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China's Dominance in Offshore Wind: A Look at the Factors Behind Their Success



China is leading the world in offshore wind capacity, but what has enabled them to develop and grow at this rate?


Last year, China apparently connected 17 gigawatts of offshore-wind capacity to its grid, according to their National Energy Agency, meaning it can now produce up to 26 GW of its power in this way.


Such scale and speed are unprecedented or rivalled as between 2015 and 2020 the rest of the world, added just over 14GW, according to data from the International Renewable Energy Agency.


In 2019, with 8GW of capacity, Britain was respectively the world’s largest offshore-wind producer.


China’s global share is now almost half of the 54GW of offshore wind-power capacity globally.


So how has China achieved this?


This rapid development is due to several factors, including the Chinese government’s commitment to invest in research and development, generous subsidies to offshore wind developers, favourable coastal conditions, and the encouragement of local governments to develop offshore wind projects.


And...


As a result, China now has the world’s largest offshore wind capacity with nearly 25 GW installed and is expected to remain the leader in the sector for the foreseeable future.


With a substantial commitment to innovation, research, and development, China has created a strong foundation for the industry, allowing it to stay ahead of the pack.


Maybe another reason China is leading in offshore wind capacity is because they have a strong manufacturing base. They're able to produce wind turbines and other offshore wind components at a lower cost than other countries, making it more financially viable for them to invest in offshore wind projects.


But is the real secret to China's success in offshore wind is their government's commitment to it? They have set ambitious targets for offshore wind capacity and are providing strong support for the industry through policies and incentives.


By 2030, China is looking to grow to 200 gigawatts installed capacity, an increase of 175 GW in 7 years.


It is estimated that China will need approximately 600,000 people to develop and build the offshore wind farms necessary to achieve its target of 200GW, 20 GW per year of by 2030.



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