Government and Policy

China to ensure energy supplies

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-01-28 21:55

BEIJING - China will take measures to ensure energy supplies in 2011 to meet growing demand, a National Energy Administration (NEA) official said Friday.

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The government will boost energy production and control consumption, Wang Siqiang, deputy director of the NEA General Affairs Department, said at a press conference on China's 4th-quarter of 2010 energy situation.

Wang did not specify an energy consumption control target.

Coal supply will be improved with the construction of 14 large coal bases and increased imports, he said.

Net coal imports totaled 146 million tonnes in 2010, he said.

Installed electricity capacity is forecast to expand by 80 million kilowatts in 2011 to 1.04 billion kilowatts, he added.

China will focus on offshore oil and gas exploitation during the 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015) period, he said.

Offshore oil and gas output exceeded 50 million tonnes in 2010, he said.

The Chinese energy sector has faced difficulties in recent years, including imported inflation and extreme weather events, making energy product price reform difficult, he added.