China’s Xinjiang earmarks $3b for wind power master plan

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region plans to spend CYN20 billion (USD3.04 billion) this year to boost its wind power industry, including the establishment of the region's largest production base for wind-power turbines in Hami, according to the Xinhua news agency.

The investment will go into 20 new wind power projects, with about 1.65 gigawatts (GW) of generating capacity, to be located in Hami Prefecture, the local development and reform commission said in a statement Thursday. By 2015 Xinjiang plans to have 10GW of installed wind generation capacity, rising to 90GW by 2020.

The Hami's potential wind power potential is estimated at 75GW, which is attracting a number of Chinese wind turbine companies. Xinjiang Goldwind Science and Technology Co Ltd, China's second-largest manufacturer, has set up a CYN200 million (USD30 million) plant in Hami with an initial capacity to build 300 2.5MW wind turbine generators sets a year, rising to 800 in two years. At least seven other companies are reported to be planning wind turbine production in Hami.

Power transmission from Xinjiang in China's remote Northwest to the country's densely populated and power-hungry coastal areas remains a problem and some wind project developers have expressed concerns over delays in constructing ultra-high-voltage transmission lines. A recent report by China's State Electricity Regulatory Commission claimed 2.8 billion kilowatt-hours of wind power were wasted in the first six months of 2010 due to lack of grid connection.

The next five-year plan, which was formally introduced by Chinese premier Wen Jiabao on March 7, calls for the generation of 235 million kilowatts of power generation capacity from clean energy forms.