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China pushing for renewable energy and geothermal development in Tibet

China pushing for renewable energy and geothermal development in Tibet Yangbajing geothermal power plant (Source: Panoramio) http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/23173947.jpg
Alexander Richter 18 Jun 2016

China is pushing forward a new initiative for renewable energy development in Tibet, which includes a call for companies to tap into the rich geothermal resources of the region.

According to China Daily, China is looking at speeding up renewable energy development in Tibet over the next 5 years.

The initiative called “putting the environment first,” plans to boost the local economy and increase strategic reserves of clean energy,  Nur Bekri, head of the National Energy Administration, said this week at a conference on Tibet’s energy development held in the regional capital of Lhasa.

The government will construct new hydropower projects to meet local demand, the official said.

In addition, the government encouraged the utilization of solar power, including photovoltaic generation, and called on companies to explore the abundant geothermal sources in Tibet. Earlier this year, the country published studies that described the geothermal energy development potential at 800 MW, as we reported before.

Research will be carried into the feasibility of a pipeline to transport petroleum and natural gas from Golmud City in Qinghai to Lhasa.

By the end of last year, installed power capacity and power generation in Tibet increased by 136 percent and 75 percent, respectively from the 2010 levels, and the number of people having access to the main electric grid rose by around 33 percent from the same period.

Source: China Daily