New Chinese energy to be 12% of consumption

China New Energy Policy prioritizes nuclear power while scaling wind, solar, and hydropower under NDRC and five-year plans, targeting 12-13% non-fossil energy soon and 20% by 2020 to curb coal and oil reliance.

According to the 12th five-year plan (2011-15), which focuses on new energy, including wind, solar and nuclear power, and is under final review, China's proportion of new energy in overall energy consumption will reach 12% to 13% by 2015, said Han Wenke, director of Energy Research Institute, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), recently.

The Chinese government will continue to launch a series of policies to support new energy development and renewed efforts to clean up the sector, most of which will focus on nuclear power. New energy is likely to be included in the nation's development plan on Strategic and New Emerging Industries.

For the 12th five-year plan, the most important objective is to accelerate the industrialization of new energies including wind and solar during the final year. "The proportion of non-fossil energy will reach 12%, and we will try our best to achieve a higher level of 13%," said Han Wenke.

According to the 11th five-year plan on Energy Development published by the NDRC in April 2007, amid rapid renewable development across China today, the proportion of nuclear power, hydropower and other renewable energy will reach 9% of total consumption of primary energy in 2010. The proportion of new energy in overall energy consumption will reach 20% by 2020.

The Middle and Long-term Development Plan on Renewable Energy, published in 2007, says that China's total installed capacity of solar power generation will reach 300 megawatts (MW) by 2010, and 1.8 gigawatts (GW) by 2020; the total installed capacity of wind power will reach 5 GW by 2010 and 30 GW by 2020. So far, preparation of the new energy development plan has been completed and reviewed several times, as China predicts strong prospects for the sector, and is now under final review. The new plan is expected to be launched shortly.

Currently, China relies heavily on fossil energy, even as it races ahead of the U.S. in green investment to shift its mix, such as coal and oil; of which, coal and oil account for 69% and 20% of the total, respectively; natural gas accounts for 3.4%; and non-fossil energy, such as hydropower, wind power and nuclear power, accounts for only 7%.

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