BEIJING, March 13 (Xinhua) -- China's geothermal energy potential roughly
equals 853 billion tonnes of standard coal, and has the potential to
replace coal in energy consumption, the country's energy regulator said
on Thursday.
Current annual exploration of geothermal energy has reached only about
three million tonnes, according to the National Energy Administration
(NEA).
Exploration of geothermal energy will facilitate the restructuring of
energy consumption as coal consumption amounts to about 66 percent of
China's total energy consumption .
It will also reduce air pollution as one geothermal facility can replace
3,000 tonnes of coal each year, saving over 75 million tonnes of carbon
dioxide and 30 tonnes of sulfur dioxide.
