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MW wind turbines set to power nation's energy needs

By Zhang Yu'an (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-04 08:03

Wind turbines at a wind farm in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. [Agency]

Five leading wind turbine manufacturers in China have made a breakthrough in the development of MW-level wind turbines, giving a strong push for the development of the country's wind power industry, a senior energy research official said yesterday.

Han Wenke, director-general of the Energy Research Institute under the National Development and Reform Commission, told China Daily that the breakthrough would help the nation to commercially produce MW-level wind turbines with self-owned intellectual property rights.

Mass-production of such wind turbines will substantially reduce the cost and also enhance Chinese wind turbine producers' capacity to compete in the international market in the future, he said.

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The Energy Research Institute provides assistance to the National Energy Administration for the China Renewable Energy Scale-up Program implementation jointly funded by the Chinese government, the World Bank and Global Environmental Facility. The program, granted $7 million to the five enterprises in the second half of last year, including Goldwind Science and Technology Co Ltd, Zhejiang Windey Wind Generating Engineering Co Ltd, Sinovel Wind Co Ltd, Shanghai Electric and Dongfang Steam Turbine Works. The five also invested more than 80 percent of the money for design and development of MW-level wind turbines, with capacities ranging from 1.5 to 3 MW.

The 3-MW wind turbine developed by Sinovel Wind is the country's first large-type wind turbine for offshore wind power generation and the first unit had been installed last month at the Shanghai East Sea Bridge Wind Farm. The wind farm is designed to install a total of 34 such turbines with a total capacity of 102 MW. The 2.36-billion-yuan wind power project is expected to be ready by 2010.

Renewable energy resources development is still high on the nation's agenda, Han said.

With favorable policy support from the Chinese government, wind power has been witnessing a rapid development in recent years, with annual growth reaching over 100 percent in the past few years.

At present, the country's installed wind power capacity has touched 12.15 million KW, realizing the country's target of 10 million KW previously set for 2010, two years ahead of schedule.

The country has immense potential to further develop wind power as the third wind resource assessment conduced by China Meteorological Administration estimates that total terrestrial wind energy resources at 10 meter height in the country could reach over 4.35 billion KW, of which technically explorable wind resources are about 300 million KW.

It is estimated that China's wind power industry will continue its high growth momentum in the coming few years, with annual growth rate likely surpassing 60 percent.

Though a small amount of money, the $7 million grant for leading wind power producers plays a significant role in boosting the design and development of MW-level wind turbines with self-owned intellectual property rights, Han said.

To further promote development of the industry, the program has also started to support key components makers of wind turbines to research and develop market-demanded products.

With self-owned intellectual property rights, the Chinese-made wind turbines have at least a 20 percent price advantage in the world market, said Luo Zhihong, deputy executive director of the program management office, adding that some Chinese firms have already exported their wind turbine products to the United States, Britain, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

In addition to the financial support from the program, Chinese wind power turbine producers and wind farm investors also have financial support resources from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance, Luo said.