China has posted solar panels on water and what it generates should worry us. Shocking news that comes just after this mountain was covered with solar panels. Last August 2024, the the world’s largest pumped storage facility north of China. The following month, construction of the second largest pumped storage facility in the world, also in China (in the east).
With projects as ambitious as this one, China is already a world leader in the development of new hydroelectric power stations. The Asian giant focused only on the year 2023 and installed 6.7 GW of renewable capacity in its reservoirs.
A number that amounts to nothing if we take into account the environmental objective of China by 2030: achieve a total hydropower capacity of 120 GW. However, energy production is not the highest priority China with these reservoirs.
The eastern country has such a large capacity of wind and solar energy that it is trying to store its excess renewable energy. In 2023, the company moved to install 6.2 GW of pumped storage capacity and plans to reach 80 GW by 2027.
What happens to China and solar panels?
According to the forecasts of this renewable line Wooden MackenzieHe global floating solar energy market will grow to 77 GW of installed capacity by 2033. China has a solar capacity of more than 700 GW, so the boom has arrived floating solar energy It’s just beginning.
The countries following on the list are India e Indonesiawhat that means Asia is working to lead this new sector.
Due to the space constraints experienced on land, companies in the sector are promoting expansion into the open sea, allowing the implementation of large-scale solar farms.
This is how China has started connecting floating solar energy installations on the open sea to the electricity grid, such as the 1 GW installation in Dongying. The state-owned company, for its part, Huaneng Groupinstalled the first photovoltaic maritime platform that can withstand sea waves.
Why is the expansion of floating solar panels in China dangerous?
The need to reduce the environmental footprint of energy production has led the sector to seek innovative solutions that take advantage of the natural resources available in the marine context. However, the installation of solar panels in maritime enclaves brings a number of challenges that need to be taken into account.
One of these is the potential impact it generates on marine life and underwater ecosystems, in addition to the possible interference with the migration routes of marine species and the change of ocean currents and sedimentation patterns.
Other critical aspects are the durability and resistance of solar installations in marine environments, and their ability to resist corrosion and deterioration caused by exposure to salt water. The installation of artificial structures (such as solar panels) can alter the natural habitat, influence the availability of sunlight for biological communities submarines and produce toxic substances during the manufacturing, installation or disassembly process of the modules.
Drought, another factor to consider in the rise of solar panels in China
Global warming and climate change have increased drought areas in the world, meaning that the option of covering the seas with solar panels may no longer be feasible for the time being.
China placed solar panels on waterbut its implementation should concern us. A reality that has as much impact as the inauguration in China of the mother of all solar power stations.