Yantai: Riding the Zero-Carbon Waves, Chasing Dreams in the Deep Blue
Warm breezes sweep across the coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf, where 151 islands unfold an ecological picture in the blue waves.
Gazing toward the distant deep sea, 13 intelligent net cages enable maritime farming and ranching?, supporting the three-dimensional layout of the “blue granary”. In the underwater world, seagrass meadows weave the “ecological foundation” with a carbon sequestration efficiency 35 times higher than that of rainforests, while the first Seagrass Meadows Carbon Sink Loan in China has transformed blue carbon sinks into green assets. Between the islands, new energy buses shuttle through the restored green corridors of mountains, and the former sites of 80 wind turbines have been transformed into a paradise for migratory birds. The country’s first “negative-carbon island” is writing a new chapter in the blue carbon economy with a carbon sink of over 2000 tons.
From the zero-carbon transportation system to the marine carbon sink finance, from far-sea aquaculture to the whole-region ecological restoration, Changdao, as a “global model for island protection and development”, is drawing a “Chinese sample” of zero-carbon development along the 187.8-kilometer coastline, making the blue sea and clear sky the most beautiful backdrop for sustainable development.
Building a Global Model for Island Conservation and Development
In early summer, sailing through the Changshan Archipelago reveals a landscape brimming with vitality.
In 2021, based on a comprehensive consideration of Changdao’s development positioning and enormous potential, Yantai put forward the strategic goal of building the Changdao International Zero-Carbon Island, which has been written into the municipal government work report for four consecutive years, and this year it was included in the provincial government work report.
??What’s the Progress on the Changdao International Zero-Carbon Island Initiative? today?
Upon setting foot on South Changshan Island, visitors are greeted by a lush panorama. From Haibin Road to Tonghai Road, the island is lined with blooming flowers and filled with the sounds of birds and the fragrance of blossoms. Changdao’s zero-carbon initiatives are also hidden in countless small details.
At sea, Changdao Island has collaborated with scientific research institutions, such as the Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to improve the seabed environment, expand aquaculture from nearshore to deep-sea areas, and implement three-dimensional ecological farming.
The coastal area has seen the removal of 18,000 mu (approximately 1,200 hectares) of aquaculture facilities, the restoration of 21 hectares of seagrass beds and seaweed beds. As a result, coastal water quality now meets Class I standards, and the nearshore ecosystem has been significantly optimized.
On the islands, remediation efforts have been completed for damaged mountain slopes across 10 inhabited islands. Additionally, 80 onshore wind turbines have been dismantled, with the sites now revegetated with peach blossoms, cherry blossoms, pine, and cypress trees. These measures have created a favorable environment for over 1.2 million migratory birds from more than 360 species that pass through the islands each year.
“In terms of zero-carbon scenarios, Changdao has planned to establish six major zero-carbon systems, including zero-carbon transportation, zero-carbon lifestyle, zero-carbon tourism, zero-carbon public welfare, island-wide zero-carbon atmosphere, and Miaodao Island-wide zero-carbon island. Currently, urban heating, tourist buses, and public buses have all been replaced by new energy alternatives, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 52,000 tons annually,” said Yu Zhenjiang, Member of the Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Changdao Comprehensive Pilot Zone. He added that in the next step, Changdao will collaborate with enterprises, such as Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd, Dongfang Electronics Corporation and Yantai Jinzheng Eco-Technology Co., Ltd. (NEWA) to plan projects like polyurethane pavements, virtual power plants, and green microgrid-powered seawater desalination facilities, promote six photovoltaic technology application scenarios, and establish three landmark zero-carbon projects and approximately ten zero-carbon scenarios.
Since the proposal of building the Changdao International Zero-Carbon Island, Changdao has achieved a series of gratifying results in planning research, carbon reduction and sink enhancement, energy transition, industrial upgrading and other aspects. Over the years, we have witnessed the following achievements:
Changdao was approved as a national “Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” Practice and Innovation Base;
The Near-Zero Carbon Community in Sunjia Village, Changdao, was included in? a typical case of green and low-carbon development by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment;
The initiative of Changdao International Zero-Carbon Island was included in the white paper of China’s Marine Ecological Environment Protection issued by the State Council Information Office;
Daheishan Island in Changdao became the first Negative-Carbon Island in China with a carbon sink exceeding 2,000 tons, marking the large-scale development of the blue carbon economy.
“The Changdao International Zero-Carbon Island serves as a testing ground for Yantai’s green, low-carbon and high-quality development, an important exploration for comprehensive trials of island conservation and development, and a globally significant ecological practice for islands. It will provide a model for zero-carbon and negative-carbon development of inhabited islands, and establish a global benchmark for island protection and development,” said Yu Zhenjiang.
Blue Carbon Turns into Real Gold, Setting a National Example
When it comes to Changdao, seafood emerges as an inescapable “ecological symbol”.
For Changdao residents, these seafood products have long transcended their role as traditional food ingredients. They are not only “green resources” that safeguard the blue coast, but also “carbon sink assets” that can be converted into tangible economic benefits. Moreover, they represent new productive forces for establishing the International Zero-Carbon Islands Alliance and helping Changdao gain global visibility.
Taking kelp as an example, this seemingly ordinary seaweed is actually a “carbon sequestration expert” in the ocean. As explained by Sun Chengwei, Party Branch Secretary and Director of the Village Committee of Sunjia Village, Nanchangshan Street, Changdao Comprehensive Pilot Zone, Changdao has a 70-year history of kelp farming. Through photosynthesis, each mu (about 0.067 hectares) of kelp can sequester approximately 1.2 tons of carbon dioxide per year. With its short growth cycle and high biomass yield, kelp’s carbon sequestration efficiency far exceeds that of terrestrial forests.
Oysters, known as “marine ecological engineers”, contribute to their carbon sink value hidden in the chain of “filter-feeding-sedimentation-carbon sequestration”. Oysters purify seawater by filter-feeding plankton, and their shells and deposited organic matter permanently lock away carbon in a solid form.
As a “submarine prairie”, the seagrass meadow has an astonishing carbon sequestration capacity. Their carbon sequestration rate per unit area is 35 times that of tropical rainforests, with its capability to store carbon for over a millennium.
These innovative approaches are not empty talk, but have been put into practice as the core basis for China’s first “Seagrass Meadows & Seaweed Beds Carbon Sink Loan??.”
“Seagrass Meadows & Seaweed Beds Carbon Sink Loan” is a green innovative financial product launched by Changdao Rural Commercial Bank for marine algae and aquaculture products. It uses the forward revenue rights generated by the annual carbon sequestration volume of seaweed beds and seaweed fields as collateral. A professional evaluation agency provides an assessment report to reasonably calculate the carbon sink value, and finally, the financial product will complete pledge registration through the chattel pledge registration system of the Credit Information Center of the People’s Bank of China. This “breath” loan from the ocean has transformed the invisible and intangible marine blue carbon into tangible financial assets, effectively addressing the financing challenges faced by aquaculture enterprises due to a lack of valid collateral.
After the implementation of the carbon sink loan project, the marine ecology in Sunjia Village has undergone fundamental changes. Rare algae such as eelgrass and Gloiopeltis furcata have reappeared, endangered species like the Yangtze finless porpoise and whales have been frequently sighted, and the marine biodiversity index has increased by 40%, making it a core demonstration zone for the construction of the International Zero-Carbon Island.
“We have transformed the carbon sequestration potential of kelp, oysters, and seagrass beds into assets recognized by financial institutions, enabling fishermen to increase income through ‘marine farming’ and enterprises to receive returns for ‘marine protection,’ truly realizing the conversion of ‘blue resources’ into ‘green wealth’,” said Wu Qiang, Deputy Director of the Changdao Business Management Department of the Yantai Branch of the People’s Bank of China. He noted that this approach is not only the ecological code of Changdao but also the “Shandong experience” in marine carbon sink development, providing a replicable model for integrating the national marine economy with China’s dual carbon goal.
The practice in Sunjia Village has pioneered a closed-loop model of “ecological restoration-carbon sink pledge-green finance,” offering a replicable pathway of “ecological priority and green development” for coastal areas, and achieving a transformative leap from “selling natural resources” to “selling carbon sinks.”
At present, Changdao is implementing demonstration projects for carbon sink enhancement through seagrass beds, natural seaweed beds, and cultivated seaweed farming across the entire region??. It took the lead in the province to conduct ecological product value accounting, innovatively launching a number of national and provincial first-of-its-kind carbon sink financial products. Moreover, it is exploring the introduction of cutting-edge technologies and business forms, such as green hydrogen, energy islands, and seaweed beds carbon sequestration, advancing carbon sink trading in an orderly manner, transforming resources into assets and assets into capital, and comprehensively strengthening the zero-carbon economy.
A Fish Enriches the Blue Granary
Sailing toward the deep sea, on the azure sea surface, rows of large-scale deep-sea intelligent net cage platforms come into view: thick circular steel columns plunge straight into the seabed, and steel frames crisscross the platforms with several white cabins on top, resembling “marine castles”. Following the staff, the reporter climbed up the stairs layer by layer and walked through the corridors, personally experiencing the grand scale of the cages.
In the Nanhuangcheng Marine Ranching Demonstration Zone of Changdao, the deployment of large-scale deep-sea intelligent cages reaches a depth of over 30 meters, which can form aquaculture water with a total of 94,000 cubic meters in this area. The platforms are equipped with intelligent monitoring, automatic feeding, and automatic net cleaning devices, allowing fish schools to grow in a semi-wild environment, with an annual catch yield of up to 1,000 tons.
Since 2020, Nanhuangcheng Township has vigorously promoted the construction of marine ranches and actively implemented Yantai’s “Hundred-Cage Plan.” In 2021, Asia’s largest single-unit net cage was installed in Changdao. Currently, eight “Jinghai Series” cage platforms are operational in the waters of Nanhuangcheng.
The transformation of the marine economy from inshore to deep-sea areas, and toward equipment-based, intelligent, and green development, is an inevitable requirement for building an international zero-carbon island and the industrial support for the “beauty of islands.”
By the end of 2023, the Changdao “Blue Granary” Marine Economic Development Zone was approved for establishment, becoming China’s first marine economic development zone with the main scope in the ocean and leading industries based on marine resources.
Why Was Changdao Chosen as China’s First Offshore Economic Development Zone?
Changdao boasts superior natural conditions, with 187.8 kilometers of coastline and 3,541 square kilometers of sea area. Its deep waters, strong currents, and mild climate make it less vulnerable to extreme weather such as typhoons, making it suitable for large-scale deployment of deep-sea aquaculture facilities.
Changdao boasts exceptionally rich marine resources, with more than 600 species of fish, shrimp, crabs, shellfish, and algae thriving in its waters. The hundreds of plankton and benthic organisms provide ample natural feed, making it an ideal deep-sea aquaculture ranch, renowned as Chin’s Home of Abalone, Scallops, and Kelp.”
Changdao has 151 islands, and adjacent islands in any direction around the park provide essential services, such as docking, cargo transportation, supply replenishment, and emergency shelter, with comprehensive island-chain support.
Relying on its unique natural advantages, the Changdao “Blue Granary” Marine Economic Development Zone adheres to an industrial park-oriented, industrialized, and project-driven approach to develop the marine economy, and was approved as one of the first batches of modern marine characteristic industrial clusters in Shandong. In just over a year, numerous “breakthroughs” and “pioneering initiatives” have witnessed the growth of the Marine Economic Development Zone.
By cultivating the blue territory to build a blue granary, Changdao is projected to expand its deep-sea aquaculture cages to 50 units by 2035, achieving an aquatic product output of 160,000 tons and a total fishery economic output value of 6 billion yuan in the core area, along with an output of 270,000 tons and an economic value of 5 billion yuan in the extended area. Integrating aquaculture, processing, and tourism industries, the island, transforming a single fish into an entire industrial chain, advances the integrated development of maritime farming and ranching?, further enriching its blue granary.
Photo Reported by YMG All-Media Journalist Wang Hongwei and Correspondent Nie Yingjie
