China has brought online a 1GW offshore solar power plant off the coast of Dongying, Shandong province, combining PV with energy storage and aquaculture in what is now the world’s largest open sea solar project in commercial operation.
China has launched the 1 GW HG14 offshore PV project, developed by Guohua Investment under China Energy Investment Corp. (CHN Energy), off the coast of Dongying, Shandong Province, fully commissioned.
The plant reached full grid capacity at the end of December 2025 and covers approximately 1,223 hectares of shallow coastal waters, 8 km offshore, with a depth of 1 to 4 meters.
The installation is China’s first gigawatt-scale fixed-pole offshore PV project and the first offshore solar installation approved under a national three-dimensional marine usage rights framework. Total investments are reported at approximately CNY8.1 billion ($1.2 billion).
HG14 consists of 2,934 steel PV platforms, each 60 by 35 meters, supported by 11,736 steel poles. The fixed-pile design provides stability against wind, waves, tides and seasonal sea ice, addressing key technical challenges for offshore solar deployment on the North Coast.
The plant uses more than 2.3 million 710 W n-type bifacial modules mounted at a 15-degree incline. Project data shows that offshore conditions increase generation efficiency by 5% to 15% compared to comparable onshore systems, aided by lower temperatures and sea surface reflectivity.
Electricity is transported via a 66 kV submarine cable system, combined with onshore cabling, to a 220 kV substation. A 100 MW/200 MWh co-located energy storage system improves grid stability and dispatch flexibility. The transmission design would increase capacity by 20% and reduce unit costs by 15%.
HG14 is expected to generate approximately 1.78 TWh annually, covering approximately 60% of electricity demand in Kenli District, avoiding 1.34 million tons of CO₂ emissions and saving more than 500,000 tons of coal. The project also integrates aquaculture under a ‘PV-top, agriculture-bottom’ model, allowing dual use of marine space and additional revenue streams.
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