1.4GW Wind Complex in Development for Inner Mongolia

China has approved a 1.4GW wind power complex in Baotou, Inner Mongolia – the first gigawatt scale project in the province. The Damaobayin project will include seven wind farms to be developed by different developers – Huadian, Guodian, Huaneng, Longyuan, CPI, Beijing Jingneng New Energy and local company Xiehe Wind Power.

Total investment in the project is 13.6bn yuan ($2.18bn).Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2013, with connection to the grid by 2014, according to a statement on the website of the Baotou government.

Inner Mongolia has the highest installed wind power capacity of any province in China at 17.6GW by the end of 2011. But more than 20% of the wind power generated has been curtailed by the grid over the past two years, raising questions about the rapid pace of development.

The Baotou statement claims Damaobayin is the largest single project approved by the central government to date. Baotou city already gets 13.8% of its electricity from wind power.The local government says the go-ahead for the new projects marks the first stage in building a 10GW wind base in the area.

It describes the project as a “wind power Three Gorges”, alluding to China’s Three Gorges dam, the world’s largest.