INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠China's first floating solar power project operating entirely in a seawater environment has
officially been completed and put into use in Qingdao City, east China's Shandong Province, according to China Petroleum and Chemical
Corporation (Sinopec) on Wednesday.Covering an area of about 60,000 square meters with an installed capacity of 7.5 megawatts, the project
is expected to generate 16.7 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually.The innovative design allows the photovoltaic panels to
float and move with the tides, maintaining a minimal gap between the panels and water surface – only about one-tenth of that seen in
traditional pile-based structures
This design optimizes seawater cooling, increasing energy conversion efficiency by 5 to 8 percent.To tackle the challenges of marine
corrosion, biofouling and tidal fluctuations, the R&D team developed special anti-corrosion floats and barnacle-resistant supports
A robust underwater anchoring system has also been engineered to withstand winds up to Force 13 and adapt to a tidal range of 3.5 meters
These advancements reduce capital investment by around 10 percent compared with conventional installations.The project is expected to serve
as a standardized model for future solar development in coastal and shallow marine environments, supporting the broader push toward
lower-cost renewable energy in China.
