China and UK to develop offshore wind technology

• 6 years ago (2017-09-12)
• David Flin

Asia 847 Europe 1061 Offshore wind 119

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China and the UK are collaborating on the development of the next generation of offshore wind power capacity, with a focus on identifying the best locations for new installations, and making them more resilient to harsh weather conditions including typhoons and earthquakes.

The UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) said that research teams from the two countries will work together on five projects, receiving funding from the joint UK-China Renewable Energy programme, as well as financial support from NERC and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

The UK and China are among the leaders in renewable energy globally. The UK has the largest offshore wind capacity in Europe. Last year, China installed 23.4 GW of new wind capacity, accounting for over 40 per cent of the global total of new build for that year. It has been estimated that by 2030, wind power could supply 26 per cent of the country’s projected electricity demand.

In the UK, offshore wind power costs have fallen such that they are cheaper than nuclear power. In the latest auction organised by the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, bidders were offering to build offshore wind farms with subsidies as low as $75.83/MWh, half the level of subsidy for a MWh of electricity from new nuclear power, due to come on stream in 2022-2023.

Meanwhile, China is developing what will be the biggest offshore wind farm in the world, the 800 MW Yancheng project, due to start operating next. By 2026, China estimates that it will have 26 GW of offshore wind capacity.

China plans to scrap wind power subsidies over the next three years. Earlier this month, the National Energy Administration approved construction of the first batch of wind farms that will produce electricity at a cost below that of a coal-fired power plant. Although the batch is small, consisting of 13 farms with a combined capacity of 707 MW, it has been described as a promising sign.