一缕风从发电起步，一路变身支撑社会运转的绿色动力——解锁风电产业新趋势A gust of wind starts from power generation and transforms along the way into green energy that supports the functioning of society—unlocking new trends in the wind power industry

Reporters learned from the Wind Energy Professional Committee of the China Renewable Energy Society that during the first eight months of 2026, China's wind power industry operated steadily, with newly connected wind power capacity reaching 53.26 million kilowatts.

The latest data show that from January to August 2026, China's newly connected wind power capacity reached 53.26 million kilowatts; by the end of August, the country's cumulative connected wind power capacity had reached 692.72 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 19.64%. In 2025 alone, China's newly added wind power installations accounted for 73% of the global total. Currently, China's wind power installed capacity has ranked first in the world for 16 consecutive years, accounting for 16.88% of the country's total installed capacity and 10.83% of its power generation structure.

In 2026, many domestic wind turbine manufacturers significantly increased investment in technology research and development, extending the operational lifespan of wind turbines from the traditional 20 years to 25 years. This alone can increase the total electricity generation profits over the turbine's operational period by more than 56% and reduce the cost per kilowatt-hour by 6% to 7%, reflecting the potential value of a longer operational cycle.

Qin Haiyan, Secretary-General of the Wind Energy Professional Committee of the China Renewable Energy Society, introduced that from January to August 2026, the total power generation of industrial enterprises above the designated size in China exceeded 6.6 trillion kilowatt-hours. Among them, wind power generation by industrial enterprises above the designated size reached 719.6 billion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of 3.3%, accounting for 10% of the total electricity consumption of the whole society. It is expected that by the end of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the country's cumulative installed wind power capacity is expected to reach 130 million kilowatts, and the proportion of wind power generation will reach about 15%.

In terms of green recycling, wind power not only has high requirements for weather but also faces challenges such as difficulty in integrating surplus electricity into the grid during certain periods. Conventional energy storage devices are more suitable for short-term peak shaving, making it difficult to achieve large-capacity, long-cycle electricity storage. It is understood that relevant companies are using new technologies to turn the electricity generated by strong winds into energy that can be accessed anywhere. After wind turbines convert wind into clean electricity, some of this green power is directly supplied to households and factories; the surplus wind power can be used for water electrolysis to produce green hydrogen. The green hydrogen is further synthesized into more stable green ammonia and green methanol, transforming surplus wind power into zero-carbon fuels that can be stored long-term, transported easily, and used on demand, effectively creating a 'liquid energy storage library' for wind power. These green energy carriers can be extended as fuel for airplanes, ships, and cars, used as chemical raw materials for clothing, plastics, and daily chemical products, and also for producing fertilizers, steelmaking, or even synthesizing edible proteins.

Zhang Lin, Director of the Planning and Development Department of the China Electricity Council, stated that green hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol for power generation can transform intermittent wind and solar resources into stable and circulatable green products, which is an important way to expand the non-electric consumption of renewable energy. Green hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol are not only clean fuels but also important basic chemical raw materials, promoting the extension of renewable energy value from power products to green chemicals and green fuels.

In Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, the 'wind-storage integrated machine,' which combines power generation and energy storage, effectively solves the problem of wind power being dependent on weather conditions. From the outside, the wind-storage integrated machine looks similar to a regular wind turbine, but it has two white cabinets at its base, which form a complete energy storage system. A regular wind turbine only generates electricity and cannot store it, whereas the wind-storage integrated machine functions like providing a backup power source for the wind turbine: excess electricity is stored when the wind is strong and released steadily when needed. In this way, a single turbine becomes a small power station that integrates generation, storage, and supply. According to staff, this turbine is currently not connected to the power grid, but all the equipment inside the tower is operating normally and can supply itself electricity completely off-grid; when the stored energy falls below a set threshold, the turbine automatically starts generating power, which in turn recharges the storage system. With this system, starting from May 2026, this turbine has run continuously and stably for several months while being completely off the grid.

Industry insiders explain that during the construction phase of a wind farm, if the grid has not yet been connected and the wind turbines are erected first, without electricity, the turbines cannot actively adjust their blades. When wind blows from all directions, it can easily cause vortex-induced vibrations in the tower and blades, which can lead to equipment damage over time. With energy storage, the turbines can supply power themselves and adjust according to wind direction, protecting the assets. After connecting to the grid, excess wind can be stored, and power can be discharged when the wind is weak, leveling peak and valley loads, maximizing wind energy capture, and increasing revenue. More importantly, ordinary turbines do not need major modifications—just adding a 'backpack' can upgrade them. This means the system can be widely promoted in the future, supplying continuous power like independent power stations in remote border areas, offshore locations, and regions with weak grids. In the future, the system will also be integrated with two large models: 'Tianji' for weather forecasting and early prediction of wind conditions, and 'Tianshu' for making decisions based on electricity prices and grid demand, enabling turbine and storage coordination at millisecond speed.

[Source: CCTV]

[Editor: Xiao Neng]