Wind farms

China: Chinese authorities have announced plans to construct two new ‘wind farms', in a bid to help ease the country's energy shortages.

An offshore wind power plant is planned in the vicinity of the Port of Huanghua in Hebei Province. When complete, the facility is expected to have a 1000 MW generation capacity. Turbines will be installed in stages, with construction of the first 50 MW facility due to start next year. The cost for this first phase is put at CNY 500 million (US$ 62 million).

Plans for a 900 MW wind farm in the Huade region of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region have also been announced. The first phase of the project will see 150 MW of turbines installed, with between 50 MW and 100 MW added each year. The total cost of the project is put at CNY 6 billion (US$ 740 million).

Huade has already designated five wind farm sites, and construction of the 70 m concrete pylons has begun at one of these. The Province sits on the south—eastern edge of the Gobi Desert, and is subject to high winds throughout the year.