Shanxi Province adds 132 MW of wind power installed capacity in January
Shanghai. February 14. INTERFAX-CHINA - Central China's Shanxi Province installed 88 wind turbines totaling 132 megawatts of installed capacity in January, according to statistics released by the Shanxi arm of the State Grid Corp. (SGC) Feb. 14.
As of the end of January, Shanxi housed 1.03 gigawatts (GW) of wind power installed capacity, said the company.
The coal-rich province is making a concerted effort to diversify its energy mix.
"The vast majority of electricity in Shanxi is produced by burning coal, making it one of the most polluted provinces in China," a source with the Shanxi branch of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) told Interfax on the condition of anonymity.
Shanxi is currently too dependent on the coal industry, said the source, noting that the provincial government wants to make renewable energy, particularly wind power, a more important component of the economy going forward.
According to Shanxi's 12th Five-Year Renewable Energy Development Plan released last February, the province will earmark approximately RMB 260 billion ($41.27 billion) for the renewable energy sector through the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015). The plan forecasts provincial wind power installed capacity to reach 12 GW by 2015, while aggregate installed capacity will reach between 80 GW and 100 GW.
-WV