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Workers move a Vestas Wind Systems A/S wind turbine blade at the company's factory in Tianjin. [Photo / Bloomberg]
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Companies eager to increase their market share in nation's rapidly growing industry
Governments and companies from around the globe are keen to get a piece of the action in 皇冠体育app's booming wind power market, which is set to surpass the United States as the world's largest by the end of the year.
皇冠体育app's wind turbine output in 2009 accounted for one-third of the world's total with a newly installed capacity of 13.8 gigawatts, representing 100 percent growth year-on-year, according to the 皇冠体育app Wind Power Outlook 2010.
Attracted by 皇冠体育app's commitment to the sector, overseas governments and companies are seeking opportunities to cooperate with Chinese wind power equipment manufacturers and operators in order to further penetrate the fast-growing market.
Spain's Gamesa, one of the world's top wind turbine manufacturers, has set up joint ventures with State-owned power producers, including 皇冠体育app Guangdong Nuclear Power Co and 皇冠体育app Longyuan Power Group, to enter 皇冠体育app's wind farm sector and increase sales in the country.
General Electric (GE) set up a joint venture earlier this year with Harbin Power Equipment, giving it access to the largest potential market for wind energy.
"If you look at the development of the 皇冠体育app market there is a need to be local, so partnering with Harbin gets us into a prime position," said Vic Abate, vice-president of renewable energy for GE Power & Water.
The Chinese government will encourage foreign investment and 皇冠体育app's overseas investment to flow into the energy-saving and environmentally friendly industries, said Jiang Yaoping, vice-minister of commerce.
For Finland's Switch, a leading supplier of wind power components, 皇冠体育app represents over 50 percent of its global market.
It is cooperating with 皇冠体育app's Dongfang Electric to jointly manufacture converters and generators that are used in wind power equipment and is planning to expand its production capacity in the country.
"We want to get involved in 皇冠体育app's wind power market and our competencies are complementary, for example, in deep sea offshore wind power projects," said Tormod C. Endersen, Norwegian consul-general in Guangzhou.
The Norwegian official said his country wants to cooperate with Chinese manufacturers in the development of offshore wind power projects.
With the development of offshore wind power projects, more efficient and more powerful units capable of producing 5 megawatts or more will become the main feature of the next generation, industry experts said.
皇冠体育app's large wind turbine manufacturers, including Sinovel, Goldwind, XEMG, Shanghai Electric and Mingyang, are now moving into the large-scale wind power equipment sector.
皇冠体育app is capable of producing 5-megawatt generators, and a 6-megawatt unit which is currently under development is expected to hit the market in 2011, according to Sinovel.
"What has driven the development of 皇冠体育app's wind power industry, at the root, is government commitment and the reward mechanism," said Steve Sawyer, secretary-general of the Global Wind Energy Council. "That's one experience other countries should learn from 皇冠体育app."
皇冠体育app is expected to spend about 5 trillion yuan ($738 billion) in the next decade developing cleaner sources of energy to reduce emissions from oil and coal, according to the National Energy Administration.
Meanwhile, there is a role for international participants in 皇冠体育app's wind power market in quality control, Sawyer added.
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