‘Milestone for China’s foreign wind power’| Goldwind bags half-gigawatt Masdar prize

Turbine group Goldwind claimed a new milestone for foreign expansion by China’s wind industry with a 500MW deal in Uzbekistan.

The Chinese group will equip the Zarafshan project under development by Abu Dhabi renewables group Masdar in the Central Asian nation, said Goldwind.

The agreement under China’s ‘Belt and Road’ international infrastructure investment initiative will see Goldwind deliver 111 of its GW155-4.5MW machines to the Masdar project in Uzbekistan’s Navoi region that's due online by the end of 2024 and is among the largest planned regionally.

Sun Lianhua, regional general manager for Goldwind, said: “Uzbekistan is a pivotal country and geographic center in Central Asia with abundant wind resources. In recent years, the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Uzbekistan has continued to move forward, bringing various opportunities for two countries to achieve green and low-carbon development.

“The Zarafshan 500MW wind project is a milestone project for Goldwind to promote China's foreignisation of wind power, which will make positive contributions to Uzbekistan's energy transition and create a new model of China-Uzbekistan green ‘Belt and Road’ cooperation.”

After years of predicting major breakthroughs by Chinese wind groups abroad, some market analysts have pointed to growing evidence that it is finally becoming a reality, underpinned by China’s massive domestic market and increasingly technologically advanced turbines from the likes of Goldwind and its peers.

The under-pressure European supply chain has become increasingly concerned that it could see China taking a big share of future wind power growth, especially offshore where Chinese turbine makers have made no secret of their ambitions.