One of the World's Largest Offshore Converter Stations Sets Sail for Guangdong

NANTONG, China, July 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A 25,000-ton offshore converter station – the centerpiece of China's first ±500 kV land-sea integrated flexible HVDC transmission project – set sail from Nantong, Jiangsu Province, on July 7 aboard a heavy-lift vessel built by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC).

Towering 43 meters (equivalent to a 15-story building), the seven-deck steel structure measures 85.5 meters in length and 82.5 meters in width, with each deck covering roughly the area of a standard football pitch. The facility ranks among the world's highest-voltage and largest-capacity offshore converter stations to date.

The voyage is expected to take approximately one week, with arrival at the installation site located about 100 kilometers off the coast of Yangjiang, Guangdong Province, in deep-sea waters. Once commissioned, the station will collect and convert 2 GW of wind power generated at sea, transmitting it via a ±500 kV DC submarine cable that connects to onshore DC lines – forming a 300-kilometer energy corridor from the offshore wind farm to the mainland power grid.

Upon full operation, the project is projected to supply around 6 billion kWh of clean electricity annually to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. This is estimated to save 1.74 million tons of standard coal and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 4.63 million tons each year.

ZPMC adopted an innovative construction method that involved assembling the entire converter station onshore, transporting it as a single unit, and installing it offshore using float-over technology. The approach shortened the construction schedule while reducing offshore installation risks.

In recent years, ZPMC has evolved into a comprehensive service provider for offshore converter stations, offering end-to-end solutions that span design, manufacturing, marine transportation, and offshore installation. The company has completed several landmark offshore converter station projects, including Asia's first and some of the world's largest facilities, reinforcing its position as a key force in the global offshore wind supply chain.