China's first floating offshore photovoltaic project completed in Qingdao WCNA

China's first photovoltaic project in a full-seawater environment was completed and put into operation in Qingdao West Coast New Area ( Qingdao WCNA) on July 1. 

China's first photovoltaic project in a full-seawater environment is put into operation in Qingdao WCNA. [Photo/WeChat account: qdxihaianfabu]

The first seawater floating photovoltaic project for industrial purpose in China has shown a significant demonstration effect for the promotion of floating photovoltaic systems in coastal and shallow water areas.

The project, commissioned by Sinopec Qingdao Refining & Chemical Co, covers an area of approximately 60,000 square meters and has an installed capacity of 7.5 megawatts. It is expected to generate 16.7 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually.

Designed with a floating photovoltaic structure, the project incorporates photovoltaic panels that move synchronously with the tides, reducing the distance between the panels and the water surface to about 1/10 of traditional pile-supported structures. By maximizing the use of seawater for cooling, the project can increase electricity generation efficiency by 5 to 8 percent.

Addressing challenges faced by photovoltaic systems in seawater environments such as corrosion, biofouling, and tidal fluctuations, the company's research and development team developed special floating bodies and supports resistant to salt spray corrosion and barnacle attachment. 

The team also created an underwater anchoring system capable of withstanding strong wind and accommodating tidal drops of 3.5 meters, reducing investment costs by approximately 10 percent compared to traditional pile-supported photovoltaic systems.