Asia‑first VSC‑HVDC offshore wind scheme in China passes 10‑billion‑kWh power mark

According to China Economic Net, the 800 MW Rudong offshore wind farm operated by China Three Gorges Corporation has surpassed 10 billion kilowatt‑hours of cumulative electricity transmission on 11 August. This Asian pioneering project using voltage‑source converter high‑voltage direct‑current (VSC‑HVDC) technology delivers practical field‑proven data for large‑scale deployment of long‑distance offshore wind VSC‑HVDC solutions across China.

Situated in the Huangshayang sea area off Rudong, Nantong in Jiangsu province, the development ranks among the world’s largest‑capacity and highest‑voltage offshore wind VSC‑HVDC installations at the time of its completion. It reached full commercial operation back in 2021 and has maintained safe, stable performance for more than 1,600 operational days, with plant‑wide equipment availability holding at 99.5 per cent. The 10 billion kWh of clean power generated can cover annual household electricity consumption for roughly four million domestic households. Operational outcomes translate into 3 million tonnes of standard coal saved and a cut of 7.4 million tonnes in carbon‑dioxide emissions.

As offshore wind developments push further into deep‑water zones, greater transmission distances create real challenges for large‑volume grid integration. Conventional alternating‑current submarine cables face hard limits from charging‑power effects, restricting their practical use to near‑shore, smaller‑capacity wind sites. VSC‑HVDC architecture offers a more viable technical route for high‑output far‑offshore wind arrays.

Engineers have contended with multiple operational hurdles including high humidity, heavy salt‑laden atmospheres and frequent typhoons at sea. New‑generation HVDC hardware brings added complexity around system integration and on‑site emergency response. Revised operational and maintenance frameworks have been rolled‑out to suit deep‑sea operating conditions and the specific traits of VSC‑HVDC hardware. Technical work has yielded practical breakthroughs covering stable functioning of the ±400 kV HVDC system, long‑distance subsea‑cable monitoring and maintenance, and load‑management under heavy operating cycles. These advances underpin secure, steady and efficient performance for this far‑offshore HVDC wind complex.