By Yan Pei
China.org.cn staff reporter in Guangzhou

The Chinese government plans to launch a development plan for new energy within the year, according to Deputy Director of the National Energy Administration Sun Qin, who spoke at the first Asian Energy Forum in Guangzhou on August 9, 2009. The forum aims to provide a platform for energy communication and cooperation among Asian countries.

Sun remarked that China attaches great importance to the development of new energy and renewable energy. He reiterated that the Chinese government is working to promote the application of clean energy, while at the same time stepping up its efforts on the transformation and upgrade of traditional energy.

China's new energy sector, including the industries of hydropower, nuclear power, wind energy, solar power and bio-energy, has had rapid growth in recent years. According to Sun, China's installed wind power capacity reached 12 million kilowatts by the end of 2008, ranking fourth in the world; China's total solar power generation ranks No.1 globally.

In the meantime, China has also made great efforts to clean up traditional energy. By the end of June this year, China had shut down 7,467 small thermal power units with a total capacity or 5.407 million kilowatts, reducing 124 million tons of CO2 emissions and 1.06 million tons of SO2 emissions per year. The research and development, as well as the application of clean coal technologies will remain a key focus in the future new energy development plan, Sun said.

(China.org.cn August 9, 2009)