On August 11, 2026, the sea breeze in the Yellow Sand Ocean area of Rudong, Jiangsu Province swept over the blades of wind turbines, and at one point, green electricity was steadily sent into the Yangtze River Delta power grid through flexible DC submarine cables. The cumulative power generation of the Three Gorges New Energy Rudong 800 MW offshore wind power project officially jumped to 10 billion kilowatt hours. As the first offshore wind power project in Asia to use flexible direct current transmission technology, this 10 billion kilowatt hour green power is not an isolated industry figure. Behind it is the complete industrial transition trajectory of China's offshore wind power from shallow waters to distant seas, from technological catch-up to independent leadership. It is also a significant practical puzzle in China's process of building a new power system.

Technical breakthrough sample of offshore wind power transmission

The project located in the Huangshayang sea area of Rudong, Jiangsu, carried the iconic identity of Asia's first offshore flexible DC converter station when it was fully connected to the grid and put into operation in 2021.

In five years of actual operation, it systematically solved the long-term pain points of voltage instability, high transmission losses, and poor grid compatibility in long-distance offshore wind power transmission under traditional AC transmission mode. The cumulative green power transmission capacity of 10 billion kilowatt hours is equivalent to replacing nearly 3 million tons of standard coal fossil energy consumption in the Yangtze River Delta region, directly supporting the low-carbon transformation needs of local high energy consuming industries. The total scale of China's planned deep-sea offshore wind power base by 2026 has exceeded 45 million kilowatts. The full cycle operation data accumulated by the Rudong project over the past five years provides an irreplaceable basis for the design and operation standards of all subsequent offshore projects' transmission systems.

Key supporting nodes of the new power system

The mature operation of the Rudong project has directly opened up the independent closed-loop of China's offshore wind power industry chain.

From core converter components, ultra long distance DC submarine cables to intelligent operation and maintenance platforms, all core links have been replaced by domestic production. The comprehensive cost of related equipment has decreased by more than 35% compared to the initial operation of the project, significantly reducing the development threshold for deep-sea offshore wind power. In the first half of 2026, among the newly installed offshore wind power capacity in China, the proportion of projects using flexible DC transmission technology has reached 42%. Based on the technical experience accumulated from the Rudong project, China's offshore flexible DC solutions have been implemented in multiple overseas markets such as Europe and Southeast Asia, with a global market share exceeding 60%. Keywords: offshore wind power, green power

The power generation of 10 billion kilowatt hours is only a milestone in the total annual offshore wind power of over one trillion kilowatt hours in the country. But its special significance lies in its stable operation for five years, which proves that China can fully rely on independent technology to convert massive offshore wind energy into clean electricity that supports the real economy in a stable and efficient manner, laying a key technological foundation for China's goal of surpassing 1.2 billion kilowatts of wind and photovoltaic total installed capacity by 2030.Editor/Cheng Liting