A major 400 megawatt offshore wind farm -- which kicked off construction in Rudong county, Nantong, in East China's Jiangsu province on Aug 24 – is highlighting the rapid growth and ambitions in China for offshore wind production.

According to some estimates by the end of 2012, China had installed 389.6 mW of offshore wind capacity and in May 2014, total capacity of offshore wind power in China was 565 mW.

Officials said the new project is called Shengdong Rudong wind farm project, or the Rudong H3# project. It is being constructed by China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group Co Ltd and is located in Niujiaosha on the east side of the Jiangsu provincial management sea area, some 39 kilometers offshore.

The wind farm being laid out in a trapezoidal shape with a length of 18 km in the east-west direction and an average width of about 6 km in the north-south direction. It has a planned area of about 90 square kilometers.

A total of 80 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 5.0 mW, will be installed. The project is scheduled to be completed in May, 2020. 

When the wind farm starts operating, its annual power generation capacity will reach 750 million kWh, which can save 238,000 tons of standard coal, reduce emissions of 487,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 5.18 million tons of sulfur dioxide, 39,000 tons of ash and 23,000 tons of soot.

Officials said the wind farm is beneficial to alleviate the pressure for environmental protection currently on the power industry, while achieves the coordinated development of the economy and the environment.

Offshore wind power is a proven technology and it is seen by industry experts as a key part of future developed power generation methods in the country.  

Rudong, located in an area which has the most wind energy resources in China, has huge potential for generating power through wind, and offshore wind farms there started very early.

In 2004, China's first wind power concession project went to Rudong. In 2006, Rudong Longyuan Wind Farm -- the first wind farm in Jiangsu province -- was officially connected to the grid.