Wang Tao, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, told the First China Afforestation Exposition in Nanjing that numerous countries were devoting themselves to developing efficient and pollution-free biomass energy technologies by processing raw materials, including plants, animals and their by-products.

Since the 1980s research into biomass energy, involving plant fuel oil, has increased markedly, and by 2015, more than 40% of total global energy consumption – mainly through the industrialisation of biomass energy power generation and liquid fuels – will come from biomass energy resources.

Wang said there were 10 woody plants in China that were appropriate for producing biomass fuel oil, and the country also had found more than 1500 oil-yielding plants, which, via processing, could produce petrochemical-style fuels.

At the same expo, director general of the China National Centre of Biotechnology Wang Hongguang said China now had a practical technique for converting grains, sugarcane and sweet potato into ethanol, and it had also made significant progress in developing technology to convert various biological products into diesel oil.

The CNCB head noted that global biofuel reserves were nearly 1800 billion tons, which was equivalent to about 64 billion tons of crude oil. China’s own biofuel reserves were equal to seven times the projected crude oil output capacity of the country’s major oilfield.

In addition, he said that developing biofuels would not only be good for China's energy shortage but would also increase farmers' incomes and improve the environment.