Prospects for Sino-EU cooperation in green energy
May 31, 2012 Category Alternative energy, Environment
Cooperation in the development of green technology is another area that can draw China and Europe closer together, said Han Wenke, Director General of the Energy Research Institute under the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). France is at the forefront of nuclear technologies, while Denmark is strong in wind power, and Germany excels in solar energy. “Over the past five years, China has led the world in the rate at which it has installed new clean energy generating capacity,” said Phyllis Cuttino, Director of the clean energy program for the Pew Charitable Trusts, a Washington-based research group. A recent Pew report said China’s investment in clean energy totaled USD45.5 billion in 2011, which meant it fell behind the United States for the first time since 2009. “Still, China is leading the world in the production of wind turbines and solar modules,” Cuttino said. China aims to increase the proportion of non-fossil fuels to 15% of primary energy consumption by 2020, and technology is the key to realizing the potential of China’s clean energy market, she said. EU countries have core technologies and research funding, while China has a huge market and plentiful resources, said Zhang Min, Director of the Department of Science and Technology Policy Studies under the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). “But there are problems that need to be addressed ― such as the slow pace of technology transfer ― that hinder the effectiveness of new energy cooperation,” Zhang said. Overcapacity is another issue facing China’s emerging green energy industry, Zhang added. A large number of Chinese companies have entered the clean energy market, leading to a surplus in the green energy equipment industry in China, the China Daily reports.
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