COSCO Shipping has completed the load-out and transport departure of the offshore converter platform for the Qingzhou V & VII offshore wind projects in Guangdong, China.
The platform was loaded in Nantong onto the 65,000 DWT semi-submersible heavy lift vessel Xiang Tai Kou. The vessel departed Nantong on 27 May and is sailing to Yangjiang, where offshore installation will be carried out using the DP2 float-over method.
The converter station, known as Hai Feng Zhi Xin, is linked to projects developed by China Three Gorges Corporation. It is described as the world’s first ±500 kV, 2 GW offshore flexible HVDC converter station.
The platform will collect power from 163 offshore wind turbines across two wind farms. Once operational, Qingzhou V & VII is expected to generate around 7.7 billion kWh of clean electricity each year and cut carbon emissions by about 6.3 million tonnes annually.
The station weighs 25,000 tonnes and measures 85.5 m by 82.5 m by 44 m. Its compact offshore design brings together electrical, HVAC and fire protection systems, while intelligent unmanned functions support remote control, diagnostics and centralized management.
The project site is around 70 km offshore in water depths of more than 50 m. The topside will be joined with a jacket foundation already installed at sea, supporting long-distance power transmission from deepwater offshore wind projects.
