China will adopt a more open attitude toward international science and technology cooperation and exchanges in energy conservation and emissions reduction, a senior official from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) said on Thursday.

"We plan to work with other countries to establish a global technological cooperative platform for energy, resources and environment," Zhang Laiwu, vice minister of MST, said at a press conference organized by the State Council Information Office.

China has signed 104 science and technology cooperative agreements, including the China-European Union Science and Technology Partnership Agreement. The agreements are with 97 countries. Climate change, energy and environmental protection are the priorities for cooperation, according to the ministry.

China and the EU have signed a phase-II cooperative agreement on near-zero emissions power generation, Zhang said.

The country has actively taken part in the implementation of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) and other major international science and technology cooperative programs as well as science projects.

China and the United States have set up a China-US Clean Energy Research Center. The China-Germany Electric Vehicle Cooperative Project has also been launched.

Ministry figures released on Thursday also show that the Chinese central government has allocated more than 10 billion yuan (US$1.47 billion) to the research and development of energy conservation and emissions reduction technologies during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010).

"To give full play to the supporting and leading role of science and technology in energy conservation and emissions reduction, China has taken active steps to stimulate innovation," Zhang said.

For example, the country has developed its own new multi-nozzle entrained-flow gasification technology, which enhances gas heat transmission, and exported it to US energy companies. China is also the first country in the world to reveal the relationship between soot formation and coal metal in the coal-burning process.

According to the MST, China has built the world's first 500-watt dye-sensitized solar cell pilot system and now produces the biggest number of solar cells in the world. The country will also soon complete its first MW-level tower-type solar thermal power plant.

"China is pushing forward key pilot projects on energy conservation and emissions reduction," Zhang said.

For example, pilot programs of energy-saving and new energy vehicles have been implemented in 25 Chinese cities. Government subsidies are provided for vehicle purchases in the public and the private sectors, he said.

More than 5,000 new energy vehicles have so far been put into operation under the plan, involving government subsidies of 970 million yuan, he said.

Through the LED Lighting project, more than 1.6 million LED lights have been used in 21 pilot cities across China, which can save more than 164 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, he added.

(China Daily September 17, 2010)