China Building 1.8 GW Offshore PV Project in Bohai Sea

China is advancing its marine solar development with a 1.8 GW offshore PV demonstration project in Changli county, Qinhuangdao, Hebei province.

The project, with a total investment of CNY 14.4 billion (US$2.2 billion), is jointly developed by four central state-owned enterprises: Huadian, Guodian, Guohua Investment, and China Power Construction. Scheduled for full grid connection by the end of July 2026, the initiative is Hebei’s first offshore PV project of this scale. The project spans approximately 17 square kilometers of sea area and comprises four sub-projects.

• The Huadian Changli 500 MW Pilot has an AC capacity of 460.8 MW, covers 4.68 km², and is expected to generate 770 GWh annually. Using fixed-mount structural designs involves an investment of CNY 3.1 billion (US$435 million).
• The Guodian 500 MW project, with an investment of CNY 2.6 billion (US$365 million), targets 690 GWh annual generation, employs N-type TOPCon modules, 110 kV collection lines, and has an internal rate of return on equity of 7.02%.
• The Guohua 500 MW sub-project has a DC/AC capacity of 500/201.6 MW, deploying 620 Wp N-type TOPCon modules with 300 kW string inverters, and is planned for completion in November 2025.
• China Power Construction’s 300 MW project features deep-water fixed-pile foundations, the largest platforms, and the greatest average water depth among the four projects.

All four sub-projects are linked by submarine cables to dedicated 220 kV booster stations, which then feed into the Qin Hai Guang 500 MW main station. Huadian’s project employs 110 kV collection lines and directional drilling for its submarine cables, achieving national records for cable routing distance. To ensure durability, corrosion-resistant materials have been used, including specially coated steel and polyurethane-edged frames designed to limit potential-induced degradation in high-humidity, salt-spray environments. Construction started in early 2025, and by August, roughly 240 steel pipe piles had been installed. In the next phase, submarine cable installation and equipment commissioning will move forward at a pace. Once operational, the project is expected to produce around 2.75 TWh of electricity annually — meeting nearly 49% of Qinhuangdao’s power needs — while saving about 840,000 tonnes of coal and reducing CO₂ emissions by approximately 2.16 million tonnes each year.