China has quickly come to dominate the solar sector, accounting for 80% of global solar panel production. It is estimated that more photovoltaic panels are installed in the country in one year than in the entire history of solar energy in the United States. Growth has been so great that the country now produces one terawatt worth of panels per year. A video circulated on social media last year revealed how China covered a mountain range with solar panels. It looks like the ocean is next. China has begun construction of gigawatt-scale offshore solar plants, billed as the largest such plants in the world.
The project, located in Shandong Province, covers an area of 1,223 hectares and uses 2,934 photovoltaic panels on each platform 60 meters (196 feet) long and 35 meters (114 feet) wide. After completion, the offshore solar farm is expected to generate 1.78 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to meet the energy needs of more than 2.6 million households in the area, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.3 million tons. The building is designed to withstand strong winds and icy conditions.
According to China Energy Investment Corporation (CHN Energy), the state-owned energy company that is building a large-scale offshore solar project, the large-scale project also includes an integrated fish farm. This wouldn’t be the first hybrid solar farm of its kind. In China’s Guizhou province, home to a massive solar power project, mushrooms are grown in sheds beneath giant solar panels. The concept is called agrivoltaics and has been heavily promoted by the Chinese government. However, installing solar panels on bodies of water comes with its own challenges.
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A deeper picture
Floating solar power plant in China – CHN Energy
So far, no independent or state-backed analysis has been published on Shandong’s offshore solar projects and their environmental impacts. But experts warn that similar projects on freshwater bodies pose potential risks. The Indian government is building a 600-megawatt floating solar power plant, and many other states have launched their own “floating PV” projects. TV Ranchandra, an ecologist at the Indian Institute of Science, told Mongabay that preventing sunlight from penetrating the water would disrupt the food chain and natural cycles.
“Temperature changes, prolonged stratification, low dissolved oxygen (DO), anaerobic decomposition, effects on aquatic life, growth of shade-tolerant cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and effects on foraging habitats of migratory and resident birds are just some of the issues,” the outlet reported. But the findings are not generalizable. Dam backwaters are different from the ocean, and buoyancy power projects will have different impacts on these ecosystems. A paper published in the journal Environmental Research Letters states that it is unrealistic to generally predict the impact of floating solar power plants on ecosystems due to changes in water body characteristics and farm designs.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) also noted in its analysis that “little is known about its negative impacts,” although shading of sunlight is considered a risk to aquatic plant life. Another paper published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology pointed to the risk of leaching of microplastics and heavy metals in water bodies. It remains to be seen how China manages to avoid the shortcomings of its large floating solar farm in Shandong. However, the mention of integrated fishing systems may indicate that measures will be taken to protect aquatic life.
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