Wind-power expansion sets Shanghai on road to green future
0 
A?wind-power plant near Donghai Bridge, which has 34 wind turbines, is expanding its capacity from this week in a move expected to relieve pressure on the city's power supplies and enhance the generation of clean energy.
Together with completed and planned wind-power plants in Fengxian District, Nanhui area and Chongming County, it is estimated that Shanghai will be able to generate a total of 6 million kilowatts of electricity a year, experts told a scientific forum on China's energy use and development at Shanghai Science and Technology Museum over the weekend.
"The expansion plan was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission, the top industry planning agency," said Lu Zhongmin, deputy director and general engineer of Shanghai Investigation, Design and Research Institute. "The Donghai windmill expansion will cover sea areas of Jinshan, Nanhui, Hengsha Island and the northern mouth of the Yangtze River."
In addition, an experimental windmill testing the world's biggest turbine will also be built in the city, Lu said.
Shanghai's Donghai Bridge Wind Farm is China's first offshore windmill farm. It finished installation in March and will put all its wind turbines into operation to supply clean energy for the World Expo.
Experts said China was working hard to increase energy use efficiency and the development of new and clean energy.
"At present only 1 to 2 percent of China's electricity output comes from renewable sources, excluding hydropower," Weng Shilie, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, told the forum. "The percentage will increase to 7 to 10 by 2020 and over 15 percent in 2030. By 2050, renewable sources, excluding hydropower, is expected to cover 25 percent of China's total electricity output and become a major source of energy."
In addition to improving energy efficiency and new energy development, experts stressed the importance of energy saving by everyone from the government to individual residents.
