By CGTN’s Wu Lei

Generating wind power needs just the right geological and wind conditions. After careful investigation back in 2010, the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) decided to build a large wind power project in Xing’an County of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. 

“Our company plans to improve the total capacity to 1.25 million kilowatts by the end of 2020," said Qin Tianqiang, the company’s Guangxi general manager.

He added that "with good geological conditions, Xing’an County’s power system also belongs to China Southern Power Grid, which means the wind power produced here will be directly sent to and consumed by people in the southern area.”

This May the SPIC established five wind power plants, bringing total capacity to 400,000 kilowatts. /CGTN Photo

Earlier this year, TBEA, a major Chinese power transmission and transformation company, also got a piece of the pie, signing a 300,000-kilowatt-contract with the local government.  

Luo Fuqiang, TBEA’s regional manager, said they have set up wind-testing towers in the mountains. After about a year’s testing, they will begin the construction of several windmills.

TBEA also signed a 300,000-kilowatt contract with Xing’an this year. /CGTN Photo

Building wind power projects face many challenges as well. /CGTN Photo

Building such a huge project has brought clean energy and thousands of job opportunities to local residents. But at the same time, many challenges are faced, including massive road construction and ecological preservation in the high mountainous area. 

Xing’an’s top leader said to tackle these challenges needs careful planning and joint coordination of stakeholders./ CGTN Photo

Huang Hongbin is the top leader of Xing’an county government. He told CGTN the county plans to elevate the area's wind power capacity to 1.55 million kilowatts by 2025. 

"To reach that goal, we need to work together with investors and other departments to further develop industry, tourism, agriculture and ecological construction to solve the problems ahead."

China is largely encouraging wind power building across the nation. /CGTN Photo

Xing’an is expected to become the biggest wind power base in south China in the years to come. 

China is also encouraging other areas to catch up, as the country plans to spend 700 billion yuan or 102 billion US dollars on wind power by 2020, with the aim of sourcing six percent of the country’s total energy needs from wind farms.