China Energy Sector Analysis

China energy industry consumption is estimated to reach 1629 Million Tons of oil equivalent in year 2006. Non-fossil fuels, especially coal (it accounted for 69% of the total energy consumption in 2005) & oil (21%), are the major sources for energy in China. With the China's objective to secure energy for future & to look for and embrace clean renewable energy sources is expected to grow at rapid pace.

Key Findings

- Energy efficiency is the major issue for Chinese energy industry. E.g., if national commercial and residential codes are well enforced, they could reduce carbon emissions by 49 Million Tons in 2020, displacing the need for 23 large (1,000-megawatt) coal-fired power plants.

- Natural gas accounted only for 3% of China energy mix in year 2005. For this, Chinese government has see the target of 10% till the year 2010. With limited natural gas reserves, it is expected that to meet set target, China will emerge as big natural gas importer in near future.

- To ensure supply diversity, China aimed to reduce dependence upon oil & gas, which will offer immense opportunities for renewable energy source. Although China's share of renewable energy will rise in future but coal is expected to be the major source for energy in near term.

- In China's biodiesel industry, principal difficulty is the lack of eligible sources of production e.g. China is a net importer (in fact, it is the largest importer in the world) in all the major edible vegetable oils.

- China registered rapid growth in solar cell production. In only 2-3 years (roughly from 2003 to 2005), solar cell production share of the country increased from 1.07% to 8% with respect to the world, only after Japan and Europe. In wind energy, China's abundant inland and offshore wind energy resources provide potential for large-capacity in-grid wind farms.