The Longyuan Lai'an Wind Farm in Anhui province recently broke the technical bottleneck for wind-energy development in low-wind-speed inland regions. By adopting a "taller towers + larger rotors + intelligent systems" approach, the facility is injecting clean power into the Yangtze River Delta grid and accelerating the region's green transition toward sustainable economic and social development.

An intelligent production-management system now provides seamless wireless coverage for every turbine, integrating smart locks, robotic patrols, intelligent monitoring and audiovisual data acquisition. A pioneering fault-prediction model analyses historical data for each turbine type, issuing early warnings before components fail. By addressing anomalies proactively, the farm has cut annual material and maintenance costs by an estimated 5-8 percent while boosting operational efficiency.

As China's first large inland low-wind-speed wind farm — and Anhui's first wind project — Longyuan Lai'an houses 165 1.5 MW turbines, generating roughly 400 GWh annually and delivering around 200 million yuan ($28 million) in economic benefits. Since commissioning in 2011, cumulative output has reached 5.4 TWh, making the farm a shining star in Anhui's wind-power sector.

In recent years, Lai'an county has leveraged fish ponds and barren hills to develop wind, photovoltaic and "fishery-PV" hybrid projects. The State Grid Lai'an County Power Supply extends its service along the entire generation timeline, tracking performance, identifying latent defects and providing technical guidance to ensure safe, full-capacity operation. Capitalizing on the county's location within the integrated Yangtze River Delta, the county is focusing on photovoltaic modules and glass, building a robust, high-quality PV industry cluster and driving an energy-sector upgrade.

By integrating wind-power development with rural revitalization and eco-tourism, Lai'an is creating a wind-plus-tourism model that offers new sightseeing attractions and fresh economic highlights, providing vital support for the construction of a new-type power system.