The largest offshore wind project in China is capable of generating 374 million kwh of electricity per year, according to its owner Longyuan Power.
The generated power will receive feed-in tariffs of 0.778 yuan/kwh ($0.124/kwh), significantly higher than the bid-winning feed-in tariffs of China’s suspended 1GW offshore concession projects.
In September, Longyuan Power, China’s largest wind power developer, completed the final 50MW of the 150MW inter-tidal wind farm, with 20 Goldwind 2.5MW turbines. The first stage, 100MW, adopted 17 Sinovel 3MW turbines and 21 Siemens 2.3MW turbines
Xie Changjun, general manager of Longyuan Power, said: "The construction of the Rudong 150MW inter-tidal demonstration project is of great significance for China to develop offshore wind power. It sets an example for Chinese companies to evaluate offshore wind resources, select locations, make planning and designs, launch construction and operation maintenance. The project has served as a platform for China’s homemade offshore wind turbines to mature, and accumulated rich experiences for China to develop offshore wind power in large scales."
Too low tariff
In May this year, the Chinese Wind Energy Association conceded that China’s first 1GW offshore concession projects had virtually ended, following conflict over the selected sites and a low feed-in tariffs, ranging from CNY 0.62-0.73 per kWh.
Along with the 32MW of the pilot project operating at the Rudong project from September 2010, Longyuan Power has now connected 182MW inter-tidal turbines into the grid.
