FOSHAN CITY KURUI LIGHTING CO.,LTD , https://www.kuruilighting.com
Wind power is currently the fastest-growing segment in the global renewable energy sector. However, in China, the utilization rate of wind power has been declining in an unhealthy manner. According to statistics, in 2012, the average annual operating hours for wind turbines in China were 1,890, which was 30 hours less than in 2011. This decline is driven by two main factors: on one hand, wind farms are increasingly "wasting" wind energy due to insufficient grid capacity, and on the other hand, the expansion of wind power installations continues at a rapid pace. In 2012 alone, new wind power capacity added reached 14.6 million kilowatts, as reported by the 2013 National Energy Work Conference. It was also planned that this year would see an additional 18 million kilowatts of installed capacity, with the total expected to reach 78.83 million kilowatts by the end of the year. Without effective measures, the issue of "wind curtailment" is likely to worsen.
According to analysts from Champ Consulting, one of the key challenges in wind power development lies in improving the transportation and distribution of electricity. Most of China’s wind power is concentrated in northern regions known as the "Three Norths," where wind resources are abundant. However, these areas have limited local energy demand. Moreover, the lack of efficient transmission infrastructure leads to significant energy losses, especially during off-peak times. At night and during autumn and winter, when wind generation is higher, reduced demand and the inability of thermal power plants to adjust quickly result in even greater waste of wind energy.
While China's wind power construction is progressing rapidly, it is not entirely accurate to blame the problem solely on overbuilding wind farms. In some regions, power shortages still occur during peak hours, indicating that overall energy supply is not yet in excess. However, the current power infrastructure struggles to efficiently transmit wind energy from production areas to consumption centers, which remains a major barrier to wind power growth. To address this, accelerating the development of long-distance ultra-high voltage (UHV) transmission lines is seen as a crucial solution.
According to the 2013–2017 China Wind Power Market Analysis and Investment Strategy Report by Champ Consulting, new energy projects, including wind power, will continue to benefit from strong policy support in China. As a clean and renewable energy source, wind power is a top priority in global green energy strategies. Therefore, wind power is expected to maintain a high growth trajectory in the coming years. The key challenge, however, remains how to effectively transport surplus wind power from resource-rich areas to regions with higher energy demand. Transmitting wind energy to more developed eastern regions can not only help utilize western power resources, boost economic development in those areas, but also reduce the reliance on thermal power in the east, contributing to environmental improvements.