Overview and proposal for development of ocean energy test sites in China

Ocean renewable energy exploitation technology is developing rapidly in China. Now China has the ability to develop 100kW leveled tidal current power station and wave power station. So China's ocean energy technology will soon step into pre-commercial stage. There are several demonstration ocean renewable power plants being constructed and various new ocean energy conversion equipments being invented. To test and assess these technologies and direct them to low cost and scale operations, universal platforms like test sites are needed in China. In this paper, the existing ocean energy test sites worldwide were overviewed and compared. Considering the actual situation of ocean renewable energy resources, the general requirement for constructing ocean energy test sites were proposed as well as some typical sites which embody China's ocean energy resources' general characteristics. A scheme plan of constructing an ocean energy test site in Chengshatou, Shandong was also given in this paper.