China is rich in wind energy resources. By estimates of China Meteorology Research Institute the exploitable wind energy on the nationwide land totals around 253 GW, and the offshore wind energy is about 750 GW. Both of them add up to about 1000 GW. And the wind energy is widely distributed throughout the country, as seen in Figure 1. It is shown that China is provided with adequate conditions to develop wind power industry.

Fig.1 Distribution of wind energy in China 

China started to develop wind power very late. It stepped into the stage of commercialized development and scale-construction only in 1990s. As of the end of 2003, there were 40 wind power farms which were equipped with 1042 generating units. Their generating capacity amounted to 567 MW, accounting for 0.14 per cent of the nationwide total. Accumulated and newlyadded installed generating capacity over the years is seen in Figure 2. These units are distributed in 14 provinces (regions, cities), of which 126.5 MW in Liaoning, 103.5 MW in Xinjiang, 88.3 MW in Inner Mongolia, and 86.4 MW in Guangdong. The single-unit capacity increased from 100 kW, 200 kW, and 300 kW to 600 kW, 750 kW, and 1300 kW step by step.

Fig. 2 Accumulative and newly-added installed capacity of wind power 

China has made great strides forward in the manufacturing technology of wind power equipment and has a basic manufacturing capability of 700 kW and below wind power units. At the same time , the operating departments have mastered management techniques in wind power farms to a certain extent, and a batch of qualified personnel in the field of design and construction has been trained.

For the sake of promoting wind power construction, the Chinese government has issued a Circular on Questions Concerning Advancement of Renewable Energy Resources in 1999, in which the preferential policy of renewable energy, in particular, wind power projects was set forward that bank-loaned projects would be given a fiscal subsidiary of 2 per cent and wind power projects putting Chinese-made equipment to use would be given a preferential treatment of 5 per cent on return rate of investment, etc.

The new scheme of power industry restructuring made by the State Council points out clearly a discount standard for emission from electricity generation, thus helping accelerate the development of renewable energy resources, such as wind power. The latest scheme of restructuring electricity pricing puts forward that enterprises of new energy and renewable energy generation don’t participate in the competitive market temporarily and power network enterprises should give priority to buy their electricity generation at government instructed price or bidding price.