Energy

State Grid sees big role for clean tech

By Wan Zhihong (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-11-03 10:42

BEIJING - State Grid Corp of China, which manages power supply in 26 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, said clean energy is expected to account for 29.2 percent of total installed capacity in the area by the end of 2015.

It would have 100 million kilowatts in wind and solar power generating capacity by the end of 2015, said Shu Yinbiao, the company's vice-president.

Development of green energy is a key task for State Grid during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), said Shu. Clean energy, including hydro, nuclear, wind and solar, is among the most dynamic industries in China.

For example, China has the world's largest number of nuclear reactors under construction at present. Nuclear power is expected to account for 8 percent of the country's total power capacity by 2020, they said.

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China now has 10.8 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity under operation, which accounts for around 1 percent of China's total power capacity, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA).

Other clean energies, like wind and solar power, have also experienced massive growth in China in recent years. The domestic wind power industry has seen over 100 percent annual growth in the past five years.

The national energy plan for 2011 to 2015 will be published in March at the earliest, according to Wu Yin, deputy administrator of the NEA. The plan will be unveiled only after the full national economic plan is published, he said.

The development of clean energies, including nuclear, hydro, wind and solar power will certainly be highlighted in the 12th Five-Year Plan for the energy industry, said Li Junfeng, deputy director-general of the Energy Research Institute under the National Development and Reform Commission.

The development of clean energy is essential for China to achieve its energy and environmental targets, said Li. The country has pledged to increase the proportion of non-fossil energy in primary energy consumption to 15 percent by 2020, and to reduce carbon intensity by 40 to 45 percent by 2020 from the 2005 level.