🇨🇳 Wind Farms Complicate Coastal Radar

A Chinese study found offshore wind farms can reduce radar coverage and generate false "ghost" targets for vessel detection in coastal waters. Researchers from Qingdao Technological University and a Ministry of Transport navigation security unit reported that at 5km range, effective coverage fell 6.9% and blind spots increased 14.9%, based on simulations in Shandong.

The findings come as China rapidly expands offshore wind capacity near ports and coastal zones. China had 48.4GW of installed offshore wind capacity by end-2025, about 52% of the global total, while Shandong hosts strategic port infrastructure including Qingdao and Yantai, making radar performance relevant for navigation security and maritime traffic management.

The study indicates large turbine arrays can complicate shore-based monitoring in busy sea lanes. It also adds a technical constraint to future siting of offshore wind projects near sensitive coastal areas.

#China

@asianomics