China has finished the first construction phase of the Jiuquan wind power base, local officials said at a ceremony to mark the occasion on November 3.

The base is China's largest wind power project and is located near the city of Jiuquan in Gansu Province. The area's desert climate creates a great deal of wind, making it an ideal location for a wind power base.

More than 3,500 turbines have been erected at the site, each with a  capacity of about 5 gigawatts. At present, the turbines are each generating just over 1 gigawatt of power, said Wang Jianxin, director of the Jiuquan Development and Reform Commission.

(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2010)