Assessing the China Sea wind energy and wave energy resources from 1988 to 2009

• We simulate the long term series and high resolution wave energy in the China Sea.
• Exploitable significant wave height of wave energy resource was defined.
• Wave and wind energy were analyzed synthetically considering each related factors.
• We calculate the per unit total storage and exploitable storage of energy resources.
• Wave and wind energy resources in different waters were compared.

In this study, the wave field in the China Sea was simulated over the period from 1988 to 2009 using the third-generation wave model WAVEWATCH-III (WW3), with Cross-Calibrated, Multi-Platform (CCMP) wind field as the driving field. The China Sea wind energy density and wave energy density were calculated using the CCMP wind and WW3 model simulation results. The China Sea wind energy and wave energy resource were analyzed, synthetically considering the value of energy density, probability of exceedance of energy density level, exploitable wind speed and exploitable significant wave height (SWH), the stability of energy density, total storage and exploitable storage of energy resources, thus providing the guidance for the location of wind and wave power plants. Our results show that most of the China Sea contains abundant wave energy and offshore wind energy resources, with wind energy density above 150 W/m2, wave energy density above 2 kW/m, high occurrence of exploitable wind and wave energy in large scale waters, wind energy storage above 2×103 kW h m−2, wave energy storage above 4×104 kW h m−1. The richest area is in the northern South China Sea (wind energy density 350–600 W/m2, wave energy density 10–16 kW/m, wind energy storage 3×103–5×103 kW h m−2, wave energy storage 8×104–16×104 kW h m−1), followed by southern South China Sea and the East China Sea (wind energy density 150–450 W/m2, wave energy density 4–12 kW/m, wind energy storage 2×103–4×103 kW h m−2, wave energy storage 4×104–12×104 kW h m−1). The Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea resources are relatively poorer (wind energy density below 300 W/m2, wave energy density below 4 kW/m, wind energy storage below 2.5×103 kW h m−2, wave energy storage below 6×104 kW h m−1).