China General Nuclear Power Group’s (CGN) 400 MW offshore photovoltaic project in Yantai, Zhaoyuan, has successfully achieved full-capacity grid-connected power generation as of May 27, 2025. Located in the Bohai Sea’s Laizhou Bay, this project consists of a blue matrix formed by 760,000 offshore photovoltaic modules, continuously generating electrical energy. This initiative marks the first pile foundation fixed offshore photovoltaic project in China, utilizing innovative products such as bifacial double-glass photovoltaic modules. It aims to establish a replicable construction process, supporting the large-scale development of offshore photovoltaics in the country.
The solar farm is situated 2 kilometers from the nearest coastline and extends up to 6.2 kilometers offshore, with water depths ranging from 8.5 to 11 meters and covering a total marine area of 512.7 hectares. The project commenced construction on December 26, 2023, and is recognized as the deepest site among the first batch of ten offshore photovoltaic project locations selected for competitive allocation in Shandong Province.
Zhang Zhiwu, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of CGN New Energy Holdings Co., Ltd., stated that the project was designed with a green concept throughout its lifecycle. It is expected to generate an average annual power output of 694 million kilowatt-hours, equivalent to a reduction of approximately 208,700 tons of standard coal consumption and a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions by about 535,800 tons. This reduction is comparable to the ecological benefit of reforesting 1,562 hectares.
According to the project’s general contractor, China Power Construction Group Northwest Survey and Design Research Institute Co., Ltd., one of the main challenges in constructing offshore photovoltaics is the intensive pile group installation. To address this, all parties involved collaborated to develop and construct the “Dianjian Haizhuang 001” new pile driving vessel, which has improved pile installation efficiency by five times and reduced construction costs by over 50%.
Furthermore, the offshore environment presents challenges such as high salinity, humidity, wind load, and ocean current impact, which impose strict requirements on the materials’ corrosion resistance, structural properties, and system stability. In response, CGN, in partnership with industry chain collaborators, has developed a marine environment-adapted monocrystalline silicon heterojunction N-type bifacial double-glass module with a photoelectric conversion efficiency of 22.86% and a bifacial rate exceeding 85%. Through the development and application of this module, CGN has obtained seven patents, including for “Nanostructured Fully Passivated Contact Crystalline Silicon Heterojunction Bifacial Solar Cells and Their Manufacturing Methods” and “A Salt Scale Cleaning Mechanism for Surface Photovoltaic Equipment.”
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/cgn-yantai-zhaoyuan-400-mw-offshore-solar-project-achieves-full-capacity-grid-connection/
