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Wind Energy CDM Projects


The Clean Development Mechanism has, to some extent, contributed to the deployment of wind energy globally. As of 1 September 2008, a total of 504 wind energy projects were in the 'CDM pipeline', totalling an installed capacity of 16,410 MW. This represents 13 per cent of the total number of projects introduced into the pipeline. 4 million CERs have already been issued to wind projects, a number that will go up to 203 million by the end of the first commitment period in 2012.


The majority of these projects are located in China and India. In China, 90 per cent of wind energy projects have applied for CDM registration, and there are now 235 projects in the CDM pipeline, making up almost 11.93 GW of capacity. India now has 216 projects in the pipeline, making up almost 11.93 GW of capacity. India now has 216 projects in the pipeline, totalling close to 4.24 GW.


The narrow focus of CDM-supported wind projects in a very few countries is unfortunate but is a reflection of the fact that while carbon finance is a useful, and in some cases necessary condition for the development of wind power, it is by no means sufficient. In the case of both India and China, carbon finance functions alongside a wide range of other measures necessary for countries to diversify and decarbonise their power supply sectors.


There are signs that some other countries may join the list of major host countries for wind power projects assisted by CDM carbon finance. However, it is clear that the ultimate responsibility for this lies with active government implementation of policies and measures to create the enabling environment within which carbon finance can play its role, in other words to be an important source to defray the marginal costs of wind power versus conventional fossil fuel plants. This is particularly the case in the absence of an economy-wide cap on carbon emissions.


While clarification and simplification of the carbon finance mechanisms can assist in the broadening and deepening participation of developing countries in the carbon finance market, the fundamental responsibility lies with the host governments, at least as far as wind power is concerned.


Table 3.1: CDM Projects in the Pipeline


Type Projects 1000 CERs 2012 kCERs 2020 kCERs
Afforestation 5 344 1,864 7,058
Agriculture 172 6,570 43,494 77,570
Biogas 259 11,936 59,172 139,366
Biomass energy 582 33,850 184,661 427,249
Cement 38 6,806 41,342 81,796
CO2 capture 1 7 29 66
Coal bed/mine methane 55 23,597 121,634 301,687
Energy distribution 4 129 1,053 1,886
EE households 10 306 1,504 3,346
EE industry 168 6,398 32,444 69,634
EE own generation 363 56,558 272,091 608,542
EE service 8 84 393 1,034
EE supply side 36 8,059 22,817 93,257
Fossil fuel switch 129 41,973 203,062 483,663
Fugitive 28 10,227 62,112 134,515
Geothermal 13 2,457 13,775 32,443
HFCs 22 83,190 506,379 1,132,155
Hydro 1,006 97,099 437,951 1,183,733
Landfill gas 290 45,793 253,685 559,304
N2O 65 48,195 257,774 637,426
PFCs 8 1,121 4,785 11,806
Reforestation 22 1,436 11,782 23,230
Solar 23 641 2,816 7,214
Tidal 1 315 1,104 3,631
Transport 7 711 3,938 9,451
Wind 504 40,801 203,081 496,050
Total 3,819 528,602 2,744,744 6,527,113

Source: UNEP, 2008.

 


Table 3.2: Wind CDM Projects

 

JI projects in the pipeline

(numbers, ERUs and issuance)

 

Type Projects 1000 ERUs 2012 kERUs  
Afforestation 0 0 0  
Agriculture 0 0 0
Biogas 3 351 1,861  
Biomass energy 22 1,834 8,960  
Cement 1 306 1,041  
CO2 capture 1 268 1,071  
Coal bed/mine methane 17 8,758 43,790  
Energy distribution 7 727 3,636  
EE households 0 0 0  
EE industry 12 4,870 22,807  
EE own generation 1 1,698 8,491  
EE service 0 0 0  
EE supply side 15 3,127 13,154  
Fossil fuel switch 9 1,965 9,711  
Fugitive 33 19,763 92,397  
Geothermal 0 0 0  
HFCs 3 1,774 6,579  
Hydro 9 766 3,295  
Landfill gas 17 2,436 11,758  
N2O 21 19,402 82,899  
PFCs 1 233 1,165  
Reforestation 0 0 0  
Solar 0 0 0  
Tidal 0 0 0  
Transport 0 0 0  
Wind 18 1,974 8,610  
Total 190 70,252 321,225  

Source: UNEP, 2008.

 


Wind Energy JI Projects


There are currently 18 wind energy projects in the JI Pipeline (Table 3.3), totalling an installed capacity of 961 MW. The biggest of these (300 MW) is located in Ukraine, in the autonomous Republic of Crimea. Other projects are based in Bulgaria, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia.


While the JI market is very small today in terms of traded volume, the mechanism could serve to incentivise large countries such as Russia and the Ukraine to tap into their important wind energy potential.


Table 3.3: JI Projects in the Pipeline


Type Number kERUs 2012 kERUs
Afforestation 0   0
Agriculture 0 0 0
Biogas 1 115 682
Biomassenergy 16 1,166 5,618
Cement 1 306 1,041
CO2 capture 1 268 1,071
Coal bed/mine methane 14 7,418 37,088
Energy distribution 7 721 3,401
EE households 0 0 0
EE industry 10 3,207 15,252
EE own generation 1 1,557 7,787
EE service 0 0 0
EE supply side 13 2,692 10,979
Fossil fuel switch 8 1,912 9,499
Fugitive 32 19,533 91,308
Geothermal 0 0 0
HFCs 2 1,577 5,789
Hydro 5 259 1,325
Landfill gas 13 2,088 10,226
N2O 14 11,883 53,422
PFCs 1 233 1,165
Reforestation 0 0 0
Solar 0 0 0
Tidal 0 0 0
Transport 0 0 0
Wind 10 1,492 6,314
Total 149 56,427 261,967

Source: UNEP, 2008


 

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