First stage of Jiuquan wind power base completed

The first-stage of Jiuquan wind energy base, China's biggest wind farm project,  has been completed. It is located in the desert area near Jiuquan city, northwest China's Gansu province, which has abundant wind resources. 

According to the China Daily, more than 3,500 wind turbines have been erected with an installed capacity of 5.16 GW. The wind turbines are generating 1.15 GW of power, said Wang Jianxin, director of Jiuquan Development and Reform Commission.

China is likely to surpass the United States as the leader in cumulative wind energy capacity by the end of this year, a Global Wind Energy Council or GWEC official said.

The GWEC also forecast an increase of up to 10 times China's currently installed capacity by 2020, up from 25.1 GW at the end of 2009.

The rapid growth in wind power will not only satisfy the world's increasing power demands but also achieve major greenhouse gas emissions reductions, as the power sector is the largest emission source. In 2010, the 600,000 workers of the wind farm industry put up a new wind turbine every 30 minutes.