Chinese wind generation eclipses nuclear during 2012

• 11 years ago (2013-02-20)
• Junior Isles

Asia 848 Nuclear 640 Renewables 751

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China generated 2 per cent more electricity from wind than nuclear during 2012, figures released by market analysts show.

Wind is likely to move further ahead over the coming years as nuclear generation’s annual growth rate is only 10 per cent compared with wind’s 80 per cent.

Wind developers connected 19 000 MW capacity to the grid during 2011 and 2012, and are expected to add nearly this much again in 2013 alone.

By comparison, pre-Fukushima, China had 10 200 MW of installed nuclear capacity and 29 nuclear reactors under construction with a capacity of 28 000 MW. Officials were confident China would reach 40 000 MW of nuclear power by 2015 and perhaps 100 000 MW by 2020.

Since then nuclear installation and future estimates have come down substantially, with China connecting four reactors with a combined 2600 MW over the course of 2011 and 2012, bringing its total nuclear installations to 12 800 MW.

Despite official statements to the contrary, the current pace of construction makes it increasingly unlikely that China will reach 40 000 MW of nuclear capacity in 2015.

Meanwhile, grid issues with wind power are increasingly being resolved thanks to recent expansion and upgrades: by the end of 2012, 80 per cent of China’s estimated 75 600 MW of wind capacity were grid-connected.

China is likely to easily meet its official target of 100 000 MW of grid-connected wind capacity by 2015.

Further, the future of China’s wind energy resources is very promising. Harvard researchers estimate that China’s wind generation potential is 12 times larger than its 2010 electricity consumption.