Reserves of biomass fuels stand at 1,800 billion tons worldwide, which is equal to 64 billion tons of crude oil. In China, reserves of biomass fuel are equal to 7 times the projected crude oil output capacity of Daqing, China's major oil field. The development of biomass energy and the effective use of the energy will at least form a "green Daqing'', briefed Wang Hongguang, director of the China National Centre for Biotechnology Development at a green forum on China's first Green Expo, according to a Xinhua report in Nanjing on Wednesday.

Wang Hongguang said the development of biomass energy by making use of barren lands, northern China's grasslands and alkaline areas will not only save arable lands, but also turn over the saving 50 to 70 billion yuan of petroleum imports from foreign oil businessmen to farmers. Further, developing biomass fuels will help ease China's energy shortage, increase farmers' incomes and improve the ecological environment, according to the overseas edition of People's Daily on September 29.

Wang Hongguang said China now has a practical technique for converting aged grains, sorghum, sugarcane and sweet potato into fuel alcohol. When oil price reaching more than 45 US dollars per barrel, China can mass-produce fuels without government subsidies if with governmental tax policy support. The country has made significant strides in developing technology to convert various biologic products into diesel oil with evidently reduced production cost. It is hopeful that in the near future, the oil will be put into industrial production. It has become a strategic choice for China to develop biomass energy under the situation of China's oil resources shortage, as concurrent global crude oil prices keep surging.

By People's Daily Online