Jiangsu looks at new offshore wind power development opportunities

2020-06-28 15:51:00

Wind power equipment are seen in Yangzhou. [File photo/CFP]

Already a powerhouse of offshore wind power, Jiangsu Province is now looking at how to expand the sector also in the deep and remote sea and increasingly under a holistic maritime development approach.

Qin Haiyan, secretary-general of Wind Power Committee of the China Renewable Energy Society, said more and more countries will focus on offshore wind power.

Ji Ming, director of the Jiangsu Energy Bureau, said the province is committed to building wind power farm and now boasts installed capacity of 4.6 million kilowatts after years of efforts, ranking first in the county.

Cities in the coastal province have accelerated the wind power development.

Nantong, located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, has abundant wind resources and a strong shipbuilding industry, making it an ideal city to develop wind power. It aims to increase the installed capacity to 8 million kilowatts by the end of 2022 with an annual industry revenue of over 120 billion yuan.

With the longest coastline in Jiangsu, Yancheng plans to improve the installed wind power capacity to 7.5 million kilowatts this year, including 3 million kilowatts from the offshore projects. Another ambitious plan is to build a 100 billion yuan offshore wind power industrial base in the city’s Sheyang County in 3-5 years.

Lianyungang is also trying to build the largest wind power equipment production base in Asia.

As offshore wind power development involves many disciplines, the province is promoting all-round cooperation to develop a strong, fully-fledged industry chain. As the province is drafting the 14th Five Year Plan for economic and social development, it is studying the future offshore wind power development in remote and deep sea areas under a comprehensive maritime development model.