BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- China's hydroelectric power capacity reached 115 million kilowatts at the end of 2005, reports the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

    Between 2000 and 2005, China increased its hydroelectric power capacity by 36 million kw with construction underway on a batch of major hydroelectric power stations and many other facilities starting operations.

    The construction of the Three Gorges Project progressed well during the period and is expected to be completed in the new Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010), according to the NDRC.

    The development of substantial hydroelectric power projects capable of producing 70 million kw of power began during the five-year period, including some in west China as well as the major project linking the power-rich West to the energy-thirsty East.

    To encourage the development of hydroelectric power, the Chinese government carried out a census of the country's water resources. It strengthened the preliminary work on hydroelectric power development and worked on designs for strategic projects.

    To meet the rising energy demand of the country's booming economy, China is paying more and more attention to the development of renewable energies.

    China promulgated a new law on renewable energy in February 2005. The law, which took effect from Jan. 1, 2006, is considered to be of great significance to the development of China's renewable energy industry.

    The medium and long-term development projects for renewable energies designed by the NDRC and other related departments are expected to fulfill China's energy objectives up to 2020 and meet the government's emphasis on renewable energy.

    Furthermore, the Chinese government has announced incentives infinancing and taxation to encourage the development of renewable energies such as wind power, methane and bio-energy.

    According to the NDRC, China's wind power has entered a large-scale development phase. By the end of 2005, China's wind power capacity had reached nearly two million kw.

    Over the last five years, the Chinese government has set out a program for wind power development, which has laid firm foundations for China's wind power ambitions.

    China has also seen progress in the development and use of bio-energy, solar power and geothermal heat in the past five years.

    At the end of 2005, nearly 17 million Chinese rural families were using methane and the number of major methane projects exceeded 2,000.

    According to latest statistics, China's annual methane consumption has reached eight billion cubic meters.

    Experimental bio-power projects involving burning stalks have been started in north China's Hebei, northeast China's Heilongjiang, and east China's Shandong and Jiangsu provinces.

    By the end of 2005, the absorbable capacity of China's solar water heaters had reached 80 million square meters. The energy it produced is equivalent to burning 10 million tons of standard coal.

    China's consumption of renewable energies in the year 2005 was equal to 160 million tons of standard coal, accounting for seven percent of the total energy consumption volume of the country, said the NDRC. Enditem