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China's dominance in wind turbine production

The European Union will examine aids received by Chinese suppliers of wind turbines predestined for Europe, the bloc's antitrust commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, has actually said.

Tuesday's move is the current in a growing effort in both Europe and the United States to protect domestic clean energy markets from low-cost Chinese imports, which authorities state benefit from anti-competitive state subsidies.

Washington would not accept U.S. market being annihilated. by China's excess commercial capability in key items such as. EVs, batteries and photovoltaic panels, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet. Yellen cautioned during a visit to China today.

Here is what we know about China's wind power market.

HOW BIG IS IT?

China has by far the world's biggest wind turbine production. capability, or 60% of 163 gigawatts (GW) in 2023, states. Brussels-based market association International Wind Energy Council.

Production capacity in Europe and the United States, by. contrast, stood at 19% and 9% respectively.

China exported about $1.42 billion of turbines and. parts to the EU in 2015.

Its leading three producers, Goldwind, Envision. and Mingyang had combined orders of 55.3 GW in 2022,. versus only 26.7 GW for the top 3 Western makers, Vestas. , GE and Siemens Energy, information from. consultancy Enerdata programs.

In addition to output, Chinese turbine makers also. lead in item style and development. The last four years have. seen 426 brand-new Chinese turbine designs launched, versus simply 29 brand-new. turbines outside China, consultancy Wood Mackenzie said.

In 2015, China set up the world's largest overseas wind. turbine off the coast of the southern province of Fujian. The. 18MW turbine is 20% more effective than the biggest turbine built. by GE.

WHAT lags ITS DEVELOPMENT?

China has long supported the advancement of wind farms and. turbine production as part of its ambitious climate goals to. reach peak emissions before 2030.

Stimulated by state assistance, China set up 77.1 GW of wind. power in 2015, representing 65% of the global total. By. contrast, European Union countries developed just 17 GW.

China presented feed-in tariffs to support onshore wind. power implementation in 2009 broadening them to overseas projects in. 2014.

Although central subsidies were phased out between 2020 and. 2021, tasks continue to get support from city governments.

In 2021, the southern economic powerhouse of Guangdong said. it would use subsidies of in between 500 yuan ($ 69) and 1,500. yuan ($ 207) per kilowatt of overseas wind capacity till 2025.

The wind sector also continues to get indirect assistance. from state banks and cheap upstream components.

Production loans at China's four big state-owned banks. leapt 25% in 2015 to $1.2 trillion, targeting tactical. sectors such as innovation and clean energy.

In an annual report to China's legislature in March, Premier. Li Qiang swore to let loose brand-new efficient forces to drive. development in high-tech production as the economy stalls amid a. residential or commercial property crunch and trade stress.

Li added that Beijing would release one trillion yuan's worth. of unique purpose bonds - comparable to $139 billion - in 2024. to assist fund tactical sectors.

WHAT OTHER ASPECTS KEEP CHINESE TURBINE RATES LOW?

The situation in China's wind turbine sector resembles. that in the solar sector, with huge domestic capability. boosts underpinned by comprehensive government support, said. Xuyang Dong, China energy policy analyst at Environment Energy. Financing in Sydney.

With a domestic supply excess and world leading technology,. China will progressively look for to export turbines.

Low-cost basic materials and intense competitors have actually also pushed. down prices. Rates of Chinese turbines come by more than 30%. in 2023, Wood Mackenzie stated.

Costs for Chinese turbines have to do with a fifth below rival. U.S. and European items, states research service BloombergNEF.

The typical bidding prices in China's public wind job. tenders fell 11.4% from 1,755 yuan ($ 242.65) per kilowatt at the. start of 2023 to 1,555 yuan at the end of the year, leading. provider Goldwind said in its 2023 annual report. ($ 1= 7.2322 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(source: Reuters)