During the recent 2009 New Energy International Forum &Solar Energy Fair, some 331 of the world's leading alternative energy businesses agreed to invest in Sichuan and contribute to the growth of China's alternative energy resources.

According to local officials, there were more than 700 industry specialists from nine different countries participating in the forum. This included representatives from the US, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea and Israel. Noticeably, many domestic and international research institutions were genuinely optimistic about the prospects for Sichuan's new energy industry.

In the province's Shuangliu county, alone, some 40 projects backed by local companies in the solar energy and wind energy sectors, were cited at the conference, leading to raised expectations for the country's investment program.

Liao Weizhong, a senior official with the Sichuan provincial government, said: "To date, the total investment in our new programs is 5.63 billion yuan."

According to Liao, during the forum Shuangliu signed strategic partnerships with a number of the country's leading new energy research associations, including the China Renewable Energy Society and the Chinese Chamber of New Energy Industry.

The Institute of Optics and Electronics of CAS and the Nuclear Power Institute of China also signed strategic cooperation agreements with the county. These agreements will lead to the establishment of a State-level industrial base, focusing on optoelectronic systems and nuclear energy.

Upon completion of these projects, Shuangliu will be positioned as a dedicated new energy center, with an annual related turnover of more than 20 billion yuan.

(China Daily September 10, 2009)