China's demand for refined oil products will increase at an average rate of 5.5 percent annually in the five years through 2015, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)said on Friday. Fuel demand is estimated to rise to 320 million tonnes in 2015 from 245 million tonnes in 2010, according to a five-year industry development plan issued by the ministry.

Ethylene demand will grow 5.1 percent annually and reach 38 million tonnes in 2015.

The country's crude refining capacity will reach about 600 million tonnes per year by 2015, and ethylene production capacity about 27 million tonnes per year, according to the ministry.