China - Wind Farm
This wind farm is located near the Inner Mongolia border at a site 1943 metres above sea level in the region of Ningxia, a small, relatively poor region of China with a dry, desert-like region and a growing economy.
Coal is cheap and plentiful in this area of China, and without the revenue from the sale of carbon credits, the wind farm would not be able to be price competitive with electricity from polluting coal-fired stations.
The project, which started operating in 2004, consists of a total of 36 wind turbines which generate 70.38 gigawatt-hours of cleaner electricity each year, reducing carbon emissions by around 50,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to removing about 17,000 average British cars off the road each year.
As well as reducing carbon emissions, the project also avoids other forms of air pollution. It is estimated that the wind farm prevents emissions of 170 tonnes of sulphur dioxide (which causes acid rain) each year and around 280 tonnes of NOx (which causes smog and respiratory disease).
One of the additional benefits of the project is the stimulation of the growth of the wind power industry in Ningxia. Local engineers and technicians receive invaluable training through the implementation of the project. Likewise, the project uses “variable pitch” wind turbines which automatically adjust themselves depending on wind speed and which are more advanced than current Chinese wind turbine technology available domestically.
The project also benefits local tourism by providing electricity to the famous historical site, Xi Xia Emperor’s Tomb and becoming a tourist site in its own right.
