DALIAN -- The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has recently initiated an integrated research project on clean energy to offer technological support for China's improvements to energy structure and sustainable development.

Launched in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province, on Tuesday, the project will involve the CAS's 20 institutes that have been doing energy research, including Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics and Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology.

It aims to achieve breakthroughs in 39 core clean energy technologies, complete 23 industrial application demonstrations, and form five world-leading achievements in the area before 2023.

The project will help replace more than 100 million tonnes of oil and gas resources and reduce emissions of coal-fired pollutants by 40 percent to 50 percent.

As a major energy-consuming country, China has been promoting clean energy including wind, solar, and nuclear power to reduce its dependence on coal and oil.