China’s first large-scale 150 MW offshore inter-tidal demonstration wind farm started construction recently, marking the start of the large-scale development of offshore wind power in China.

It is understood that this wind farm is developed by China Guodian Longyuan Electric Power Group Co., Ltd. and located at the Bund on the Huangang Port in Rudong County, Jiangsu Province, and is located between 3 and 8 kilometers offshore. It has a planned total installed capacity of 150 megawatts. Not less than 2 MW models. The project was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission on December 6, 2010. It plans to put into production 100 megawatts capacity in 2011 and put it into production in 2012.

Xie Changjun, general manager of Guodian Longyuan Power Group, said that the 150-MW offshore intertidal demonstration wind farm at Longyuan Jiangsu Rudong was a further research and exploration of the intertidal zone after Longyuan Power successfully built a 30-megawatt intertidal zone test wind farm. Offshore wind power development technology, to master the important platform for construction, installation, operation and maintenance of offshore wind power equipment. Its development and construction will have positive guidance and demonstration significance for the evaluation of site selection, planning and design, construction and construction, operation and maintenance of wind resources for offshore wind farm development in China. It will also lay a solid foundation for China to achieve localization of offshore wind power equipment manufacturing.

Xie Changjun said that offshore wind power is an important direction for future development of wind power. Longyuan Power will select the offshore intertidal wind farm as a breakthrough point in accordance with the principles of “coordinated planning, phased development, easy to follow up, and active and secure” and “first trial, small-scale demonstration, and subsequent large-scale development”. Gradually develop offshore and deep-sea wind power.

According to the “12th Five-Year Plan” (2011-2015) energy planning and renewable energy plan currently being formulated, in 2015, China will build 5 million kilowatts of offshore wind power, form a complete set of offshore wind power technologies and establish a complete industrial chain after 2015. China's offshore wind power will enter the stage of large-scale development.

China's offshore areas are rich in wind resources. According to a 50-meter-high weather observation, the amount of offshore wind power that can be exploited in China has reached 200 million kilowatts. As China's coastal areas are close to the load center, the power grid has a strong ability to accept and construction of offshore wind power can avoid the problems of land and power grid transportation.