ESTIMATION OF WIND POWER DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA

Wind energy is abundant in China and has the potential to be explored on a large scale in the future. However, a detailed survey is urgently needed to assess the economically feasible capacity that can be installed, taking into consideration the conditions of the power grid, accessibility, as well as economic and social issues. These are crucial for site selection and planning of wind farm development. The construction of wind farms in China started as demonstration projects, which is now leading to commercial development. The 21st century will be a new phase of wind farm development at a large scale. This paper discusses the factors considered in planning wind farm development as well as an estimation of installed capacity for the next 15 years.