The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has drafted a mid-and long-term plan for the development of renewable energy for the next 15 years, working out goals, strategic layout, key constructions and safeguards, said Zhang Guobao, vice chairman of NDRC at 2005 Beijing International Renewable Energy Conference.

China attaches great importance to the exploitation and application of renewable energy and has achieved a lot in this regard, said Zhang.

By the end of 2004, the country's hydro power installation capacity had reached 108 million kw, taking up one fourth of the nation's total; the consumption of solar water heater reached 65 million cubic meters; annual use of methane reached five billion cubic meters, providing better conditions for 14 million farmer households; photovoltaic generated power hit 65,000 kw, providing electricity to three million people living in more than 700 remote counties and towns.

According to the primarily finished development plan, by the year 2020 China's total installation capacity of hydro power will reach 290 million kw, with the exploitation rate at around 70 percent; biomass power generation will reach 20 million kw, wind power to reach 30 million kw and solar power 2 million kw, in an effort to lift China's installation capacity of renewable energy to over 30 percent of the national total.

The Chinese government will encourage the use of solar water heaters in urban and rural areas, and the total installed area of thermal collector will reach 300 million square meters by 2020 to replace fossil fuels equivalent to 40 million tons of coal; the use of methane will reach 24 billion cubic meters and that of bio-fuel to reach 50 million tones; meanwhile, liquid fuels based on biological materials will be able to replace 10 million tons of petroleum by the year 2020.

By People's Daily Online