A landmark project kicks off! On the coast of the South China Sea in Wanning, Hainan, a global mega project for deep offshore energy development rises — China’s first large-scale deep offshore floating wind power pilot project has entered core construction phase. Far East Submarine Cable, a subsidiary of Far East Smart Energy Co., Ltd. (Far East Co., Ltd., Stock Code: 600869), participates in the project. With digital intelligent manufacturing and cutting-edge core technologies, it sets a new global benchmark for China’s green energy transition.
A New Form of Offshore Wind Power: Floating Offshore Wind Power
While traditional offshore wind power relies on fixed foundations rooted on the seabed, floating offshore wind power operates as energy platforms floating in deep waters, comparable to giant floating wind turbine stations at sea.
Its core operating principle resembles an ocean tumbler: Megawatt-level wind turbines are installed on specialized floating platforms. Hollow structures generate buoyancy to support the full weight of the unit, and bottom ballast systems lower the center of gravity below the buoyancy center to maintain stability. High-strength mooring anchor chains fix the platform to the seabed to withstand wind and wave impacts. Floating wind power can be deployed in waters over 100 meters deep, where wind energy is more stable, installed capacity is larger, and nearshore sea space is not occupied.
The power generation workflow is concise and efficient: Wind turbines capture strong deep offshore wind and convert it into electricity, which is transmitted to onshore power grids via submarine optical-electric composite cables. Dynamic cable systems adapt to slight platform sway under waves to ensure stable power delivery. Regarded as next-generation technology for the global wind power industry, floating wind power is a critical solution to overcome deep offshore energy development challenges.
China’s First Large-scale Deep Offshore Floating Wind Power Project Spearheads Industrial Breakthroughs
The Wanning Gigawatt Floating Offshore Wind Power Project officially broke ground on December 26, 2022. It is a key offshore wind power project under Hainan’s 14th Five-Year Plan and China’s first large-scale deep offshore floating wind power project, undertaking dual missions of technological breakthrough and industrial upgrading.
Located in the southeastern sea area of Wanning, the pilot project covers a planned site of 160 square kilometers with water depth of approximately 100 meters and a total installed capacity of 1 gigawatt, implemented in two phases. Upon completion, the project will generate over 4 billion kWh of clean electricity annually, injecting strong momentum into the Dual Carbon Goals. It will drive China’s technological leap in deep offshore wind power development, build a complete large-capacity floating wind power technical system, boost the development of domestic supporting equipment industrial chains, and help China secure core competitiveness in the global floating wind power market.
Far East Submarine Cable Empowers Deep Sea Energy Corridors with Technology
Far East Submarine Cable has won the bid for the Wanning Gigawatt Floating Offshore Wind Power Pilot Project, supplying a full range of products including 66kV dynamic submarine cables, optical-electric composite submarine cables, cable terminal accessories, intelligent submarine cable monitoring systems, as well as submarine cable construction services for the project.
Far East invested RMB 3 billion to build a high-end marine engineering & submarine cable industrial base in Rudong, Jiangsu, a core manufacturing hub for submarine cables covering 400 mu of land. Equipped with a world-leading VCV vertical tower and six submarine cable production lines forming an efficient production matrix, the base achieves an annual output of 2,000 km of power submarine cables and 6,000 km of submarine optical cables.
Meanwhile, Far East has built China’s largest fully automatic DP2 dynamic positioning vessel dedicated to deep offshore operations, forming a closed-loop industrial chain covering design & manufacturing, construction & installation, and operation & maintenance. Supported by a 50,000-ton dedicated wharf and professional cable laying services, Far East delivers full-cycle solutions ranging from survey & design, production & manufacturing to deep sea cable laying, fully advancing deep offshore wind power development.
Far East Submarine Cable secures technological leadership via innovation, offering a full lineup of optical composite submarine cable systems for marine power transmission, offshore wind power collector cables and ultra-high voltage AC & DC export submarine cables that perfectly match deep offshore wind power demands, winning widespread recognition from the industry and global clients. Among its flagship products, 66kV aluminum-core submarine cables, 66kV lightweight submarine cables, and dynamic cable systems for floating offshore PV and wind power stand as industry benchmarks thanks to innovative dynamic structural design and laying processes, acting as flexible joints for deep sea energy grids.
Now certified as a national high-tech enterprise and national 5G factory, Far East Submarine Cable continues to explore deep ocean sectors via digital intelligent manufacturing. Its full-cycle service model integrating submarine cables, accessories, marine engineering and operation & maintenance has made the Far East Submarine Cable Solution the top choice brand for global deep offshore energy development.
