Clean energy including non-fossil energy and natural gas will replace coal as the primary energy source by 2030 and account for more than half of China's energy mix by around 2045.

By 2050, coal, non-fossil energy, and oil and gas will each take up one-third of China's energy mix, according to the CNPC Research Institute of Economics and Technology in its annual long-term energy outlook released on Aug. 16.

The global energy mix is shifting toward a high-efficiency, clean and low-carbon direction, driven by technological improvements and environmental concerns.