China will further tap into its vast geothermal energy potential, as part of the efforts to mitigate worsening air quality caused by an overreliance on coal.

China’s geothermal energy resources equal roughly 853 billion tonnes of standard coal, and have the potential to replace coal in energy consumption, Wu Xinxiong, director of the National Energy Administration (NEA), said during a recent meeting on geothermal energy.

It’s estimated that geothermal energy can replace 640 million tonnes of standard coal per year. As coal consumption accounts for about 66% of China's total energy consumption, exploration of geothermal energy will contribute to the restructuring of energy consumption.

It will also reduce air pollution as one geothermal facility can replace 3,000 tonnes of coal each year, saving over 75 million tonnes of carbon dioxide and 30 tonnes of sulfur dioxide, Wu said.

Current annual exploration of geothermal energy has reached only about three million tonnes, according to the NEA.