China’s Pearl discovery belies tech shortcomings
A Siemens turbine under construction. Turbine blades are proving difficult for China to manufacture. (Siemens)
China’s discovery of its first methane hydrates in the western waters of the Pearl River Mouth Basin last month highlights the increasing importance of self-developed technology and equipment for the country’s energy independence. The find was made by an independently built unmanned underwater drone capable of diving 4,500 metres.
China has made progress in developing advanced energy technologies over the past five years. Sinopec, for instance, manufactured its own trucks for hydraulic fracturing at the Fuling shale field.