The large-scale deployment of wind power has raised concerns regarding potential land-use requirements (LURs) and ecological impacts. However, understanding of land use associated with rapid wind energy deployment in China remains limited. This study quantified the direct LUR of wind farms in China, using 120 sample wind farms constructed between 2008 and 2023, and with regard to turbine foundations, permanent land use and temporary land use. We employed a categorical regression model to identify influencing factors. Additionally, we calculated the spacing LUR of wind farms by the end of 2023 using an improved Voronoi polygon algorithm based on data from 158 992 turbines across 3718 wind farms. Results indicate an average direct LUR of 7539.64 ± 3306.73 m2 MW−1, with the LURs for turbine foundation, permanent land use and temporary land use measured at 127.95 ± 33.00 m2 MW−1, 2376.23 ± 991.94 m2 MW−1, and 5163.40 ± 2527.11 m2 MW−1, respectively. Various factors, including turbine size, land cover type and topography, influence each type of LUR. By 2023, the direct LUR of wind farms in China totaled 3294.06 km2, accounting for 0.03% of the national land area (9.6 million km2), with 55.90 km2 designated for turbine foundations, 1038.17 km2 for permanent LUR, and 2255.89 km2 for temporary LUR. The spacing LUR of wind farms in China by 2023 was 108 164 km2, representing 1.13% of the national land area. These findings provide critical insights into the LURs and potential ecological impacts of wind energy development in China.

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