China to supply turbines and funding for $1.5bn Texas wind farm

A Sino-US consortium yesterday announced plans for a US$1.5bn, 600MW wind farm in Texas, with China supplying all the turbines and most of the funding.

The 36,000-acre wind farm, set to be one of the largest in America, is a joint venture between state-backed Chinese firm Shenyang Power Group, US wind farm developer Cielo Wind Power and private equity firm US Renewable Energy Group.

Most of the funding for the project will come from Chinese banks, with loan guarantees and grants provided by the US federal government’s economic stimulus package, the consortium said.

The wind farm will comprise 240 2.5MW wind turbines that will be manufactured in the Chinese city of Shenyang by Nasdaq-listed turbine maker A-Power Energy. The company, which uses licensed foreign technology, including a turbine patented by Germany's Fuhrländer and General Electric-designed gear box, said that shipments to the US were expected to begin in March next year.

China-based A-Power owns 60 per cent of Shenyang Power Group, a government-backed industry alliance comprised of Shenyang-based companies that range from power equipment makers to engineering service providers.

The alliance, formed in May with a $44m investment from the Shenyang municipal government, targets large-scale alternative energy projects in China and overseas.

Shenyang vice mayor Yang Yazhou said the project "would demonstrate for the first time Chinese capital, manufacturing and engineering expertise exported to the US".

The utility-scale wind farm will supply enough to power for 180,000 homes, according to the consortium. "[It] will be one of the largest undertakings of its kind anywhere in the world," said Cielo chief executive Walt Hornaday.

The use of Chinese technology and capital to build the new wind farm could also help to inform the current debate over the proposed US climate bill. Earlier this week, energy secretary Steven Chu warned that without a robust climate bill the US was in danger of being eclipsed in the burgeoning market for clean technologies by Chinese and European firms - fears that already appear to be being borne out.