China pledged to limit its total primary energy consumption to 4.4 billion tons of coal equivalent in 2017, similar to 2016 levels, Reuters reported Dec. 28, citing the director of China's National Energy Administration.

The consumption cap comes as the world's biggest energy consumer works to increase its use of cleaner fuel and further its goal to cut coal consumption to 60% in 2017 from 2015's 64%, the report said.

The NEA is also aiming to boost the ratio of natural gas in its energy mix to 6.8% in 2017 from 5.9% in 2015, and of non-fossil fuels to 14.3% in 2017 from 13.3% in 2016, according to NEA director Nur Bekri.

China's total primary energy consumption in 2016 is expected to be 4.36 billion tons of coal equivalent, representing a 1.4% increase from 2015 levels, which exceeds the 0.9% growth rate forecast by the NEA, Reuters reported. The country is pushing to cap coal-fired power capacity at 1,100 GW by the end of 2020, or 55% of the current total.