CBR: What are the greatest challenges to meeting your ambitious targets for power output in 2000 and 2010? Mr Shi: The annual growth of electric power capacity will be 16,000 megawatts (MW). By the year 2000, the total installed capacity will be 290,000 MW and the power output will be 1,400 tegawatt-hours (TWh). By 2010, our target for installed capacity is 500,000 MW to 550,000 MW and the power output 2,500 TWh. By that date, we will have achieved the national interconnection of the different grids, with the Three Gorges project at the centre.
Another target for the year 2000 is to alleviate the lack of electricity for 70 million people in 11 counties, mainly in the rural areas. By 2010, we want to achieve basic electrification of rural areas.
One major significant challenge is the shortage of investment. According to our plan, the central government will provide 40 per cent of the capital, local governments, companies and private investment will provide 40 per cent, and 20 per cent will come from international financial markets.
From the technical point of view, we cannot produce some large-capacity, high-efficiency generation units, like the super-critical units. The nuclear power equipment will be upgraded to a higher capacity.
To protect the environment in the 21st century, we will focus on clean coal combustion technologies . . . We want to achieve energy-saving methods. We will see the energy-saving law approved soon. We will develop the district heating systems and replace the small generating units and high energy-consuming units with large-capacity, high-efficiency and environmentally friendly units.
CBR: What is the role of renewable energy sources? Mr Shi: Currently, we have developed only 15 per cent of the hydropower reserves. That is why we decided to develop projects like the Three Gorges, which can save us 40 million tonnes of coal a year, a great contribution to the environment. Beside the Three Gorges, we are planning to develop projects on the Yellow River, Hongshui River, the Qingjiang River in Hubei province and the Yuanjiang River in Hunan province.
By 2010, we will have achieved the national interconnection of the different networks, so we can transmit electricity across different river ranges. We will be able to transmit electricity from hydropower in the south to the north and extra electricity from coal or hydropower in the north to the south. Premier Li Peng has given us the target during the first decade of the next century to raise the percentage of hydropower [of total energy] to 30 per cent from 24 per cent.