China committed to optimizing marine test sites

Over the past few years, China has strived to build a series of marine test sites across the country so as to better meet the needs for testing advanced marine equipment and contribute to the development of relevant emerging industries.

The National Ocean Technology Center, the main operator of the marine test sites, said they are mainly utilized to experiment, test, and evaluate the devices related to marine observations and marine renewable energies.

"Equipped with comprehensive facilities, the marine test sites can help a new device smoothly get through the 'last mile' from prototype to product," said Wang Xiangnan, director of Marine Test Site Management Center at the NOTC.

As a result, the achievement transformation can be accelerated and research and development expenses, as well as the technical risks, can be notably reduced. Also, with the marine test sites in place, the country is expected to better strengthen its innovation capabilities concerning marine science and technologies, said Wang.

According to Wang, China built its first national-level marine test site in Weihai, Shandong province in 2021 and another two test sites are currently under construction in Zhuhai, Guangdong province and Sanya, Hainan province, respectively. Efforts will also be made to build a new test site in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province.

As of the end of last year, the NOTC has tested more than 100 marine devices, including 15 wave energy devices, and collected a large amount of valuable data at the marine test sites. Meanwhile, dozens of test reports and application certificates have been issued, which have laid a sound basis for performance verification and product optimization.

Wang said the researchers from the NOTC have always been committed to optimizing China's marine tests. They not only help with the construction of the marine test sites and conduct tests in various locations, but also strive to develop new testing technologies and cultivate high-level talent in the sector.