Turbine makers riding favorable winds

Chinese wind turbine manufacturers have been accelerating their global expansion in recent years, exhibiting their prowess at home and abroad, driven by technological advances and large-scale investment, said industry experts and company executives.

While Chinese wind turbine manufacturers have struggled to compete with international giants such as Vestas and General Electric for a long time, they have solidified their position as global leaders in recent years, setting new records while shaping the future of green energy worldwide, they said.

Chinese wind turbine manufacturers are making strides in the overseas wind power market, securing notable contracts in recent years, said global consultancy Rystad Energy.

While the scale of these international orders remains minor compared to domestic demand in China, they hold strategic importance, helping Chinese original equipment manufacturers accumulate a track record while gaining global recognition, much like what the solar power sector experienced a decade ago, it said.

Guangdong province-based Mingyang Smart Energy Group, for example, has delivered 30 megawatts of wind turbines for the Taranto offshore wind farm in Italy, and is also one of seven contenders in Norway's first commercial offshore wind farm tender. Meanwhile, Zhejiang province-based Windey Energy Technology Group Co Ltd has secured nearly 1 GW of deals in Serbia from Italian energy company Fintel Energia.

Some of the country's wind turbine manufacturers are also contemplating establishing manufacturing bases or acquiring projects abroad, or setting up production facilities in countries like Brazil and India for a larger share of the global market, it said.

Qin Haiyan, secretary-general of the Chinese Wind Energy Association, said supportive industrial policies have been instrumental in the rapid development of China's wind energy sector in recent years, positioning the country as the global leader in renewable energy capacity and related technological advancement.

Chinese OEM firms have dominated the domestic and international markets with an unprecedented number of new turbines, achieving the global lead in average turbine size, Qin said.