The Asian Development Bank is providing up to USD200 million to boost China’s bid to promote the use of natural gas and reduce the country’s dependence on coal as an energy source.
The loan will finance the second phase of China’s Municipal Natural Gas Infrastructure Development Project, an initiative that aims to help cities and municipalities across the country transition to a cleaner and more efficient energy source.
This second phase of the project will cover the introduction of natural gas to smaller-sized cities in western and central China. The first phase supported the rollout of natural gas infrastructure in China’s larger regional hubs.
ADB also approved a USD40 million loan to help China’s Jiangxi Province develop eco-friendly ways to manage its forests, which are mostly under threat from overexploitation.
Meanwhile, the bank will allocate USD16 million to support broad reforms aimed at improving the cost effectiveness and sustainability of Palau’s water and sanitation services.
