BEIJING (AFP) - Over the next 15 years China is set to spend about 180 billion dollars to increase its use of renewable energy to 15 percent of the total generated, from the current seven percent.

Zhang Guobao, vice minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, revealed the plan at an international conference on renewable energy in Beijing, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.

In the coming 15 years China will actively develop biomass energy and hopes to replace ten million tons of petroleum with renewable energy annually, Zhang said.

China also plans to expand the heat collection area of solar heaters to 300 million cubic meters (390 million cubic yards) by 2020, replacing the use of about 40 million tons of standard coal each year.

By 2008 when Beijing will host the Olympic Games, the air quality in Beijing will be much better, as good as it was during the Athens Olympics, said Dimas.