Binhai North H2

Location

The Binhai North H2 offshore wind farm is located in the nearshore sea area between Zhongshan Estuary and Binhai Port in the northern coastal area of Yancheng, Jiangsu province, China. The wind farm is approximately 22 kilometers off the coast.

Project Details

• Nameplate Capacity: The wind farm has a total nameplate capacity of 400 MW.
• Number of Turbines: The project consists of 100 units of 4MW wind turbines. Initially, the turbines were specified as Siemens turbines, but other sources mention SWT 4.0-130 turbines supplied by Shanghai Electric Wind Power Equipment.
• Substation: The wind farm includes a 400MW substation, which is supported by a jacket structure weighing 3200 tons, the largest of its kind in Asia.

Development and Ownership

• Developer: The project was developed by the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) of China, specifically by SPIC Jiangsu Electric Power.
• Ownership: The project is owned by State Power Investment Corporation Binhai Windpower CO LTD.

Construction and Commissioning

• Construction Start: The project construction commenced in 2015, although specific phases may have started later.
• Commissioning: The first wind turbine unit was successfully connected to the grid on April 11, 2018. The project was fully operational by 2018, making it one of the largest offshore wind farms in China at the time.

Technical and Engineering Aspects

• Foundations: The wind turbines are installed on fixed foundations, specifically monopile foundations.
• Grouting Operation: The project involved a significant grouting operation using Ultra-high performance cementitious (UHPC) mix NaX® Q140-E. This operation was carried out by Nautec in cooperation with Nantong Jubo Offshore Company, ensuring high early-age compressive strength and long-term durability despite challenging weather conditions.
• Design and Consultancy: The wind farm was designed by the Danish engineering, design, and consultancy company Ramboll.

Challenges and Achievements

• Weather Conditions: The grouting operation faced challenging weather and strong winds but was completed ahead of schedule without any technical or operational difficulties.
• Grout Strength: The grouting required a very high grout compressive strength of 120 MPa before the installation of the topside module, with a long-term strength requirement of minimum 140 MPa.

Impact and Significance

• Capacity and Ranking: The Binhai North H2 wind farm is among the top five largest offshore power generation capacities in the world and is currently the largest offshore wind farm under construction in China at the time of its completion.
• Policy and Market: The project benefits from China's previous Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) policy and is part of China's significant growth in offshore wind capacity, with Jiangsu province becoming a prominent area for offshore wind power development.

Additional Information

• Grid Connection: The project achieved a milestone with the successful reverse power transmission of the 220KV offshore substation on March 31, 2018, followed by the first wind turbine unit being connected to the grid on April 11, 2018.
• Future Development: The project is part of Jiangsu Company's strategy to develop offshore wind power resources in the coastal areas, aiming to make offshore wind power a core competitiveness of the company.