The Huaneng Shandong Peninsula North offshore wind power project in China with a total installed capacity of 504 MW has been fully grid-connected. The project deploys 42 units of 12 MW wind turbines about 70 km offshore in water depths of 52-56 meters, making it one of the deepest offshore wind projects till date. It is also expected to generate around 1.7 billion kWh of electricity annually, saving roughly 500,000 tonnes of standard coal on an annual basis.
The project uses a four-pile jacket foundation reaching 83.9 meters to ensure turbine stability in deep-sea conditions in the Yellow Sea. Using the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, the project achieved millimeter-level positioning for subsea piling, reducing installation time per turbine from 48 hours to 29 hours. Advanced technologies including UAVs and artificial magnetic field systems enabled the installation of an ultra-long 95.6 km submarine cable.
China Huaneng is a state-owned enterprise and was established in 1985 with the approval of the State Council. The company has a diversified portfolio of assets and works across various power generation sectors like coal, gas, solar, wind, and hydro. Apart from China, the company has projects across many other markets like Myanmar, Cambodia, Singapore, Australia, the UK and Pakistan through its subsidiaries.
REGlobal’s Views: China is the top global market for offshore wind deployments and has roughly 50 per cent of the global offshore wind turbine installations till date. In addition, Chinese manufacturers are increasingly accounting for larger market shares in terms of offshore wind turbine deployments not just in China but across the globe. The country has an active pipeline of over 50+ GW of new offshore wind projects to be installed over the coming years.