China on Wednesday issued the 2012 edition of a white paper on its energy policy to elaborate on the world's largest energy producer's policies on energy development, conservation and the promotion of renewable power sources.

The white paper, titled "China's Energy Policy 2012," was released by the Information Office of the State Council, or China's cabinet.

During the 1981-2011 period, China's energy consumption increased by 5.82 percent annually, underpinning the 10-percent annual growth of the national economy, said the white paper.

China has built up a comprehensive energy supply system comprising coal, electricity, petroleum, natural gas, and new and renewable resources, according to the document.

Its universal energy service and civil energy use conditions have markedly improved since China adopted the policy of reform and opening up in the late 1970s, it said.

In 2011, China's output of primary energy equaled 3.18 billion tons of standard coal, ranking it first in the world. Of this, raw coal reached 3.52 billion tons; crude oil, 200 million tons; and refined oil products, 270 million tons.

Meanwhile, the output of natural gas ballooned to 103.1 billion cu m. Installed electricity generating capacity reached 1.06 billion kw, and the country's annual output of electricity was 4.7 trillion kwh.

From 2006 to 2011, China's energy consumption for every 10,000 yuan of gross domestic product (GDP) dropped by 20.7 percent, saving energy equivalent to 710 million tons of standard coal.

China issued a comprehensive work plan on energy conservation and emissions reduction in 2007, which set exacting goals for the energy consumption of major sectors, including industry, construction and transportation.

China's energy development must follow a path of high technology content, low consumption of resources, light environmental pollution, sound economic returns, as well as energy security, the paper said.

By the end of 2015, China will lower its energy consumption per unit of GDP by 16 percent from 2010 and lower its carbon dioxide emission per unit of GDP by 17 percent, according to the country's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015).

China will actively develop hydropower, solar power and wind power generation, seek safe and efficient ways of developing nuclear power, as well as utilize biomass energy and other types of renewable energy, according to the white paper.

China plans to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to 11.4 percent and increase that of installed generating capacity from non-fossil fuels to 30 percent by the end of 2015, the paper added.

In 2011, China's installed generating capacity of hydropower reached 230 million kw, ranking it first in the world. Fifteen nuclear power generating units were put into operation, with a total installed capacity of 12.54 million kw. Another 26 units, still under construction, were designed with a total installed capacity of 29.24 million kw, another world-leading figure.

Meanwhile, China again topped the world in wind power, with an installed generating capacity connected with power grids of 47 million kw.

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