China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) started building China’s biggest offshore solar farm on Sunday at Haibin harbour in Lianyungang city in eastern China’s Jiangsu Province, Global Times reports.
Costing $1.39bn, and covering 1,868 hectares, the farm is expected to have a generating capacity of 2MW. C
NNC said it would cut CO2 emissions by 1.77 million tons a year.
It comes with an onshore energy storage facility that is due to be operational by the end of June.
The solar farm will be connected to the state grid in September this year, with full capacity expected to be connected in 2025.
Its design life is 25 years, over which time it will provide electricity for 230,000 people, CNNC said.
It’s considered a promising demonstration project, expert Lin Boqiang of Xiamen University told Global Times.
“Given that the southeastern coastal areas are among China’s fastest-developing regions with high electricity demand, the potential for offshore solar farms remains substantial,” Lin said.
Solar and wind power now account for 15% of China’s energy mix, Lin added.
In 2023, China’s installed solar-generating capacity reached 217 gigawatts, a year-on-year increase of 148%, Global Times reported.
