According to a report from the Vietnam News Agency dated May 18, 2006, China plans to use biofuels to replace 10 million tons of petroleum products by 2020 to alleviate domestic energy pressure.
Speaking at the Forum on Decentralized Sustainable Energy Solutions, Han Wenke, Deputy Director of the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China, stated that China strives to increase alternative energy sources by an additional 400-500 million tons of coal equivalent by 2020, with this clean energy accounting for 10% of annual energy consumption.
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China is seizing every opportunity to reduce its reliance on fossil fuel sources such as oil and coal. In the picture: A wind power generation area in China (Source: Greenpeace) |
It is anticipated that out of the 360 million kW of renewable electricity, 300 million kW will come from hydropower, 30.15 million kW from wind power, 30 million kW from biomass energy, and 1.8 million kW from solar energy.
The production of liquid biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel is expected to reach 12 million tons, potentially replacing about 12 million tons of petroleum products.
The rising crude oil prices have encouraged investments in alternative energy sources. According to the Worldwatch Institute, in 2004, global production of ethanol and biodiesel exceeded 30 billion liters, accounting for 3% of total gasoline consumption worldwide.
Currently, China’s ethanol production from corn is 1.02 million tons per year, experimental ethanol production from sweet sorghum is 5,000 tons per year, and biodiesel production stands at 20,000 tons per year.
The pilot program for blending ethanol into gasoline in several provinces of China has shown promising initial results, and the country plans to expand this initiative to other provinces in the near future.
