China's 12th Five-year Plan Will Start Construction on Over 60 Hydropower Projects

Source: China Energy News Net
http://green.news.qq.com/a/20110830/000907.htm

August 30, 2011
(Translation at: http://eng.greensos.cn/ShowArticle.aspx?articleId=1036)

Construction will finish by the end of 2015 on eight large hydropower
zones, each comprising several hydroelectric plants and each producing
tens of millions of kilowatts. By then, the national production of
hydroelectricity will reach 910 billion kilowatt-hours, according to a
report on xinhua.com. An authoritative source reveals that in the coming
12th Five-year Plan of Renewable Energy Resources, hydropower will be
the most prioritized source of renewable energy. During the 12th
Five-year Plan period, China will begin construction on more than 60 key
hydropower projects.

Previously the market expectation predicted six major hydropower zones,
but the goal has now increased to eight. Analysts say that the process
of authorizing hydropower projects has accelerated since the beginning
of this year. This Five-year Plan clearly emphasizes hydropower projects
as a goal, and this emphasis will comprehensively speed up the
activation procedure for such projects and bring about a turning point
for the industry.

Construction to begin on over 60 hydropower projects in five years

The above mentioned source indicated that the next five years will see
construction start on major hydropower zones on the Jinsha River, the
Yalong River, the Dadu River, the Lancang River, the Nujiang River, the
upper main strem of the Yellow River, the Zangbo River in Tibet and one
other river.

It is expected that during the 12th Five-year Plan period, the country's
hydroelectric production will reach about 87.5 million kilowatts. Within
the large hydropower zones, the plants operating on main stem rivers
that will go into operation are Xiluodu, Xiangjiaba, Jinping, Nuozadu,
etc. They are expected to produce about 52 million kilowatts. Sichuan,
Yunnan and other provinces in China will see about 35.5 million
kilowatts generated by their hydroelectric plants on tributary rivers.
By the end of 2015, the net estimated installed capacity of these plants
is expected to reach about 284 million kilowatts. If this estimation is
realized, China will be exploiting 71% of its available hydroelectric
power: 100% of that from eastern and central China and about 54% of the
available hydroelectric power in west China.

The development of pumped-storage hydroelectric plants will accelerate.
A few days ago, the Energy Department issued a statement requesting a
moderate acceleration in the construction of pumped-storage
hydroelectric plants.

According to Zhang Boting, the Assistant Secretary General of the
Chinese Society of Hydroelectric Engineering, the 12th Five-year Plan
has adjusted the construction goal of pumped-storage hydroelectric
plants from 50 to 80 million kilowatts.
Translator: Wang Wen
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