Comparative assessment of performance of foreign and local wind turbine manufacturers in China

Compared to the conventional fossil fuel energy, wind power provides clean energy which can mitigate the impacts of greenhouse gas emission and optimize the electric power source structure. During the last decade, the strong support of the Chinese government has contributed to the rapid development of the Chinese wind power sector which has in turn resulted in a significant growth of the Chinese wind turbine manufacturing industry. This growth went through several phases including the initial approval of several leading global Wind Turbine Manufacturers (WTMs) to enter the Chinese market through various methods which included the establishment of wholly foreign-owned enterprises from 2005. Similarly, several government policies have contributed to the significant expansion in terms of both productivity and quantities by local Chinese WTMs. The entrance of foreign WTMs into the Chinese market coupled with the rapid growth of local WTMs has contributed to intense competition in China's wind turbine manufacture market. This paper analyzes the characteristics of the wind turbine manufacturing industry in China and establishes a hierarchical structure of the WTMs' competitive priority system. This system consists of 5 indicators and 10 sub-indicators. By comparing the different performances of each indicator, the competitive advantages and disadvantages of the foreign and local WTMs in the Chinese market are identified. The findings provide a valuable reference for the WTMs to improve their competitive priorities and to formulate their competitive strategy in the Chinese wind turbine market. This paper provides inputs for the sustainable development of wind power industry in other countries. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.