The Clean-Energy Industry

China Electricity Council's 2009 statistical bulletin on electricity enterprises showed many companies investing in the clean-energy industry, a clear improvement in the investment structure of China's electrical resource. Clean energy accounted for 32.2 percent of added installed capacity in 2009; hydraulic, nuclear and wind power all saw a large increase in investment, their completed investments in capital construction growing by 2.33 percent, 74.91 percent and 43.9 percent respectively over 2008, whereas completed investment in capital construction of coal-fired generators fell by 11.11 percent. Clean-energy stocks were a hot stock-market item.

In 2009, China had the largest hydroelectric capacity in the world, 197 million kW. China produced photovoltaic cells totaling four million kW a year, making up 40 percent of the world's total. Solar water heating panels exceeded 145 million square meters, representing 60 percent of the world's total. China's use of energy from renewable resources is about 225 Mtce (megaton coal equivalent), representing 7.3 percent of the world's total energy consumption.

Enthusiasm for building large-scale wind farms is still strong. In July 2010, 34 windmills went into operation at Shanghai East Sea Bridge Wind Farm, the first offshore wind farm of such magnitude in Asia. All started supplying to the power grid on August 31, conveying green electricity to the mainland via submarine cable. The farm will generate 267 million kWh a year, which means saving 100,000 tons of coal and reducing carbon emission by 200,000 tons. As well as supplying power for the Shanghai Expo, it will meet the demand of 200,000 households in Shanghai.

The wind farm has an installed capacity of 102,000 kW, and is fully patent protected. Phase II has obtained government approval, and will be even larger and more advanced. In addition, Shanghai is planning and actively preparing to construct a further four offshore wind farms in Fengxian and Pudong, which will raise wind power capacity in Shanghai to 1.1 million kW.

According to the China Electricity Council bulletin, China's installed capacity of wind power in 2009 reached 16.13 million kW, a 92.5 percent increase over the previous year, registering the world's highest growth in wind farms. Wind power output reached 27 billion kWh, a rise of 106 percent. Wind-power installed capacity is expected to reach 30 million kW in 2010.