China comes clean

BP has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) to establish a Clean Energy Commercialisation Centre (CECC).

CAS and BP aim to use the CECC to invest in the development of clean coal conversion technologies in China and to accelerate the introduction of these technologies, based on research in CAS institutes and other research and development organisations, into the market.

Jiang Mianheng, vice-president of CAS, said: ‘China represents the world's second largest energy consumer, and coal accounts for more than 70% of China's total energy consumption. Therefore, cleaner use of energy resources, coal in particular, is critical for the sustainable development of the Chinese economy.’

In November 2001, BP and CAS jointly launched the 10-year, $10m research and development ‘Clean Energy, Facing the Future’ programme.