China’s largest and most powerful offshore wind power converter station has begun operation as the first batch of turbines at a major project in south China connected to the grid on Monday, September 28.

The Yangjiang Qingzhou Phase V and Phase VII offshore wind farms in Guangdong Province have 163 turbines with a combined capacity of 2 million kilowatts. Located about 70 kilometres offshore, the farms use the “Heart of the Sea Wind” facility to overcome the challenges of transmitting electricity over long distances.

The facility collects power from the turbines, raises its voltage and converts it to direct current, allowing electricity to travel hundreds of kilometres underwater with minimal energy loss.

Once fully operational, the projects are expected to supply about 6 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area each year, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 5 million tonnes annually.