Dafeng project expands scope of wind energy

China's furthest offshore wind power project from the coast, the Three Gorges Jiangsu Dafeng project, connected its first units to the grid recently, marking a step toward developing wind power in deeper and more distant waters, said industry experts and company executives.

The furthest point of the project, located off the coast of Dafeng district in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, is 85.5 kilometers from shore. It has a total installed capacity of 800 megawatts and features 98 wind turbines.

The successful grid connection has validated the feasibility of developing wind power in deep and distant waters and expands the scope of wind energy utilization, said Liu Yu, head of the project.

China Three Gorges aims to connect the full capacity to the grid later this year and the project is expected to generate over 2.6 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually by then, enough to meet the yearly power needs of about 1.1 million three-person households, he said.

Industry experts said China's dominance in offshore wind power, holding over half of the world's installed capacity, underscores its growing leadership in renewable energy technology and its capability for large-scale global deployment.

China has continued to optimize its offshore wind power industry and accelerate key projects in recent years, with forecasts pointing to sustained high growth through 2025, said Wang Zhen, head of the CNOOC Energy Economics Institute, a think tank that is part of China National Offshore Oil Corp.

The institute has forecast that new offshore wind installed capacity in China is expected to exceed 14 gigawatts in 2025, while the comprehensive development and utilization of marine energy is anticipated to become a new highlight for the sector.

The recent sixth meeting of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs called for efforts to be made to build stronger, more competitive, and scaled-up marine industries, such as accelerating regulated and orderly development of offshore wind power and advancing the high-quality development of the maritime transport industry.

It noted that efforts must be made to strengthen top-level design, increase policy support and encourage private capital participation in the marine economy to promote the high-quality development of the marine economy.

It is imperative to enhance independent innovation capacity in marine science and technology, reinforce strategic marine science and technology capabilities, and foster the growth of leading marine technology enterprises as well as small and medium-sized enterprises that use specialized and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products, it said.

Wang said China has been boosting its technological innovation capabilities in offshore wind power, accelerating the development of larger turbines and achieving new milestones.

The scaling up of wind turbine technology is progressing rapidly. In 2024, a domestically developed 18-megawatt semi-direct drive offshore wind turbine again set a new world record for the single unit capacity of a grid-connected wind turbine, while floating offshore wind technology is also transitioning from the research and development stage to demonstration applications.

Offshore wind power is poised to become a significant player in China's electricity supply system, driven by advancements in technology and supply chain maturity, said Wang.

With the gradual improvement of industrial and supply chains, and breakthroughs in deep and far-sea wind power technology, China's offshore wind installed capacity is expected to maintain rapid growth, he said.

Projections by the institute indicate that by 2060, China's total offshore wind installed capacity will exceed 350 gigawatts, generating over 1,100 terawatt-hours, accounting for approximately 7 percent of the country's total electricity generation and becoming a key component of the power supply system.

According to the institute, China's offshore wind power construction and generation costs will continue to fall, driven by technological advancements, further large-scale coordinated development, the maturity of industrial and supply chains, and enhanced intelligent and digital operation, maintenance, and management.