China to Become Second Largest Wind Power Producer
China will reach its wind production target of 30 gigawatts in 2010, a decade ahead of schedule.
Zhang Ruidan, Caijing 10 February 2009
China, having doubled its wind power installations for four straight years, is on track to surpass Germany and Spain to become the world’s second largest wind energy producer by 2010, according to a Global Wind Energy Council report in February.
In 2008, China overtook India to become the largest wind power generating country in Asia and the fourth largest in the world, increasing total installed wind power capacity to 12,210 megawatts, the report said.
At this rate, China will reach its wind production target of 30 gigawatts in 2010, a decade ahead of schedule.
Wind power, a zero-emission renewable energy, is rising to replace fossil fuels as a power generator.
Global wind power capacity also had a rapid growth rate of 28.8 percent, higher than the ten-year average, despite money held back for new wind projects due to the financial crisis.
U.S., with wind capacity of 25,170 megawatts, topped Germany to become the largest wind power-producing nation this year.
China’s newly added wind capacity is expected to double in 2009, contributing to one-third of new installations globally, said Li Junfeng, Secretary General of the Chinese Renewable Energy Industry Association (CREIA).
Despite the soaring growth, an article titled “China’s Wind Power Potential” published in the scientific journal “Nature” on Jan 22 raised concerns about wind power development in China.
The article said China’s current bidding system for wind farms, based on government appointments instead of competitive bidding, often favours developers that guarantee low prices despite a slim profit, resulting in delayed projects.
At the same time, wind farms have low-yielding profits, relative to that of traditional fossil fuels, making them less desirable to Chinese investors. A lack of cooperation among grid companies also lowers production efficiency to below international standards.
But Li said the problems cited in the article were from last year and have since been resolved.
“A 100-percent growth rate would not have been possible otherwise”, Li said.
However, China’s energy supply will still be dominated by thermal power in the long run, Li said.
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China to Become Second Largest Wind Power Producer
China will reach its wind production target of 30 gigawatts in 2010, a decade ahead of schedule.
Zhang Ruidan, Caijing
10 February 2009
China, having doubled its wind power installations for four straight years, is on track to surpass Germany and Spain to become the world’s second largest wind energy producer by 2010, according to a Global Wind Energy Council report in February.
In 2008, China overtook India to become the largest wind power generating country in Asia and the fourth largest in the world, increasing total installed wind power capacity to 12,210 megawatts, the report said.
At this rate, China will reach its wind production target of 30 gigawatts in 2010, a decade ahead of schedule.
Wind power, a zero-emission renewable energy, is rising to replace fossil fuels as a power generator.
Global wind power capacity also had a rapid growth rate of 28.8 percent, higher than the ten-year average, despite money held back for new wind projects due to the financial crisis.
U.S., with wind capacity of 25,170 megawatts, topped Germany to become the largest wind power-producing nation this year.
China’s newly added wind capacity is expected to double in 2009, contributing to one-third of new installations globally, said Li Junfeng, Secretary General of the Chinese Renewable Energy Industry Association (CREIA).
Despite the soaring growth, an article titled “China’s Wind Power Potential” published in the scientific journal “Nature” on Jan 22 raised concerns about wind power development in China.
The article said China’s current bidding system for wind farms, based on government appointments instead of competitive bidding, often favours developers that guarantee low prices despite a slim profit, resulting in delayed projects.
At the same time, wind farms have low-yielding profits, relative to that of traditional fossil fuels, making them less desirable to Chinese investors. A lack of cooperation among grid companies also lowers production efficiency to below international standards.
But Li said the problems cited in the article were from last year and have since been resolved.
“A 100-percent growth rate would not have been possible otherwise”, Li said.
However, China’s energy supply will still be dominated by thermal power in the long run, Li said.
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