CHINA MOVES ON WIND

Wind energy has been blowing its horn for a week at the big show in Milan. Another one coming up in June in Los Angeles.

China seen raising its wind power capacity target
May 8, 2007 (Reuters)
click to enlarge
WHO
Chinese Renewable Industries Association (CREIA), Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), Chairman Arthouros Zervos; Chinese Wind Energy Association (CWEA)

WHAT
China is likely to raise its wind power goals

WHEN
Chinese officials discussed the growth of the wind energy and new goals on May 8.
China reached 2.6 gigawatts of wind energy capacity in 2006. It will likely develop 5 gigawatts by 2008/09, its 2010 target.

WHERE
The topic of China’s wind energy was discussed at the Milan, Italy, European Wind Energy Exhibition. (See WIND PUTS ON SHOW)
click to enlarge

WHY
- Because of a boom in wind energy installation resulting from, among many factors, better technology and availability as well as greater emphasis on development, a new, more realistic target for 2010 would be more like 10-12 gigawatts. The country developed 1.3 gigawatts in 2006. At this rate, China should have a 30 gigawatt (or greater) capacity by 2020.
- There is a discussion about switching the goal definition from installed capacity because that may not be real operating capacity) to electricity output. There is also a suggestion to implement, to incentivize further installation, “a feed-in tariff” obliging a grid to buy wind energy from generators at high price.

QUOTES
Zervos: "I think that probably in the next year they will reach the 5 gigawatts and they will increase a lot, to somewhere between 10 and 12 (GW)…"