Jinneng Science and Technology Co. announced on April 1 that its subsidiary Jinneng Chemical (Qingdao) Co. Ltd. has commenced an aquavoltaic project off the coast of the Chinese city of Qingdao (China’s Shandong Province). The board of the parent company approved the proposal for the project in August 2021. And just earlier this year, Jinneng Chemical finally secured the sea area use certificate for the project. Going forward, the project will undergo environmental impact assessment, grid connection application, and other permitting processes. The current aim is to have the project ready for the construction phase by August this year.
According to the reporting by Chinese news outlets, “Jinneng Muguan Island Aquavoltaic Project” will comprise a floating PV array and an energy storage system that are integrated with aquaculture facilities. As the name suggests, the project is located on Muguan Island, which is off the coast of Qingdao’s Huangdao District. The total generation capacity and storage capacity of the project are set at 1GW and 100MW/200MW respectively.
The entire project site will encompass around 1,704ha of coastal land and 1,700ha sea surface. However, the actual area size will depend on planning approval. Jinneng said that 4ha of land and 1,700ha of sea surface have been compulsorily acquired. The construction period is currently projected to last 12 months. The first month will be for groundwork and preparation. The next 10 months will be for construction of facility buildings and equipment installation. The final month will be for trial operation and defect repairs.
The floating PV array together with the energy storage system will support facilities that raise and harvest local fishes and oysters. These facilities will have longlining equipment and suspension cages that are to be powered renewable electricity. The project will also have a component related ecotourism. Jinneng said that once the project enters operation, it is expected to produce around 1.2 billion kWh of electricity and offset around 13.5 billion of CO2 emissions annually.
The aquavoltaic project represents Jinneng’s first step into the PV market. Jinneng Science and Technology is a Chinese coal processor that obtain revenues mainly from the sales of coke, carbon black, methanol, sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, silica white, para-Cresol, and other related products. As for Jinneng Chemical, it supplies petrochemical products. Based on the related reporting by Chinese news outlets, both the parent company and subsidiary have not made changes to their core businesses. However, Jinneng Science and Technology has stated that it is reducing its coke production and pursuing greener manufacturing methods. Likewise, Jinneng Chemical has stated that it is adopting a development strategy that emphasizes efficiency in resource consumption, lower carbon footprints, and circular economy.