Platts: China targets coal-to-gas output of 50 bil cu m by 2020

China is targeting to raise its synthetic coal-to-gas output to 50 billion cubic meters by 2020, accounting for over 12% of domestic supply, an official with the National Energy Administration said Wednesday.

But actual output may fall short of the government's target, as not all of the planned coal-to-gas projects may come onstream, according to a report released the same day by state-owned China National Petroleum Corp.'s Economics and Technology Research Institute.

Yang Lei, deputy director of the Department of Oil and Gas at the NEA under the National Development and Reform Commission, said coal-to-gas output is targeted to hit 50 billion cu m by 2020, echoing statements made earlier this week by Wu Xinxiong, NDRC's deputy director as well as head of the NEA.

"According to our initial plan, the output of coal-to-gas will reach 50 billion cu m by 2020, accounting for about 12.5% of domestic gas supply," Wu was quoted as saying in the National Business Daily newspaper. 

China saw the inauguration of its first two large-scale coal-to-gas projects in northwestern China last month.

They are: private firm Xinjiang Qinghua Group's 5.5 billion cu m/year project in Yili, Xinjiang province, and Datang International Power Generation's 4 billion cu m/year Keqi project in Inner Mongolia. MORE