Trump: „Ich habe noch keinen Windpark in China finden können.“
The fact that Trump’s search for a Chinese wind farm was unsuccessful cannot be because there is no wind energy in China. According to the national statistics authority, the country produced 1,053 terawatt hours of wind power last year. For comparison: That’s close eight times as much as in Germany and even more than twice as much as the total electricity consumption in this country.
China alone accounts for around two-fifths of global wind power production, more than twice as much as the USA in second place. The wind farms can be seen on satellite images. If Trump actually visits China in April, he could even continue his search from Air Force One and observe countless square kilometers of wind farms in the Gobi Desert.
Trump: “China produces almost all windmills.”
It is true that China produces a lot of wind turbines. The three largest producers of wind turbines in the world come from the Middle Kingdom. China’s share of global production is estimated at around three fifths. The statement that China produces almost all “windmills” is an exaggeration, but not completely wrong.
Trump: “They sell them to stupid people who buy them, but they don’t use them themselves. […] You have [die Windparks] just put up to show people what they could look like.”
Trump’s accusation that the wind farms are Potemkin villages is untenable. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, 94 percent of Chinese-made wind turbines remain in China. It would be correct to say that China’s exports of wind turbines are increasing sharply. According to the think tank Ember Energy, exports have more than doubled in the past two and a half years. However, due to its sheer size, the Chinese market is still much more important than exports.
Trump: “China is betting on coal, . . . oil and gas. They’re starting to do a little bit of nuclear energy and things are going well for them.”
This statement is not wrong. Although the share of fossil fuels in China’s energy mix is falling, coal still accounts for more than half of the energy and electricity mix. Coal consumption has recently risen more slowly because renewable energies cover almost all new demand, but it also increased by 1.2 percent last year. Oil and gas recently accounted for around a quarter of the energy supply. China is also building many nuclear power plants. Almost 60 reactors are in operation and another 40 are under construction. But China’s hunger for energy is increasing so quickly every year that China relies on almost all energy sources.
Trump: “Every time a wind turbine turns, you lose $1,000. You should make money with energy, not lose money.”
That’s wrong. The operating costs of wind turbines are almost zero because nature provides the fuel free of charge and maintenance costs are hardly significant. Even if you take into account the construction costs, which have risen sharply due to inflation, wind turbines are the most cost-effective technology for generating electricity in Germany. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) estimates the electricity production costs of onshore systems at 4.3 to 9.2 cents per kilowatt hour. Those from offshore systems are on average about a cent higher.
For comparison: For a new lignite-fired power plant, the electricity generation costs are now between 15.1 and 25.7 cents, for gas and steam power plants between 10.9 and 18.1 cents and for the particularly flexible power plants powered by gas turbines between 15.4 and 32.6 cents. The majority of wind farms are still subsidized by the state. However, more and more large companies are also securing cheap wind power through direct purchase agreements (“PPAs”). In China, too, government support for wind power has fallen significantly in recent years, but the pace of expansion remains high.
Trump: “Wind turbines kill birds.”
In principle, wind turbines can endanger birds if they fly close to the turbines and get close to the rotor blades. Exact numbers depend heavily on the type, flight routes and location of the facilities. The Nature Conservation Association assumes that wind turbines cause around 100,000 victims in Germany every year. For comparison: an estimated 100 million birds die every year after collisions with window panes, 70 million die in road and rail traffic, and 20 to 100 million animals are eaten by domestic cats.
Trump: “Germany generates 22 percent less electricity today than in 2017.”
That’s correct. Last year, 499 terawatt hours of gross electricity were generated in Germany; in 2017 it was 647 terawatt hours. This is mainly because industry demands less electricity, but also because energy is used more efficiently.
How does China react to Trump’s statements?
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday that China has been the country that installs the most wind power every year for 15 years. China’s efforts to combat climate change and promote renewable energy are evident to the whole world.
