China to boost biomass-based energy production through 2020
China plans to increase the share of biomass-based energy in its power supply in a bid to reduce reliance on coal and improve air quality.
According to China’s National Energy Administration’s 13th five-year plan, covering the period of 2016 to 2020, the country will achieve biomass energy equivalent of 58 million of tonnes by 2020 the end of the plan.
Despite China producing biomass equivalent to approximately 460 million tonnes of coal annually, most of it is not put to use as the proper technology is not fully in place.
The new five-year plan is a part of China’s attempts to promote the use of non-fossil energy, including biomass energy, to fuel its currently coal-dominated economy in a cleaner way and to improve the country’ notoriously bad pollutions issues.
The Chinese government wants to increase the share of non-fossil energy in the energy mix to 20% by 2030 from the current level of 11%.
China ratified the Paris climate agreement, which legally requires it to cut back on its greenhouse gas emissions, back in September with the US.
“I have said many times that green mountains and clear water are as good as mountains of gold and silver. To protect the environment is to protect productivity and to improve the environment is to boost productivity,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the time.
“We will unwaveringly pursue sustainable development and stay committed to green, low-carbon and circular development and to China’s fundamental policy of conserving resources and protecting the environment,” he vowed.
This article was written by Ilari Kauppila, deputy editor at Bioenergy Insight
