China Wind Power Blowing Up in 2011 (as Expected)

June 1st, 2011 by Zachary Shahan

China’s wind power industry is expected to grow to mammoth proportions and already leads the world (in total installed capacity, not per GDP or per capita wind power capacity). In line with its growth projections, installed wind power has grown significantly in 2011 so far and is outpacing the growth of other competing energy sources in China. People’s Daily Online writes:

“China’s wind power output rose more than 60 percent to 18.8 billion kilowatt-hours in the first quarter of 2011, growing 30 percent to 50 percent faster than the output of thermal power, hydropower and nuclear power in the same period, according to information from the National Energy Administration.”

China’s total installed wind power capacity has doubled every year since 2005. Last year, it added 18,928 MW of wind power capacity. The country with the next most added was the U.S. with 5,115 MW added. In total, China has 44,733 MW installed, while the U.S. (2nd again) has 40,180 MW installed.

Furthermore, China has a number of 10,000-MW (10-million-kilowatt) wind projects planned and under construction.

“The construction of many 10-million-kilowatt wind power projects is well under way in Gansu’s Jiuquan, eastern and western Inner Mongolia, northeastern provinces, Hebei Province, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Jiangsu Province and Shandong Province.”

Of course, it is China’s strong governmental support for wind power, and especially home-grown wind power technology, that has boosted this industry in recent years (and will continue doing so for many years to come).

For much more on China wind power, check out the People’s Daily Online story: With policy support, China’s wind industry growing exponentially.

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