More wind power promotes development in rural ChinaThe climate project enables the construction of a wind farm near the city of Zhongwei in the northern Chinese region of Ningxia Hui. The wind farm was commissioned in 2017, consists of 265 turbines and has a total capacity of 397.5 megawatts. The plant generates about 948,000 MWh per year, which flows into the northwest China grid, increasing the share of renewable energy sources.
In addition to providing electricity from modern and clean wind power, the project also contributes to sustainable development in the region. Rural Ningxia is a poverty-stricken region. The improved energy supply creates new opportunities for development. Regional materials and workforce were predominantly used in the construction of the wind farm, so the project also has secondary economic effects. The newly built road to the wind farm benefits many farmers, who now have better access to markets in the towns.
How wind energy contributes to climate actionAs the name suggests, wind turbines use the power of the wind to generate energy. During this process, a generator located inside the wind turbine converts kinetic energy into electrical energy. As energy is still mainly generated from fossil fuels in many areas around the world, clean wind energy can replace some of this fossil, high-emission energy and verifiably save CO2 emissions.
In most cases, the sustainably generated electricity from the wind power projects is fed into a regional power grid, which diversifies the power supply and improves energy security in regions that are frequently affected by power shortages and outages. A project often creates increased job opportunities for the local population and the area can be used for additional activities, such as agriculture. Wind power projects make an important contribution to a clean energy supply worldwide and contribute to sustainable development with respect to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Wind energy projects in the ClimatePartner portfolio are registered with international standards.
