Spatial patterns and influencing factors of China׳s wind turbine manufacturing industry: A review

With climate warming and the energy crisis growing throughout the world, China as a developing country must undergo a revolution in energy production and consumption to change the traditional structure and patterns of energy utilization and establish a safe, green, and efficient energy system. Accelerating the development of new energy, increasing the proportion of clean energy, and developing high-voltage transmission and smart grids is the strategic choice for China׳s energy security and energy restructuring as well as for atmospheric environment improvement and reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. As a strategically emerging industry, the wind power industry in China, particularly its spatial patterns and influencing factors, should be provided close attention. This paper presents a large amount of data on Chinese wind power equipment manufacturing companies from statistics on China׳s installed wind power capacity (CWEA) from 2000 to 2014. The spatial patterns and influencing factors in China׳s wind turbine manufacturing industry are analyzed, and its features and factors are discussed to provide a scientific reference in an ordered pattern. Results on spatial patterns are discussed according to the following two distinct points. First, China׳s wind turbine manufacturing has formed a relatively complete “production, marketing, transportation, installation, operation and management, maintenance and overhaul” industrial chain, and enterprises own many bases but display a multi-point scattered spatial distribution. However, different parts of manufacturing enterprises adopt different exhaustive strategies as shown in this research. Overall, national and regional manufacturing centers are being formed. Second, China׳s domestic wind power equipment manufacturing enterprises are mainly established through relevant equipment manufacturing business investment and are located in the same city as their investment companies; meanwhile, foreign enterprises are generally located in cities with a solid foundation equipment manufacturing industrial base. The subsidiary firms of wind turbine manufacturing enterprises are located in Northwest, North, and Northeast China, whereas wind farms are generally located in eastern coastal areas with abundant wind resources. Furthermore, the influencing factors in China׳s wind turbine manufacturing industry are analyzed as a composite issue from several aspects of wind resource endowment, industrial base, policy support, and economic and technical support. (1) The industrial base primarily affects the choice of location of the wind power equipment business parent company. (2) Wind resource endowments mainly affect the location selection of subsidiary companies; cities with many wind resource areas contain a large number of wind power equipment company subsidiaries. (3) Local government support considerably affects choice of location of wind power equipment company subsidiaries. (4) Among wind resource endowment, industrial base, and local government support, the industrial base plays the most important role. Overall, the strong support provided by government policy is the foundation, and improving the technical level is a necessary condition. The industrial base often plays a decisive role. Regional economic openness has a significant impact on the spatial patterns of foreign wind power manufacturers in the early development of the wind power industry. Market and labor capabilities are also vital factors that affect the spatial patterns of China׳s wind turbine manufacturing industry. The results of this study provide important information for wind equipment manufacturing companies to select new locations and for local governments to develop strategic industrial development policies. The results also provide a useful reference for foreign firms that intend to explore the Chinese wind power market.

[1]  Lan Xue,et al.  Evolution of collaborative innovation network in China's wind turbine manufacturing industry , 2014, Int. J. Technol. Manag..

[2]  Shan Liu,et al.  Development forecast and technology roadmap analysis of renewable energy in buildings in China , 2015 .

[3]  S. O. Ani,et al.  Comparison of Energy Yield of Small Wind Turbines in Low Wind Speed Areas , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy.

[4]  Sen Guo,et al.  Review on the costs and benefits of renewable energy power subsidy in China , 2014 .

[5]  W. Y. Liu,et al.  The structure healthy condition monitoring and fault diagnosis methods in wind turbines: A review , 2015 .

[6]  Torgeir Moan,et al.  Modelling and analysis of floating spar-type wind turbine drivetrain , 2014 .

[7]  Peter Tavner,et al.  Study of weather and location effects on wind turbine failure rates , 2013 .

[8]  Jianhui Wang,et al.  Review of wind power tariff policies in China , 2013 .

[9]  Yonglong Lu,et al.  From lagging to leading? Technological innovation systems in emerging economies and the case of Chinese wind power , 2013 .

[10]  Yang Du,et al.  Demographic Transition and Labour Market Changes: Implications for Economic Development in China , 2014 .

[11]  Canbing Li,et al.  Comprehensive review of renewable energy curtailment and avoidance: A specific example in China , 2015 .

[12]  Ming Zeng,et al.  Orderly grid connection of renewable energy generation in China: Management mode, existing problems and solutions , 2015 .

[13]  Gregory M. Spencer.  Knowledge Neighbourhoods: Urban Form and Evolutionary Economic Geography , 2015 .

[14]  David Appleyard.  Lighter and longer: advanced composites in wind power , 2015 .

[15]  M. Zeng,et al.  Overall review of wind power development in Inner Mongolia: Status quo, barriers and solutions , 2014 .

[16]  Sufang Zhang,et al.  Political and institutional analysis of the successes and failures of China’s wind power policy , 2013 .

[17]  M. Zeng,et al.  Progress and prospective on the police system of renewable energy in China , 2013 .

[18]  Masachika Suzuki,et al.  Identifying roles of international institutions in clean energy technology innovation and diffusion in the developing countries: matching barriers with roles of the institutions , 2015 .

[20]  Jing Yang,et al.  Development of energy storage industry in China: A technical and economic point of review , 2015 .

[21]  P. Frumhoff,et al.  Thinking globally and siting locally – renewable energy and biodiversity in a rapidly warming world , 2014, Climatic Change.

[22]  Rong-Gang Cong.  An optimization model for renewable energy generation and its application in China: A perspective of maximum utilization , 2013 .

[23]  Huiming Zhang,et al.  Political connections, government subsidies and firm financial performance: Evidence from renewable energy manufacturing in China , 2014 .

[24]  J. Reboredo,et al.  Are China’s new energy stock prices driven by new energy policies? , 2015 .

[25]  Wenbin Ju,et al.  A review on wind power industry and corresponding insurance market in China: Current status and challenges , 2014 .

[26]  Bing Zhang,et al.  Joint R&D in low-carbon technology development in China: A case study of the wind-turbine manufacturing industry , 2012 .

[27]  Wubiao Zhou.  Political connections and entrepreneurial investment: Evidence from China's transition economy , 2013 .

[28]  Guozhu Mao,et al.  Way forward for alternative energy research: A bibliometric analysis during 1994–2013 , 2015 .

[29]  Zhi Yu,et al.  A review on scale and siting of wind farms in China , 2011 .

[30]  Richard C.M. Yam,et al.  Effects of government financial incentives on firms’ innovation performance in China: Evidences from Beijing in the 1990s , 2015 .

[31]  F. R. Pazheri,et al.  A review on global renewable electricity scenario , 2014 .

[32]  George Zillante,et al.  Comparative assessment of performance of foreign and local wind turbine manufacturers in China , 2012 .

[33]  Guoqiang Wang,et al.  The key technologies and development of offshore wind farm in China , 2014 .

[34]  A. Immanuel Selvakumar,et al.  A comprehensive review on wind turbine power curve modeling techniques , 2014 .

[35]  George Zillante,et al.  An evaluation of Chinese Wind Turbine Manufacturers using the enterprise niche theory , 2012 .

[36]  B. Carlsson,et al.  Maryann Feldman: Recipient of the 2013 Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research , 2014 .

[37]  Gokhan Kilic,et al.  Testing of wind turbine towers using wireless sensor network and accelerometer , 2015 .

[38]  John P. Weyant,et al.  The role of technology for achieving climate policy objectives: overview of the EMF 27 study on global technology and climate policy strategies , 2014, Climatic Change.

[39]  James Carroll,et al.  Drivetrain availability in offshore wind turbines , 2014 .

[40]  Xin Song-xu.  Study on the Key Issues Concerning Development and Consumption of Wind Power in China , 2010 .

[41]  Zheng Le.  Spatial pattern of Chinese outward direct investment in the Belt and Road Initiative area , 2015 .

[42]  Peng Ru,et al.  Not in my backyard, but not far away from me: Local acceptance of wind power in China , 2015 .

[43]  Xin Jin,et al.  Wind turbine manufacturing industry in China: Current situation and problems , 2014 .

[44]  Somchai Wongwises,et al.  Critical review of the current status of wind energy in Thailand , 2014 .

[45]  Joanna I. Lewis,et al.  China's wind power industry: Policy support, technological achievements, and emerging challenges , 2012 .

[46]  Kostas Kalaitzakis,et al.  Sustainable siting process in large wind farms case study in Crete , 2015 .

[47]  Qinghua Zhu,et al.  Drivers and barriers of extended supply chain practices for energy saving and emission reduction among Chinese manufacturers , 2013 .

[48]  Sujith Nair,et al.  Emergence of green business models: the case of algae biofuel for aviation. , 2014 .

[49]  Feng Ting Li,et al.  Review of developments and insights into an index system of wind power utilization level , 2015 .

[50]  Yingning Qiu,et al.  Review of recent offshore wind power developments in china , 2013 .

[51]  Li Yulong,et al.  Review of renewable energy investment and financing in China: Status, mode, issues and countermeasures , 2014 .

[52]  Song Xue,et al.  Review on wind power development in China: Current situation and improvement strategies to realize future development , 2015 .

[53]  C. Woo,et al.  What moves wind energy development in China? Show me the money! , 2013 .

[54]  K. Lo.  A critical review of China's rapidly developing renewable energy and energy efficiency policies , 2014 .

[55]  D. Mah,et al.  Policy Learning and Central–Local Relations: A Case Study of the Pricing Policies for Wind Energy in China (from 1994 to 2009) , 2014 .

[56]  Yan Xu,et al.  Review on wind power development and relevant policies in China during the 11th Five-Year-Plan period , 2012 .

[57]  Ma Yu,et al.  Analysis on investment strategies in China: the case of biomass direct combustion power generation sector , 2015 .

[58]  Önder Güler,et al.  Power system integration of wind farms and analysis of grid code requirements , 2015 .

[59]  R. Martin,et al.  Towards a Developmental Turn in Evolutionary Economic Geography? , 2015 .

[60]  Rong Zhang,et al.  Interactions between China׳s economy, energy and the air emissions and their policy implications , 2014 .

[61]  Arthouros Zervos,et al.  Profitability of wind energy investments in China using a Monte Carlo approach for the treatment of uncertainties , 2014 .

[62]  Jian Zuo,et al.  A critical analysis of the photovoltaic power industry in China – From diamond model to gear model , 2011 .

[63]  Xin-gang Zhao,et al.  Has the turning point of China׳s wind power industry really come? , 2015 .

[64]  Eamon McKeogh,et al.  Persistence of low wind speed conditions and implications for wind power variability , 2013 .

[65]  Jorge A. Solsona,et al.  Sub-Synchronous Interaction Damping Control for DFIG Wind Turbines , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems.

[66]  Alireza Aslani.  Strategic variables of commercialization of renewable energy technologies , 2015 .

[67]  Jian Zuo,et al.  Flexibility of wind power industry chain for environmental turbulence: A matching model study , 2015 .

[68]  George Zillante,et al.  Comprehensive assessment of flexibility of the wind power industry chain , 2015 .

[69]  Erik Stam,et al.  Industrial Dynamics and Clusters: A Survey , 2015 .

[70]  Yan Du,et al.  Temporal-spatial analysis and improvement measures of Chinese power system for wind power curtailment problem , 2015 .

[71]  Yuanxin Liu,et al.  The industrial performance of wind power industry in China , 2015 .

[72]  Mozhdeh Taheri,et al.  Open innovation: How academic spin-off firms match incoming knowledge with knowledge gaps on critical resources , 2014, 2014 International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation (ICE).

[73]  E. Malecki,et al.  Keys to the City: How Economics, Institutions, Social Interaction, and Politics Shape Development , 2013 .

[74]  Jianning Dong,et al.  Overview of wind power generation in China: Status and development , 2015 .

[75]  Dalia Patino-Echeverri,et al.  Wind power generation in China: Understanding the mismatch between capacity and generation , 2012 .

[76]  Bo Xia,et al.  The impact of the CDM (clean development mechanism) on the cost price of wind power electricity: A China study , 2014 .

[77]  Xue Song,et al.  New energy bases and sustainable development in China: A review , 2013 .

[78]  Mei-Chih Hu,et al.  Are the land and other resources required for total substitution of fossil fuel power systems impossibly large? Evidence from concentrating solar power and China , 2015 .

[79]  Youngho Chang,et al.  Shaping China's energy security: The impact of domestic reforms , 2015 .

[80]  P. Nie,et al.  Search costs generating industrial clusters , 2015 .

[81]  Felix Groba,et al.  Chinese Renewable Energy Technology Exports: The Role of Policy, Innovation and Markets , 2013 .

[82]  Zeng Ming,et al.  An analysis of previous blackouts in the world: Lessons for China׳s power industry , 2015 .

[83]  Xin-gang Zhao,et al.  Focus on the development of offshore wind power in China: Has the golden period come? , 2015 .

[84]  Bo Xia,et al.  Development route of the wind power industry in China , 2014 .

[85]  Erich Hau,et al.  Wind Turbines: Fundamentals, Technologies, Application, Economics , 1999 .

[86]  Dong Jiang,et al.  Evaluating the spatio-temporal variation of China's offshore wind resources based on remotely sensed wind field data , 2013 .

[87]  Qiang Wang,et al.  The failure of China׳s Energy Development Strategy 2050 and its impact on carbon emissions , 2015 .

[88]  Yang Liu,et al.  When will wind energy achieve grid parity in China? – Connecting technological learning and climate finance , 2015 .

[89]  Atul Sharma,et al.  Wind power developments in India , 2015 .

[90]  Zeng Ming,et al.  Overall review of renewable energy tariff policy in China: Evolution, implementation, problems and countermeasures , 2013 .

[91]  M. Matsumoto,et al.  Space technology transfer: Spin-off cases from Japan , 2013 .

[92]  George Zillante,et al.  A critical review of factors affecting the wind power generation industry in China , 2013 .

[93]  Yusuf Alper Kaplan,et al.  Overview of wind energy in the world and assessment of current wind energy policies in Turkey , 2015 .

[94]  Gevork B. Gharehpetian,et al.  Overview of subsynchronous resonance analysis and control in wind turbines , 2013 .

[95]  Zeng Ming,et al.  Overall review of China's wind power industry: Status quo, existing problems and perspective for future development , 2013 .

[96]  Xueliang Yuan,et al.  Renewable energy in buildings in China—A review , 2013 .

[97]  José Goldemberg,et al.  Energy for a sustainable world , 1987 .

[98]  Edward S. Steinfeld,et al.  Scale-up Nation: China’s Specialization in Innovative Manufacturing , 2014 .

[99]  P. Lujala,et al.  Demonstrating a new framework for the comparison of environmental impacts from small- and large-scale hydropower and wind power projects. , 2014, Journal of environmental management.

[100]  Shinichiro Fujimori,et al.  Key factors affecting long-term penetration of global onshore wind energy integrating top-down and bottom-up approaches , 2016 .

[101]  D. Kammen,et al.  Where, when and how much wind is available? A provincial-scale wind resource assessment for China , 2014 .