Geothermal power is a better option for electric power supply in southwest China's Tibetan Autonomous Region as the region is very short of oil and natural gas resources but abundant in geothermal resources, said experts.

Tibet accounts for over 80 percent of high-temperature geothermal resources nationwide.

Geothermal energy development is not restricted by seasons and daily time changes as is hydraulic power, and is undertaken at lower cost compared with the use of wind and solar energy, said HuXiancai, president of the region's geothermal geological prospecting institute, Tuesday.

Tibet is home to 706 geothermal areas, more than 340 of which are exploitable and contain energy equal to 31.53 billion tons of coal. said Hu.

He acknowledged that 53 geothermal fields in Tibet which effuse water with temperature of over 80 degrees Celsius are equivalent to 298.8-megawatt power generators.

Geothermal fields have been found along the Qinghai-Tibet railway route which is under construction and their exploitation will help fuel economic development along the line, said Hu.

So far, three geothermal power plants built in Tibet have a combined installed capacity of 28.18 megawatts, with the plant in Yangbajian generating more than 100 million kwh of electricity a year.

About 80 geothermal fields with middle-and-lower water temperature are widely used for heating, chemical industry, plantation, aquatic cultivation, tourism as well as medical treatment purposes, said the expert.

(Xinhua News Agency December 2, 2003)