In 2010, China became the largest wind energy provider worldwide, with installed wind power capacity reaching 41.8 gigawatts (GW) at the end of 2010. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, the development of wind energy in China, in terms of scale and rhythm, is absolutely unparalleled in the world. Recently, the National People's Congress permanent committee passed a law that requires the Chinese energy companies to purchase all the electricity produced by the renewable energy sector.
Furthermore, as part of the environmental goals included in China's 12th Five Year Plan (2011–2015) targets have been set for non-fossil energy to account for 11.4% of the total energy consumption, and for carbon dioxide discharge per unit of GDP to reduce by 17%.
Wind power is well placed to meet these goals, with China boasting roughly 2,000 GW, 9.2% of the world resources, of onshore and near‐offshore wind potential. Wind resources are concentrated in the northern and western regions of China, as well as along the coast, including in the province of Guangdong on the South China Sea coast.
In a 2005 report, Greenpeace estimated that by 2020, wind in Guangdong could be used to produce 35,000 gigawatt hours of electricity -- 17 percent of the province's total 2003 power consumption -- and enough to match the provincial capital's yearly power demand. Indeed, Guangdong’s wind resources offer potential for 11GW in offshore generating capacity alone.
Guangdong’s potential is clear and has spurred conference organiser, Guangzhou Grandeur Services Exhibition Co., Ltd, to cooperate with local authorities and establish the first professional wind power exhibition in south China: the 2012 Guangzhou International Wind Energy Exhibition (GZWEE 2012).
The event will take place at Area A of China Import and Export Fair Pazhou Complex from 21 to 23 August and is expected to attract more than 16,000 visitors, mainly from China mainland, the United States, Germany, Spain, India, France, Italy, Britain, Canada, Portugal, include the government officials from around the world, trade organization, venture capitalists, electric power enterprise, producers, engineering agent, energy companies, etc.
“With its large land mass and long coastline, China has exceptional wind resources. China aims to have 100 GW of on-grid wind power generating capacity by the end of 2015 and to generate 190 billion kilowatt hours of wind power annually,” says the event organisers which highlight that researchers from Harvard and Tsinghua University have found that China could meet all of their electricity demands from wind power by 2030.
By the end of 2008, at least 15 Chinese companies were commercially producing wind turbines and several dozen more were producing components. Leading wind power companies in China are Goldwind, Dongfang Electric, and Sinovel along with most major foreign wind turbine manufacturers. China also increased production of small-scale wind turbines to about 80,000 turbines in 2008.
Through all these developments, the Chinese wind industry appeared unaffected by the global financial crisis, according to industry observers. The new Guangzhou International Wind Energy Exhibition will provide the industry with an opportunity to see if this is true.
For additional information:
