World’s largest floating solar plant comes partially online in China

December 11, 2017
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
he previous largest floating project of 40MW was built by Sungrow also in Anhui Province. Credit: Three Gorges

China-based firm Three Gorges New Energy, a subsidiary of Three Gorges Corporation, has partially connected a 150MW floating PV project to the grid in eastern China, with the remaining capacity to be connected in May 2018.

The CNY1 billion (US$151 million) project, located in Panji District, Huainan City, joins a host of other world-beating solar projects being developed in Anhui Province. PV Tech reported over the summer that Chinese inverter specialist Sungrow was also set to build its own 150MW floating plant in this region.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The Three Gorges project, on which construction started in July, uses the water surface from a coal mining subsidence area. It also involves the employment of many locals in both O&M and construction services.

A Three Gorges release said the project requires tax payments of CNY25 million per year to the local government to help it transform the wealth-making ability of the area from underground in mines to overground with solar – naming this transformation “black to green”.

Floating solar benefits from not requiring land acquisition and it can see improved yield through the cooling effect of the water body on the panels and cables, particularly in hot climates. It also reduces water evaporation and the growth of algae.

The previous largest floating project of 40MW was built by Sungrow also in Anhui Province. Chinese firm CECEC is also constructing a 70MW projects in the same region of China.

Last month, Indonesian power company PT Pembangkitan Jawa-Bali (PT PJB), a subsidiary of state utility PLN, and the UAE's Masdar signed an agreement to develop the world’s largest floating solar project with a capacity of 200MW in Indonesia.

Korean firm Hanwha Group also announced it had won a bid to construst a 100MW floating solar plant in South Korea to supply enough energy for 140,000 people.

Credit: Three Gorges

Read Next

Sponsored
October 22, 2025
LONGi vice president Dennis She discusses the value logic behind the company's strategic focus on back contact technology.
Premium
October 21, 2025
PV Tech Premium spoke with academic and industry experts about the rising tide of cybersecurity concerns in Europe's solar energy sector.
October 20, 2025
Details of tariffs on US imports of polysilicon products may be announced as early as the end of this month, according to a note from investment bank Roth Capital.
October 15, 2025
Ciel & Terre has launched a new floating PV structure designed to address the increasingly large scale of floating solar projects.
October 13, 2025
Two Chinese state-owned energy enterprises have signed cooperation agreements on PV and wind power projects with Saudi companies, with the total contract value exceeding RMB30 billion (US$4.2 billion). 
October 9, 2025
Chinese inverter and storage manufacturer Sungrow has revealed details of its planned flotation on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany