Turbine blades waiting for installation

Member Country Activities for
Chinese Wind Energy Association (CWEA)

China saw 23,186.4 MW of new wind power capacity installed in 2014, increasing the accumulated capacity to 114,599.3 MW. China continues to have the highest wind power capacity in the world. In the past year, 19,813 MW of wind capacity were integrated to the grid, increasing the grid-connected capacity to 96,370.9 MW, which accounted for 7% of installed power capacity nationwide. In 2014, the average full-load-hour of wind power was 1,893 hours, a decrease of 181 hours compared to 2013. Wind power generation increased by 13.7%, amounting to 153.4 TWh, which accounted for 2.78% of total electricity generation, an increase of 0.2% compared to 2013. Wind power remains the third largest generation source in China, following thermal electricity and hydroelectricity. The average wind curtailment rate was 8%, a decrease of 4% compared to 2013. Wind energy represented the largest energy investment in 2014, surpassing thermal, hydro, and nuclear power, with an investment of 99.3 Billion Yuan (13.2 billion EUR; 16.0 billion USD), accounting for 27.2% of total project construction investment nationwide.

In 2014, the Chinese government considered wind power development as an important tool to promote an energy revolution, adjust the energy structure, and promote national energy security. To achieve these results, the government issued a series of policies and regulations. It adjusted feed-in tariffs (FIT) for land-based wind generation and published tariffs for offshore wind. Both land-based and offshore wind power approval policies were adjusted and are being implemented. Though wind power curtailment decreased in 2013, the government still took many measures in 2014 to further resolve this problem. Also this year, the government required that wind turbine generator systems connected to the grid pass type certification, including certification of the key components. A national wind power equipment quality information monitoring and evaluation system was also established.