China has ramped up offshore wind energy development, as the form of renewable energy aligns with Beijing’s goals of carbon neutrality, energy security and developing the marine economy to boost economic growth.

China added more than 4.4 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity in the first six months of the year, the same amount it added in all of 2024, according to a report by the non-profit Global Energy Monitor (GEM) on Wednesday.

The report said the country was expected to add at least 9GW of offshore wind capacity this year – more than half of projected global additions. China has another 22GW of offshore wind projects under construction that could commence operation beyond 2025, it added.

“China is developing a robust offshore wind technology industry, as its development boundaries are pushed farther into deep-sea areas,” said Zhang Mengqi, a GEM researcher and co-author of the report. She cited strong central government support that combined direct financial subsidies with a mix of top-level planning and market-based approaches.

The report came shortly after the country’s farthest offshore wind power project, located off Yancheng in the eastern province of Jiangsu, started operation last week, according to its developer, state-owned China Three Gorges Corporation. With turbines as far as 85.5km offshore, the project was expected to generate more than 2.6 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to power around 1.1 million three-person households for a year, a spokesperson said.

President Xi Jinping mentioned offshore wind energy during a high-level economic meeting last week as a key sector to advance the “high-quality development” of China’s marine economy. Offshore wind power was also featured in Beijing’s annual government work report in March, which said the sector would help with job creation, energy security and coastal provinces’ economic development.