China's first floating solar power project operating entirely in a seawater environment has officially been completed and put into use in Qingdao City, east China's Shandong Province, according to China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) on Wednesday.
Covering an area of about 60,000 square meters with an installed capacity of 7.5 megawatts, the project is expected to generate 16.7 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually.
The innovative design allows the photovoltaic panels to float and move with the tides, maintaining a minimal gap between the panels and water surface - only about one-tenth of that seen in traditional pile-based structures. This design optimizes seawater cooling, increasing energy conversion efficiency by 5 to 8 percent.
To tackle the challenges of marine corrosion, biofouling, and tidal fluctuations, the R and D team developed special anti-corrosion floats and barnacle-resistant supports. A robust underwater anchoring system has also been engineered to withstand winds up to Force 13 and adapt to a tidal range of 3.5 meters. These advancements reduce capital investment by around 10 percent compared with conventional installations.
The project is expected to serve as a standardized model for future solar development in coastal and shallow marine environments, supporting the broader push toward lower-cost renewable energy in China.
China launches first offshore floating PV project in Qingdao
A 7.5-tonne unmanned cargo aircraft powered by AEP100, China's independently developed megawatt-class hydrogen-fueled turboprop engine, successfully completed its maiden flight on Saturday at an airport in Zhuzhou, central China's Hunan Province.
This marks the world's first test flight of a megawatt-class hydrogen-fueled turboprop engine.
Experts from the Aero Engine Corporation of China (AECC) noted that the successful maiden flight highlights that China has now established a complete technological chain in hydrogen-fueled aviation engines, covering everything from core components to full engine integration. They added that this achievement lays the foundation for the industrial application of hydrogen energy in aviation.
As green hydrogen production costs fall, hydrogen aviation engines will show growing economic and energy security advantages, experts said. Hydrogen-fueled aero engine technology is expected to debut in low-altitude economy fields such as unmanned air freight and island logistics before gradually expanding to regional and mainline aircraft.
This technology will drive coordinated upgrades across industrial clusters, including upstream green hydrogen production, midstream storage, transportation and refueling infrastructure, and downstream high-end equipment and new materials. Ultimately, it will propel the green, low-carbon, and high-quality development of China's aviation industry, experts added.
Megawatt hydrogen turboprop engine completes maiden flight in central China
