China has marked a significant milestone in renewable energy by connecting its inaugural gigawatt-scale offshore solar farm to the national grid. Situated in the waters off Shandong Province, this project, developed by the China Energy Investment Corporation, is now the world’s largest open-sea solar installation. Spanning a vast area, the facility is set to revolutionize offshore solar technology and substantially boost the region’s supply of clean electricity, demonstrating a major advancement in large-scale marine-based power generation.
The sprawling power plant is located off the coast of Kenli District in Dongying City, covering an impressive 1,200 hectares of sea surface. The installation is comprised of 2,934 distinct offshore photovoltaic (PV) platforms. Each of these platforms is substantial, measuring 60 meters in length and 35 meters in width, giving each one a footprint roughly equivalent to five standard basketball courts.
Engineers on the project employed an innovative fixed-pile foundation technique that relies on large-scale steel trusses. This “four-pile foundation plus solar platform” design is specifically optimized for the challenging marine environment. The solar panels are precisely tilted at a 15-degree angle to ensure maximum energy capture from the sun. The robust construction is engineered to endure harsh conditions, including force 11 gales and winter ice, while also successfully reducing the required amount of steel by over 10 percent.
Once fully operational, the solar farm is projected to generate approximately 1.78 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. This output is sufficient to meet 60 percent of the total electricity needs of the surrounding Kenli District. The successful implementation of this project provides a valuable practical model and critical experience for the construction of future offshore solar installations, paving the way for further development in large-scale renewable energy infrastructure.