China commissions world’s largest open-sea offshore solar project
China has fully commissioned the 1 GW HG14 offshore PV project, developed by Guohua Investment under state-owned China Energy Investment Corporation CHN Energy off the coast of Dongying, Shandong province.
The plant achieved full-capacity grid connection in late December 2025 and occupies roughly 1,223 hectares of shallow coastal waters, eight kilometres from shore, in depths ranging from one metre to four metres.
The installation is China’s first gigawatt-scale fixed-pile offshore PV project and the first offshore solar facility approved under a national three-dimensional sea-use rights framework. Total investment is reported at about $1.73 billion (CNY 8.1 billion).
HG14 comprises 2,934 steel PV platforms measuring 60 meters by 35 metres each, supported by 11,736 steel piles. The fixed-pile design ensures stability against wind, waves, tides, and seasonal sea ice, addressing key engineering challenges for northern coastal offshore solar deployment.
The plant uses over 2.3 million 710 W n-type bifacial modules mounted at a 15-degree tilt. Project data indicates offshore conditions raise generation efficiency by 5% to 15% compared with comparable onshore systems, aided by lower temperatures and sea-surface reflectivity.
Electricity is transmitted via a 66 kV subsea cable system combined with onshore cabling to a 220 kV substation. A co-located 100 MW/200 MWh energy storage system enhances grid stability and dispatch flexibility. The transmission design is reported to increase capacity by 20% while reducing unit costs by 15%.
HG14 is expected to generate about 1.78 TWh annually, meeting roughly 60% of electricity demand in the Kenli district, avoiding 1.34 million tons of CO₂ emissions and saving more than 500,000 tonnes of coal.
The project also integrates aquaculture under a “PV-above, farming-below” model, enabling dual use of marine space and additional revenue streams.
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