China connects world’s largest offshore solar project to national grid

China has connected the world’s largest offshore solar power project to its national grid, marking a significant step in the country’s push to expand renewable energy generation.

The gigawatt-scale offshore photovoltaic project, developed by a subsidiary of China Energy Investment Corporation, is located off the coast of Kenli District in Dongying, in China’s eastern Shandong province.

It is the first offshore solar installation in the country to reach gigawatt capacity.

Spanning more than 1,200 hectares of open sea, the project consists of nearly 3,000 photovoltaic platforms, each roughly the size of five basketball courts. Together, they form the largest open-sea solar farm in the world.

Built by Guohua Energy Investment Company, the installation incorporates new engineering approaches designed to cope with the harsh marine environment.

Each platform is mounted on a fixed-pile foundation supported by large steel trusses, allowing the panels to remain stable in strong winds and icy conditions.

Zhang Bo, deputy manager of the Kenli project, said the design was intended to balance durability with efficiency.

“The project uses a ‘four-pile foundation plus solar platform’ structure, with the panels tilted at a precisely calculated 15 degrees,” he mentioned. “This enables the installation to withstand force 11 gales and winter sea ice, while reducing steel consumption by more than 10 percent.”

The project also introduces a new transmission system.

For the first time in China, a 66-kilovolt offshore cable has been combined with an onshore cable to transmit electricity from an offshore photovoltaic facility.

Developers say the approach increases transmission capacity while lowering costs, and could be replicated in future projects.

Once operating at full capacity, the offshore solar farm is expected to generate about 1.78 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to meet around 60 percent of Kenli District’s annual power demand.

Zhang said the project would help strengthen regional energy security and support China’s broader transition away from fossil fuels.

“This is an important step in accelerating the shift towards a green, low-carbon energy system,” he said. “It also provides valuable experience for offshore solar development, not only in China but internationally.”

By combining marine space with solar generation, the Kenli project highlights China’s ambition to scale up clean energy technologies and reinforce its position as a global leader in renewable power.

Copied