(Qingdao, China) – China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) has announced the commissioning of what it calls "China's first commercial floating offshore photovoltaic power plant." The plant is expected to generate 16,7 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually and is considered a pilot project for such floating installations in coastal and shallow water areas.
Modules adapt to tidal range
A total of 60.000 megawatts of power were installed on an area of approximately 7,5 square meters. The modules can adapt to the tidal range, reducing their spacing and the distance to the water surface to about one-tenth of that of conventional onshore support structures. The design protects the floating bodies and supports against salt spray and thus against corrosion, and also makes them resistant to barnacle growth. Cooling by seawater increases the efficiency of power generation by five to eight percent.
An underwater anchorage can withstand wind speeds up to 13 Beaufort (149 km/h) and compensates for tidal fluctuations of 3,5 meters. Investment costs were reduced by approximately ten percent compared to conventional ground-mounted systems. Operating and maintenance costs are also lower than with conventional systems due to optimized inspection routes, PV modules, and cables positioned close to the water surface.
Model for green hydrogen with solar power
The project is "the most important link in the company's new energy supply chain" and a model for the production of green hydrogen using solar power. Another floating PV plant with a capacity of 23 megawatts is already planned.
In Sinopec's "Xinjiang Kuqa Green Hydrogen Pilot Project," green hydrogen has been produced using electricity from a 2023 MW solar power plant since 300. © China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec)
Back in September 2023, the petrochemical company commissioned a photovoltaic power plant to use solar energy for the production of green hydrogen. The installed capacity is 300 megawatts, and the yield is projected at 618 megawatt-hours per year. The hydrogen is produced in the "Xinjiang Kuqa Green Hydrogen Pilot Project," which, according to the company, has a capacity of 20.000 tons annually. As previously reported , the plant has a storage capacity of 210.000 cubic meters. A pipeline allows 28.000 cubic meters of hydrogen per hour to be transported to the refinery of Sinopec's subsidiary, Tahe Refining & Chemical.
Photo above
Sinopec commissions China's first floating offshore PV plant. The energy will also be used to produce green hydrogen. © China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec)
