China has made a breakthrough in renewable energy, launching the world’s first gigawatt-scale offshore solar photovoltaic project.
Located 8 km off the coast of Dongying City, Shandong Province, this vast facility spans 1,223 hectares. It is designed to generate approximately 1.78 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year, enough to power nearly 2.67 million households. The project’s developer, a unit of China Energy Investment Corporation (CHN Energy), which is a state-owned company, confirmed that the initial batch of solar units successfully connected to the grid on Wednesday.
The Dongying project represents a pioneering feat in offshore solar technology, using large-scale steel truss platforms as its foundation. This facility supports 2,934 PV platforms, marking the first use of 66 kilovolt offshore-onshore transmission lines in China, increasing capacity at a reduced cost. The energy generated here will not only reduce carbon emissions by 1.34 million tonnes per year, but will also save the equivalent of 503,800 tonnes of standard coal.
China currently leads the world in renewable energy capacity, with more than 700 gigawatts of solar. Shandong alone has plans for more than 11 gigawatts of offshore solar installations by 2025, with a long-term goal of reaching 42 gigawatts.