The deep sea wind power market space is expected to further open up

Recently, the fully coupled dynamic analysis and device development project of the Three Gorges Energy Floating Offshore Wind Power Platform successfully passed the expert acceptance review meeting. At the same time, the successful production and operation of the prototype project "Three Gorges Leading" signifies that China has the ability to independently develop, manufacture, install, and operate large capacity anti typhoon floating offshore wind turbines. Industry insiders say that with the gradual saturation of offshore wind power resource development, wind power generation is becoming a trend towards deep and distant seas. Floating offshore wind power technology continues to make new breakthroughs and accelerate the development of far-reaching offshore wind resources.

Accelerated commercialization of floating wind power

Located at the farthest end of the Yangjiang Shaba offshore wind farm in the Three Gorges, there is a special wind turbine sitting there. Unlike other fixed wind turbines rooted in the seabed, this wind turbine floats like a boat at sea. The completion and operation of the "Three Gorges Leading Project", a demonstration project for offshore floating wind power generation system equipment, is a bold attempt for China's offshore wind power to reach the deep sea.

According to incomplete statistics, as of 2022, a total of 202.55MW floating offshore wind power projects have been put into operation globally. Industry insiders say that the deep-sea wind energy resources are abundant. From an economic perspective, when the water depth is greater than 60 meters, floating offshore wind power equipment is often used. The potential of the floating offshore wind power industry is enormous, and the offshore wind power equipment manufacturing industry will usher in new development opportunities. At present, floating offshore wind power projects still face some shortcomings, such as high construction difficulty and overall cost, which require a large amount of investment to promote technological development.

In recent years, the installed capacity of offshore wind power in China has continued to grow and accelerated its development towards deep and distant seas.

China has abundant offshore wind energy resources, with a technological development capacity of 500 million kilowatts in the range of 5 to 50 meters deep near the sea, and the exploitable capacity of deep-sea wind energy is three to four times that of offshore wind energy. The development of deep-sea wind energy resources requires the use of floating fans. At present, China's installed capacity of floating wind power ranks fourth in the world, and it is expected that the cumulative installed capacity will exceed 500000 kilowatts by 2026.

Active layout of listed companies

The deep sea wind power market space is expected to further open up. Li Nan, a senior researcher at the Energy Economics Research Institute of China National Offshore Oil Corporation, stated that with technological progress and large-scale development, coupled with the green power premium effect, floating wind power is expected to develop beyond expectations. The application scenarios of floating wind power are diverse, and at the same time, it can synergistically develop marine ranching, seawater hydrogen production, marine tourism, and marine mineral resource development, forming a new ecosystem of cross-border integration in the marine industry such as a comprehensive energy island.

Based on the optimistic outlook for the far-reaching offshore wind power market, wind power equipment manufacturing enterprises are rushing to expand their layout.

Haili Wind Power stated on the interactive platform of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange that floating foundations belong to steel structural components and are mainly used in deep-sea areas above 60 meters. The company is deeply involved in the offshore wind power equipment manufacturing industry, and based on existing technological reserves, it can extend to the field of floating offshore wind power. The company will actively participate in the research and development and production of floating offshore wind power equipment.

Goldwind Technology has gradually grown into a leading global provider of integrated wind power solutions. The company stated that with the development of offshore wind power towards deep and distant seas, domestic research and development of floating wind turbine technology will accelerate. Jinfeng Technology is the earliest complete machine manufacturer in China to conduct research on offshore floating fan technology and pool testing, accumulating rich experience and achievements, and can provide economically competitive overall solutions for floating fans.