The Chinese government will accelerate the use of desalinated seawater during the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010), the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC) has told Xinhua.

The SDRC said projects that used fresh water as main water source would be restricted in coastal areas.

Enterprises would be encouraged to use seawater, and desalinated water would be channeled to urban water supply pipelines.

China was expected to desalinate 800,000 to 1 million cubic meters of seawater per day and use 55 billion cubic meters annually by 2010.

The plan forecast that desalinated water would account for 16 to 24 percent of water in coastal areas that lack water supplies.

The SDRC said the government would boost efforts to grasp key technologies, extend water price reform and encourage social capital to invest in the seawater desalination.

China desalinated 120,000 cubic meters of seawater per day last year.

(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2006