China’s fast-approaching supremacy at the top of the global offshore wind capacity table is set to spin off a “second narrative” as the Asian superpower’s domestic turbine makers begin to commercially colonise international markets for the first time, going head-to-head with western OEMs, according to the managing director of industry advocacy body World Forum Offshore Wind (WFO).

Gunnar Herzig, speaking to Recharge in advance of the release of the WFO’s latest Global Offshore Wind report, expects explosive growth off China – which though still behind the UK and Germany in operational capacity with 7.1GW, installed more than 2GW this year and has a market-leading 4.4GW currently under construction, according to WFO data – to set the wheels turning for several of its OEMs to start selling into European and US markets for 10MW-plus machines.

“We have the growth story of China itself and we know the growth has been very impressive [which as recently as 2019 was targeting having over 40GW installed by 2022] and we are starting to see a new chapter of the export story of the Chinese supply chain, beginning with the turbine makers,” he said, spotlighting Ming Yang’s recent breakthrough order for Renexia 30MW project off Italy.

“Ming Yang has suddenly become a very active first mover here – no this isn’t a massive project but it is a foothold, a foot in the door. Now the only question is what will come next for them in the way of a large-scale project, because this will intensify competition with the Big Three [Siemens Gamesa, GE and Vestas].”

Ming Yang, which recently set up a European headquarters in Germany, has an 11MW design, the MySE11-203, slated for market-readiness from 2022, while compatriot Dongfang Electric recently won a maiden order from China Three Gorges for its 10MW design. Goldwind and Envision have 8MW machines and plans for larger models under development.

To date, however, China’s ultra-large turbines have all been sold into domestic projects while the European northern seas market has been split three-ways between Siemens Gamesa, GE and MHI Vestas.

The GOW report, released today, registered a record 5.2GW of offshore wind capacity brought into operation during 2020, expanding the global fleet by nearly 20% to 32.5GW.

“Seeing yet another record year of global offshore wind installation underlines the dynamic global momentum for offshore wind,” said Herzig.

Fifteen new offshore wind farms came online over the year, including off the UK – which remains the world’s biggest play with 10.4GW installed, as well as China, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands and the US, taking the worldwide tally to 162.

Global offshore wind capacity is forecast to surge to over 234GW by 2030, as governments around the world see it as a major contributor to a post-Covid-19 economic recovery, the Global Wind Energy Council said recently, while developer-led industry group the Ocean Renewable Energy Action Coalition expects sea-based projects to make up 85% of a 1.4TW build out of renewable ocean energy plant by 2050.

Wind

'Nearing a new chapter': China's offshore wind boom to spur internationalisation of OEMs