What Signals Does the "Single 30 Policy" Send?
Recently, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration jointly issued the "Notice on Printing and Distributing the Guidance Catalog for High-Quality Development of Natural Resource Elements (2024 Edition)", which clearly requires that new offshore wind power projects should be located more than 30 kilometers offshore or in waters deeper than 30 meters.
In fact, discussions on the adjustment of policies regarding the layout of offshore wind power projects began earlier this year. At that time, the industry's focus was on whether the policy would move towards the "Dual 30" or "Single 30". Now that the policy has been finalized, the introduction of the "Single 30" policy sends a clear signal: China's offshore wind power is gradually moving from the nearshore to the deep sea. Although this trend is favorable in the long run, it also comes with a series of practical challenges that need to be addressed.
Since its inception in 2007, China's offshore wind power has gone through several stages from pilot to large-scale development. Up to now, the development has mainly focused on the nearshore and intertidal zones, which have become the preferred areas for development due to low construction costs, low construction difficulty, and proximity to power load centers. However, as resources become increasingly scarce, nearshore development is gradually facing issues such as limited resources and sensitive ecological environments, making a shift to the deep sea an inevitable move.
The "Single 30" policy aims to guide the layout of offshore wind power towards the deep sea from a long-term interest perspective. However, it also poses higher technical and economic demands on the industry. On the technical front, deep-sea development needs to address challenges such as the wind resistance of wind turbines, the stability of foundation structures, and the laying of submarine cables. Although China has successfully developed wind turbines with a capacity of 6MW and above, key technologies such as floating wind turbines and anti-corrosion materials still require further breakthroughs.
In terms of cost, the construction cost of deep-sea wind power is significantly higher than that of nearshore wind power. It is estimated that the unit kilowatt investment cost of deep-sea projects is 1.5 to 2 times that of nearshore projects, and the difficulty and cost of operation and maintenance are also higher. For developers, finding a balance between high costs and profit demands under the backdrop of gradually retreating subsidies is a severe test.
Looking back at the evolution of past policies, the implementation of the "Dual 10 Policy" paved the way for the "Single 30 Policy". In 2011, the National Energy Administration and the State Oceanic Administration jointly issued the "Interim Measures for the Management of Offshore Wind Power Development and Construction", requiring wind farms to meet the conditions of being no less than 10 kilometers offshore, with a tidal flat width exceeding 10 kilometers and a sea depth of no less than 10 meters. This policy promoted the transition of offshore wind power layout from intertidal zones to deeper nearshore areas. Although the development was initially slowed down due to immature technology and high costs, it also promoted the improvement of industry standards. In 2016, the 150MW demonstration project in Rudong, Jiangsu, became the first wind farm fully compliant with the "Dual 10" standards and deployed the first offshore booster station in Asia, accumulating valuable experience for deep-sea development.
The implementation of the "Single 30" policy not only promotes deep-sea development but also reflects the government's emphasis on the ecological management of nearshore areas. Over-concentration of nearshore development may bring risks to the marine ecological environment, such as the destruction of marine life habitats and interference with maritime transportation. The "Single 30" policy not only helps alleviate these issues but also guides the industry to increase R&D investment in key areas such as floating wind turbines and high-voltage power transmission technology, laying the foundation for deep-sea wind power development. Through this layout, China is expected to further unleash the potential of offshore wind power and enhance its competitiveness in the global energy transition.
From the perspective of policy research, the development of China's offshore wind power needs to find a balance between strategic goals and actual conditions. The "Single 30" policy clearly defines the direction from a strategic level, but to achieve the goal of deep-sea development, it is urgent to improve supporting measures. For example, increasing special subsidies, optimizing approval processes, and reducing the initial investment pressure on developers are all important guarantees for policy implementation.
Research indicates that deep-sea wind power has tremendous potential, but its investment payback period is long, requiring the enhancement of project economics through technological innovation and cost optimization. At the same time, strengthening ecological impact assessments and risk control will also provide a scientific basis for policy formulation.
The introduction of the "Single 30" policy marks a new stage in the development of China's offshore wind power. Despite facing challenges such as technical difficulties, high costs, and insufficient policy support, its long-term significance cannot be ignored. With the joint promotion of policy support, technological breakthroughs, and market mechanisms, China's deep-sea wind power will make a greater contribution to the global energy transition.