Largest open sea, offshore solar project in China starts generating power

Nearly 3 million households will benefit from this.

State-owned CHN Energy has made significant progress in its one-gigawatt offshore solar plant in Kenli, Shandong with the grid connection of its first batch of photovoltaic (PV) units.

The largest of its kind globally, the project is located eight kilometres off the eastern coast of Dongying City, covering around 1,223 hectares. The facility has 2,934 PV platforms measuring 60 metres (m) in length and 35 m in width.

The project marks the first time in China that a 66-kilovolt offshore cable paired with an onshore cable has been used for high-capacity, long-distance transmission in the PV sector.

Upon completion, the project is expected to generate 1.78 billion kilowatt-hours of power annually that can energise 2.67 million homes in China. This is equivalent to saving 503,800 tonnes (t) of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.34 million t.

The project utilises an integrated fishing and PV development model, combining fish farming with PV power generation to enhance the comprehensive utilisation of the marine area.