China-US ink deals worth USD 13 bn to boost energy cooperation

Jan 20 (PTI) China and US made a flurry of deals worth about USD 13 billion to boost their cooperation in the field of clean energy, coinciding with the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to the US.

China’’s National Energy Administration and US Department of Energy signed 18 deals worth USD 13 billion on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Second China-US Strategic Forum on Clean Energy Cooperation being held in Washington, Chinese state run China Daily reported today.

The agreements came a day after a 120-member Chinese delegation, led by Vice-Minister of Commerce Wang Chao, signed a number of agreements with businesses in Houston, Texas, worth about USD 600 million.

Among deals, Westinghouse Electric Co extended its nuclear power cooperation agreement with China’’s State Nuclear Power Technology Co Ltd for two years.

The deal will allow Westinghouse to continue its operation of a nuclear power plant in China.

Aris Candris, CEO and President of Westinghouse, told the Daily that the development of nuclear reactors in China has created more than 5,000 jobs for the company and its supply chain in the US.

Alcoa Inc and China Power Investment Corp signed deals on a range of aluminum and clean energy projects worth about USD 7.5 billion.

GE Energy and China’’s Shenhua Group announced a venture to develop clean coal technologies in China.

The Financial Times reported that GE is also signing rail and aviation deals as part of its efforts to create a larger presence in the Chinese market.

At the forum, the China-US Clean Energy Research Centre, an initiative to bring together teams of Chinese and US scientists, unveiled a plan for both nations to develop new clean energy solutions and share technological advances, US Energy Secretary Steven Chu said.

Since the China-US Clean Energy Research Centre was announced in November 2009, the two nations have brought some 100 universities, national laboratories and businesses together to identify key areas in clean energy research, the daily reported.

Under the new plan, three China-US research consortia of universities, laboratories, non-governmental organisations and businesses will delve into new technologies, practices and policies for clean vehicles, energy efficiency and advanced coal technology.

Addressing the forum Wan Gang, China’’s Minister of Science and Technology, said that no country can escape the consequences of heavy reliance on fossil fuels.

Zhang Guobao, head of the China’’s National Energy Administration, said China must embark “on a low-carbon road” and increase its energy efficiency while reducing the intensity of carbon emissions per unit of GDP.

Dennis N Assanis, director of the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute at the University of Michigan, told the Daily that his institute will collaborate with other US institutes and China’’s Tsinghua and Shanghai Jiao Tong universities to explore electric vehicles, battery storage, biofuels, clean combustion, and safe but lightweight vehicle structures.

In other news about energy agreements between China and the US, China’’s National Energy Administration, the US Department of Energy and Peking University’’s College of Engineering signed a letter of intent to bring the international solar decathlon to China in 2013.

During the bi-annual competition, launched in 2002, some 20 collegiate teams must design, build and operate the most attractive, effective and energy-efficient solar-powered house, according to Yu Pingrong, research professor and director of Center of Solar Energy of Peking University.

The teams will have to integrates affordability, consumer appeal and design with optimal energy production.

“I hope the competition will inspire a lot of Chinese college students to open up their minds and build their careers in developing innovative technologies and practices in renewable energy and building energy efficiency,” Yu said.