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The rapid growth of wind power in China is clearly visible. Over the past five years, China has maintained the fastest growth in wind power capacity and holds the largest new wind power installations globally. In 2012, it became the world's leading country in grid-connected wind power. For the first time, annual wind power output exceeded 100 billion kWh. Recently, officials from the State Grid Corporation highlighted the significant efforts made by the power grid to support wind energy development. Moving forward, the company will continue to strengthen cross-regional transmission infrastructure, build a smart and robust grid, enhance dispatching capabilities, and work to address existing challenges like wind curtailment, promoting the healthy and orderly development of China’s renewable energy sector.
In the State Grid operating region, the average annual growth rate of grid-connected wind power capacity reached 79%. By the end of 2012, the grid-connected wind power capacity of the State Grid Corporation (including Mengxi) had reached 56.76 million kilowatts, up 29% compared to the previous year, accounting for 6.05% of the total network capacity. From 2005 to 2012, the annual grid-connected wind power capacity of the State Grid Corporation increased by 79%.
According to the China Electricity Council, the increase in wind power capacity in 2012 declined by 24.7% compared to the previous year. Despite this slowdown, China remains the fastest-growing wind power market globally.
Wind power consumption in 2012 remained stable, with continued growth in wind power generation and consistent utilization hours. The cumulative wind power generation in the State Grid's operating areas reached 96.8 billion kWh, up 37% year-on-year. Nationally, wind power utilization hours stood at 1,893 hours, an increase of 18 hours from the same period last year. Except for the Northeast China Power Grid, utilization hours in North, Northwest, and East China Power Grids all rose year-on-year.
To accommodate the growing integration of wind power, the State Grid has adjusted its dispatch schedules, prioritizing wind power daily and coordinating thermal and hydro units. In particular, real-time monitoring of heating loads has been implemented in the northwest, north, and northeast regions. Measures such as thermal power adjustment and leveraging peak capacity have helped maximize wind power acceptance. In response to weak local grids and limited transmission capacity, the State Grid deployed 53 sets of security control systems in the "Three North" regions in 2011, increasing wind power generation by 1.9 billion kWh and easing wind curtailment issues.
Cross-regional grids have played a key role in reducing wind curtailment. The State Grid Scientifically arranges operations, purchases line plans, and maximizes regional peaking potential to absorb more wind power. For example, the North China Network has tapped into peak adjustment potential, helping the Northeast and Western Inner Mongolia grids absorb low-voltage wind power. In 2012, it consumed 450 million kWh and 160 million kWh of wind power in Mengxi and the Northeast respectively.
Leveraging the advantages of large-scale grids ensures maximum wind power integration. Currently, wind power accounts for 5.3% of China’s total installed capacity, similar to the U.S. However, due to geographical and resource distribution differences, China's wind power consumption has unique characteristics. Unlike many foreign countries where wind resources are scattered and mostly integrated into lower voltage systems, China's concentrated wind resources are far from load centers, making on-site absorption difficult. Additionally, regions like the Northwest, North, and Northeast have a single power supply structure, with limited flexible resources such as pumped storage or gas-fired plants—less than 2%. During winter, large heat-generating units limit peak-shaving capabilities, whereas in Europe and the U.S., a higher proportion of rapidly adjustable sources allows better wind power integration.
State Grid officials stated, “Despite these challenges, we’ve fully utilized the unified management and dispatch of the large grid to ensure maximum wind power integration.â€
However, since 2008, wind power growth has exceeded 8 million kW annually, concentrated in key regions. This rapid expansion has outpaced local absorption capacity, leading to wind curtailment in areas like Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Mengdong. During the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan†period, wind growth in these regions significantly outpaced load and supply growth, creating an unbalanced system. The lack of sufficient wind curtailment capacity has led to a sharp drop in utilization hours, worsening wind curtailment issues.
Jilin Province exemplifies this challenge. By 2012, wind power accounted for 33.7% of the maximum load, with an installed capacity of 3.3 million kW—up 1.1 million kW from 2010. The province's wind capacity was 1.4 million kW, but by 2012, it had reached 2.4 times that amount, causing severe peak shaving challenges.
Regarding media reports claiming 20 billion kWh of wind curtailment in 2012, a State Grid official said the figure lacks basis. “There is no unified method for calculating wind curtailment, and data sources vary widely, leading to inconsistent results.†Li Qionghui, director of the New Energy Research Institute, noted that current calculation methods are not standardized. According to the “Calculation Method for Wind Discharge of Wind Farms (Trial),†the model machine method is used, typically selecting no more than 10% of turbines, with dispatch agencies determining the number based on actual conditions.
Judging from the measures issued by the Electricity Regulatory Commission, only dispatching agencies are authorized to release wind power data. Since the SERC document was released on December 19, 2012, the exact wind curtailment figures for 2012 remain unavailable.
Li Qionghui emphasized that while the State Grid has made significant efforts to reduce wind curtailment, solving the issue requires broader collaboration. “Addressing the root causes of wind curtailment is not solely the responsibility of one grid company.â€
To tackle the problem, the State Grid is accelerating the planning and construction of cross-regional transmission channels. Officials believe that improving grid interconnectivity and expanding wind power markets are key. They stress that the approval and construction of ultra-high voltage lines are lagging, which must be addressed urgently.
Li Qionghui also pointed out that planning issues are central to wind curtailment. “Current wind power development plans often neglect market demand and fail to align with grid and conventional power planning. Coupled with delayed grid approvals, this leads to unnecessary wind curtailment.â€
To mitigate curtailment, the State Grid has been optimizing dispatching and minimizing thermal power generation to maximize wind access. Grid companies are also actively planning export routes. Li Qionghui suggests that wind farm developers should also focus on market research and grid planning. “This is not just the grid company’s responsibility. Coordinated efforts from energy authorities are essential to ensure smooth development.â€