Renewability of wind power in China: A case study of nonrenewable energy cost and greenhouse gas emission by a plant in Guangxi

The high degree of renewability of wind power in China is illustrated by a case study of nonrenewable energy cost and greenhouse gas emission to a typical wind farm in Guangxi. The account for the life cycle of components manufacturing and transportation, installation, operation, maintenance, disassembly and disposal is based on the embodiment intensities of nonrenewable energy use and greenhouse gas emission by an environmental extended input–output analysis for typical commodities in the Chinese economy. The nonrenewable energy cost and greenhouse gas emissions are estimated, respectively, as 0.047 MJ and 0.002 kg CO2-eq for 1 MJ of electricity by the wind farm plant, respectively 56 and 108 times less than those of the average coal plant in China. Considering the dominance of coal power, the nonrenewable energy saving is estimated at 1.22E+10 MJ during its 20 years operating period, while the reduced greenhouse gas emissions are 1.03E+09 kg CO2-eq by the wind farm studied. Compared with the study of the wind farms worldwide, the nonrenewable energy cost intensity of Chinese 1.25 MW wind turbines is in the median range, and the GHG emission intensity is at the lower end of the scale. The concrete results have essential policy making implications supportive to a further spread of wind power technology in China.