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China's offshore wind power sector reached a historic milestone in September 2026 as Yangjiang city in Guangdong province surpassed 8 gigawatts of installed offshore wind capacity, securing its position as the leading offshore wind base in the country. The achievement came when CGN's Yangjiang Fanshi 2,000MW offshore wind farm achieved full grid connection, marking a significant acceleration in China's transition toward renewable energy dominance.

The Yangjiang Fanshi offshore wind farm, located in the sea area south of Nanpeng Island in Yangdong District, represents one of China's most ambitious offshore energy projects. Comprising two million-kilowatt-level sub-projects, the wind farm extends up to 81 kilometers from shore with water depths reaching 53 meters, demonstrating China's capability in deep-water offshore wind development at scale.

The project deploys 131 wind turbines across its vast sea area, including 36 units of domestically produced 18MW ultra-large offshore wind turbines. These massive machines, with rotor diameters of 292 meters, generate approximately 43 kilowatt-hours per rotation—enough to power an average household for nine consecutive days. Thelarge-scale application of 18MW turbines marks Yangjiang as China's first project to deploy such ultra-large offshore units at scale.

According to CGN New Energy Guangdong Company, the project incorporates an advanced remote monitoring and control system that integrates the complete data chain from "sea-cable-station-grid." This sophisticated infrastructure enables centralized monitoring, remote regulation, and intelligent early warning capabilities, ensuring safe and efficient operation of the entire wind farm. The system represents a critical evolution in offshore wind farm management, moving beyond simple monitoring to predictive maintenance and autonomous optimization.

The technological achievements at Yangjiang extend beyond turbine deployment. The project's SCADA system integrates real-time meteorological data, equipment performance metrics, and grid demand signals to optimize power output while maintaining structural integrity under extreme weather conditions. This level of integration requires seamless coordination between distributed control systems, programmable logic controllers, and advanced analytics platforms.

Yangjiang's rise to national leadership in offshore wind did not happen overnight. The city has systematically built out its offshore wind industrial chain over the past decade, attracting major players including CGN, China Three Gorges, and Mingyang Smart Energy. The local government's strategic focus on creating a complete ecosystem—from turbine manufacturing to operation and maintenance services—has proven instrumental in reducing costs and accelerating deployment timelines.

The economic impact extends well beyond clean energy generation. Yangjiang's offshore wind base now supports over 10,000 direct jobs in manufacturing, installation, and maintenance operations. The city has also established specialized training centers to develop the skilled workforce needed for deep-water offshore operations, addressing one of the industry's most critical bottlenecks.

Industry analysts note that Yangjiang's success provides a replicable model for other coastal provinces seeking to develop their offshore wind resources. The combination of favorable wind conditions, supportive local policies, and integrated industrial chains creates a template that could accelerate China's progress toward its 2030 offshore wind targets.

The 8GW milestone also highlights the maturation of China's offshore wind supply chain. Domestic manufacturers now produce complete turbines ranging from 8MW to 18MW, along with foundations, subsea cables, and installation vessels. This vertical integration has reduced dependence on foreign technology and positioned Chinese companies to compete in international markets.

Looking ahead, Yangjiang has outlined plans to expand its offshore wind capacity to 15GW by 2030, with particular focus on floating wind technology for deeper water sites beyond 100 kilometers from shore. The city is also exploring hybrid projects that combine wind generation with energy storage and hydrogen production, creating multi-vector energy hubs that could enhance grid stability and provide additional revenue streams.

The success at Yangjiang comes as China accelerates its broader renewable energy deployment. With national offshore wind installations approaching 40GW, the country is on track to meet its commitment of 1,200GW total wind and solar capacity by 2030. The lessons learned from Yangjiang's deep-water developments will prove invaluable as the industry moves into more challenging environments.

For industrial automation suppliers, Yangjiang's growth represents significant opportunities in industrial robotics for turbine maintenance, advanced sensor networks for structural monitoring, and industrial cybersecurity systems to protect critical energy infrastructure. The integration of artificial intelligence for predictive maintenance and autonomous inspection further expands the addressable market for automation technologies.

As China's offshore wind sector continues its rapid expansion, Yangjiang's leadership position provides both inspiration and practical guidance for other regions. The city's achievement of 8GW installed capacity demonstrates that with coordinated policy support, technological innovation, and industrial ecosystem development, ambitious renewable energy targets are achievable.

The Yangjiang project also demonstrates the importance of comprehensive monitoring and control systems in modern offshore wind farms. The facility employs advanced SCADA systems that integrate data from hundreds of sensors distributed across turbines, substations, and marine equipment. These systems enable real-time performance optimization and rapid response to changing weather conditions. The integration of distributed control systems with centralized monitoring capabilities represents best practices in offshore wind farm automation.

Industry experts emphasize that the success of projects like Yangjiang depends not only on turbine technology but also on the supporting infrastructure and operational expertise. The development of specialized installation vessels, subsea cable laying equipment, and maintenance platforms has been crucial for enabling large-scale offshore wind deployment. China's investment in these supporting capabilities has created a complete industrial ecosystem capable of supporting ambitious offshore wind targets.

Written by: Maxwell, with over a decade of experience in industrial automation and renewable energy systems. Maxwell has worked extensively on offshore wind farm automation projects, specializing in SCADA integration, predictive maintenance systems, and industrial cybersecurity for critical energy infrastructure. The project demonstrates China's commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 through massive renewable energy deployment. Industry analysts note that such large-scale offshore wind developments require sophisticated coordination between multiple stakeholders including equipment manufacturers, installation contractors, grid operators, and regulatory authorities. The success of Yangjiang project provides valuable experience for future offshore wind developments in deeper waters and more challenging marine environments.