China to further streamline energy layout amid `new normal`
Source: www.chinamining.org Citation: Xinhua Date: March 6, 2015
China will spare no effort to further optimize the country`s energy structure as the world`s largest producer and consumer of energy enters a "new normal", a senior energy official said.
Nur Bekri, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and head of the National Energy Administration (NEA), vowed to take steps to implement an action plan on energy development for 2014-2020, which was released last November by the State Council, in an interview published on the NEA`s official website on Thursday.
In the plan, the State Council promised more efficient, self-sufficient, green and innovative energy production and consumption.
It also set a cap on annual primary energy consumption to 4.8 billion tonnes of the standard coal equivalent by 2020.
"As the Chinese economy has phased into a `new normal`, the energy consumption growth rate should also shift gears," said Nur, forecasting annual growth of China`s primary energy consumption will slow to around 3.4 percent by 2020.
China has to strike a balance between growth and structural optimization as it is now in a "new normal" state, featuring a moderate economic growth rate. The world`s second largest economy finished 2014 with a 7.4 percent GDP growth rate, the weakest annual expansion in 24 years. Its growth target this year was further lowered to 7 percent.
Primary energy refers to the energy embodied in natural resources, prior to undergoing any human-made conversions or transformations.
Coal consumption accounts for about 66 percent of China`s primary energy consumption for the time being, 35 percentage points higher than the world average, according to Nur.
Chinese energy consumption has had an average annual growth of 7.9 percent since 2000, 3.4 percentage points higher than that of the last 20 years of the 20th century.
In order to cut the share of coal in energy consumption, China will increase construction of natural gas pipelines in order to reach a total length of 120,000 kilometers, said Nur.
He reiterated the goal of nuclear power expansion to 58 gigawatts by 2020, with 30 gigawatts or more expected from power stations under construction. Installed capacity of hydropower, wind and solar power are expected to stand at 350 gigawatts, 200 gigawatts and 100 gigawatts, respectively.
"Geothermal energy consumption in China will hit a scale of 50 million tons of standard coal equivalent." He added.
About CHINA MINING
Since first held in 1999, the scope and influence of CHINA MINING has grown rapidly year by year. As a global mining summit forum and exhibition, CHINA MINING Congress and Expo has become one of the world’s top mining events, and one of the world’s largest mining exploration, development and trading platforms, covering all aspects of the whole mining industry chain, including geological survey, exploration and development, mining rights trading, mining investment and financing, smelting and processing, mining techniques and equipment, mining services, etc. playing an active promotion role in creating exchange opportunities and enhancing mutual cooperation between domestic and foreign mining enterprises.
CHINA MINING Congress and Expo 2015 will be held at Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin on November 20th-23rd, 2015. We invite you to join the event and to celebrate the 17th anniversary of CHINA MINING with us. For more information about CHINA MINING 2015, please visit: www.chinaminingtj.org.
