China's power generating capacity rose by 20.3 percent
year-on-year to reach 622 million kilowatts at the end of last
year.
Of the total, the capacity of hydro-electric power plants was
more than 128 million kilowatts, up 9.5 percent year-on-year, and
the capacity of thermal power plants exceeded 484 million
kilowatts, up 23.7 percent.
China has also made progress in developing new energies, such as
nuclear, wind power, geothermal and biomass energies, excluding
conventional resources such as coal, oil, natural gas and
hydropower, according to the China Electricity Council (CEC), a
consolidated organization for all China's power enterprises and
institutions.
CEC figures show that China was operating nuclear power plants
with a combined generating capacity of 6.85 million kilowatts and
wind power plants with a combined capacity of 1.87 million
kilowatts, up 76.7 percent year-on-year, at the end of last
year.
Thirty-four straw-burning power plants were being built in rural
areas at the end of 2006 with a total installed capacity of 1.2
million kw.
They include three plants with a combined capacity of 240,000
kilowatts have already begun operating in Shandong, Jiangsu and
Hebei provinces, according to China's National Development and
Reform Commission (NDRC).
Experts said the government had been forced to develop new
energy due to shortages of resources and environmental
pressure.
China is rich in new energy and sustainable energy
resources.
The country boasts a potential wind power capacity of 253
million kilowatts and a proved reserve of geothermal power totaling
3.16 billion tons of coal equivalent.
Under the government's development plan, by 2010, the overall
generating capacity will reach 800 million kw, of which 35 percent
would be "clean power" generated from hydropower, nuclear energy
and other forms of new energy including straw-fueled electricity
generation.
(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2007)