Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Mingyang Smart Energy revealed on 17 April that it started the construction of a jacket foundation that also features a net cage system for fish farming, which will be installed at the Mingyang Qingzhou 4 offshore wind farm in the South China Sea later this year.
The jacket is typhoon-resistant and the aquaculture system, which will raise up to 150,000 fish in 5,000 cubic metres of water, will have remote functions such as automated feeding, monitoring, detection, and collection, according to Mingyang.
The 500 MW Quingzhou 4 offshore wind project, currently under construction off the coast of Yangjiang in Guangdong Province, will be China’s first hybrid wind farm with aquaculture farming and hydrogen production.
“By promoting efficient use of the sea, along with offshore wind and hydrogen production, this system is truly a game-changer. And the best part? The high-quality fish raised in this system are comparable to wild fish and are less impacted by nearshore marine pollution” , Mingyang Smart Energy said in a social media update .
Quingzhou 4 will feature 25 Mingyang’s MySE 11-230 and 18 MySE 12-242 offshore wind turbines. The turbines will be installed on fixed foundations, with Mingyang also set to deliver one floating turbine for the project.