China Now Home To Biggest Installed Wind Capacity In World - Surpassed US This Year

[hatrack]

China surpassed the U.S. this year to become the number one in the world for installed wind power generating capacity. In the last six years, installed wind power generating capacity in China increased from 2,000 megawatts (MW) to 52,580 MW, according to the country’s state grid company, the State Grid Corporation, which is the country’s largest utility company. In 2011, China generated 70.6 terrawatt hours (TWh) of wind power, a 96 percent increase. The Chinese government projects that China’s wind generating capacity would be more than 100,000 MW in 2015 and 200,000 MW in 2020.

China's on-grid capacity reached over 50 gigawatts (GW) to date, according to the State Grid Corporation. This year on-grid wind power capacity under State Grid reached 50.26 GW, an annual growth rate of 87 percent for the last six years.

"We have gone through a lot to reach this point," said Shu Yingbiao, deputy managing director of the State Grid Corporation at a press conference. "As the wind-generating capacity increases, the industry standard perfects, and the technology improves, the state grid is becoming more and more vital to the fast development of the wind power generation. The company has successfully solved many problems during the course."

EDIT

http://www.enn.com/climate/article/44865?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ClimateChangeNews-Enn+%28Climate+Change+News+-+ENN%29

[OnlinePoker]

1. Capacity factor of 15.3%

52.58 gw of capacity x 24hrs x 365days = 460.6008 twh potential for the year divided into 70.6 twh generated comes to a capacity factor of 15.3%. If they scale up to 200,000 MW installed by 2020, at this same capacity factor, they will be generating 268 twh annually from wind.

[FBaggins]

2. Yes and no.

Installed capacity isn't always the same thing as capacity that's connected to the grid. Earlier this year, they had an incredibly high percentage of their new capacity that could not be connected to the grid. So much so in fact that the government banned new construction (and this incentives) in any district that had above some percentage (40?) standing essentially idle.

So it's entirely possible that the towers that are actually on the grid have a capacity factor closer to what you would expect for a well-sited wind farm. They just need to focus on getting the rest connected.

It's entirely possible that great strides have been made in this area since this data was collected.

[AverageJoe90]

3. How in the HELL is China, of all places, beating us here?

This really doesn't make sense. Not only that, but it says something about the U.S., and it's not good.....if China, a semi-fascist dictatorship that has most of its population under conditions best described as neo-serfdom, can do better in terms of wind policy.....where does that leave us?