China Three Gorges Installs World's Largest Offshore Converter Station

China Three Gorges has installed a 500 kV, 2000 MW offshore converter station in the South China Sea, capable of transmitting 6 billion kWh annually to the Greater Bay Area.

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China Three Gorges has completed the installation of what is described as the world's largest offshore converter station, located in the South China Sea about 100 km off the coast of Yangjiang, Guangdong Province. The installation took place on July 23, 2026.

The facility is a ±500 kV, 2,000 MW flexible direct current (DC) offshore converter station. According to the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), it is the first of its kind globally in terms of voltage and transmission capacity for offshore wind projects.

Once operational, the station is expected to transmit roughly 6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 5 million metric tons per year.

The upper platform of the station measures 85.5 meters in length, 82.5 meters in width, and 44 meters in height, weighing approximately 25,000 metric tons. The jacket foundation is 82 meters long, 57 meters wide, and 69 meters high, weighing about 17,000 metric tons, and is secured by eight piles.

Installation was carried out using a float-over method with the semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel Xiang Tai Kou. The operation began shortly after 7 a.m. on June 4, 2026, and took about seven hours, with a gap of roughly 150 millimeters on each side between the platform and foundation.

Currently, subsea cable installation and joint testing of offshore and onshore systems are underway. Commercial operations have not yet started.