China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) says it will expand offshore wind capacity by 40% in 2026, taking its cumulative installed base to 3.5 GW. The target was announced by chairman Zhang Chuanjiang and is tied to a partnership with turbine manufacturer Ming Yang Smart Energy, with advanced turbine models slated for rollout in China’s southern provinces.
The plan lands as project economics improve. Declining costs have pushed near-shore wind into price territory that competes with coal-fired generation, encouraging fresh spending by major state-owned groups.
China’s offshore wind build-out has climbed to 47 GW, based on National Energy Administration figures, supporting efforts to restrain coal growth in the country with the world’s highest emissions. Beijing has also set an aim to double combined wind and solar capacity by 2035.
While solar has long been the dominant renewable, faster offshore wind additions are helping cover periods when solar output drops after sunset, strengthening the availability of clean electricity across the day.
For CNOOC, China’s third-largest oil and gas producer, the offshore wind push also reflects a broader shift as domestic oil demand levels off and low prices pressure profitability. The 2026 capacity goal underscores how state oil majors are moving more aggressively toward Beijing’s green objectives, using wind’s improving fundamentals as oil’s outlook becomes less certain in the transition.
