China's Huaneng Group, the country's largest electricity generator, has announced plans to invest some US$31B into developing new capacity through to 2010, with a proportion earmarked for new hydro facilities.

Hydro and wind power are expected to comprise 10 – 15% of the company’s total mainland capacity, including eight hydro stations along the Lancang river in the southwestern Yunnan province.

The plans to spend as much as Yuan 250B (US$31.4B) will add a combined capacity of 50GW and will increase Beijing-based Huaneng’s capacity to more than 80GW. The majority of the investment, which is expected to double the company’s installed capacity, is slated for coal-fired generation.