China to cut 800 mln tons of coal consumption annually in 2016-2020

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China will cut 800 million tons of coal consumption annually during the 13th Five-Year period (2016-2020), in an effort to improve coal use and promote the use of clean energy.

The share of non-fossil fuels will have risen to more than 15 percent and the share of natural gas should reach 10 percent, deputy head of the National Energy Administration Li Yangzhe said Thursday at a press conference.

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Currently, non-fossil fuels account for around 11 percent of total energy consumption in China, while natural gas accounts for less than six percent.

The increase in non-fossil fuels and natural gas will account for more than 68 percent of total expected increase in energy consumption, meaning that clean and low-carbon energy sources will become a major part of the energy supply during the 2016-2020 period, Li further explained.

CFP Photo

Many Chinese cities have suffered from frequent winter smog in recent years, triggering widespread public concern. The latest plan for the energy sector involves the Chinese central government’s new move to cut outdated production capacity and improve air quality. A number of inspection teams have been dispatched to provincial regions to supervise environmental measures at key industrial enterprises.