China To Attract More Social Fund In Energy Sectors

　　BEIJING, Dec. 4 (Xinhua)-- China aims to lower the market threshold and absorb more social capital forstate grid, pipelines, clean energy and mineral resources projects, thecountry's top economic planner announced Thursday.

　　The decision is a partof the move to fully mobilize social investment and maintain the pivotal roleof investment in stabilizing economic growth, said Li Pumin, spokesman with theNational Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

　　The NDRC has given outsimilar urges in the sectors including food, water, transport, environmentalprotection and elder care last week.

　　The State Council,China's Cabinet, issued a guideline on Nov. 26, saying that they will furtherease market access to key industries in a bid to spur investment throughinnovating financing and investment regimes.

　　Li said easier marketaccess should further break industrial monopolies, reduce market barriers andcreate a fairer investment environment, so as to rejuvenate the market.

　　Han Shui, director ofthe electricity department at the National Energy Administration (NEA), said 12power transmission channels have been planned from west to east, expected tocut down the use of 100 million tonnes of coal per year in China's easternareas.

　　Three of the 12 are nowunder construction with a tot(Source: huanqiu.com)al investment of 68.3 billionyuan, which will provide electricity of 90 billion kilowatt-hours every yearand decrease coal cost of 27 million tonnes in eastern areas of Beijing,Tianjin, Shandong, Hebei and the Yangtze River Delta, Han added.

　　As important cleanenergies, solar and nuclear power are among the most important of China'senergy sectors in need of a push from social capital.

　　Zhu Ming, deputy directorof the NEA's new and renewable energy department, said the central governmentis promoting the pilot zones of distributed PV power generation.

　　He said 18 approvedpilot zones will provide 1.82 million kilowatt-hours by the end of 2015,attracting social capital of 16 billion yuan.

　　The issues of increasingsubsidies and easing financing are have been improved through betteradministration and policy supports, Zhu said.

　　Nuclear power generationtakes up only 2 percent of the total in China, much lower than the worldaverage 15 percent, director of the NEA's nuclear department Liu Baohua said.

　　As a green energy withhigh-density, nuclear power is crucial in the country's long-term energysecurity. The State Council has announced to restart nuclear power generationprojects in coastal areas with the world's highest safety standard, Liu said.

　　China suspended theapprovals of all the nuclear power generation projects after the Fukushimanuclear crisis in 2011.

　　Meanwhile, several other officials also stressed theimportant role of social capital in boosting sectors of mineral resources andtelecommunications.