China sets priority tasks to ensure energy supply

BEIJING, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) — China’s top economic planner has set priorities for energy supply as the global energy market faces complicated situations, an official noted Tuesday.

“At present, China’s energy supply is generally stable, but the supply and demand situation and the international market environment are still complicated,” Li Yunqing, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission, told a press conference.

The commission will take a raft of measures to continue to optimize energy production, supply, storage and sales in order to secure energy supply and stabilize prices, said Li.

It will guide coal-producing provinces and enterprises to maintain normal production, sales and delivery during the Spring Festival, and coordinate coal production, transport and sales in a timely manner.

Efforts will be made to promote full production of domestic oil and gas fields and ensure the security and stability of crude oil, pipeline gas and LNG imports.

To facilitate reasonable energy consumption for economic and social development, the commission will coordinate the usage of coal for power generation and as raw material, optimize inter-provincial and inter-regional power allocation and strengthen natural gas supply in the northern region, Li said.

New energy power generation will be also increased through multiple channels. The construction of large-scale wind power photovoltaic projects will be accelerated in desert areas and the energy mix will be optimized.

The commission stressed ensuring a stable and orderly energy supply during important periods including the Spring Festival holiday and the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics while securing the energy supply for winter heating.

Some regions in China reported tight coal and power supply in late September last year. The country has implemented effective policies in response, making “coal prices return to a reasonable range, coal storage in power plants reach a record high for the same period in history, power supply remains stable, and natural gas resources are insufficient to supply,” Li noted.

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