China’s wind power capacity will increase more than five-fold in the next 10 years, according to a new report.

Total installed wind power capacity will reach at least 150 gigawatts by 2020 compared with 25.8 gigawatts at the end of last year, according to the China Wind Power Outlook 2010 report.

Just two weeks ago at the Conservative Party Conference, Greenpeace’s chief scientist Doug Parr warned that if the UK falters on wind power initiatives in this week’s Spending Review, the Chinese would pounce.

“The Chinese will clean up in the UK if we hold back on renewable investment, especially wind.”

This week Yang Ailun of Greenpeace China said: “China is at a crossroads. It can choose between the dirty, dangerous world of coal and fossil fuels, or the new, clean future promised by wind. The answer is obvious.”

China currently depends on coal for nearly 70% of its energy consumption.