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Renewable Energy Use to Jump to 2 Percent
The State Economic and Trade Commission (SETC) says the nation will increase its use of alternative and renewable energy 10-fold within 15 years, easing the nation's dependence on coal.
So by 2015, it's projected that 2 per cent of China's total energy consumption will be from renewable sources.
Currently, wind power, solar energy, hydropower and other renewable energy sources account for 0.2 per cent of the total annual commercial energy use in China, SETC officials said.
"Attaining the 2015 goal means that coal used in China will be cut by 60 million tons a year, which can reduce carbon dioxide emissions alone by 30 million tons," Bai Rongchun, a SETC division director, said Thursday in Beijing.
Coal accounts for 75 per cent of China's energy use. In 1999, China consumed 1.3 billion tons of coal, which is largely responsible for air pollution, Bai said.
With China a signatory country of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, government officials have been working to readjust energy use, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect global environment by developing alternative and renewable energy sources, he said.
Research on alternative energy sources has accelerated, Bai said.
Bai said two-thirds of China enjoy 2,200 hours of sunlight every year - that's an average of six hours a day. That means there's the potential to develop solar energy, Bai added.
Wind power is another viable energy source, Bai said. The country's wind power potential is estimated at 253 million kilowatts. In addition, geothermal energy reserves could exceed the equivalent of 200 billion tons of coal, he said.
"Solar, wind and biomass energy are expected to become the effective clean energy provider in China in the coming century," Bai said.
China's energy supply and related equipment manufacturing industries are projected to annually generate business worth 67 billion yuan (US$8.1 billion) by 2015, when the energy sector will provide 500,000 jobs, he said.
Bai's commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology, the State Environmental Protection Administration are sponsoring a four-day international environment, renewable energy and energy efficiency exhibition and conference that begins November 28 in Beijing.
It is organized by China International Science Centre and China Association of Energy Conservation and is supported by the UN Development Programme.
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