China establishes renewable energy center

The Chinese government on Thursday announced the establishment of a renewable energy policy research center as part of the country's efforts to realize sustainable growth for the world's second-largest economy.

The China National Renewable Energy Center (CNREC) will study and write development strategies and conduct research concerning renewable energy policies, as well as carry out cooperative programs with the international community, government officials said at an opening ceremony for the center.

The center will also help authorities create a "developmental roadmap" for photovoltaic power, wind power, biofuel and other renewable resources, as well as collect and analyze data to be used by energy policymakers.

"To solve the problems facing the renewable energy industry, we must come up with policies and measures that are suitable for the sector," Liu Qi, deputy head of the National Energy Administration, said at the opening ceremony.

Liu, who is reported to be the first chairman of the center's seven-member management committee, said the center will come up with solutions in key fields such as quota distribution and renewable energy-fueled electricity generation.

Funding for the center will come mainly from government allocations and the Sino-Danish Renewable Energy Development Program, a five-year project jointly developed by the Chinese and Danish governments.

China has become the world's biggest investor in renewable energy sources, investing more than 300 billion yuan (47.62 billion U.S. dollars) in renewable energy sources in 2010.