By the end of 2008, China’s installed capacity for wind power is expected to break 10 million KW, and exceed 20 million KW two years later. China will soon become the largest wind power generation country in the world, said Secretary of the General Team of Office of the National Energy Leading Group Zhou Xi’an at the opening ceremony of “The Fifth Asian Wind Energy Conference and International Wind Equipment Fair” held on June 25.

Zhou also introduced that wind power construction by the end of 2007 has exceeded 6 million KW, ranking fifth in the world. There are 4.2 million KW under construction. Next, China will speed up the construction of 1 million-KW wind power plant, and strengthen the building of large power plants in Hexi Corridor, Inner Mongolia and coastal areas to build a Three Gorges Project on wind power.

According to the national mid-to-long term plan, China’s wind power scale in 2015 will reach 15 million KW, and arrive at 30 million KW in 2020. By then, wind power will become China’s third largest power source.

On June 19, 1,000-tons monocrystalline silicon and 650-chip monocrystalline silicon chip project started construction in Industrial Park, Wanzhou District, Chongqing Municipality, which laid a foundation for building Wanzhou into a solar photovoltaic industrial base in West China.

It is learnt that the project is jointly invested by Shanxi Orchid Technology Co., Ltd., and Nanjing Shoushi Investment Advisory Co., Ltd. to set up Chongqing Orchid Solar Energy Power Co., Ltd (hereafter referred to as “Chongqing Orchid”) with a registered capital of 100 million yuan. Investment for the first phase is 490 million yuan. Production equipment include monocrystalline rods with an annual output of 1000 tons, and monocrystalline chips with an annual output of 65 million chips. The project will be put into production in next June. By then, its annual sales revenue can reach 2.5 billion yuan.

It’s introduced that "Chongqing Orchid" will also invest in 100MW solar cell and battery components with an annual sales income of 5 billion yuan; with production expansion of Wanzhou monocrystalline silicon project (with an annual output of 10,000 tons) , a project with an annual production of 3000 tons of monocrystalline silicon (including monocrystalline silicon chip) and 300MW solar cell chips and battery components will also be launched. By then, the overall annual sales revenue for the whole industry will rise to 15 billion yuan.

On June 18, biomass power generation project in Shaanxi with a total investment of 1 billion yuan and a total installed capacity of 3×30,000 KW started construction in Liquan. It can recycle 700,000 tons of fruit tree branches and stalks in the neighborhood of Liquan per year.

Invested by Shanghai Lanniao Technology Co., Ltd., the project covers 230 mu, installs three high-temperature and high-pressure boilers with a power of 130tons/hour, and three sets of 30MW condensate steam turbine generator units. Adopting the floor-burning+ room-burning chain furnace combustion technology, and with crop stalks compressed into lumps at room temperature as the fuel, it can generate 600 million KWH of electricity per year after it is put into production.

The steadily rising international oil prices and worsening environment have made renewable energy receive unprecedented attention. The photovoltaic industry as the “backbone” in the renewable energy field has made rapid progress in China over the past two or three years.

On the "Seminar on renewable energy and trading standards of energy-efficient lighting system" held on June 23rd in Pudong, Deputy Director of Renewable Energy Development (CRED) of Energy Research Institute of NDRC Gao Hu revealed that as of 2007, China`s total installed capacity in photovoltaic power generation has reached 100,000 kilowatts.

“There are 6 Chinese companies among the top 16 solar cell companies around the globe in 2007.” revealed Executive Director of China Solar Energy Society Wang Sicheng. According to the data of China Solar Energy Society, China’s production of solar cells in 2007 is around 1180 MW, while the figure in Europe, Japan and the U.S. is 1062MW, 920MW and 266 MW respectively. China has become a veritable No.1 solar cell producer in the world.

As the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry makes great strides in recent years, its standardization process has lagged far behind the pace of its industry development.

There have been 15 national standards released on the solar energy hot water system, but China still lacks standard systems on solar thermal power generation. Currently, three standards on this field have been under urgent formulation. Meanwhile, a new standard committee on solar energy will be set up soon.

For the Chinese PV industry, in which 98% of solar cells are produced for export, it is obviously not a good thing. The occidental countries have high demands on the certification of standards and qualities of PV products, which is the major challenge faced by the Chinese PV industry.

In addition to lagging standardized formulation, there is still much room for the national support policies and planning on the PV industry.

Wang Sicheng said: "Renewable Energy Law has already been in force for two years, but it hasn’t applied to photovoltaic power generation in reality. So far, the power departments haven’t formally accepted on-grid photovoltaic power generation. A few on-grid photovoltaic power generation projects in Western China are just demonstrative in nature, without producing any benefits.”

According to the international experience, the developed countries mainly promote the development of the PV industry through two ways: the first instance is providing subsidies in Japan. Some subsidies will be offered in installation. Then, with the gradual maturity of the PV market, the government reduces subsidies step by step. Finally, the market dominates all. The other instance is the German example, in which the nation releases electricity purchase law to enforce compulsory purchase of photovoltaic power.

The German photovoltaic market surpassed Japan in 2006 largely due to the promulgation of the “On-grid Price Law”. As the installation scale of photovoltaic system doubles, its cost will fall 20%. Therefore, the law makes the cost of photovoltaic power generation in rapid decline. From 2004 to 2007, electricity tariff in Germany has dropped by about 17%.

Executive Director of China Renewable Energy Society and Professor of Solar Energy Research Institute of Shanghai Jiaotong University Cui Rongqiang suggested that in the initial stage, we can combine initial installation subsidy with electricity price subsidy, which will help promote the development of photovoltaic market and prepare for large-scale application.

Executive Director of the China Renewable Energy Development Project Office Wu Dacheng told our reporters that currently, market shares of China’s photovoltaic system are as follows: rural electrification account for 42 percent, communications and industrial applications 30 percent, and photovoltaic products 28%.

Wu said that to solve the electricity problem in rural areas without access to electricity is the major goal in energy building in the rural areas face by the Chinese government in the coming 10 years. As there is sufficient solar energy in the undeveloped northwestern areas of China, photovoltaic power generation and wind-solar hybrid power generation will be major technical means.

A boost to the development of wind power in China will not only help to cut carbon dioxide emission but also serve as a buffer zone for sandstorms in northern China, energy expert Huang Yicheng, said on Wednesday.

Huang, also the country`s former energy minister, explained that establishment of big wind power stations with the installation of windmills in northwestern China was like a shield to reduce wind velocity.

Huang said it was difficult to forecast the effect, but it would definitely help north China including Olympic Beijing to go through fewer sandstorms in winter and spring.

He said during the ongoing 5th Asian wind energy exhibition and conference that in recent years 80 percent of China`s newly-added annual 100 million kilowatts power capacity was fuelled by coal, which added new pressure to coal supply and environmental protection goals.

He estimated that the wind power resources on the country`s land stood at 700 million kilowatts, of which 300 to 400 million kilowatts was workable.

Figures showed that Chinese installed wind power capacity reached 6 million kilowatts by 2007, coming behind Germany, the United States, Spain and India, while the combined wind energy installation underway is 4.2 million kilowatts.

To meet mounting demand for electricity from both domestic civilian and industrial users, the country has stressed renewable and clean energy in recent years.

Zhou Xi`an, an official from the the Office of the National Energy Leading Group, said China is endeavoring to build "wind power three gorges" projects in northwestern Gansu Province, eastern Jiangsu Province and northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Zhou predicted that the installed wind power capacity will top 10 million kilowatts by the end of this year and 20 million kilowatts in 2010.

On June 18, celebration ceremony for grid connection of Phase 1 (49,500 KW) of Longyuan Shangyi Shiren Wind Power Project & foundation laying of 150,000 KW wind power project in Qilin Mt. was held in Shangyi County. Assistant of General Manager of China Guodian Corporation, General Manager of Longyuan Electric Power Group Corp. Xie Changjun, Deputy Director of Hebei Provincial Development and Reform Commission Song Xiaoying, as well as municipal leaders like Qiao Denggui, Gao Liuxi and Song Wenling attended the foundation laying ceremony

It’s reported that Phase 1 of Longyuan Shangyi Shiren Wind Power Project has a total installed capacity of 49,500 KW and a gross investment of 520 million yuan. It officially started construction on July 10, 2007, and went into operation on June 10, 2008. So far, grid-connection capacity of wind power in Shangyi County reached 183,000 KW, accounting for 1/2 of the city’s total installed capacity, ranking 1st in the province; Phase 1 of Longyuan Shangyi Qilin Mt. Wind Power Project is one of the 1 million KW-class wind power demonstration projects in Bashang Area of Zhangjiakou City approved by the NDRC. The project has a total installed capacity of 150 MW, and a gross investment of 1.3 billion yuan. A 220 KV booster station and a control center building will start construction now and go into operation by the end of 2009. By the year 2010, the total installed capacity of wind turbine generator units in the county will reach 1 million KW. By then, wind power alone will add 240 million in financial revenue to the county.

Recently, Yongji Electric Machine Company under China Northern Locomotive & Rolling Stock Industry (Group) Corporation (CNR) singed a wind power order worth more than 1 billion yuan. This is the largest single wind power order of the company, which symbolized the company has made a new breakthrough relying on core technologies in diversified markets like wind power.

Yongji company as the leader of motor manufacturing in China’s wind power industry, has firmly grasped the market opportunity of the rapid development of the wind power industry and outlined wind power market as one of the company’s five main businesses in its strategic planning. In the fierce market competition, by accelerating product updating and quality improvement and applying core technologies and quality management concepts in wind power products, it has get rid of the rival competitors with advanced technologies and won the recognition of market users with reliable products.

Recently Hohhot Municipal government and Shanghai Aerospace Technology Research Institute singed a framework agreement in Inner Mongolia New City State Guest House to continue cooperation in build Aerospace Inner Mongolian photovoltaic industrial base. It marks the official start of construction of Inner Mongolia Shenzhou Silicon Company Ltd`s which is due to produce 3,000 tons of polycrystalline silicon per year.

Inner Mongolia Shenzhou Silicon Company Ltd’s polycrystalline silicon project is invested in two phases. Phase one is invested with 1.78 billion yuan with an annual production of 1,500 tons of polycrystalline silicon. Phase two is invested with 2.68 billion yuan, with an annual production of 3,000 tons of polycrystalline silicon. Both Phases 1 and 2 can produce 4,500 tons with an estimated sales income of 10 billion yuan. Construction of Phase 2 is to start this month and the mechanical part is expected to complete by the end of 2009, enter into testing stage and production is expected in March 2009.

A recent issue of the Caijing journal claims the government will be approving nuclear power projects in Hubei, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces. Inland nuclear power stations are likely to move from proposal and studies to reality.

The three projects are: Xianning Dafan Nuclear Project in Hubei, Yiyang Taohuajiang Nuclear Project in Hunan and Pengze Nuclear Project in Jiangxi, which are to be invested and built by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (hereafter referred as CGNPG), China National Nuclear Corporation (hereafter referred as CNNC) and China Electricity Investment Corporation (hereafter referred as CEIC) respectively.

In the first half of this year, NDRC has approved the three projects to start the preparatory work. It is also studying similar project proposals by Anhui, Jilin and Gansu provinces. Although Sichuan also urgently needs to restructure its energy structure, its proposal was rejected due to its location in an earthquake zone.

Experts believe that the three nuclear projects in Central China are most likely to be approved, symbolizing the beginning of nuclear development in inland China.

LONDON, June 19 (Xinhua) — China`s Renewable Energy Development Project (REDP) was rewarded the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy, the world`s leading green energy prize, in a final competition taking place here Thursday.

The REDP was launched in 2001 by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the World Bank (WB), with international grant financing provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with one of its main aims to promote the installation of photovoltaic (PV) solar home systems in remote off-grid homes in nine western Chinese provinces; to improve the quality of production of PV modules and other system components in China; to provide free information about PV; and to facilitate cooperation between the PV sector in China and the rest of the world.

The REDP has enabled sales of over 402,000 photovoltaic (PV) solar-home systems (SHS) through the REDP-subsidized program since its establishment to rural people who live off the land by tendingyaks or other animals in remote areas of the West and North-West of China.

Around 1.6 million people, who live in tents for at least part of the year and had little access to electricity previously, now have an improved quality of life through better light, communications and entertainment, with the portable systems ideally suited to the lifestyle of these semi-nomadic users who are able to take them with their tents into the summer pasture in the hills.

A typical SHS supplies two lights, a radio and a mobile phone charger, and is supplied in a metal carry-case so that it is portable. Larger systems can power radio-cassettes, TVs and DVD players. For users, the main benefit of the REDP program was brighter, cleaner lighting, for study, work and recreation. Use of radio-cassettes and mobile phones to keep in touch with the outside world is also greatly appreciated.

The REDP program supported the rapid growth of the PV industry in China, and improved the quality of production while keeping costs low. It greatly expanded the market for solar home systems, and supported the development of a network of suppliers, wholesalers and retailers.

The REDP has also supported some PV village systems to provide electricity for public facilities such as, schools, health centers, village satellite telephones, forest protection, road maintaining, climate monitoring and Buddhist temples.

The REDP was one of the six pioneering renewable energy projects from Africa, Asia and Latin America that received a prizeof 20,000 pounds (some 40,000 US dollars) each announced by the Asheden Awards at a ceremony here.

At the ceremony, India`s Technology Informatics Design Endeavour (TIDE) was announced to win this year`s title "Energy Champion" and a prize of 40,000 pounds (some 80,000 U.S. dollars) while Bangladeshi Grameen Shakti won the 2008 Outstanding Achievement Award and a prize of 15,000 pounds.

The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy was founded in 2001 by the Ashden Trust, a Britain-based charity, and the competition is held annually to identify and reward outstanding and innovative projects in Britain and developing countries which provide renewable energy and energy efficiency at a local level.