Focus now turns to China's low-wind areas

Vestas Wind Systems has agreed to hand a large consignment of high-tech turbines to the Longganhu wind farm in Hubei province.

With an average wind speed of just 5 meters per second, the Longganhu site is part of large swathes of China that lack the wind resources of those more favorable areas already exploited. Nevertheless, it is situated close to one of Hubei province's most energy-consuming areas.

Jens Tommerup, president of Vestas China, said, "Low-wind sites in China are a new market of huge potential. The contract is of great significance to us. It not only helps us open up a new market, but also firms up our steps toward the exploitation of the dominant wind regime in China."

Since China launched a public tendering process for wind power concession projects in 2003, the regions of rich wind-energy resources have basically been carved up by power companies.

Developers have little alternative but to look elsewhere, including low-wind-speed areas.

Low-wind-speed areas are identified as having average wind speeds of 6-8 meters per second and wind availability below 2,000 hours annually. This applies to 68 percent of China' s land.

"China will give high attention to developing distributed wind farms that are smaller and based in the vast low-wind-speed areas close to electric power users," said He Dexin, president of the China Wind Energy Association.

Under Vestas' contract with Datang Hubei Renewable Energy, 27 units of tailor-made V100-1.8-megawatt  turbines, with a total capacity of 48.6 mw, will be installed at the said wind farm.

The contract includes delivery, transportation, installation supervision and commissioning of the turbines, as well as a two-year service and maintenance agreement. The first turbines are scheduled to be delivered in the second quarter of 2012.

Vestas has 180 units of such turbines, with a 100-meter rotor diameter, installed globally.

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Tags: low-wind areas, turbine maker, wind farm development