.png "China")
China — officially known as the People's Republic of China, is a vast East Asian nation with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, making it the second most populous country after India. Beyond its large population, China is a formidable competitor to the United States, particularly in energy production. Having surpassed the U.S. in electricity generation in 2011, China has grown rapidly since the early 1990s to become the world's largest electricity producer. Although coal remains the dominant source of electricity, accounting for about 70% of the total, China is also a global leader in wind energy. The country’s advancements in renewable energy, especially wind power, are unmatched. With its strong commitment to preserving natural resources and a determined drive to outpace the U.S., China is well on its way to becoming the world's leading energy power.
Offshore wind power plays a crucial role in China's clean energy strategy. With a coastline stretching 18,000 kilometers, the country is estimated to have up to 750 million kilowatts of exploitable offshore wind power resources. As one of the world's largest offshore wind markets, China is undergoing significant changes, particularly after the reduction of government subsidies for offshore wind projects. The rapidly expanding market and growing manufacturing capacity position China as a leading force in advancing wind energy. As the offshore wind sector continues to evolve, China is poised to further extend its global influence. Additionally, the localization of wind power equipment manufacturing has steadily increased, with Chinese manufacturers adopting various strategies such as purchasing production licenses, forming joint ventures, reverse-engineering foreign technologies, and developing their own innovations.
Top 5 Offshore Wind Farms Leading China's Energy Future in 2024
#1. Shanwei Jiazi, the largest offshore wind farm in China
#2. Guangdong Shanwei Houhu: the second-largest offshore wind project in China
The main construction work, carried out by CCCC Third Harbor Engineering Company Ltd, included the installation of 42 monopiles, 8 four-pile jacket foundations, 2 offshore booster stations, and 30 wind turbines. Once operational, the project is expected to deliver an annual on-grid energy output of 1.489 billion kilowatt-hours, saving approximately 420,000 tons of standard coal per year and contributing to the optimization of the power structure and high-quality economic development of Guangdong Province.
#3. SPIC Binhai North H2 Offshore Wind Farm China
One of China's biggest offshore wind projects is the SPIC Binhai North Phase 2 Offshore Wind Farm, which is situated in Jiangsu province, roughly five hours north of Shanghai. It has 100 turbines totaling 400 MW of power, which is sufficient to power 350,000 households. Ramboll was the primary designer for the substation and turbine foundations when the wind farm went online in 2016. This was the first offshore wind farm in China where a single consultant was in charge of both design elements.
 |
| Offshore wind farm China, Photo: iStock |
Due to its location 22 km off the coast in an earthquake-prone area with extremely soft soil, this project faced many difficulties. Because the seafloor is made up of sediment deposits from big rivers, there is a serious risk of soil erosion. The turbine foundations were constructed to extend 60 meters below the seabed to support the turbines at a depth of 14–18 meters, to solve these particular challenges. Phase 1 of the project required Ramboll to deliver cost-effective solutions promptly, and this was a key factor in gaining the contract for Phase 2.
The customer, Huadong Engineering Corporation, was served by Ramboll experts working with Chinese environmental specialists on the project. The State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), a significant state-owned company devoted to the development of sustainable energy and the preservation of global competitiveness, is the developer and owner of the wind farm. With operations in 36 nations, SPIC hopes to break into the offshore wind industry in Europe.
#4. Yangxi Shapa 3 Floating Offshore Wind Farm: The Third Largest Wind Farm in China
CTGNE Yangjiang Shapa Phase 3 is a 400MW offshore wind power project in the South China Sea, Guangdong, China, and represents the country’s first floating offshore wind farm. Overcoming numerous challenges, this project introduces the MySE5.5MW floating turbine, specifically designed to endure the harsh conditions of typhoons and extreme waves prevalent in the region, marking a significant technological breakthrough.
 |
Yangxi Shapa 3 Floating Offshore Wind Farm, Source: MingYang Smart Energy |
Notably, this floating wind turbine is the first globally to be connected to a fixed-bottom turbine. MingYang applied its extensive offshore experience to develop a fully integrated, time-domain simulation and modeling system for the turbine-floater-mooring setup. Additionally, the company devised an advanced floater movement control strategy, enabling the turbine to adapt to the complex environment of wind, waves, and currents in the South China Sea. According to CTG, this is the world’s first floating wind turbine capable of operating in extreme weather conditions, including typhoons.
CTG successfully completed the installation and commissioning of the 5.5MW floating turbine, capable of producing 5,500 kilowatts of electricity per hour. Jointly developed by CTG and Ming Yang Smart Energy, the turbine features a wind wheel with a 158-meter diameter and is mounted on a semi-submersible floating structure designed for a deployment period of at least 25 years.
#5. Jiangsu Rudong H6 Offshore Wind Farm
The Three Gorges New Energy Jiangsu Rudong H6 Offshore Wind Farm is a 400MW project situated in the Yellow Sea, Jiangsu, China. On December 25, 2022, China Three Gorges (CTG) successfully connected three offshore wind projects to the Chinese grid, with a total combined capacity of 3.1 GW.
These projects include the 1.1 GW Jiangsu Rudong, the 1.7 GW Yangjiang Shapa—China's first gigawatt-scale offshore wind farms—and the 300 MW Jiangsu Dafeng H8-2, which is China's farthest offshore wind farm.
 |
| Jiangsu Rudong H6 Offshore Wind Farm, Photo: iStock |
Initially, the Shapa offshore wind project, consisting of five phases, surpassed an installed capacity of 1 GW, marking it as China’s first gigawatt-scale offshore wind farm. Phases two through five were constructed simultaneously from early 2020, while Phase 1 has been generating electricity since November 2019.
The Yangjiang Shapa project is expected to generate 4.7 TWh of electricity annually and is notably the first offshore wind farm in the world to feature a floating wind turbine connected to a fixed-bottom turbine.
China's Offshore Wind Energy Expansion in 2024
China’s unwavering commitment to offshore wind energy is making waves across the global energy landscape, impacting efforts in the European Union and other regions to bolster their own offshore wind sectors.
Although offshore wind projects are more expensive to develop compared to their onshore counterparts, the industry is poised for rapid growth in the coming years. Developers are increasingly focusing on floating offshore wind turbines, which can harness stronger winds at sea to generate higher energy outputs. Offshore construction offers additional advantages, such as accommodating larger groups of wind turbines without the interruptions often caused by local opposition and generating power consistently throughout the day.
This surge in offshore wind development is evident in the record-high $1 billion value of brokered offshore wind order deals and a $26 billion investment in vessel acquisitions. Major economies are driving this demand, with the G-7 committing to install a total offshore capacity of 150 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. The United States is launching various projects to advance its position in floating offshore wind technology, while Australia and South Korea are also emerging as key players in the global offshore wind market.
Despite the growing number of countries entering the market, the offshore wind energy supply chain remains highly concentrated, with over 99 percent based in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. China, in particular, is rapidly expanding its offshore wind capacity.
China Ascendacy in Offshore Wind Energy 2024
In 2020, the European Union held 80 percent of the world’s offshore wind capacity, which was roughly five times China’s capacity of 4.6 GW at the time. However, this dynamic has shifted as China has rapidly scaled up its offshore wind supply chain.
By the end of 2021, China had already installed 11.2 GW of offshore wind capacity. Despite the cessation of central-level subsidies for such projects at the end of 2021, China now accounts for nearly half of the world’s offshore wind energy capacity. This growth has enabled Chinese offshore wind firms to gain experience and achieve economies of scale more quickly than their international competitors.
China is leading the global push for renewable energy, with its offshore wind capacity projected to triple to 129 GW by 2030, according to BloombergNEF. President Xi Jinping has pledged to peak carbon emissions before 2030—a goal that some data suggest may have already been achieved—and to reach net zero emissions by 2060. In its latest high-level policy meeting, China emphasized improving support for renewable energy consumption, underscoring its commitment to a sustainable future.
.png)
.png)
.png&description=2024 Offshore Wind Energy Dominance: Is China Set to Lead the Global Market?){kind=link}
0 Comments