Sinopec to increase clean energy capacity

China Petroleum& Chemical Corp has pledged to increase its share of clean energy production capacity to more than 50 percent within six years, through increasing its output of natural gas, shale gas and related facilities.

The company, also known as Sinopec, said it aims to open 1,000 more natural gas vehicle fueling stations within six years, boosting its annual natural gas supply capacity to 60 billion cubic meters, with gas pipelines in operation reaching 10,000 kilometers and its LNG receiving and transferring capacity exceeding 26 million metric tons per year by 2023.

As a major supplier of geothermal heating in China, the company, which is also the nation's largest oil refiner, aims to boost its geothermal heating capacity to 120 million cu m by 2023, accounting for 40 percent of the domestic market, said Lyu Dapeng, spokesperson of the company.

According to Lyu, in order to achieve the target, the company will further enhance its output of natural gas, shale gas and coal bed gas, while stepping up efforts to construct natural gas net works, LNG receiving stations and terminals, and gas storage facilities.

By 2023, the company's natural gas supply, reaching 60 billion cu m annually, will be able to satisfy some 15 to 20 percent of domestic demand, providing enough clean energy for the annual gas consumption of 320 million urban residents, it said.

Geothermal heating will also provide clean energy heating to more than 2.1 million urban residents by 2023, particularly in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan, Shanxi and Shaanxi.

In 2016, by replacing coal with geothermal energy, the geothermal heating area in Xiongxian county, part of Xiongan New Area, reached 4.5 million square meters, making it the first region to achieve Sinopec's target of becoming a smokeless area.

The company wants to create 20 smokeless areas during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), covering 100 million square meters.

"China accounts for one-sixth of the world's geothermal energy. At present, available geothermal power each year is equivalent to 640 million tons of standard coal, which can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.3 billion tons," Lyu said.