Wind of change for city's green energy
By Pan Xiaoyi |
August 10, 2010, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SHANGHAI'S first offshore wind farm started supplying power to the city in July, marking another step forward?in the city's development of green energy.
The 2.3 billion yuan (US$340 million) Donghai Bridge Wind Farm is the biggest of its kind in China,?with 102 megawatts?of?installed capacity. It is also the first offshore wind farm outside Europe.
Although?they?contribute to less than 1 percent of the city's current total power capacity of about 18,200 megawatts,?the windmills are part of the city's aggressive efforts to make Shanghai a leader in the development of new energy sources.
Shanghai plans to build 13 wind power plants by 2020. It?aims to have?between?200?and?300 megawatts installed wind capacity by the end of this year, contributing about?2 percent of the city's power capacity.
By 2020, the number will be increased to 1,000 megawatts, equivalent to 5 percent of capacity.?Offshore windmill?farms will be the major suppliers.
"The wind power sector has?a?bright future and could?also?boost the city's equipment manufacturing industry," said Mayor Han Zheng. "The municipal government will improve the?development and?wind power?and give it full support."
Limited land
Unlike?China's?Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang regions, which have vast open?prairies?to develop onshore wind farms,?heavily urbanized?Shanghai is restricted by limited?land availability.?That's why the city looked to its offshore waters rather than be left behind in China's race to develop new energy sources.
The first offshore wind farm is on?the east side of the Donghai Bridge and consists of 34 3-megawatt wind-driven generators.?The farm is able to generate 260 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year.
The first batch of power generated by the wind farm is being transmitted to the World Expo site before it?is connected to?more than 200,000 city households when fully operational. The wind farm?will save?the city about 86,000 tons of coal and reduce carbon dioxide by more than 234,700 tons every year.
"The Donghai wind farm is relatively small and more like a?pilot?project," said Shi Pengfei, vice president of Chinese?Wind?Energy Association. "The experience and lessons learned from the project?will help us make wind power development more efficient."
China is just starting development of green technologies, aiming to close the gap with European countries that have been experimenting with alternative energy for two decades.
Going offshore has its drawbacks. Coastal?wind farms?require?higher?technologies and can cost up to?three times more than?conventional onshore windmills.?Wind turbines?above water have to be more?corrosion resistant, insulated and more reliable.
On?the?one hand, Shanghai has?rushed?into construction?in a bid to be a national leader catching up with?overseas counterparts. On the other hand, it has had to be cautious not to allow inexperience to thwart efficient projects.
"Wind farms are?a?capital-intensive investment,"?said Luo Tianyu, project director of Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of Shanghai.
"Construction of offshore wind farms accounts for 90 percent of total investment,?while operational costs form the balance," Luo said.?"The municipal government?is taking?cautious steps?forward to avoid unnecessary losses."
Overseas countries usually take five to?10?years to carry out exhaustive studies on wind power,?wind farm design and environmental impact?testing?in order to avoid rebuilding or relocation due to?poor planning.
However, the decision to build offshore windmills?in Shanghai was made four years ago and construction of the Donghai wind farm was started in September 2008.
Still,?industry experts are optimistic about the?prospects.
"The Donghai farm was a good start for the application of clean energy in Shanghai," said Li Chonghe, vice general manager of Shanghai Electric Power Co Ltd, the city's?main?power supplier.
Shanghai Electric Power?said construction of the?second phase of the?Donghai wind farm?has?been approved for the west side of the bridge.?Total capacity of the second phase?is estimated at?about 100 megawatts.
Another four offshore wind farms are also in the pipeline: one in the Pudong New Area, one in Chongming County and the other two in?the?Fengxian District. The total capacity of wind power could reach 1,100 megawatts after these farms are?up and running.?
On the technical front, Shanghai Electric Group completed?construction of?China's biggest offshore wind turbine last month. The 3.6-megawatt turbine has passed tests and is able to generate 9 million kilowatt-hours a?year. The company has identified offshore wind power as one of its top priorities and aims to sell wind turbines?valued at?10 billion yuan by 2011.
State grid
Supporting facilities are also vital in the city's new energy drive, experts said.
"A stronger state grid and well-established market systems are necessary?for?sustainable development," said?Sigrid Hjornegard, deputy minister of?the Norwegian Petroleum and Energy Ministry.
In Europe,?an?electric transaction system enables participants?from consumers to wind farm operators?to derive benefit from wind generation.??Local governments?provide most of the up-front investment to kick projects off.
"Instead of taking all the responsibility on?themselves, governments would be better advised to try to attract more private capital through preferential tax?policies and?administrative support,?such as streamlining the application?process and certification tests," said Luo.
Shanghai is also planning?another?eight onshore windmill?farms?in Nanhui and Fengxian?districts as well as Chongming?County.
The 2.3 billion yuan (US$340 million) Donghai Bridge Wind Farm is the biggest of its kind in China,?with 102 megawatts?of?installed capacity. It is also the first offshore wind farm outside Europe.
Although?they?contribute to less than 1 percent of the city's current total power capacity of about 18,200 megawatts,?the windmills are part of the city's aggressive efforts to make Shanghai a leader in the development of new energy sources.
Shanghai plans to build 13 wind power plants by 2020. It?aims to have?between?200?and?300 megawatts installed wind capacity by the end of this year, contributing about?2 percent of the city's power capacity.
By 2020, the number will be increased to 1,000 megawatts, equivalent to 5 percent of capacity.?Offshore windmill?farms will be the major suppliers.
"The wind power sector has?a?bright future and could?also?boost the city's equipment manufacturing industry," said Mayor Han Zheng. "The municipal government will improve the?development and?wind power?and give it full support."
Limited land
Unlike?China's?Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang regions, which have vast open?prairies?to develop onshore wind farms,?heavily urbanized?Shanghai is restricted by limited?land availability.?That's why the city looked to its offshore waters rather than be left behind in China's race to develop new energy sources.
The first offshore wind farm is on?the east side of the Donghai Bridge and consists of 34 3-megawatt wind-driven generators.?The farm is able to generate 260 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year.
The first batch of power generated by the wind farm is being transmitted to the World Expo site before it?is connected to?more than 200,000 city households when fully operational. The wind farm?will save?the city about 86,000 tons of coal and reduce carbon dioxide by more than 234,700 tons every year.
"The Donghai wind farm is relatively small and more like a?pilot?project," said Shi Pengfei, vice president of Chinese?Wind?Energy Association. "The experience and lessons learned from the project?will help us make wind power development more efficient."
China is just starting development of green technologies, aiming to close the gap with European countries that have been experimenting with alternative energy for two decades.
Going offshore has its drawbacks. Coastal?wind farms?require?higher?technologies and can cost up to?three times more than?conventional onshore windmills.?Wind turbines?above water have to be more?corrosion resistant, insulated and more reliable.
On?the?one hand, Shanghai has?rushed?into construction?in a bid to be a national leader catching up with?overseas counterparts. On the other hand, it has had to be cautious not to allow inexperience to thwart efficient projects.
"Wind farms are?a?capital-intensive investment,"?said Luo Tianyu, project director of Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of Shanghai.
"Construction of offshore wind farms accounts for 90 percent of total investment,?while operational costs form the balance," Luo said.?"The municipal government?is taking?cautious steps?forward to avoid unnecessary losses."
Overseas countries usually take five to?10?years to carry out exhaustive studies on wind power,?wind farm design and environmental impact?testing?in order to avoid rebuilding or relocation due to?poor planning.
However, the decision to build offshore windmills?in Shanghai was made four years ago and construction of the Donghai wind farm was started in September 2008.
Still,?industry experts are optimistic about the?prospects.
"The Donghai farm was a good start for the application of clean energy in Shanghai," said Li Chonghe, vice general manager of Shanghai Electric Power Co Ltd, the city's?main?power supplier.
Shanghai Electric Power?said construction of the?second phase of the?Donghai wind farm?has?been approved for the west side of the bridge.?Total capacity of the second phase?is estimated at?about 100 megawatts.
Another four offshore wind farms are also in the pipeline: one in the Pudong New Area, one in Chongming County and the other two in?the?Fengxian District. The total capacity of wind power could reach 1,100 megawatts after these farms are?up and running.?
On the technical front, Shanghai Electric Group completed?construction of?China's biggest offshore wind turbine last month. The 3.6-megawatt turbine has passed tests and is able to generate 9 million kilowatt-hours a?year. The company has identified offshore wind power as one of its top priorities and aims to sell wind turbines?valued at?10 billion yuan by 2011.
State grid
Supporting facilities are also vital in the city's new energy drive, experts said.
"A stronger state grid and well-established market systems are necessary?for?sustainable development," said?Sigrid Hjornegard, deputy minister of?the Norwegian Petroleum and Energy Ministry.
In Europe,?an?electric transaction system enables participants?from consumers to wind farm operators?to derive benefit from wind generation.??Local governments?provide most of the up-front investment to kick projects off.
"Instead of taking all the responsibility on?themselves, governments would be better advised to try to attract more private capital through preferential tax?policies and?administrative support,?such as streamlining the application?process and certification tests," said Luo.
Shanghai is also planning?another?eight onshore windmill?farms?in Nanhui and Fengxian?districts as well as Chongming?County.
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