World’s First Deep-Sea Floating Wind Energy Project Integrated with Marine Ranching Completed

The world’s first maritime renewable energy project that combines deep-sea floating wind energy and aquaculture has been completed in China. Marking a significant step forward for China’s wind energy sector, the project is developed by Longyuan Power Group, with Shanghai Electric Wind Power Group (the Wind Power Group), a subsidiary of Shanghai Electric (SEHK: 2727, SSE: 601727), providing the power generation equipment and towers of the offshore turbines.

As wind power has emerged as a fundamental pillar in the combat against the climate crisis, the Wind Power Group is speeding up its innovation, driving the frontier of global renewable energy technology as a key power source to help create a sustainable future. Since the creation of its 3.6-megawatt wind turbine, the Company has cemented its leadership position in the arena of onshore and offshore wind energy, spearheading a number of major projects in China in the quest for new applications of wind energy that address the challenges and development bottlenecks of the industry.

With the deployment of offshore wind power extending beyond coastal regions into deep-sea locations, Shanghai Electric Wind Power Group is fully prepared to lead the way in the development, installation, and operation of floating wind power and deep-sea wind power projects, equipping itself with state-of-the-art technology and leveraging its extensive expertise to create solutions for multi-purpose new energy infrastructure.

Built within the National Marine Ranching Demonstration Zone on Nanri Island, located in Putian, Fujian Provence of China, the project features three-column semi-submersible floating platforms, each one supporting a 4 MW offshore wind, and lightweight, flexible solar modules that are installed in the area with a water depth of around 35 meters. A hexagonal space within the platform’s central area can be used for fish farming. 

Once operational, the mixed energy project has the capacity to generate 96,000 kWh of electricity daily at full capacity, equivalent to the daily energy consumption of 42,500 individuals. The pioneering convergence of wind power, photovoltaics, and aquaculture presents a new horizon for the industry to develop sustainable and green renewable solutions designed to reduce carbon emissions while boosting economic growth.

On the safety front, Shanghai Electric Wind Power Group uses a multi-pronged approach to ensure the reliability of the project throughout its entire lifecycle. During the phase of the preliminary design, the Company established an integrated model that was confirmed through a multi-round consistency analysis. Other measures, including simulation result comparisons across various platforms and the development of control algorithms in partnership with DVN, have also strengthened the safety and reliability of the project.

The entire project has also undergone an extensive range of rigorous testing across nearly 200 operational conditions, including a 1:40 scale model used for examining the fishing pond. The Company also developed a custom-built intelligent terminal system for floating wind turbines, enhancing reliability to ensure the safe and consistent operation of the turbines while maximizing wind utilization.

2023 has seen Shanghai Electric make breakthroughs in market expansion and technological innovation. In October, Shanghai Electric signed a turbine contract with Hyosung Heavy Industries and Corio Generation for the South Korean project Dadaepo. 

At CWP2023, Shanghai Electric unveiled its next-generation half-direct drive offshore turbines, EW14.0-263 and EW18.0-263, which feature a 263-meter-diameter rotor and an individual capacity of 18 MW. The two turbines are based on the Company’s preparatory Poseidon Platform, which is designed for complex deep-sea environments.

In Q2 2023, the introduction of the ultra-long turbine blade S98, self-developed by Shanghai Electric, marks a significant advancement in its in-house R&D and manufacturing capacity. With a length of 112 meters, the lightweight carbon fiber blade boasts greater aerodynamic performance in blunt trailing edge airfoils, optimized corrosion resistance, and low-load tolerance, refreshing a new industry standard. Meanwhile, two of Shanghai Electric’s Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) designed for offshore wind farms were launched in September.