Evaluation of the Spatial Suitability of Offshore Wind Farm—A Case Study of the Sea Area of Liaoning Province

Abstract

Actively promoting the development of offshore wind power is an inevitable choice if the People’s Republic of China plans to fulfill its international commitments, respond to climate change, ensure energy security, and improve energy infrastructure. Inevitably, offshore wind power development will conflict with other marine activities, including mariculture and shipping. Therefore, learning how to develop offshore wind power without affecting the environment or conflicting with other marine activities is crucial to the conservation of spatial marine resources. The rapid development of offshore wind power in Liaoning Province has allowed researchers to develop an index system that can be used to evaluate the suitability of offshore wind power development sites by considering costs, environmental protection, and sea management. Spatial analysis and a multiattribute evaluation method integrating a fuzzy membership function were used to evaluate offshore wind farm placement in Liaoning. The results classified 5%, 18%, 21%, and 56% offshore areas of Liaoning as very suitable, relatively suitable, somewhat unsuitable, and unsuitable for wind power development, respectively. The results of this paper can provide a reference for decision makers who plan for offshore wind farm locations under the constraints of high-intensity development.