The Shanghai Donghai Bridge project, located in waters close to the city of Shanghai, currently has 34 three-megawatt machines Sinovel, which form what would be the first phase of the installation (the wind farm was grid connected in August 2010). According to sources, Shanghai Electric has beaten Sinovel in the bidding process, even though the latter had the "advantage" that it was already operating in these waters.
Shanghai Electric broke into the offshore wind industry a little over a year ago after completing the production of its first machine, a 3.6 MW turbine with conventional drive (and multiplier) and doubly fed induction generator. The machine boasts a rotor diameter of 116 metres and variable pitch blades. This machine would be supplied for Phase II of the Shanghai Donghai Bridge project. Shanghai Electric is currently testing in both this machine, the 3.6 MW, and another five-megawatt model near to this site.
According to local reports, Shanghai Electric offered to supply its technology for RMB 4,790 per installed kilowatt (€543 per kW) compared to the offer of Chinese yuan 5,298 per kW (€602 euros) put forward by Sinovel, although Renewable Energy Magazine has not been able to confirm these figures.
The project forms part of the Chinese government's drive to reach an interim target of five gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2015. This objective is attracting many leading international wind turbine manufacturers such as Gamesa of Spain to China.
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