China has ranked first worldwide in installed offshore wind power capacity for a fifth consecutive year, an official at the China Electricity Council said on Saturday.
Wu Liqiang, assistant director of the Statistics and Digital Intelligence Department of the China Electricity Council, said the single-unit capacity of offshore wind turbines in China remains at a world-leading level.
Multiple 20-megawatt wind turbine units produced by domestic manufacturers have been put into operation, and the world's largest 26-megawatt wind turbine has been commissioned for grid-connected power generation in east China's Shandong Province, with its technical performance significantly surpassing that of mainstream foreign models, he said.
Production of key components such as main shaft bearings, converters, and gearboxes has been fully localized, and the core capability for an independently controllable industrial chain has been strengthened, he said.
"At present, China's total installed offshore wind power capacity has reached 47.39 million kilowatts, a year-on-year increase of 14.8 percent, ranking first in the world for five consecutive years. The installed offshore wind power capacity in Jiangsu Province and Guangdong Province have each surpassed 12 million kilowatts, accounting for 55 percent of the national total. Meanwhile, the installed offshore wind power capacity in Shandong, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces have each exceeded 4 million kilowatts," said Wu.
Meanwhile, China's offshore wind sector is accelerating its expansion into deep-sea and far-sea areas. A range of advanced technologies can effectively address the challenge of ultra-long-distance power transmission in these regions, providing support for the large-scale, intensive development of offshore wind power. This will also enable China to continue supplying advanced technologies and solutions for the global offshore wind power industry.
China ranks first in world for installed offshore wind power for 5th consecutive year: official
Hong Kong's first astronaut lifted off into space on Sunday, sparking a wave of enthusiasm for space exploration in the special administrative region, while inspiring a new generation to look to the stars.
The Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 23:08 (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The crew members include Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut and payload specialist from Hong Kong to join a national space mission, whose achievements have motivated many Hong Kong residents.
"I feel so happy and thrilled. This is the first time a Hong Kong astronaut has gone to space, and to see a true Hong Konger, who is also a mother of three, just really touches my heart," said Chow, a local resident.
The successful spaceflight of Lai has especially captivated the younger generation to dream bigger about the future.
"I want to be an astronaut, because I want to discover more things about space," said a young student surnamed Chow.
"I have seen things related to spaceflights of astronauts. I hope when I grow up, I could receive training and go to space myself," said another student surnamed Koo.
To meet public expectations, the Hong Kong Space Museum has updated its space-themed exhibition with the latest development of the Shenzhou-23 mission, extending the display until July 6. Parents are seizing the moment to enrich their children's knowledge.
"At his age, I want him to be exposed to a wide range of information. With all the recent astronaut news, I brought him here specially to see for himself. We will also check out a film about space knowledge at the planetarium. I hope he can get more out of this from an early age," said Cheung, a father.
"We just watched the Shenzhou-23 launch at home with my son last night, and decided to take him to the Space Museum," a mother surnamed Chun shared.
"I saw on TV that so many people were cheering for the launch. When the rocket was launched, fire burst out from its body. I was really happy they succeeded," said Chun's son.
Hong Kong's first astronaut ignites citywide enthusiasm over space exploration
