China's energy development is shifting from "quantity first" to "quality first": expert

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The mindset for China's energy development is changing from "quantity first" to "quality first," with top priority given to clean, low-carbon, safe and highly efficient new energy, instead of just ensuring energy supply, a Chinese energy expert said on Thursday.

With the economy in the midst of a new normal of growth, China's energy development is witnessing a slowing consumption growth and a general easing of supply and demand, among other factors, said Xu Xiaodong, deputy president of China's Electric Power Planning & Engineering Institute.

"The growth rate of energy consumption is low. ... The major driver for energy consumption is shifting from energy-intensive heavy industries to emerging industries, commercial and residential uses," he said at the sidelines of the ongoing CERAWeek, an annual international gathering of energy industry leaders, experts, and government officials in Houston, Texas, in the US.

The silhouettes of attendees are seen during the 2017 IHS CERAWeek conference in Houston, Texas, US, on March 6, 2017. /CFP Photo‍

In 2016, China's total primary energy demand was 4.4 billion tons of standard coal, up 1.4 percent from 2015, remaining at a relatively low level for recent years, he said.

During China's energy transformation, the share of non-fossil fuels grew to 13.5 percent in 2016, up 1.4 percentage points from 2015, while the share of coal dropped by 1.7 percentage points.

Impacted by the reductions in coal and oil production, China's total energy production decreased in 2016 for the first time since 2000, with national total primary energy production at 3.5 billion tons of standard coal, 4.2 percent lower than that in 2015.

China has become the top country in the world for hydro, wind and solar installations, Xu added.

(Source: Xinhua)