Worldlight composite frame helps the Qinhuangdao 1.8 GW offshore photovoltaic project break the deadlock and opens the door to a zero-carbon future.

Recently, the first batch of “Yaolan” offshore photovoltaic modules—supplied by JA Solar—has been delivered, demonstrating a concrete commitment to ensuring supply and helping the Huadian Changli offshore photovoltaic pilot project kick off construction ahead of schedule.

This project is a pioneering initiative within Hebei Province’s comprehensive offshore photovoltaic development plan, and it also marks China Huadian Corporation’s first 100% offshore photovoltaic project.

The relevant site covers an area of 6,534.25 mu. On the west side, it is approximately 5 km from the shoreline; on the east side, it is about 11 km from the shoreline. With a water depth ranging from 8 m to 13 m, this is a typical nearshore operating condition.

To strive for the title of “National High-Quality Project,” the Huadian Changli Offshore Photovoltaic Pilot Project must be completed on time, with guaranteed quality and quantity. The construction standards are extremely stringent.

However, building photovoltaic projects at sea is by no means an easy undertaking. Despite years of discussion, the market remains niche, and the most fundamental reason for this is the extremely harsh operating conditions at sea.

High-salt-mist aging corrosion, UV-induced degradation that compromises component sealing, leakage current, high loads from sea breezes and waves, high-temperature and high-humidity environments that exacerbate the PID effect, salt crystallization, and bird droppings leading to hot spots—thus, components designed for marine environments must necessarily be tailored to local conditions and address each specific challenge one by one.

To this end, JA Solar, leveraging its many years of deep expertise and achievements in the floating photovoltaic sector, is proudly launching two offshore n-type PV product solutions: the DeepBlue 4.0 Pro “Zhanlan” series and the “Yaolan” series. Among these, the “Yaolan” solution is particularly well-suited for nearshore areas with water depths exceeding 10 meters. This product features a high-weather-resistant double-layer coated glass, waterproof junction boxes, waterproof connectors, an insulating and corrosion-resistant polyurethane frame, high-weather-resistant encapsulation materials, and a highly water-resistant sealing adhesive encapsulation design.

This significantly enhances the components’ resistance to adverse factors such as salt spray-induced salt deposition, damp heat, PID, and mechanical loads. Currently, JA Solar’s n-type offshore photovoltaic products have successfully passed both IEC standard tests and enhanced testing protocols, as well as the ASTM E1597 standard test issued by the American Society for Testing and Materials. In comprehensive tests involving immersion under seawater pressure and temperature variations, the power degradation was only 0.322%. Moreover, JA Solar’s n-type offshore photovoltaic products have also undergone rigorous Level 8 salt-spray testing, combined aging tests, and wind-tunnel tests, all delivering outstanding performance and demonstrating the exceptional quality of JA Solar’s offshore photovoltaic module products.

With the support of “Yaolan,” the Huadian Changli offshore photovoltaic pilot project, once fully completed and put into operation, is expected to generate an average annual output of 766.584 million kWh. This is equivalent to saving 231,000 tons of standard coal annually and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 6.95 million tons. Such achievements will inject strong momentum into Hebei Province’s low-carbon energy transition and significantly promote the region’s sustainable development.

The photovoltaic industry has been booming for decades, making a tremendous contribution to global low-carbon development. However, correspondingly, the amount of land currently available for PV installations has significantly decreased. If we could harness coastal areas for PV development, not only would we address the issue of limited land availability, but we would also avoid the environmental impacts caused by excessive land development. Moreover, compared to onshore PV systems, offshore PV systems are often closer to power load centers in coastal regions, making it easier to integrate the generated electricity into the grid and consume it locally. This reduces transmission losses and costs associated with long-distance power transmission.

Against this backdrop, led by the innovative "Yao Lan" series products, JA Solar will continue to tackle the challenges in the development of offshore photovoltaics, ensuring that the energy revolution of "striving for brilliance from the sea" progresses steadily and sustainably amid turbulent waves, injecting powerful momentum into the expansion of the new energy landscape into the deep blue. This time, the JA Solar "Yao Lan" product series uses 100% composite material frames supplied by Jiangsu Worldlight New Materials.

Choosing composite material frames means opting for a more reliable, efficient, and environmentally friendly future for offshore photovoltaic projects, helping the offshore PV industry reach new heights.