China’s First Commercial Floating Offshore PV Station Goes Live, Led by Sinopec

China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, in collaboration with Shandong Province and Qingdao Municipality, has officially commenced operations of China’s first commercial floating offshore photovoltaic (PV) project in a full-seawater environment. Combined with a previously launched pile-based floating PV system, this marks Sinopec’s largest floating PV power station to date.

Covering approximately 60,000 square meters with an installed capacity of 7.5 megawatts, the project is expected to generate 16.7 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually—equivalent to a reduction of 14,000 tons of carbon emissions. Designed for zero emissions, high efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, the station showcases a new model for clean energy development in coastal and shallow marine areas.

Innovative Design Tailored for Marine Conditions

Located in a sea-connected area, the PV system maximizes space efficiency by floating directly on the seawater surface. Its innovative structure adjusts with tidal elevations, reducing the panel-to-water distance to just one-tenth of that in traditional pile-based systems. This enables effective seawater cooling, boosting power generation efficiency by 5–8%.

Sinopec addressed the complex challenges of operating PV systems in marine environments with three major technological innovations:

• Durability in Harsh Environments: Specially designed floats and supports resist salt mist corrosion and barnacle adhesion.
• Advanced Anchoring System: A robust underwater anchoring solution withstands wind speeds up to level 13 and tidal variations of 3.5 meters—while reducing investment costs by approximately 10% compared to pile-based systems.
• Streamlined Maintenance: A low-clearance inspection path enhances safety and simplifies access to panels and cables, cutting operation and maintenance costs significantly.