The 5MW prototype turbine will come off the production line when the second stage Sinovel's wind turbine facility is completed at the end of this year in Jiuquan City, Gansu Province.
The second stage project of Sinovel is designed to produce 300 units of 5MW turbines a year.
Yu Jianjun, vice-president of Sinovel, said the company has recently signed an agreement with Jiuquan Municipal Government to invest CNY280 million in the second stage project in Jiuqua that hosts the country’s first 10GW-level wind power base.
In 2009, China proposed to construct seven 10GW-level wind power bases across the country to have about 90GW installed capacity, totaling 78percent of the national wind power installed capacity, in 2020.
"We are constructing the second stage project that is dedicated to the development and mass production of 5MW land-based turbines," said Yu.
The 5MW land-based turbines will feature a similar design to Sinovel’s offshore wind turbines.
In January 2010, Sinovel invested CNY1.5 billion to construct an industrial park in Yancheng, eastern China’s Jiangsu Province, to produce 5MW turbines for offshore wind farms. The industrial park is set to be completed at the end of this year, with a capacity to produce 600MW annually.
Last month, Sinovel said it had finished designing its 5MW offshore wind turbines and would produce a prototype in the fourth quarter of this year.
Sinovel independently develops the variable-speed pitch-regulated doubly-fed 5MW turbines. Components to construct the turbines are purchased worldwide, including the electronic control system from American Superconductor Corp. (AMSC).
On March 22, 2010, AMSC announced it won an order from Sinovel to supply electronic control systems for the 5MW turbine. These will be delivered in the second half of this year.
Chinese wind turbine producers are focusing their efforts on building larger turbines. According to analyst BTM, the wind turbines nstalled by China in 2009 averaged 1.36MW in power, smaller than the global average of 1.599MW (1.5MW in the United States, and 2-3MW in Europe).
Recent efforts by China’s wind industry to develop larger turbines:
- March 2009, Sinovel had its first 3MW offshore wind turbine installed in Shanghai East Sea Bridge Offshore Wind Farm.
- July 2010, Shanghai Electric produced its first 3.6MW turbine for offshore wind farms.
- September 2009, Goldwind had its first 2.5MW turbine produced by its German subsidiary Vensys.
- December 2009, Goldwind installed its first independently developed 3MW turbine in Dabancheng, Xinjiang for pilot operation.
- In August 2009, XEMC bought Netherland’s Darwind to obtain the technology producing 5MW direct-drive turbines, and 2MW turbine production line. It is hoping to produce prototypes in October this year.
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