Wind Power News: China
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
China to tackle wasted energy in new wind farm rules
China’s energy regulator has ordered local authorities to take heed of the grid capacity when selecting new wind power projects, in an attempt to ensure that no more than 5 percent of the electricity they generate is wasted, it said in a notice. China’s renewable energy law compels grid firms to absorb the power generated by clean sources such as wind and solar. However, many projects have been left with inadequate grid access, a problem commonly known as “curtailment”. Regulators . . . Complete story »
Environmental bonds stained by ‘green washing’
TOKYO – The popularity of environmental, social and governance investing has risen sharply in recent years, but many so-called green bonds have drawn accusations of “green washing” for having little, if any, environmental benefit. Green bonds raise funds that are used to subsidize projects with an environmental benefit. The size of issuance has risen in tandem with their popularity. Critics, however, have pointed to varying standards and projects of questionable merit, some of which are seen as little more than exercises . . . Complete story »
Green group blows cold on Guangdong offshore wind farms
Guangdong’s plan for a major increase in green power capacity from offshore wind farms has environmental activists worried over potential harm to the southern province’s marine ecosystems. The Guangdong Development and Reform Commission recently called for work to have started or been completed on at least 12 gigawatts of offshore wind power capacity by late 2020 – six times a goal it previously set last year. But Guangdong’s aggressive push toward cleaner, more renewable wind power could come at the expense . . . Complete story »
Poison wind
Poison wind power – the shocking environmental damage they don’t want you to see. Clarification: This story contains details of toxic pollution associated with the use of rare earths in the production of wind turbines, cars and household electronic items. We wish to clarify that the wind industry estimates one in five turbines in South Australia use rare earths. South Australia has approximately 40 wind farms operating or seeking approval, with almost 700 individual turbines. Using the industry’s figures, South . . . Complete story »
China to halt some new wind power projects as supply glut builds
China will halt investment for new wind power projects in eight provinces and regions because of increasing cases of wasted wind energy due to capacity excesses, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said on Wednesday. Many wind farms in China’s western regions are not connected to major transmission grids, effectively wasting the electricity generated through those projects. Because of the wastage, the NEA said it will stop issuing new power generation licenses to wind companies in Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia and . . . Complete story »
Windmills stand idle in China as even more are being constructed
JIUQUAN, China – On the edge of the Gobi Desert, the Jiuquan Wind Power Base stands as a symbol of China’s quest to dominate the world’s renewable energy market. With more than 7,000 turbines arranged in rows that stretch along the sandy horizon, it is one of the world’s largest wind farms, capable of generating enough electricity to power a small country. But these days, the windmills loom like scarecrows, idle and inert. The wind howls outside, but many turbines in . . . Complete story »
China scales back solar, wind ambitions as renewables cool
China, the world’s biggest clean-energy investor, lowered its solar and wind power targets for 2020, a reflection of how record installations of renewables have overwhelmed the ability of the nation’s grid to absorb the new electricity. China is now aiming for 110 gigawatts of solar power by 2020, a 27 percent reduction from an earlier target, according to a webcast posted on the website of the National Energy Administration that cited the agency’s chief engineer, Han Shui. The nation reduced . . . Complete story »
Adding wind energy is not as easy as building wind turbines
Adding wind energy is not as “simple” as building wind farms. It also means constructing new transmission lines. Both Germany and China know this first hand. The Guardian newspaper has reported that the German government is paying wind producers to hold back when it comes to generating power – because its grid is unable to handle the additional capacity. And MIT’s Technology Review is reporting that China has the same problem. Referencing the BBC TV network, it says that because the . . . Complete story »
Lantau offshore wind farm plan a threat to pink dolphins – NGO
A state-backed company plans build a wind farm 10km off the shore of Western Lantau Island, leaving Hong Kong conservationists concerned about the fate of endangered pink dolphins in the area. The electricity firm, South Joint Development Offshore Wind Power Company, intends to build a large-scale wind farm on the Lingding Channel, located at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta, according to a Guangdong government document. However, the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society (HKDCS) noted that the offshore wind . . . Complete story »
Wind farm project poses new threat to Hong Kong aquatic icon
A planned wind farm in the Pearl River estuary is raising concern over its potential impact on the pink dolphin, Hong Kong’s aquatic symbol nearly driven to extinction by overdevelopment. Southern Offshore Wind Power Development Co. Ltd., a unit of state-owned China Southern Power Grid Co.Ltd., is pressing ahead with the project despite its own environmental studies that show the waters in question are home to the endangered animal and other vulnerable species, Apple Daily reports. Environmentalists are worried that . . . Complete story »
