China: Sino-Danish wind power and smart grid projects to accelerate green energy transition

Participants in two Sino-Danish development and demonstration projects have obtained commitment for support from both Denmark and China. Both projects focus on renewable energy and contribute to establishing a platform for the Danish energy industry in China.

9 April 2014

In spring 2013, the Danish Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme (EUDP) completed a joint call for applications with the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST). The collaborative effort came about through an agreement signed by the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Building with MoST during the former President of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao’s visit to Denmark in the summer of 2012.

The two projects are a wind power project headed by DTU Wind Energy and a smart grid project headed by Aalborg University. The EUDP is supporting the projects with a total amount of around DKK 10 million up until their expected completion at the end of 2016.

Both projects focus on accelerating the green energy transition and on the uptake of renewable energy in the energy systems. China and Denmark share a number of challenges in these areas. Denmark’s extensive experience with effective solutions for green transition will assist China to ensure more sustainable solutions.

Projects help pave the way to the Chinese energy market

The larger of the two projects is being led by DTU Wind Energy. Peter Hauge Madsen, Head of Department at DTU Wind Energy, says: “We are pleased that the EUDP and their Chinese counterparts have decided to grant support for our project. This allows us to improve the models used to calculate and optimise the yield from wind farms erected in mountainous regions. The tools will ensure better optimisation of the yield from wind farms in mountainous areas so as to favour a green transition in China and many other countries. These are tools that we believe the wind turbine industry and many others can benefit from.”

Head of Office at the Danish Energy Agency, Nicolai Zarganis, who is also head of the EUDP Secretariat, says: “We are pleased that we can launch two exciting Danish-Chinese collaboration projects in continuation of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Building’s collaboration agreement with the Chinese research ministry. EUDP expects that the projects will contribute to the establishment of knowledge about, and access to, the largest market for wind power in the world. At the same time, the projects will contribute to reducing carbon emissions and to improving air quality in China."

Support for the two projects is on the basis of the principle that the EUDP will support Danish participants, while MoST will support the Chinese participants in the projects. With this model, no support money will be crossing borders.

The projects were selected on the basis of comprehensive assessments and the EUDP’s selection procedure, including evaluations procured from external evaluators.

For more information on the wind power project please go here

and for the smart grid project go here. (Information available in Danish only)

Erik Kjær
AC-medarbejder
Center for Global Rådgivning og Forhandling
Tlf.: 41 18 84 29
ekj@ens.dk