CHN Energy hooks to grid 4 GW of on- and offshore PV in China

China Energy Investment Corp (CHN Energy) has connected to the grid a 3-GW solar power plant at an old coal mining area and a 1-GW offshore photovoltaic park in China, the company said.

The 3-GW Mengxi Blue Ocean Photovoltaic Power Station was built on a coal mining subsidence area in Inner Mongolia. The plant, which was put into operation on November 5, consists of 5.9 million solar panels and is expected to produce 5.7 billion kWh of electricity annually. The power is sufficient to meet the needs of about 2 million households. The solar power complex is estimated to save 1.71 million tonnes of standard coal and about 4.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

Separately, CHN Energy switched on the first batch of photovoltaic units of a 1-GW offshore solar plant in Kenli District in eastern China. The facility represents the first and largest project of its kind in the world, the company said.

The offshore park covers an area of about 1,223 hectares and consists of 2,934 PV platforms. When fully completed, the plant will generate 1.78 billion kWh of electricity annually, which is sufficient to power about 2.67 million urban residents in China. As a result, 1.34 million tonnes of carbon dioxide and 503,800 tonnes of standard coal will be saved. The project is being developed by CHN Energy's subsidiary Guohua Energy Investment Co.

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