World’s largest floating solar power plant connected in China

HEFEI, CHINA — The Chinese firm Sungrow, a supplier of photovoltaic (PV) inverter systems, has announced the commissioning of the world’s largest floating PV power plant.

The new 40-megawatt plant was built using Sungrow’s PV inverters. It has now been successfully connected to the grid in Huainan, China, indicates a media statement issued May 18.

The power plant is based in an abandoned mining area that is now flooded due to rainy weather, with a depth of water ranging from four to 10 metres. The water is mineralized which makes it valueless for other uses, notes Sungrow. Huainan is described as a coal-rich city in south Anhui province.

"The plant not only makes full use of this area, reducing the demand for lands, but also improves generation due to the cooling effects of the surface," explained a spokesperson from the local government.

Sungrow’s central inverter SG2500-MV system employed in the plant features integration of the inverter, the transformer and the switchgear. The plant is a turnkey station with lower transportation costs due to its 20-foot containerized design, said Sungrow. The combiner box SunBox PVS-8M/16M-W supplied by Sungrow has been customized for floating power plants, to enable it to work stably in an environment with high levels of humidity and salt spray.

Sungrow is one of the world’s largest PV inverter system suppliers with over 31 gigawatts installed worldwide as of December 2016.