The  offshore wind power project Photo: Xinhua

China's new offshore wind power project, phase 2 of the Liuao wind power field with generating capacity of 16 megawatts, plans to add more turbines in Zhangpu, East China's Fujian Province, China Three Gorges Corp (CTG), the builder of the field, announced on Sunday.

"The average capacity of most offshore wind turbines is no more than 10 megawatts. The ultra-large capacity wind turbine used in phase 2 of the Liuao wind power field offers much higher efficiency in terms of power generation, and it takes up less space, and it's also easy to maintain," Gong Kuangmin, a representative of CTG, said in a report by the CCTV.

The offshore field located 32.8 kilometers away from the coast of Zhangpu, and it is the first wind power plant in that area, with nearly 6 billion yuan ($885.6 billion) of investment.

The designed capacity of the project is estimated to reach 400 megawatts, generating 1.6 billion kilowatt-hours annually and saving 500,000 tons of coal, said the CTG group.

Construction is scheduled to finish in August, the CCTV reported. 

The field will lead the development of relevant local industrial chains valued at 100 billion yuan, said the state-owned power company. 

The company vowed to explore offshore industries including farming, hydrogen production and photovoltaic power based on the pioneering Liuao wind project, and it will also explore other marine resources.

China is now focusing on the development of new energy. A report from Chinese analysis firm CINNO Research showed that domestic  investment in the new-energy sector hit 9.2 trillion yuan in 2022, of which 37 percent flowed into wind power and solar panels.

The report predicted that the development of China's new-energy sector will maintain high growth rates during the next three to five years, making it an important driver of China's economic growth.

Global Times