Installed Wind Power In China Set To Triple By 2030, Reports GlobalData
A new report from GlobalData has concluded that China’s installed wind capacity will more than triple by 2030, reaching 495 GW, up from 149 GW in 2015.
The report identifies a cumulative worldwide wind capacity of 427 GW, growing over the previous decade at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.4%. GlobalData reports that the top 10 countries in terms of wind capacity account for 84% of the world’s total wind capacity, with China accounting for 32.39% of the world’s wind. By 2030, GlobalData expects China to see a 9% annual growth, finishing with 495 GW.
The United States follows well behind China in terms of installed capacity, with only 17.41% of the global share.
According to the report, and Aswani Srivatsava, GlobalData’s Analyst covering Power, China’s success in the wind power market is due to a combination of supportive government policies that include an appealing concessional program, and the availability of low-cost financing from government banks.
“China’s quick adoption of wind power can be attributed to a wider global trend driven by depleting fossil fuel reserves, the declining cost of wind power generation and a growing sensitivity towards environmental issues,” said Aswani Srivatsava.
“China’s 13th Five Year Plan raised the 2020 wind target to 250 GW, and aims to shift focus from scale expansion towards quality and efficiency. In order to tackle rising pollution levels and reduce its dependence on imported oil, the country is promoting renewable energy sources such as wind. The government has a number of financial incentives such as feed-in tariffs in place to continue the development of wind power.”
China’s installed capacity does not inherently lead to a complimentary increase in its generation numbers, however — a point which the US wind industry has historically been quick to point out. China’s curtailment levels have stayed high as the country has installed more renewable energy, with remote wind installations being forced to pair with inadequately prepared grid infrastructure. The problem has become so bad that China’s Government recently announced that it would put new wind project approvals on hold in 2016 throughout its northern provinces until some measure of stability is completed in the region.
“Recent government efforts have helped to expand and upgrade the grid and China now plans to address concerns that may potentially impede the initial stage of wind power development,” Srivatsava added.
“Annual wind power installations may not be as high over the next decade as in previous years, as the CAGR of installed capacity for wind was 24.4% between 2006 and 2015, but the market is still expected to be very strong, with average annual installations to 2030 being in the range of 21-22 GW.”
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