Fang’s remarks confirm what industry experts have long maintained, wind power has the prospective to take a much bigger share of China’s power mix than the government had planned.
China has around 12 GW of wind-power capability and has already said it wants to increase that to around 20 GW by 2010, suggesting it was on course to smash the 2020 target, which was set in 2007.
That means wind is set to be a bigger source of power than nuclear, in spite of a construction boom in nuclear power plants, and far bigger than solar, which is projected to hit 1.8 GW by 2020, according to the 2007 plan.
Suppliers to China’s wind sector include China Wind Systems, Inc., China High Speed Transmission Equipment Group Co Ltd, Hansen Transmissions International N.V., Siemens AG, Vestas Wind Systems A/S, Suzlon Energy Limited and local leader Goldwind Science & Technology Co. Ltd.
The original 2020 aim for nuclear was set at 40 GW, but China is now planning for 60 GW and officials have spoken of 70 GW. China had 9.1 GW of nuclear power capacity at the end of 2008 and is building 24 reactors with a further 25.4 GW. A minimum five more are planned but not yet approved for construction.
Both wind and nuclear have got a shot in the arm from the economic crisis, since China’s CNY4 trillion ($585 billion) stimulus plan promised more nuclear spending and upgrades to the power grid, which should help stranded wind farms get linked.
Coal will persist to dominate China’s power mix, although it is likely to slip from its 80% share.
China was planning at 1,400-1,500 GW total capability by 2020, Fang said. Hydropower would total for 300 GW, while coal-fired power capacity would require attaining 900-1,000 GW to ensure a supply-demand balance of energy.
That meant China’s yearly coal demand would rise by 600 million tones to 3.4 billion tones, Fang said.
