Oct. 15 - Bio-energy will account for one percent of China's renewable energy consumption by 2010, and four percent by 2020, said sources with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on October 13.

 

Bai Jinming, an official with the science, technology and education department of the MOA, said at the start-up ceremony for the project of strategic development of bio-energy in rural China that bio-energy will help China meet its rising demand for energy.

 

The project is jointly launched by the Asian Development Bank and the MOA.

 

Developing bio-energy in rural China will promote the development China's agriculture, along with the rural areas and Chinese farmers, said Bai.

 

Bio-energy has been developing rapidly in China. According to statistics, by the end of 2005, more than 18.07 million peasant households are using methane gas for fuel.

 

More than 3550 bio-energy projects are producing nearly seven billion cubic meters of methane each year, according to the statistics.

 

According to the MOA, China's installed capacity of bio-energy electricity will reach 5.5 million kilowatts by 2010, and 30 million kw by 2020.

 

The annual use of methane gas will be 19 billion cubic meters in 2010 and 40 billion in 2020.