The Ministry of Natural Resources in China has issued new regulations for offshore solar PV projects, limiting their construction to specific sea areas, including nuclear power plant thermal discharge zones, salt ponds, sea aquaculture areas, and offshore wind-solar sites. However, many existing offshore PV projects do not comply with these requirements, resulting in them being allowed only for demonstrative purposes in the designated areas.
The document further specifies that offshore solar PV projects can expand to a larger scale only after demonstrating their environmental impacts on the local marine ecosystem. Coastal provinces like Shandong, Jiangsu, Fujian, Tianjin, and Zhejiang have already formulated plans for offshore PV projects, but without unified national policies, discrepancies exist, potentially leading to illegal sea usage during large-scale project development.
China’s Offshore Solar Rules: What You Need to Know (Credits: PV Tech)
China’s National Energy Administration reported a significant increase in newly added solar PV capacity in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year. The country added 45.74GW of solar capacity, with 9.02GW added in March alone. Despite this growth, the offshore PV sector faces challenges due to regulatory changes, potentially impacting its expansion and development.
Solar Media’s PV Tech publisher is organizing the Solar Finance & Investment Asia Summit in Singapore, scheduled for September 24-25. The event aims to gather influential leaders from various sectors, including funds, banks, developers, utilities, government, and industry across the Asia-Pacific region. The summit will focus on solutions-oriented discussions regarding solar finance and investment opportunities in the region.
The re-launched 8th Annual Solar Finance and Investment Asia Summit promises to bring together key stakeholders to address challenges and explore opportunities in the solar energy sector across the Asia-Pacific region. With a focus on solutions and collaboration, the summit aims to drive forward the finance and investment landscape for solar projects, fostering growth and sustainability in the industry.
