced by the major oilfields of Daqing, Shengli and Xinjiang as well as the offshore oilfields. Provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Heilongjiang, Guizhou and Inner Mongolia will be China's major coal suppliers. The upper reaches of the Yellow River and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will be bases for supplying hydropower nationwide. China plans to double its gas production capacity to 30 billion cu.m. by 2005, the majority of which will come from the Shaanxi- Gansu-Ningxia region, Sichuan province and Xinjiang. In addition, Ningxia is developing a thermal power production base with installed generating capacity exceeding 10 million kilowatts. Shaanxi plans to expand its coal production capacity and installed power generating capacity to 100 million tons and 10 million kilowatts, respectively. Priority will be given to the development of hydropower on the upper reaches of the Yellow River. Along with the development of conventional energy sources, China will pay attention to the development of geothermal energy, solar energy and tidal energy, to optimize the structure of energy consumption. |
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