China's Coal Consumption to Reach 4.31 Billion Metric Tons by 2015

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Although in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) the Chinese government had proposed to limit annual coal consumption to 4 billion metric tons of coal, the total consumption of China will still reach 4.31 billion metric tons of standard coal in 2015, according to a research report issued by the Energy and Environmental Policy Center, Beijing Institute of Technology, on January 15, 2011.

The National Energy Administration has stated in the proposal for the 12th Five-Year Plan that the total energy consumption will be controlled, but no specific indicators have been given. Insiders believe that China is still in the process of industrialization and urbanization, and that the country's energy demand and consumption will continue to grow in the coming years.

The report predicts that the annual average economic growth of China during the 12th Five-Year Plan will be lower than that of the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10), but the rate will be as high as 9.7%. Although the central government might set the annual economic growth target at about 7%, the actual growth rate may be higher, as most local governments have set their targets higher than 10%.

The control of coal consumption is a long-term objective for China, although obtaining significant results by 2015 will prove difficult. 2030 seems a more feasible year to achieve the objective. In the next five years, consumption of natural gas will experience growth, and the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption will surpass 11%. Carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 2.4 billion metric tons in 2015. However, coal-fired power will remain the major power source in China through 2015.

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