China the Beautiful

[chinapage]

Russia has approved the construction of two oil pipelines:
a shorter route to China, and a longer one to the Pacific coast.



Two two lines share the same route till Chita.
The shorter route will end at Daqing, the biggest oilfield in China.

[chinapage]

The Russian government has chosen the shorter route to Daquin, China. They stated that if enough oil can be found, they may then build the longer pipeline to the Pacific Coast at a later date, as proposed by the Japanese.

[chinapage]

The Japanese government has mounted an all-out effort to promote the longer pipeline to the Pacific Coast. The Russians appear to be re-consider its final decision to build the Daqing pipeline.

July 2003

[chinapage]

Due to intensive lobbying efforts by Japan, Russia has reversed its earlier commitments to build the pipeline to China.

The entire pipeline project appears to be in limbo now.

[sllee]

China and all sensible nations should look for alternative energy beyond fossil fuels. The pipeline can only solve the energy problem in 20 years.
_________________
SL Lee
http://www.asiawind.com

[chinapage]

China is trying to find alternative energy sources:

August 01, 2003 People's Daily.
China's largest product line for solar-energy batteries has been set up in Shanghai, and is expected to ease the power shortage in the country's biggest industrial and financial center.

The line is expected to turn out products with a capacity of 10 megawatts, about 50 percent of the total solar-energy productivityin the country.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200308/01/eng20030801_121423.shtml

-----

One goal of China's Moon Project is to find energy there and transport it back to the earth. It is not totally absurd, but it will be 100 years before it is a significant source of energy, if ever.

[sllee]

Dear Ming,

I think the space project is an integrated way to test China's technology capabilities. Many commercial technologies can and will come out of Shenzhou 5 and the subsequent flights. But energy from moon seems "far-fetched" (pun intended). The energy input is much hgher than gain in this case.

The "down-to-earth" approach (pun intended again) is how to trap, store and utilize solar energy, and other renewable energies available.

Hydrogen fuel cell is probably a good way.

Frankly, I don't see how humankind can survive in 50 years on fossil fuels.
_________________
SL Lee
http://www.asiawind.com

[chinapage]

Dear SL:

I also think getting energy from the Moon is very far-fetched. Even if it turns out to be possible, it will take hundreds of years to implement.

Solar energy has been proven to be very practical. It does not work in congested cities of highly developed countries, such as New York. But it is wonderful in sparsely populated areas such as Tibet, Qinhai, and many countries in Africa.

Obviously the big multi-national corporations are not interested. I think China is pushing it. Not as hard as I would like to see. But more than the U.S. government is doing.

Ming

[chinapage]

Late report indicate that the original plan has been modified.
The proposed route will go North 150 km around Lake Baikai
to avoid possible danger of polution.

http://news.sohu.com/2003/11/27/09/news216160994.shtml

This appears to be a win by the Japanese who wants the pipeline
not to go to Daqian, China.

See map at http://www.chinapage.com/map/siberia.gif

Build the pipeline around the Northern end of Lake Baikai does not
seem to increase the length of the pipeline to China by much.

The real questions whether Russia wishes to sell the oil to China or to
go all the way to the shore of the Pacific Ocean.

[chinapage]

It appears that Japan has won, and the oil pipeline will be built
to the Pacific port of noakhodka. It will be longer but Japan
will pay for nearly the entire cost of construction in the form of
a loan.

http://www.people.com.cn/GB/jingji/1037/2374704.html

[chinapage]

Russians have decided not to build the shorter pipeline to China,
but instead to build the longer pipeline to the coast.




For more details, see news report.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/21/business/worldbusiness/21pipeline.html?ex=1083211200&en=c6b72eda314aee21&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

[chinapage]

Russia to decide on oil pipeline by year-end

It appears that the Russians are playing hard-to-get still.

Updated: 2004-05-02 08:45

The Russian government will make a decision on the feasibility of the oil pipeline from Angarsk in Siberia to Nakhodka facing Japan by the end of the year, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov said Friday.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-05/02/content_327903.htm