Report claims China could replace Germany as biggest generator of wind power as early as next year
BusinessGreen.com staff, BusinessGreen, 05 Nov 2008
The growing influence China and India wield over the global wind energy sector has been underlined after new research suggested both countries are fast closing the capacity gap on more established markets such as Germany and the US.
The study from the Global Wind Energy Council confirmed that at the end of 2007 Germany continued to hold the top spot with 22.3GW of installed capacity compared with 16.8GW in the US and 15.1GW in Spain.
However, India with 7.8GW and China with 5.9GW made up the top five and both reported rapid growth with India installing an extra 1.5GW of capacity and China taking the title of fastest-growing market, achieving 145 per cent growth over the course of the year.
The report, which was released late last week, predicted that with China now boasting the world's largest turbine manufacturing sector through companies such as Goldwind, Sinovel Wind and Dongfang, the country is on track to take Germany's title of largest wind energy generator as early as 2009.
It also claimed that the rapid expansion of the wind energy sector in emerging economies meant that wind could generate up to 12 per cent of the world's power by 2020 - saving 10 billion tonnes of carbon in the process - and represent almost a third of the global energy mix by 2050.
Meanwhile, reports have emerged this week that Indian turbine maker Suzlon Energy is to undertake a share issue to finance the acquisition of an extra 22 per cent stake in Germany's REpower Systems.
The company already holds a 66 per cent stake in REpower Systems, but according to India's Business Standard is committed to bolstering its stake and is in talks with a number of private equity firms about raising the required funds through a share sale.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Sunshine on China Wind Power Industry
China Wind Power Industry is still promising in the worldwide financial crisis.
Wind energy industry is rapidly growing in China, and 3.4GW wind power capacity was installed in 2007, and the accumulated installed wind power capacity reached 6GW by the end of 2007, and China became the No.5 biggest wind power producer in 2007. And China accounted for 15% of investment in the global wind power industry in 2007, and the attracted investment in China was 34 billion CNY in total.
According to China Wind Power Development Report 2008, the total installed wind power capacity in China will reach 10GW by the end of 2008, and 25GW by the end of 2010. And the most conservative estimated capacity is 80GW by the end of 2020, the business opportunity in China wind power industry is huge.
It is possible that China government will release more incentive policies to further push the development of wind power industry. And in the last two years, many new big players joined the wind power industry, and these manufacturers will begin the mass production in next several years. Then China's wind power industry will expand at incredible speed.
At present China wind power industry development also faces some problems: weak power grid, low wind electricity price, wind power equipment quality problem and lack of innovative technologies and talented engineers.
The weak power grid is the biggest bottleneck. In general the wind power rich regions are far from the power consumption regions, and the power grid in the wind power rich regions is not able to transfer the generated electricity in large scale to the quite far power consumption regions.
The low wind electricity price is harmful to the wind power industry development. At present the wind electricity price in China is 0.01 to 0.02 Euro lower than the price in other countries. And the wind electricity prices for different projects are different, it is not fair for the companies to compete.
The low wind electricity price forces the wind power investors to beat down the wind power equipment prices, it is hard to guarantee the wind power equipment quality and the wind power equipment manufacturers do not have enough fund for product and technology development.
Wind energy industry is rapidly growing in China, and 3.4GW wind power capacity was installed in 2007, and the accumulated installed wind power capacity reached 6GW by the end of 2007, and China became the No.5 biggest wind power producer in 2007. And China accounted for 15% of investment in the global wind power industry in 2007, and the attracted investment in China was 34 billion CNY in total.
According to China Wind Power Development Report 2008, the total installed wind power capacity in China will reach 10GW by the end of 2008, and 25GW by the end of 2010. And the most conservative estimated capacity is 80GW by the end of 2020, the business opportunity in China wind power industry is huge.
It is possible that China government will release more incentive policies to further push the development of wind power industry. And in the last two years, many new big players joined the wind power industry, and these manufacturers will begin the mass production in next several years. Then China's wind power industry will expand at incredible speed.
At present China wind power industry development also faces some problems: weak power grid, low wind electricity price, wind power equipment quality problem and lack of innovative technologies and talented engineers.
The weak power grid is the biggest bottleneck. In general the wind power rich regions are far from the power consumption regions, and the power grid in the wind power rich regions is not able to transfer the generated electricity in large scale to the quite far power consumption regions.
The low wind electricity price is harmful to the wind power industry development. At present the wind electricity price in China is 0.01 to 0.02 Euro lower than the price in other countries. And the wind electricity prices for different projects are different, it is not fair for the companies to compete.
The low wind electricity price forces the wind power investors to beat down the wind power equipment prices, it is hard to guarantee the wind power equipment quality and the wind power equipment manufacturers do not have enough fund for product and technology development.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Renesola subsidiary refinances
Mon 03 Nov 2008
LONDON (SHARECAST) - Solar wafer producer ReneSola saw its share price heat up after it said its principal operating subsidiary has secured additional credit lines.
Two of China's largest banks, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China and the Agricultural Bank of China have agreed to provide ReneSola subsidiary Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source with additional credit lines of RMB1.06bn between them. The new credit facilities take Zhejiang Yuhui's credit lines to around RMB2.8bn.
"While our capacity expansion for 2008 is fully financed and our cash position remains healthy, the additional credit lines committed to us by two leading Chinese banks demonstrate their strong recognition and confidence in ReneSola notwithstanding the current volatility of the financial markets," said Xianshou Li, ReneSola's chief executive officer.
ReneSola said its expects third quarter revenues to be in the $210m to $220m range, and production to be higher than previously indicated at around 100 megawatts to 103 megawatts (mw). Previously the company had guided analysts to expect third quarter output of 90mw to 95mw.
LONDON (SHARECAST) - Solar wafer producer ReneSola saw its share price heat up after it said its principal operating subsidiary has secured additional credit lines.
Two of China's largest banks, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China and the Agricultural Bank of China have agreed to provide ReneSola subsidiary Zhejiang Yuhui Solar Energy Source with additional credit lines of RMB1.06bn between them. The new credit facilities take Zhejiang Yuhui's credit lines to around RMB2.8bn.
"While our capacity expansion for 2008 is fully financed and our cash position remains healthy, the additional credit lines committed to us by two leading Chinese banks demonstrate their strong recognition and confidence in ReneSola notwithstanding the current volatility of the financial markets," said Xianshou Li, ReneSola's chief executive officer.
ReneSola said its expects third quarter revenues to be in the $210m to $220m range, and production to be higher than previously indicated at around 100 megawatts to 103 megawatts (mw). Previously the company had guided analysts to expect third quarter output of 90mw to 95mw.
Polysilicon shifting form semiconductor to solar use, say Taiwan makers
Nuying Huang, Taipei; Adam Hwang, DIGITIMES [Tuesday 4 November 2008]
Leading suppliers of polycrystalline silicon material (poly-Si) around the world, viewing that demand from the solar energy industry will keep growing in 2009 while that from semiconductor industry will decrease, may allocate increased portions of their output for solar players in 2009, according to makers of solar-grade polycrystalline silicon wafers in Taiwan.
The global consumption of solar-grade poly-Si amounted to 27,673 metric tons in 2007, surpassing that of 23,570 metric tons of semiconductor-grade poly-Si for the first time, the sources pointed out. Since solar energy production is estimated to grow on year by 50% in 2008 and by 30% in 2009 while semiconductor production may drop by 10% in 2009 from 2008, the gap in global demand for poly-Si between solar grade and semiconductor grade will be widening in 2008 and 2009, the sources indicated.
Despite the projected increase in demand, existing leading suppliers of solar-grade poly-Si based on Siemens manufacturing process will be faced with increasing competition from new fellow makers, of which many are based in China, as well as suppliers adopting upgraded metallurgical grade (UMG) or other processes, the sources pointed out.
Leading suppliers of polycrystalline silicon material (poly-Si) around the world, viewing that demand from the solar energy industry will keep growing in 2009 while that from semiconductor industry will decrease, may allocate increased portions of their output for solar players in 2009, according to makers of solar-grade polycrystalline silicon wafers in Taiwan.
The global consumption of solar-grade poly-Si amounted to 27,673 metric tons in 2007, surpassing that of 23,570 metric tons of semiconductor-grade poly-Si for the first time, the sources pointed out. Since solar energy production is estimated to grow on year by 50% in 2008 and by 30% in 2009 while semiconductor production may drop by 10% in 2009 from 2008, the gap in global demand for poly-Si between solar grade and semiconductor grade will be widening in 2008 and 2009, the sources indicated.
Despite the projected increase in demand, existing leading suppliers of solar-grade poly-Si based on Siemens manufacturing process will be faced with increasing competition from new fellow makers, of which many are based in China, as well as suppliers adopting upgraded metallurgical grade (UMG) or other processes, the sources pointed out.
Monday, November 3, 2008
China's solar PV industry in cold winter
China's solar PV industry entered into cold winter suddently from hot summer.
Many Chinese solar wafer, solar cell and solar panel manufacturers, including the major PV manufacturers, like Suntech Power, have stopped the production or reduced the production since the product prices are coming down too fast, and there is no margin for them to produce the products at all.
Some source told me that the solar cell production was cut half, and the solar panel production was 30% off at Suntech Power.
When the product price become stable, many manufacturers will recover their productions, and others will get out of the business.
Some companies believe this is a good opportunity for them to kick their competitors out of the market and in future they will have great perspective since the product cost will be reduced to acceptable level and the market demand will be much greater.
Many Chinese solar wafer, solar cell and solar panel manufacturers, including the major PV manufacturers, like Suntech Power, have stopped the production or reduced the production since the product prices are coming down too fast, and there is no margin for them to produce the products at all.
Some source told me that the solar cell production was cut half, and the solar panel production was 30% off at Suntech Power.
When the product price become stable, many manufacturers will recover their productions, and others will get out of the business.
Some companies believe this is a good opportunity for them to kick their competitors out of the market and in future they will have great perspective since the product cost will be reduced to acceptable level and the market demand will be much greater.
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