China Huadian New Energy Development Co Ltd will try to add another 0.822 GW of wind power production capacity this year, which would add up to a total production of 1 GW, according to a company statement published on its website today.

The company will take further initiative this year to develop other renewable energy sectors, such as solar power generation, biogas power generation and small hydropower stations.

China Huadian Corp, one of China's five biggest power generators, is the controlling shareholder of the company.

Domestic wind power generation capacity has grown by 4 GW to 10 GW in 2008. China's wind power investment increases at a rate that is the second fastest in the world, only after the US, Zhang Guobao, head of the National Energy Administration, said in an article published in the People's Daily in December 2008. The goal to raise its total generation capacity to 100 GW by 2020 seems more achievable than ever, Zhang said.

Zhang also promised that China will soon establish a "favorable policy" in order to spur the emergence of big wind farms and to connect them to the power grid. Starting from this year, the country will build several large wind farms over the next ten years each with a generating capacity in excess of 10 GW in Gansu, Hebei, and Jiangsu provinces, as well as in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

(China Daily March 4, 2009)