China hydropower to near double by 2020: state media

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Tourists view the Three Gorges Dam in central China's Hubei province. China's hydropower capacity is expected to nearly double to 300,000 megawatts by 2020, state media said, as the nation powers ahead with the development of renewable energy sources.

China's hydropower capacity is expected to nearly double to 300,000 megawatts by 2020, state media said, as the nation powers ahead with the development of renewable energy sources.

Water resources minister Chen Lei, who was quoted by the official Xinhua news agency as giving the target, also said hydropower would play a more important role in China's strategy for energy security in the future.

By the end of 2008, the nation's installed capacity of hydropower was 172,000 megawatts -- the largest in the world -- Chen said according to the report late on Saturday.

China is dependent on highly-polluting coal for 70 percent of its energy needs, and the government is developing renewable sources such as wind and hydropower in a bid to improve the environment and to secure future supply.

(c) 2009 AFP

   

• RayCherry - Sep 21, 2009
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  Does China have enough renewable energy sources to replace the Coal power generation? If so, how long before China can start selling clean power to its neighbours?
  
  Yes, I know that it will take years to reduce Coal to anywhere near zero, but is there a market for Internationally Certified Clean Energy and could China become the first country in the world to reverse their national growth of 'dirty energy' to the point where they can assist their neighbours to do the same?
  
  Is this the new technology international race? It would be very positive for all of us if it were.
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