On April 27, 2026, Beijing - While onshore wind power is roaring ahead with an additional installed capacity of 15.55 million kilowatts, the data of only 210000 kilowatts of offshore wind power added in the first quarter seems somewhat quiet. However, this is not a signal to slow down, but a preparation for takeoff after a deep squat. From the 70 meter offshore deep-sea project of Huaneng Shandong Peninsula to the grand goal of cumulative installed capacity exceeding 100 million kilowatts during the 15th Five Year Plan period, China's offshore wind power is quietly shifting from "offshore scale expansion" to "deep-sea quality leap".

The data for the first quarter is stable with some progress

In the first quarter of 2026, China's offshore wind power added 210000 kilowatts to the grid, with a cumulative installed capacity of 47.22 million kilowatts, consistently ranking first in the world. During the same period, the total newly added wind power in China was 15.77 million kilowatts, of which onshore wind power contributed 15.55 million kilowatts. The average utilization rate of wind power reached 91.4%, with a power generation of 304.7 billion kilowatt hours. The overall new installed capacity of renewable energy is 58.93 million kilowatts, accounting for 70% of the country's new installed capacity, with a cumulative installed capacity of 2.395 billion kilowatts, accounting for 60.4% of the country's total installed capacity.

Deep sea becomes the key to breaking the deadlock

The outline of the 15th Five Year Plan clearly proposes the construction of offshore wind power bases in the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea, with the goal of promoting cumulative installed capacity to exceed 100 million kilowatts. In April 2026, the two major deep-sea projects of Huaneng Shandong Peninsula North L Site and Huadian Yangjiang Sanshan Island Six were successively launched, with offshore distances of 70 kilometers and 89 kilometers respectively, equipped with 12 MW to 16.2 MW wind turbines, marking the official entry of China's offshore wind power into the "deep blue cultivation" stage. Far reaching sea breeze conditions are better, with an annual equivalent full load hours increase of 15% to 20% compared to nearshore areas. Keywords: new energy, far-reaching offshore wind power

Technological breakthroughs and industry prospects

The current cost of deep-sea floating wind power is still higher than that of fixed wind power, but with the promotion of core technology localization and the maturity of the industrial chain, cost reduction has become an inevitable trend. To implement the goals of the 15th Five Year Plan, the 6th Offshore Wind Power Innovation and Development Conference will be held in Nanjing on May 26, 2026, focusing on topics such as the construction of deep-sea bases and technological innovation. In the future, offshore wind power will gradually unleash its growth potential and steadily move towards the target of 100 million kilowatts.Editor/Gao Xue