Source: CCTV.com

01-14-2008 11:25

The latest data shows China's installed electricity generating capacity reached over 700 gigawatts at the end of 2007, in line with lower-end expectations for last year's expansion.

The latest data shows China's installed electricity generating capacity reached over 700 gigawatts at the end of 2007.(Photo:sohu.com)

According to the statistics released by the China Electricity Council the new capacity implies a rise of 100 gigawatts of generating capacity put into production in China last year.

Hu Zhaoguang, an Expert said "700 gigawatts means China is the second largest power producer in the world. The installed electricity generating capacity in the United States was more than 900 gigawatts. The newly added capacity last year alone was equivalent to more than all of Britain's power stations."

Currently, the majority of the capacity is fueled by coal, which supplies more than three quarters of the country's electricity. Water-generated power accounted for 20 percent of the whole. Other clean energy including wind power and nuclear power generating capacity has seen great development but still accounts for less than 2 percent of the total.

Zhou Dadi, Expert of National Development and Reform Commission said "The rapid increase of the power generating capacity has eased the situation of China's shortage of electricity, so now we can eliminate some small and old coal and fuel oil-burning power stations."

The country has pledged to cut the energy used to generate each yuan of national income by 20 percent by 2010. In 2007, China planned to replace 10 gigawatts of capacity at small power stations with larger-scale generators, saving up to 13.6 million tons of coal a year.

 

Editor:Xiong Qu