Fujian tightens environmental rules for hydropower projects
Shanghai. February 9. INTERFAX-CHINA - China's Fujian Province will begin conducting stricter environmental impact studies before approving new hydropower projects, the provincial government said in a policy notice released Feb. 9.
The local government acknowledged that there has been a degree of environmental damage in recent years as a result of the large number of hydropower projects. The Fujian branch of the 577-kilometer Minjiang River alone is home to more than 1,000 hydropower plants.
"Fujian relies heavily on hydropower," a source with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) told Interfax today. Hydropower accounted for 11.9 percent of the province's energy mix in 2010 and 31.9 percent of total power output, the source said.
"However, we have [come to] realize that over relying on hydropower causes ecological damage, a high cost for future generations," said Zhao.
He added that Fujian will expand its energy sources across the board during the course of the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015), but that hydropower growth would be minimal.
Fujian's Planned Energy Mix Through 2015
| Source | 2010 Installed capacity (GW) | 2015 Installed capacity (GW) | Projected annual growth |
| Thermal power | 19.02 | 25.64 | 34.8% |
| Hydropower | 11.10 | 11.30 | 1.8% |
| Nuclear power | 0 | 7 | / |
| Wind power | 0.73 | 2.5 | 240% |
| Bio-energy sourced power | 0.09 | 0.4 | 444% |
| Solar power | 0 | 0.1 | / |
| Aggregate installed capacity | 34.80 | 52 | 8.4% |
Source: Fujian's 12th Five-Year Energy Development Plan
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