The government target for 2202: 30 GW

“The government” is inexperienced?

“…generally they haven’t done it before and they don’t know how to get from A to B” – Consultant company

The developers do not have any profit?

“If you see the BOP or CAPEX it’s red. They [the developers] don’t make any money.” – Turbine manufacturer

Fragmentation between authorities?

“…when the different minis-tries can really sit together and coordinate to say which project really can be developed. That may create some progress” – Government association

Environment and wildlife?

“They (the developers) are very concerned with the mammal pro-tection areas. The pink dolphins; it’s a very famous mammal so every public person really make an effort to protect it” – Consultancy firm

Local communities resist?

“There are too many problems, far too many: for example, the local villagers do not want us to install turbines close to where they live, because they think it will ruin their fishing opportunities” – Project developer

The technology is immature?

“The government says that the national ocean bureaus or some other land bureaus, or the military did not give agreement. But this is just what they tell the public. The real reason, actually, is because of the technology. The develop-ers do not think the technology is mature yet, and the cost is very high.” – Industry association

Security issues?

“Some of the main con-straints are the military and security concerns, especially around the Taiwan strait in Fujian.” – Consultancy company

Visions and perceptions of China’s emerging offshore wind industryOffshore with Chinese characteristics – ”real” offshore wind?

Contested Development: Reaching the targets in a ”political way”?

Why are the targets not reached?

Intertidal wind farms

High tide:

Low tide:

“The intertidal zone in Rudong seems like half offshore. It’s more like an onshore wind farm” – Government agency

“But in the future we are

going to the real offshore

further out, so there’s no

tractor, and the weather

window will be very short”

– Turbine manufacturer

The Chinese definition of offshore wind includes an ‘intertidal zone’ that does not exist elsewhere. Source (World Bank)

Make and GlobalData are consultancy firms that have generated own estimates. “Industry” and “Government” estimates are based on information from the interview data.

Word frequency based on 43 interviews with offshore wind stakeholders in China

Marius Korsnes, PhD Candidate, Centre for Technology and Society, Norwegian

University of Science and Technology

China’s definition of offshore wind

Various futureestimates and government targets of installed offshore wind power in gigawatts

“It is not a 100% offshore

project; here in China

there is no real offshore

wind farm yet”

– Cable producer

“For the first target I don’t think they will reach it. If it is reached, then it’s bullshit. Possibly the (government) officers will do some statistics work and say ‘Oh, we reached it!’ They will solve it in a very political way. That’s how it is here, you know, no one wants to get hurt.” – Foundation manufacturer

“Currently the offshore wind is based close to the shore on very shallow water, not deep water. So it’s not really offshore wind yet” – Government official