The city-run Shanghai New Engine Environmental Protection Engineering Co. Ltd. has received government approval to construct five 60-meter-tall windmills in rural Fengxian District along the Hangzhou Bay.

The windmills will supplement 10 coal-driven steam plants throughout the municipality that provide power for Shanghai and six neighboring provinces.

The six-month project, which will cost more than 30 million yuan (US$3.61 million) is scheduled to begin in the second half of this year, said Zhao Zhiyuan, technology development manager for New Engine.

By locating the new wind-power plant in the coastal Fengxian Township in southern Shanghai, the area's strong, year-round winds, particularly during the spring and autumn, can be exploited, New Engine officials said.

The winds at 50 meters above ground have an average speed of 6.7 meters a second, they added.

The windmills will generate 3,000 kilowatts of electricity, they also said. Beginning in 2003, this so-called wind-power plant will generate 6 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, New Engine officials said.

The steam-power plants in Shanghai currently generate about 9.78 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, said Yu Qinde of Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Co. "In 2000, for example, a total of 55.78 billion kilowatt-hours were produced."

City officials said plans are still proceeding to have Shanghai Municipal Electric build two wind-power plants with a total of 30 windmills on Chongming Island and Nanhui District that would generate 20,000 kilowatt-hours.

The projects will cost the municipal power firm about 192 million yuan.

The municipal power company will be seeking bids for components of the windmills - such as the rotating blades and the computer-controlled system.

Most of the bidders will likely come from overseas since there are few Chinese companies that manufacture such products, said a local power official who requested anonymity.