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Hurdles drag wind power sector

By Zheng Lifei (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-04-19 08:47

"The development of the wind power industry faces two uncertainties: one about the government's policy on wind power pricing and the other pertaining to the lack of order in the wind power market," said an official from Chinese Wind Energy Association, who declined to be named.

"The government has already issued relevant policies but it's not the specifics which make it hard to implement them," the official said.

Some experts say the lax implementation of relevant laws and regulations is another obstacle for the development of wind power and other alternative energy industries.

China's Renewable Energy Law came into force in 2006 but many say it has not been properly implemented.

Developing a home-grown wind power equipment industry, experts say, is also necessary for this alternative energy to take off. This industry in China is overwhelmingly dominated by foreign players.

Imported wind energy turbines and equipment accounted for 77 percent of the Chinese market in 2005, according to Chinese Wind Energy Association.

"We have to develop our own wind power equipment industry and the government should work out more effective and supportive industry policies in this regard," said the official from the wind energy association.

NDRC issued rules in 2005 requiring that at least 70 percent of wind power equipment must be provided by domestic manufactures.

World's leading wind power technology companies such as Denmark's Vestas and Spain's Gamesa are active players in the Chinese market, which is expected to be worth 130 billion yuan during the country's11th Five-year Planperiod alone (2006-2010).

(China Daily 04/19/2007 page15)