China Plans to Harvest "Combustible Ice" as Clean Energy Source

Beijing - Provincial Governor Luo Huining of China's western Qinghai Province announced on Saturday that deposits of "combustible ice" will see increased explorations as a possible form of clean energy. Researchers and energy companies plan to tap this new energy source while minimizing environmental impacts, stated Luo at the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC).

"Combustible ice," is a form of natural gas hydrate, and is found primarily near plateau tops and in deep ocean environments. One cubic meter of "combustible ice" yields an energy equivalent of approximately 164 cubic meters of common natural gas.

During a time of when the search for economical harvesting of energy using low-impact technologies are at a peak, "combustible ice" has piqued the interest of investors and energy providers in numerous countries. One especially attractive attribute of combustible ice is its low impurity content, which yields little to no pollutants as a result of combustion.

Combustible ice can be found in well over than 100 countries worldwide, and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau area constitutes one-quarter of China's reserves. These reserves are estimated to be equivalent to approximately 35 billion tons of oil, and could conceivably supply China with energy for upwards of 90 years.

(Derived from Chinese posting on New China News Agency)

*****

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: John Melendez is a freelance writer reporting on technology, the environment, sustainability, alternative energies and "green" issues. John Melendez is a writer for hire. To email him, go to

*****

Subscribe to RSS and other feeds for this site:

For RSS Feed:

Legal Disclaimer & Safety Notice: Author does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, safety, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed or referred to. Information is provided for informational purposes only. Any actions or assumptions taken on the reader's part as a result of any information disclosed by Author are taken entirely at the reader's own risk. Author shall not be liable for any errors in the content, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Furthermore, Author shall not be liable for any loss of profits, contracts, opportunities or any direct, indirect, consequential loss of any kind (including death and/or injury), business interruption or loss of property arising out of or in connection with the use of the information herein. News items, opinions, and/or statements posed by author may be unsubstantiated and should be considered also as such. Unless where expressly stated, Author claims no express or understood association with any person, entity, or third party mentioned. "Cibola International" is a service mark (SM) and trade mark (™ ®) belonging expressly to John Melendez with all rights reserved worldwide.

© 2010 J. Melendez / Cibola International - All rights reserved worldwide. Duplication in part or in full is prohibited. Violators will be prosecuted.