A contract was signed between China and the Netherlands in early
January to promote the comprehensive development and utilization of
renewable energy in western China's countryside. The project,
sponsored by the China Association of Rural Energy Industry
(CAREI), received investment of 5.3 million euros (US$5.57 million)
from the Dutch government and 5.4 million Yuan (US$652,174) of
subsidiary funds from the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture.
Dr. Philip de Heer, Netherlands Ambassador to China, and Deng
Keyun, chairman of CAREI, took part in the signing.
China is the world's second biggest energy consumer. With energy
consumption expanding dramatically, it is confronted with pressures
both from economic development and environmental protection,
especially in western China where ecological conditions are
increasingly worsening. The Ministry of Agriculture and related
departments have attached great importance to the development and
utilization of renewable energy for ecological improvement,
pollution control and to enable rural people to escape from
poverty.
Supported by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation
and Ministry of Agriculture, CAREI asked the Dutch government to
give free technical assistance to the project.
This is planned to start with technical introduction and personnel
training. Twelve counties in Gansu, Hunan, Hubei and Sichuan
provinces have been chosen as trial bases where the project
spreading mechanism, standard quality systems, and a monitoring
network will be established in the next four years.
The project is to comprehensively develop and utilize the area's
renewable energy sources, including solar energy, wind power,
hydroelectricity and terrestrial heat; expand the utilization
scale; raise management standards; improve consumer energy
structures; establish a sustainable development and utilization
system of consumer energy suitable for rural people living in
different areas; and promote the realization of the goals of the
western region development strategy.
(China.org.cn translated by Zhang Tingting, January 17, 2003)