Construction began on the world's largest production base for magnetic levitation (maglev) wind power generators in central China.

The Guangzhou-based Zhongke Hengyuan Energy Technology Co. Ltd. invested 400 million yuan (€ 37 miilion) in building the base for the generators, from which it expects annual revenue of 1.6 billion yuan (€ 146 million). The base will produce a series of maglev wind power generators with capacities ranging from 400 to 5,000 watts in the first half of 2008, said a company statement. The maglev generator co-developed by the company and Guangzhou Energy Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences is expected to create new opportunities for harnessing wind power in low-wind-speed areas, as it can utilize winds with starting speeds as low as 1.5 meters per second.