Where is the wind of the future blowing? Join Youbao at the Beijing International Wind Energy Conference to find out!

Where is the wind of the future blowing? The answer lies here! On October 20, the Beijing International Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition (CWP2025) opened grandly in Beijing. Global wind power experts and nearly one thousand enterprises gathered in the capital under the theme “Advancing Global Energy Transition and Jointly Achieving Sustainable Development,” co-drawing a new blueprint for a green future. Having been held consecutively for 18 years, the Beijing International Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition is hailed by the industry as the “barometer” and “weather vane” of China’s wind power sector. This year’s exhibition spans 120,000 square meters and features nearly one thousand exhibitors from over 20 countries and regions. Exhibits cover not only core wind power equipment and components but also extend into derivative fields such as energy storage and wind-powered hydrogen production—collectively forming the “Wind Power +” ecosystem. The exhibition likewise encompasses supporting service areas including intelligent operation & maintenance, operational strategies, and equipment recycling, establishing an integrated industrial ecosystem built on “equipment as the foundation, derivatives as integration, and services as safeguard.” It showcases the latest technologies and achievements across the global wind energy value chain. At this year’s exhibition, Kunlun Lubrication—the “national team” of China’s lubrication industry—made a brilliant appearance. Come visit their booth!

Besides generating electricity, where else can we use wind energy?

Beyond electricity generation, wind energy has two broad categories of non-electric applications. The first directly converts wind into mechanical work—such as wind-powered water pumping, sail-assisted navigation, passive wind-driven roof ventilators, and wind-assisted drying of materials. The second converts surplus wind-generated electricity into fuels or heat—e.g., electrolytic hydrogen production followed by synthesis of green ammonia or green methanol, as well as green electricity-based heating and industrial steam generation. The former represents long-established applications: stable in scale but scattered across diverse scenarios. The latter—especially wind- and solar-powered hydrogen production and hydrogen-based fuels—is where rapid expansion is truly happening. Non-electric utilization is not merely a collection of “leftover minor uses”; rather, it constitutes the other half of wind energy’s value ledger. I. First, divide non-electric utilization into two pathways The “Beijing Initiative,” released at the 2026 Beijing International Wind Energy Conference, provides a conceptual framework: break free from the conventional “generation–transmission–consumption” model by pursuing two parallel pathways—direct electrification and hydrogen conversion—so that green electricity becomes both the source of power and the foundation of material production. Reflecting this logic, the exhibition’s layout was organized accordingly: the “Power-to-X” zone demonstrated how green electricity powers water electrolysis to produce hydrogen, then synthesizes ammonia and methanol—transforming the intermittent output of wind and solar into storable, transportable green molecules; the “Downstream Industrial Applications” zone showcased how these green molecules are deployed across sectors including transportation fuels, chemical feedstocks, agricultural fertilizers, bio-proteins, and metal smelting. These two pathways differ significantly in terms of technology chains, end users, and measurement methodologies. II. The established pathway: direct mechanical work Wind-powered water pumping is a classic example—using the high-torque, low-RPM output of wind turbines to directly drive pumps, lifting groundwater for irrigation and human/animal consumption—ideal for off-grid pastures and islands. Sail-assisted navigation is also making a comeback: modern cargo vessels employ wing sails and rotor sails to harness wind energy for auxiliary propulsion, reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Passive wind-driven roof ventilators rely on natural wind pressure for ventilation, while wind-assisted drying accelerates air flow to dry grains and timber. All these applications share the same principle: wind bypasses generators and grids entirely, directly substituting for part of the required mechanical work or thermal energy. Though geographically dispersed and modest in per-unit power, these applications constitute a stable, mature segment of the existing market. III. The growth pathway: turning green electricity into “green molecules” The rapidly scaling pathway is the “electricity → hydrogen → ammonia/methanol” chain. The “Beijing Initiative” sets the following targets: by 2030, China’s cumulative installed wind power capacity will reach 1.3 billion kW, with annual production capacity of green ammonia and green methanol combined exceeding 10 million tonnes. Green ammonia and green methanol can directly replace marine fuels and chemical feedstocks—serving both as supply-side solutions for decarbonizing shipping and chemical industries, and as conduits for converting volatile wind and solar power into storable, transportable green molecules. Operational data further supports this direction: in the first eight months of 2026, China added 53.26 GW of newly grid-connected wind power capacity. This rapid expansion in installed capacity generates surplus electricity that must be consumed locally.

Beijing International Wind Power Conference Discusses Diversified Application Space for Wind Energy

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Goldwind Technology VP Chen Qiuhua noted at the Beijing International Wind Power Conference that integrating wind power with green chemicals requires enhanced load-side regulation and market flexibility as renewable targets increase.

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2026-10-16

Beijing International Wind Power Conference Discusses Diversified Application Space for Wind Energy

Beijing International Wind Power Conference Discusses Diversified Application Space for Wind Energy

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