The Ministry of Natural Resources has recently issued a notice titled "Notice on Further Strengthening the Management of Marine Space for Offshore Wind Projects", introducing 12 measures to optimize the management of offshore wind farm projects.
Source: Economic Daily
The Ministry of Natural Resources has recently issued a notice titled "Notice on Further Strengthening the Management of Marine Space for Offshore Wind Projects", introducing 12 measures to optimize the management of offshore wind farm projects. These measures focus on strengthening planning and control, promoting resource efficiency, improving the approval process for marine usage, and ensuring ecological conservation.
In recent years, China's offshore wind industry has experienced steady growth. By the end of the third quarter of 2024, China added 2.47 million kW of new offshore wind capacity, bringing its total installed offshore wind capacity to 39.1 million kW, which accounts for 50% of the global total. This has made China the world's largest offshore wind market. According to a representative from the Department of Marine and Island Management at the Ministry of Natural Resources, as offshore wind projects expand, nearshore marine resources are becoming increasingly saturated, revealing new challenges that previous policies were unable to address.
The Notice aims to standardize the management of marine space for offshore wind projects, improve marine resource utilization efficiency, enhance marine ecological protection, and promote the sustainable development of the offshore wind industry.For example, regarding site planning, the Notice emphasizes stronger control and coordination of spatial layout. It specifies that offshore wind projects must align with national spatial planning and coastal zone-specific plans. Offshore wind farms should be located in renewable energy zones or areas compatible with wind energy development. The construction of projects is strictly limited in areas with high development intensity, such as the central Bohai Sea, where ship traffic is heavy. Additionally, projects are prohibited in critical ecological protection areas and sensitive environments, such as those within the ecological protection red line.
As offshore wind projects increasingly move from nearshore and shallow waters to deeper, more distant offshore areas, the Notice advocates for deepwater and far-offshore development. It specifies that new offshore wind projects should be located at least 30 kilometers offshore or in waters deeper than 30 meters.