last updated 10th November 05
By 4ecotips

Rapid growth by 2020 according to Greenpeace study

According to Zijun Li, a new study from the environmental group Greenpeace, China's rapidly growing southern province of Guangdong could support 20 gigawatts (GW) of wind generating capacity by 2020, providing as much as 35,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of 17% of Guangdong's total current demand. The study is based on the best available wind resource data from Stanford University, the United Nations Environment Programme, and other organizations.

The Guandong report provides further confirmation that wind is one of China's most abundant energy resources. So far, the Chinese government has set a target of 20 GW of total wind power by 2020, compared with the current world installed capacity of 55 GW. According to estimates by the China Meteorological Administration, proven wind energy reserves in China total as much as 3,200 GW.

The northeast, northwest, and southeastern seaboard are the areas with the richest wind resources. Usable onshore wind resources could provide 253 GW of electric capacity, while offshore resources could provide three times that much. By comparison, China's total installed power generating capacity from all sources is just 460 GW, according to statistics from the China Federation of Power Enterprises.

Recognizing this enormous potential, China has stepped-up efforts to develop its wind power industry. The government has set up wind concession projects to lure investment and expertise, a key element of the country's current wind power policy.

According to Li Junfeng, director of the Chinese Renewable Energy Industry Association, China's installed wind power capacity reached 760 MW (0.76 GW) by the end of 2004, with 43 wind farms in operation. Guangdong Province, with an installed capacity of 86 MW, accounted for one-ninth of that. Wind power costs have decreased at an annual rate of 15 percent in recent years, with the average grid price falling from 0.8 yuan/kWh (US 6.4 cents) to 0.6 yuan/kWh (US 4.8 cents).

Given the expected wind energy boom in China, investors have set their sights on the sector. Interested parties include the "Big Five" power companies (Huaneng, Datang, Huadian, Guodian and Zhongdiantou), other private firms, and several provincial energy investors. Even companies like China Guangdong Nuclear Power are paying attention to wind power.