Bringing Wind Energy 100 km from the Coast: A Revolutionary Feat
A 25,000-tonne mass of steel, with the surface area of a football field and the height of a 15-story building, is currently crossing the ocean aboard an immense semi-submersible ship. The latest great milestone in Asian engineering is already underway. This colossus has just set sail from the port of Nantong, in the eastern province of Jiangsu, on a 1,090 nautical mile journey to southern China.
The protagonist of this monumental journey is called Hai Feng Zhi Xin—translated as “heart of the sea wind.” This offshore converter station, the largest of its kind in the world, has been built by the state-owned Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (ZPMC). It will connect with the Qingzhou V and Qingzhou VII offshore wind farms off the coast of Yangjiang, a significant advancement in harnessing wind energy.
The Bottleneck of Offshore Wind Energy
To realize the significance of this project, one must grasp the historical challenges faced by the wind energy sector. Traditionally, wind turbines generate electricity in alternating current (AC). The issue arises because transmitting AC through submarine cables over long distances leads to significant energy losses. This limitation has forced engineers to site wind farms in shallow waters close to shore, denying access to the more powerful wind resources found further out at sea.
The new project acts as a colossal power adapter, gathering energy from 163 wind turbines, increasing the voltage, and converting that AC into direct current (DC). This transformation is vital for accessing strong wind resources located more than 100 kilometers offshore, finally making ultra-deepwater wind commercially viable.
Why is This a Game Changer?
This technology shift is revolutionary. Direct current can traverse hundreds of kilometers underwater with minimal energy loss. The platform boasts an impressive capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW) and utilizes a flexible ±500 kilovolts (kV) direct current transmission system, alongside pioneering ±525 kV submarine cables for such distances. When fully operational, this giant will produce around 6 billion kWh of clean electricity each year, significantly contributing to the decarbonization goals of Guangdong, an industrialized region in China.
Challenges of Construction
Building a power plant in the unforgiving open ocean is fraught with challenges. The project was approached as a massive assembly of modular components, with parallel integration and installation conducted onshore in Nantong, showcasing unprecedented supply chain coordination. According to Yan Bing, a Senior Specialist at ZPMC, an integrated construction model—”land assembly, transportation as a single unit, and float-over installation”—was adopted. This complex installation method requires millimeter-level precision amidst challenging ocean currents.
Once secured, this platform will operate autonomously, requiring no permanent human crew. Instead, it will be controlled through advanced maintenance and remote monitoring systems, equipped to withstand the harsh conditions of the deep ocean.
The Urgency of This Megaproject
This impressive engineering feat aligns with China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), with a target of achieving 100 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030. As China’s nearshore wind resources reach saturation, this project not only meets the energy needs of its coastal regions but sets a global precedent in offshore renewable energy technology.
With the facility’s imminent activation, the previously insurmountable distance of 100 kilometers from shore is now just a stepping stone toward a sustainable clean energy future. This endeavor demonstrates the need to explore farther offshore for efficient energy solutions and shows the world that the future of clean energy lies beyond the horizon.
Image | Xu Congjun/Xinhua