China 'not suitable' for wind power generation

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-03/10/content_9568535.htm

China 'not suitable' for wind power generation

By Qiang Xiaoji (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-03-10 16:03

A fast expansion in wind power generation projects is not in accordance with China's reality, as sandstorms always go with wind, which would cause serious damage to the wind power equipment, said Miao Wei, vice minister of Industry and Information Technology, on Sunday, the Beijing Times reported.

Miao said a wind power generator can usually run for 20 years, but the life expectancy would be greatly reduced if it were eroded by sandstorms. Many wind power projects are just vanity projects, he said, pointing out the 10 million-kilowatt wind power project in Northwest China’s Gansu province.

Construction of the Jiuquan, Gansu-based wind power project kicked off in 2008. It has a designed total installed capacity of 35.65 million kW, with 10.65 million kW in the first phase.

He said one of the problems in the distribution of power was that the country failed to strike a balance between suppliers and users, citing central China's Hubei province as an example.

...

[Statistical]

1. I wonder if this really is true.

If it is true that is bad news for a green(er) China.
Wind is the one renewable with low enough cost and high enough potential capacity to make a dent in energy demands in China.

Cost differential between wind & coal is low.
Cost differential between solar & coal not so much.

Given those options they will just burn more coal.

[kristopher]

2. This isn't a new concern but if they don't plan for it they could have problems...

Wind turbine designs routinely address problems like this. The conditions in northern China would certainly require more maintenance but there is no technical reason the turbines would not withstand desert conditions involving blowing sand if they are cared for properly.


Oil Cleanliness in Wind Turbine Gearboxes

http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/369/wind-turbine-gearboxes-oil

[NNadir]

3. That makes them rather like the rest of the world.