China-US Environment-Enhancing Energy Forum 2010 Held in Beijing

Author: Li Haitao

Source: www.farmer.com.cn

China-US Environment-Enhancing Energy (E -Energy) Forum 2010 organized by China Agricultural University, University of Illinois of the United States, Zhejiang University and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences was held in Beijing on 16-17 August. Nearly 100 environment and energy experts from China and the United States conducted extensive and intensive exchanges on environment-enhancing energy technologies.

Environment management with production of new bioenergy is the main direction of the world biomass energy research. This Forum is aimed to explore emerging and future environment-enhancing energy technologies, realize zero or negative carbon emission of the new generation of liquid hydrocarbon fuels throughout their life cycle, and promote the joint or independent investment and development in the field of environment-enhancing energy by the academic and industrial communities and government agencies of the two countries.

Professor Anthony Leggett, who is winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics and leader of quantum physics recognized by the academic community and has just been accorded the title of Honorary Professor by China Agricultural University, introduced his thoughts on solutions to energy and environmental issues by starting form superconductor. He said a great deal of energy was lost in the transmission process since the place of production was often thousands of kilometers away from the place of consumption at present. The superconductor technology could help to solve energy and environmental issues by reducing the line loss during the energy transmission process.

Speakers at this Forum included Shi Yuanchun, Professor of China Agricultural University and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Cao Xianghong, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Al Darzins, Applied Science Principal Group Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the United States. They discussed the R & D activities and visions on biomass and bioenergy for China and the United States as two major energy consumers in the world in the context of surging demand for oil and other fossil fuels and limited growth potential of energy output.

Shi Yuanchun gave a presentation titled Road Map of Biomass and Bioenergy in China. He stressed, once again, the position that China should give priority to biomass energy in the development of sustainable renewable resources .

Shi Yuanchun considered the straw and stalks of 400 million tons that could be used as energy sources were a huge amount of mineral resources . However, their current applications had a very low efficiency and over 100 million tons of them were burned on bare land, causing air pollution. Therefore, efforts should be made to promote power generation through those resources, which is beneficial for the nation, the environment and farmers. In addition, renewable resources bases based on biomass energy could be built on the sandy land of around 10 million ha in Northern China as vast experiment sites for development of negative-carbon economy and environment-enhancing benefits, which was of great significance for China s ecosystem, environment, energy sources, economy and society. He also noted the raw materials of biogas in China could produce 83 billion Nm³ biogas or 70 billion Nm³ natural gas and have the potential of reducing CO₂emission by 140 million tons.

Professor Anthony Leggett affirmed development of non-fossil energy sources would make great contribution to meeting the increasing demand for energy across the globe. He also pointed out if technical breakthrough could be made in terms of application of nuclear energy and luminous energy to address the issues of safety and low conversion efficiency in the coming four or five decades in addition to the development of biofuels mentioned by the speakers, positive impact would be made on mitigation of inadequacy in energy supply.

(Date: 26 August 2010)