Chongqing - On Aug. 31, wind turbine blades stretching more than 100 meters lined the yard of Xinjiang Chengfei New Materials in Changji, over 1,000 kilometers from Chongqing.
Wind turbine blades are neatly arranged at Xinjiang Chengfei New Materials Co., Ltd. in Changji National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone. (Photo/Xinjiang Daily)
Once installed, the blades rotate with the wind, converting wind power into electricity, part of which is then transmitted to Chongqing through the Xinjiang-to-Chongqing power transmission project.
From Chongqing to Xinjiang and back to Chongqing as electricity, the industrial and power chains form a cycle across the Gobi.
Moving manufacturing west with the wind
Established in late 2022 and put into operation in May 2023, Xinjiang Chengfei New Materials is a key part of Chongqing Machinery & Electric Holding Group's wind power equipment manufacturing base in Xinjiang.
The company's first-phase project covers about 17.2 hectares and represents a total investment of approximately 56 million U.S. dollars. It now has three production lines for 100-meter-class wind turbine blades, all operating at full capacity. Each line can produce 24 blades a month, or more than 250 sets a year.
Why move west? "The blades are not transported to wind turbine manufacturers. Instead, they are sent directly to wind farms for installation," said Wei Yi, head of the company's administration department.
As wind turbines become larger and their blades grow longer, wind turbine blade manufacturers tend to locate their production bases near wind farms.
On Aug. 31, workers inspect equipment in a production workshop. (Photo/Xinjiang Daily)
Xinjiang, with its abundant wind resources and vast potential for large-scale renewable energy development, has become a natural destination for wind turbine blade manufacturers. Chongqing-based companies are extending their production footprint westward, bringing manufacturing closer to wind farms so that finished blades can be shipped directly to wind farms across the Gobi.
Xinjiang Chengfei New Materials has developed increasingly longer blades, from 93 meters and 99 meters to 108 meters. The company recorded an output value of approximately $91 million in 2025.
Turning Xinjiang's wind into Chongqing's power
The Changji factory has another special connection with Chongqing.
In June 2025, the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high-voltage direct-current transmission project was put into operation. The Xinjiang-to-Chongqing power transmission project serves as an "electricity expressway" linking Xinjiang's abundant power resources and Chongqing's power market.
At the Xinjiang end of the expressway, Chongqing companies also play a role. According to Chongqing Machinery & Electric Holding Group, CFwindpower, its wind turbine blade manufacturing subsidiary, supplied more than 100 sets of wind turbine blades for power generation projects supporting the Xinjiang-to-Chongqing power transmission project. Its 110-meter-class blades are now operating at wind farms in the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains in Hami and in Santanghu, where the turbines generate electricity that can be transmitted to Chongqing.
Behind the electricity that powers air conditioners in Chongqing homes and production lines in its factories may be a breeze from the Gobi in Xinjiang — harnessed by wind turbines equipped with blades made by Chongqing's state-owned enterprises.
Xinjiang Chengfei New Materials is now focusing on producing 108-meter-class blades suited to Xinjiang's wind conditions. At the same time, drawing on its experience in producing 110-meter-class blades, it is developing blades longer than 110 meters for onshore wind farms.
On the manufacturing side, the company has developed proprietary processes, including blade-root embedding and prefabrication of blade roots and trailing edges. It also uses an ERP-based digital management system to monitor and optimize production in real time.
A worker applies adhesive inside a wind turbine blade. (Photo/Xinjiang Daily)
In June, 110-meter-class wind turbine blades independently developed by Xinjiang Chengfei New Materials were included in Chongqing’s fourth group of major first-of-their-kind technical equipment products.
Taking root in Xinjiang
As the industry moves westward, so do the people.
Wei Yi, a Chongqing native, moved to Xinjiang Chengfei New Materials in 2024 to oversee production coordination and cost control. The flight from Chongqing to Xinjiang takes nearly four hours, making trips home less frequent.
Of the company's 500 workers in Xinjiang, most are residents, while a smaller number came from Chongqing. In the company's early days, however, a group of key management and business personnel from the wider group came to Xinjiang, gradually helping the company recruit and train local employees.
For an employee, the move from Chongqing to Changji spans thousands of kilometers. For a manufacturing company, it marks a strategic shift — bringing its industrial footprint closer to resources and markets.
Three years ago, Xinjiang Chengfei New Materials started from scratch in Changji. Today, its three 100-meter-class production lines are running at full capacity, with blades rolling out of the factory and heading to wind farms across Xinjiang.
Wind turbine blades are lined up neatly at the factory. (Photo/Xinjiang Daily)
The company's next destination could be even farther west. Under its current plans, Xinjiang Chengfei New Materials is consolidating its presence in the Xinjiang market while turning its attention to Central Asia, where it hopes to explore exports of wind turbine blades by leveraging Xinjiang's geographic advantage.
From entering Xinjiang to supplying power to Chongqing through UHV transmission, and now looking to Central Asia, the company's journey westward reflects the expanding reach of Chongqing's wind power manufacturing industry.