China has rushed ahead in recent years as the world’s forerunner in wind energy, propelled by explosive local demand as Beijing aggressively pursues strategic and environmental targets.
Goldwind — the country’s sector champion — is set to publish financial results for last year on Friday, offering a window into how its domestic operations and overseas expansion efforts are faring.
AFP looks at how Goldwind and its Chinese peers turned the country into the indisputable global superpower in wind:
China has been a major player in global installed wind capacity since the late 2000s but it is only in the past few years that it has surged to the top.
Companies from mainland China accounted for six of the top seven turbine manufacturers worldwide last year, according to a report this month by BloombergNEF.
Goldwind held the top spot, followed by three more Chinese firms — the first time European and US firms all ranked below third.
The country’s global wind energy layout is lopsided, however, with the majority of its firms’ growth driven by domestic demand.
“The market for wind turbines outside of China is still quite diversified,” Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), told AFP.
The situation “can stay that way if countries concerned about excessive reliance on China create the conditions for the non-Chinese suppliers to expand capacity”, he added.
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