Wind power or replacing nuclear power status

"Wind power is expected to replace nuclear power within China this year and become China's third-largest power generation, generating more than 100 billion kwh." Liu Qi, deputy director of the National Energy Administration, said earlier.

At present, China has replaced the United States as the world's largest wind power country, and the national grid has also become the world's largest wind power access and the fastest wind power grid. Based on the estimated 4.94 trillion kwh electricity generated by the CEC, this year, wind power generation will account for more than 2% of the total electricity generation.

“In the past five years, the growth rate of wind power installed capacity in China has exceeded 100% every year. In April this year, the state introduced a policy to subsidize the project investment, operation and maintenance costs incurred for the integration of renewable energy projects into the power grid system. It is clearly proposed to actively support the integration of wind power. If renewable energy quota management is implemented, wind power will usher in another round of rapid development,” said Lin Boqiang, director of the China Energy Economic Research Center of Xiamen University and member of the Energy Experts Advisory Committee of the National Energy Commission.

Heavy "wind" and "nuclear"?

Nuclear power has always been China's third-largest power, second only to thermal power and hydropower. Nuclear power approval has just been thawed. Is high-profile development of wind power an inhibitor to the development of nuclear power?

Lin Boqiang believes that high-profile development of wind power is only an option for the slowdown in the development of nuclear power. It is not to suppress nuclear power. Although the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan made China change its focus on nuclear safety, it will not change the strategy for the development of nuclear power. At present, the suspension of nuclear power construction may also only be a matter of time for a policy choice. In the future, China will develop nuclear power more effectively on the basis of ensuring safety.

At present, wind power speeds up, nuclear power slows down, and wind power has certainly become China's third largest power source. "However, in terms of long-term development, China's third largest power source is wind power or nuclear power, and it needs further observation." Lin Boqiang said.

An insider of China National Nuclear Corporation revealed to reporters that although the examination and approval of nuclear power has slowed down, China’s million-kilowatt nuclear power unit with independent intellectual property rights is under intense preparation. It is expected to commence construction in 2014 and the specific location has been determined.

Chinese-style paradox of wind power development

As the larger-scale wind power projects are concentrated in the “Three North” region, and the thermal power capacity in these areas is already overcapacity, the local market cannot absorb wind power, resulting in serious overcapacity of wind power and resulting in a significant increase in the wind farm wind abandonment rate. As a result, there has been a paradox in the development of wind power in China: On the one hand, the country has developed wind power in a big way, and on the other, local problems of “disappearing winds” are frequent.

The characteristics of wind power intermittent power generation pose great challenges to the capacity of the grid. Therefore, the grid access technology is also a major factor restricting the development of wind power in China. In 2010 alone, China added more than 18 million kilowatts of new wind power installed capacity and its cumulative installed capacity exceeded 4,400 kilowatts. The greater the amount of wind energy generated, the higher the demand for the grid and the higher the cost. Obviously, grid access technology cannot keep pace with the rapid development of wind power installations.

Lin Boqiang believes that the main problem in the development of wind power in China is the problem of the industrial chain, which is mainly manifested in the lack of independent innovation and poor grid connection. As a result, the overcapacity of equipment manufacturing is serious. On the one hand, the government should make plans for wind power development and establish effective control mechanisms. On the other hand, the government should pay attention to the research and development and utilization of wind power and leave the equipment manufacturing link to the market.

How to change the passive position of wind power grid

Compared with traditional energy sources, wind power is costly. The government has repeatedly raised the renewable energy price surcharge standard. By the end of 2011, it has increased to 8 per kilowatt-hour to compensate for the difference between wind power and thermal power.

“However, higher and higher interconnection costs have not been resolved accordingly. In addition, China’s lack of subsidies and incentives for the integration of wind power has led to serious problems in China’s integration and acceptance of wind power. Wind power companies are in a passive position on the Internet. Lin Boqiang analyzed.

How to change the passive status of wind power companies on the Internet? Lin Boqiang said: “To change the passive position of wind power companies on the Internet is mainly a matter of power and industry chain. In the short term, we must continue to provide financial subsidies and policy incentives. In the long term, we should rationalize the price of electricity. It makes electricity prices reflect the cost of clean energy and formulate reasonable pricing methods and subsidy policies."

How large is the market for wind power

Liu Qi said: “The priority is to build land-based wind power with good market conditions, and actively and steadily develop offshore wind power. In 2015, China’s wind power grid-connected capacity will reach 100 million kilowatts.” Facing this good news, Sany Electric International Marketing Co., Ltd. Manager Zhan Liang looked rather calm, he said: "The scale of such a large installed capacity is certainly good, and it sends a positive signal to the wind power manufacturing industry, but whether the supporting power grid reform and consumption can really solve the problems behind it. If these problems are not solved, there is a question mark."

According to the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan” for wind power development in China, by the end of 2015, the installed capacity of offshore wind power will reach 5,000 MW. Zhan Liang believes that at present, according to the price of wind turbines, the number of offshore units is slightly higher than that of on-road units. If 5000 MW is to be completed, the market for the unit itself will be around 25 billion yuan.

Zhan Liang told reporters: “Compared with onshore wind power, offshore wind power has the advantages of good wind resources, stable wind power, and less barriers to land acquisition. However, China's offshore wind power technology is not yet mature, and the test units that are put into operation do not perform well. The construction cost is still high, and the low on-grid tariffs brought about by the previous round of concession tendering have a large squeeze on the upstream industry. On the one hand, companies must develop mature technologies and reduce costs. On the other hand, the government should create a good Investment environment and the development of supporting incentives.