By Huang Zhiling, Wang Wei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-06-06 14:42

CHENGDU: The three-day First West China Solar Photovoltaic Industry and New Energy Development Forum started Friday morning in Shuangliu, a county under the administration of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province.

The forum, which has drawn more than 300 government officials, domestic and overseas experts in the solar photovoltaic and new energy sectors and investors, will discuss the development trends of China's solar photovoltaic and new energy sectors, said Shi Dinghuan, chairman of the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association.

With the mounting pressure on energy supply and increasing pollution on the environment, the world is paying more attention to the solar energy as a clean energy source.

As a result, the solar photovoltaic industry has become one of the fastest growing energy sectors in the world, and China has plans to become the world's largest market in terms of using solar energy.

Seventeen investment projects were signed at the forum, valued at 14.5 billion yuan (US$2.1 billion) Friday, between the Shuangliu county government and three companies from Sichuan. The projects are in the fields of solar photovoltaic, new energy, machinery, electronics and aviation service.

Shuangliu has attached great importance to development of the solar photovoltaic industry since 2004, and has ranked among the country’s top 100 strongest counties in terms of economic development for seven consecutive years.