BEIJING, September 19 – Huaneng Group, parent of China’s top independent power producer, has signed an agreement with the Tibetan regional government to build hydroelectric power plants in the area, the company said on Monday.
The deal will help the group, which controls Huaneng Power International , diversify its power resources, it said on its Web site (www.chng.com.cn).
Hydropower currently accounts for less than 10 percent of the group’s generating capacity, an official said.
Huaneng did not give a detailed development plan for the area, whose potential for hydropower has not been widely explored.
The move was part of a government drive to develop lagging western areas, and both sides would pay attention to environmental and emigration concerns, the company said.
Human rights groups say some projects carried out under the western development programme encroach on traditional Tibetan lands and encourage the arrival of more Han Chinese settlers.
