China completes new biofuel power plant project

China's Jiangsu Province has finished a rice and wheat straw for power project recently in Huaian City of Jiangsu Province, the first project or this nature.

Jiangsu Guoxin Huaian Biomass Electricity Company, Limited (Guoxin Huaian) manages the power plant. Construction started in 2006, with two 15-megawatt generator units and a $40.5 million investment. The first unit began operation on December 10, with another to be finished soon.

Jiangsu Guoxin Investment Group, Limited and Jiangsu New Energy Development Company, Limited, two state-owned companies, joined in the venture by 7:3 in share holding of Guoxin Huaian.

"China produces 660 million tons of rice and wheat straws, in which 200,000 tons can be used as energy source, replacing around 100,000 tons of coal," said Li Xianqiang, General Manager of Guoxin Huaian.

The finished generator unit can burn 200,000 tons of straws every year. In the past, many areas burnt the straw to fertilize the soil, but have caused severe air pollution.

China's rice and wheat straws are soft, with high tenacity and liable to block up the pipes. The disadvantages hinder the ample raw material to be used in power generating.

Guoxin Huaian has set up a technique group to do research in the area, with help from several research centers and business partners, and has got seven patents, with devices made domestically. Guoxin Huaian can now pack, lift up, break and convey straws automatically, integrated with the whole power generating system.

In mid November, National Bio Energy Company, Limited (Beijing) finished a "Corn Stalk for Power" project in Heilongjiang Province, which claimed to be world's first of its kind.

In the Energy Law draft published earlier this month, China’s lawmakers express China’s willingness to boost clean energy and suppress emission, and the central government has said it will grant great benefit to clean energy development.

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