China on Monday issued a guideline to ramp up ocean energy development, aiming to reach an installed capacity of 400,000 kilowatts of ocean energy by 2030.
Ocean energy refers to renewable energy contained in the ocean and converted into electricity through natural movements of ocean currents, temperature gradients, and salinity differences.
According to the guideline, by 2030, China will set up multi-energy hybrid power systems on islands and demonstration projects for large-scale ocean energy utilization, expand application of ocean energy, develop efficient, stable, and economical technical equipment for ocean energy development, and foster a group of companies with a strong research and development ability and global competitiveness.
The guideline also calls for technological and model innovation for ocean energy development, accelerating core technology breakthrough, and upgrading ocean energy technologies.
It highlights integrated development of ocean energy and offshore production activities, expand the application of ocean energy, and improve economic and social benefits of ocean energy development.
"We should advance the survey of ocean energy resources in pilot areas, and timely expand it in coastal areas nationwide. We should actively promote the co-development of offshore wind power and wave energy at the same sites to improve the efficiency of ocean energy development. Based on the 15th five-year plan for renewable energy development and energy technological innovation, we should enhance the innovation capacity of ocean energy development and speed up its large-scale utilization," said Pan Huimin, deputy director of the new energy and renewable energy department of the National Energy Administration (NEA).
China's ocean energy development currently focuses on tidal energy, which generates electricity through the horizontal movement of seawater, and wave energy, generating electricity through ocean waves.
The coastal areas of Zhejiang, an eastern Chinese province, particularly the Hangzhou Bay and Zhoushan, are rich in tidal energy, contributing to more than 50 percent of the country's tidal energy.
Wave energy is mainly concentrated along the southern coastlines of China, including southern Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, and the South China Sea, accounting for more than 70 percent of China's wave energy resources.
The guideline was jointly released by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the National Energy Administration.
China issues guideline to ramp up ocean energy development
China's push toward a greener future is once again in the spotlight at this year's annual political "two sessions", as lawmakers are reviewing a draft ecological environment code, a significant step toward establishing a comprehensive legal framework for ecological protection.
The draft code was submitted on March 5 to the ongoing fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, for deliberation.
Once adopted, it will become China's second formal statutory code, after the Civil Code, which was adopted in 2020.
The rule of law has been continuously strengthened to support the country's green progress. China already has more than 30 laws related to environmental protection, along with over 100 sets of administrative regulations and more than 1,000 sets of local rules.
The latest legislative move comes amid China's historic gains in ecological conservation over the past decade or so. Championing green development, the country has recorded the world's fastest growth in forest resources and afforestation, led globally in renewable energy development, and achieved one of the fastest national reductions in energy intensity worldwide.
The 1,242-article draft has five chapters, covering areas including pollution control, ecological protection, and green and low-carbon development.
Scholars involved in drafting the legislation say the code goes beyond broad legal principles. It is also designed to address environmental issues that affect people's daily lives.
"Electric vehicles are becoming very common in China. My family has one. We all think it environment-friendly. But have you ever thought about this question: how do we deal with the first generation of EV batteries after they expire a few years later? The same goes for wind turbine blades and solar panels," said Ding Lin, assistant professor of the Renmin University of China.
China's environmental progress has drawn global attention in recent years, from improving air quality to expanding renewable energy. Yet amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, some observers have questioned whether the country will maintain the same pace of green transition.
"Last year during the COP30, even some friends who are very familiar with China asked me whether China will continue its green development path. I told them we have gradually worked out new policies. We have a very clear direction and goal. In a world full of uncertainties, we are providing the most certainty," said Wang Yi, an NPC deputy from east China's Zhejiang Province and professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In a country pursuing modernization, taking the time to codify environmental laws sends a clear message: economic growth and environmental protection are not a trade-off to be managed, but a commitment to be upheld. For China, a beautiful environment is not a luxury for the future, it is a right for the present, and a responsibility to the next generation.
"This code reflects China's vision of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. It shows how development and environmental protection can move forward together," said Lyu Zhongmei, vice chair of the NPC Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee.
China will accelerate the green transition across the board and cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of the GDP by a total of 17 percent in the 2026-2030 period, according to a draft outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) for national economic and social development submitted to the NPC for deliberation on March 5.
Chinese lawmakers review draft ecological environment code in major green legislative push
