China's 10 million kw wind power station

Workers will begin construction on China’s first 10 million-kw-level wind power station in the middle of this month in the far northwestern city of Jiuquan, Gansu Province. It is difficult to not quote Bob Dylan singing "The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind." That temptation will be sternly resisted. Important to get the potential power output clear. If it works according to plan, the final output will be greater that the Three Gorges dam.

Wu Shengxue, deputy head of the Jiuquan Municipal Development and Reform Commission said this wind-driven power station has been designed to have an installed capacity of 5.16 million kw by the end of 2010, 12.71 million kw by the end of 2015 and 20 million kw by the end of 2020.

He said, "The installed capacity will eventually reach 40 million kw. Total costs on the project are predicted to exceed RMB120 billion($17.6 billion)."

The government of the remote Gansu Province aims to take advantage of the abundant resources of wind power. Under its blueprint, the 2020 installed capacity could surpass the current capacity of 18.2 million kw enjoyed by the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydropower station by total capacity.

China View reported that to date, six wind farms are in operation in the city with a total installed capacity of 660,000 kw.

Wu Shengxue said, "By the end of this year, the installed capacity in the city is expected to exceed 1 million kw."