China’s National Energy Bureau (NEB) has given permission to the country’s largest wind energy developer, Longyuan Power, to proceed with preliminary work toward development of a 50MW offshore wind farm in waters close to Nanri Island, in the southeast province of Fujian.
The project is the first in Fujian waters to receive NEB approval. It will be supported by cable infrastructure designed to transmit up to 400MW of power.
Longyuan began measuring wind speeds in the area in mid-June. Fujian has amongst China’s richest offshore wind resources, with the Nanri Island site under the jurisdiction of Putian city. Thus far, Fujian province has attracted the attentions of Datang, Huadian and Longyuan, which all have an eye on developing offshore projects off its coast.
Fujian has identified 12 sea areas suitable for the development of offshore wind projects. A combined capacity of 4.95GW is forecast for the province’s first generation of projects. "Under the provincial offshore wind development programme, Fujian will push forward offshore wind farms in Xiapu of Ningde city, Pinghaiwan of Putian city, and Liu’ao of Zhangzhou city,"
explained Xie Ruqian, secretary general of Fujian Provincial Energy Research Society. "In the 12th five year plan period [2011-2015], Fujian will construct 500MW of offshore wind," he added.
"At present, Fujian remains at the stage of constructing demonstration offshore wind farms. It will construct two 50MW demonstration projects, in Pinghaiwan and near Nanri Island, under Putian city," said Xie.
In March, leading turbine manufacturer, XEMC, installed China’s first 5MW permanent magnetic direct-drive offshore turbine, with a 115m rotor diameter, at a coastal cape location near the Fujian city of Fuqing. The turbine has not yet been connected to the grid.
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