Kerry, you are right in northeast region mainly use coal to generate electricity. As a matter of fact, the whole eastern part of China, including Shanghai, all mainly use coal for electricity. The reason is there is no/little natural gas in eastern region, not because no facilities to use gas to generate electricity. Otherwise China would not have spent billions to transfer natural gas from western to eastern region.
"Scale of the Project
After exhaustive appraisal and due diligence, the relevant state departments have concluded details of the construction plan.
The first phase of construction will involve an investment of 140 billion yuan and will be capable of transporting 12 billion cubic meters of gas annually. The 4,000 km pipeline, with a diameter of 1,016 mm will run eastwards from Lunnan gas field in Xinjiang. Its route will take it through Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu terminating in Baihe Town in Shanghai.
The pipeline will be built in two sections. By the spring of 2004 one section from Jingbian to Shanghai will have been finished. By the summer of 2005, the other section from Lunnan to Jingbian will be completed linking west and east. Pipeline design and construction pay particular care to flexibility in layout, reliability in operation and of course safety."
china.org.cn
And "lack of demand" is only the excuse, down below must have some political reason. I am not surprised if the US or Japan also involved. |
