Wind-power plants are drawing increasing investment in China, statistics from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have shown.

Investment in the country's sustainable energy sector grew by 91 percent last year to a record high of $10.8 billion, most of which has flowed to wind-power generating units, UNEP report Global Trends in Substantial Energy Investment 2008 showed.

The large investment doubled China's capacity for wind power to 6,000 mW last year.

Similarly, new investment in sustainable energy reportedly surpassed $148.4 billion worldwide, up 60 percent year-on-year. Funds toward wind power were said to be the major contributor to the surge.

"Wind and solar power have been taking the hottest spots for renewable energy investment," UNEP China office representative Zhang Shigang said.

Beijing has also reportedly been quick to catch up with the global trend in clean energy development.

Guanting wind-power plant, in suburban Beijing, started full operations on Saturday, supplying wind-generated electricity to the city for the first time.

With the last 10 wind-powered generating units certified by the Beijing Electric Power Company, the plant is said to have 43 domestically developed wind-power units with a capacity of 64.5 mW and is expected to supply 20 percent of the power to the city's Olympic venues.

The plant is expected to supply 100 million-kWh a year, or about 300,000 kWh a day, to meet the daily power demands of 100,000 households.

Statistics from Guanting showed that the power plant could help cut yearly carbon dioxide emissions by 100,000 tons and save 50,000 tons of coal annually.

(Xinhua News Agency July 21, 2008)