China Lauches Large-Scale Renewable Energy Plan

Hepeng Jia
5 September 2007
Source: SciDev.Net

[BEIJING] China has released an ambitious plan to develop renewable energy to cut its surging carbon dioxide emissions.

The 'Middle and Long-term Development Plan of Renewable Energies' promises to derive ten per cent of China's energy supply from renewables by 2010 and 15 per cent by 2020.

The plan was published yesterday (4 September) by China's energy watchdog, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

"I know these big targets [for renewables] have not been made by many countries, and they are also a great challenge to us," said Chen Deming, vice-chairman of NDRC, at a news conference.

The total investment needed to meet the 2020 goal will be two trillion yuan (US$133.3 billion), according to the plan.

China plans to increase its annual hydropower generating capacity from 170 million kilowatts in 2005 to 300 million kilowatts by 2020. It also seeks to increase the production of plant-based ethanol from one million tonnes to ten million tonnes, and its wind power generating capacity from 1.3 million kilowatts to 30 million kilowatts by 2020.

Science and Development Network; Sept. 5, 2007