People check out new energy mining equipment at China Taiyuan International Energy Industry Expo in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, earlier this month. [Photo/VCG]

TAIYUAN－Instead of going to a market for building materials, a man surnamed Jiang from Taiyuan, Shanxi province, headed to the 7th China International Energy Industry Expo to find decorations for his new apartment.

At the expo, which opened recently, Jiang was interested in marble-like tile, made from a recycled material－a byproduct of coal burned for electrical power.

An oddly-shaped, fist-sized black ball displayed on a nearby stand also grabbed Jiang's attention. It was solid fuel made of household waste, used for power generation and heating boilers.

Both products are only part of the reason why the three-day expo has attracted multibillion-yuan investment and businesses from 30 countries and regions.

A total of 42 major projects were agreed to at the expo, with a combined investment of 62.5 billion yuan ($9.1 billion), according to its organizers.

Most of the projects are related to advanced equipment manufacturing, new energy vehicles, energy conservation, environmental protection and the modern coal chemical industry.

The expo also highlights Shanxi's ongoing energy transformation to clean energy and the promotion of waste recycling.

"In recent years, Shanxi province, a leading producer of coal in China, has been a pioneer in the national campaign to promote green development," said Xuan Shengji, who works with a clean-technology company headquartered in the Republic of Korea. He came to the expo as an exhibitor.

According to local authorities, Shanxi has been promoting the wide use of natural gas since 2010. As of last year, 105 counties and districts and many mining areas in the province had access to coal bed methane, benefiting 18 million residents.

"Coal bed methane, an unconventional type of natural gas, is recognized as clean energy," said Hao Pengcheng, a Shanxi-based engineer for PetroChina. "It is significant to Shanxi's energy revolution given its rich reserves and sophisticated exploitation system."

"As a significant energy base in China, Shanxi will continue to curb overcapacity and promote the use of clean and efficient energy," Luo Huining, secretary of the Shanxi Committee of the Communist Party of China, said at a forum during the expo.

By 2020, China will see a significant reduction in coal consumption. Nonfossil energy is expected to account for 35 percent to 50 percent of total consumption by 2050, according to the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission.