In China’s Shandong Province, the world’s first gigawatt-scale offshore solar power plant has been successfully connected to the grid. At the end of last year, the first solar panels off the coast of the city of Dongying, 8 kilometers off the coast, began generating electricity.
With a capacity of 1 GW and a capacity factor of around 20%, the plant is expected to generate 1.8 TWh of electricity annually. This production will significantly reduce carbon emissions, avoiding the consumption of more than half a million tons of coal.
Despite being located offshore, this facility is not a floating solar power plant. The panels are mounted on steel lattice platforms 60 meters long and 35 meters wide, anchored to the seabed with steel piles. The facility is said to consist of 2,934 platforms in total.
This project is also described as “aquavoltaic”, meaning a system that integrates solar energy and fishing. The underwater sections of the steel structures carrying the panels will create a suitable habitat for fish farms.
Offshore solar power can be a good alternative for land-strapped countries, although its costs are higher than land-based solar power. The cooling effect of seawater can increase the efficiency of the panels and plants can be built close to areas with high energy demand, reducing transmission losses.
This project will help meet the huge energy demand of Dongying city. Together with large-scale offshore wind farms in the region, it will play an important role in China’s transition to clean energy.