Foot-in-door for UK wind firms

China will harness the power of the wind－as well as British expertise－via a new of shore turbine initiative that will further diversify Beijing's energy matrix in its quest to decarbonize.

Of shore Chinese wind farm.

The British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai has announced plans for an Offshore Wind Hub－a facility in Shanghai where wind farm services and expertise is available－that will facilitate the entry of specialist United Kingdom companies into the Chinese market.

With support from the British trade association RenewableUK and UK Department for International Trade, British companies will partner with local industry players, helping to develop turbine technology and drive down the cost of energy production.

In a statement, the British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai said the wind hub will "foster and promote bilateral trade" and create ties between British members and the wind-power industry in China.

During a 12-month period, the hub will provide a virtual presence for UK businesses, in-territory support and business development. The Chinese government has set a target of 5 gigawatts of installed of shore wind capacity by 2020, up from 1.9 gigawatts at the end of 2016.

"China has a very ambitious of shore wind program as part of its overall need to decarbonize and shift to cleaner fuels," said Maf Smith, deputy chief executive of RenewableUK.

A report released this week by the Global Wind Energy Council found China led the world in newly installed onshore and offshore wind energy capacity in 2016 with 23.3 gigawatts－a 42.7 percent share of the combined capacity of the top 10 countries surveyed. China also topped the list in terms of cumulative capacity, with 16.9 gigawatts, a 34.7 percent share of the combined top 10.

"Of shore wind is a massive opportunity for both countries," Smith said. "The UK is the leading market for of shore in the world and has developed a lot of expertise in the development, construction and operation of of shore wind. A lot of that hard-fought experience is now being used globally－we're seeing other countries looking at of shore wind and developing their resources. The US is a good example, but China is by far the best."