During the 10th Five-Year Plan period (2001-05), the Chinese power industry will develop rapidly. Having reached the goal of building a national power grid, the industry will speed up work on transmitting electricity from west to east and mutually supplying electricity between south and north China on a larger scale. According to statistics, nationwide investment in the power industry will reach 600 billion yuan in the next five years. Construction of large-scale hydropower and thermal power stations will soon begin. Such large-scale power construction poses a challenge for environmental protection.

To protect green hills and clean water, the SPC will increase the proportion of hydropower during the 10th Five-Year Plan period, and the construction of 22 hydropower stations capable of generating 20.8 million kw will get under way. Meanwhile, the promotion and exploration of new energy sources and new technology will be intensified. Clean energy, natural gas-powered generating stations and wind-powered generating stations will occupy a higher proportion of power industry development. The SPC has drawn up regulations concerning the treatment of waste water and ash from the construction of hydropower stations, and about planting trees and grass on dams. The company also attaches great importance to environmental protection at thermal power stations and has adopted measures such as increasing investment in the treatment of sewage water and setting standards for pollutant emissions. In all new projects, there must be room for environmental protection projects, and the quality of those projects must reach required standards.

During the 10th Five-Year Plan period, the SPC will strengthen technological innovation and invest more than 4.78 billion yuan to improve units that currently generate 5.4 million kw. At the same time, thermal power stations with serious noise and dust pollution will be closed, as will several small facilities that now generate a total of 6.22 million kw.

(Xinhua News Agency 06/19/2001)