China to have 100 GW wind power energy capacity by 2020

BEIJING, May 4 (Xinhua) -- China plans to finish 100 gigawatts of wind
power capacity by 2020 and expand its renewable energy consumption to 40 percent
of the energy market by 2050.

The goal for wind power capacity was more than three times of the 30
gigawatts target that the government set 18 months ago, Monday's China Daily
reported.

China will also become the biggest growth market for wind power generating
capacity this year, ahead of the United States, said the report, citing a
forecast from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).

As the world's second largest energy consumer, China has around 12
gigawatts of wind power capacity and has said it wants to raise that to around
20 gigawatts by next year.

The plan means wind will be a bigger source of renewable energy than
nuclear, despite a construction boom in nuclear power plants, and also far
bigger than solar, which is expected to hit 1.8 gigawatts by 2020, according to
a 2007 plan.

The annual growth rate in China's wind power will be around 20 percent,
said Fang Junshi, head of the coal department of the National Energy
Administration.

China is currently the fourth largest wind power producer in the world
after the United States, Germany and Spain.

The World Wind Energy Report 2008 had predicted that Asia, under China's
lead, will "become the worldwide locomotive for the wind industry" and "Chinese
wind turbine manufacturers will be among the top international suppliers".