Chinese scientists are working on new technologies and breeding oil-rich rapeseed species to fuel its fast-growing economy with bio-fuel.

Experts attending an ongoing international conference on rapeseed say that China, whose annual rape production is 30 percent of the world total, should use farmland to manufacture bio-diesel, an effort that will reduce its dependency on petroleum-based diesel and cut emissions.

Rape is recognized by scientists the world over as one of the best raw materials for bio-diesel.

"The development of the global bio-diesel industry offers China new opportunities," said Wang Shoucong, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture. "The government should foster research work to nurture high-yield rapeseed species, develop new technologies to increase bio-diesel output and expand rape production in south China in the slack season."

China grows 7 million hectares of rape, with an annual output of 13 million to 14 million tons. A new species of rapeseed Chinese scientists bred last year contained a record high 54.72 percent of oil.

But because of backward technologies the country is making only 100,000 tons of bio-diesel a year out of rapeseed, said Prof. Huang Fenghong at the oilseed research institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

As the world's third largest oil importer after the United States and Japan, China imported a record 36 million tons of refined oil last year, 15.7 percent up on 2005, to fuel its 10.7 percent economic growth.

Experts say biofuels are the fourth most important energy source after coal, oil and natural gas.

Vehicles fueled by bio-diesel do not produce sulphur dioxide and generate less carbon monoxide and other harmful gases.

One of the country's largest bio-fuel projects has been carried out in the southwestern border province of Yunnan, with 25,000 hectares of oil-rich jatropha curcas trees planted last year to yield bio-diesel for automobiles.

Scientists say the oil content of the seeds of jatropha curcas trees is around 30 percent.

By 2020, China's will be able to produce 12 million tons of bio-liquid fuel such as fuel ethanol and bio-diesel, replacing some 10 million tons of refined oil products, predicted Han Wenke, deputy director of the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2007)