China and Denmark on Wednesday launched a wind energy program, which will be financed by a Danish grant of 45 million Danish Kroner (about US$7.5 million) over the next three years.

 

In an agreement signed on Wednesday, the Danish aid will be used to help China improve its technological and management capacity in wind power development, and to help local authorities develop their own wind energy development plans.

 

Denmark is leading the world in wind energy development. It has sophisticated wind energy technologies and windmills account for 23 percent of its electricity installed capacity.

 

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Zhang Guobao, deputy head of the China National Development and Reform Commission said China's wind energy capacity has been increasing rapidly in recent years as renewable energy is taking greater importance in the country's energy strategy.

 

In 2005 alone, China's installed capacity for wind electricity increased by 500,000 kilowatts, compared to a total of 780,000 kilowatts added in the past two or three decades, he said.

 

The year 2005 also saw the beginning of construction work on new windmills with a combined capacity of 1.5 million kilowatts, he said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 8, 2006)