China Deploys World’s First 100-kW Bamboo-Built Offshore Solar Platform

China has deployed a 100-kilowatt floating solar platform made from engineered bamboo off the coast of Yantai in Shandong province.

The platform, called Jilin-2, is designed to test whether bamboo can replace the steel and plastic normally used in offshore floating solar projects.

It uses composite bamboo tubes and pipes instead of the steel or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) used in most floating solar platforms.

Jilin-2 will supply electricity to a demonstration project that produces ammonia, hydrogen, and methanol.

Developers will also monitor the platform to see how the bamboo structure holds up at sea. They will check its performance in corrosion, high humidity, salt spray and ultraviolet radiation, as well as its resistance to long-term fatigue.

Jilin-2 was jointly developed by the CIMC Offshore Engineering Research Institute, China Forestry Group Corporation and Beijing Forestry University. It follows an earlier 10-kW bamboo floating solar prototype, Jilin-1, which was launched in 2023.

Yantai CIMC Raffles Ocean Technology Group announced the new platform in June. The company said using bamboo-based materials could lower the environmental impact of offshore structures compared with conventional steel and HDPE designs.

Bamboo platform

Jilin-2 uses bamboo-wound pipes for its main support structure. It also uses “Sea Bamboo Pipe”, a fibre-reinforced wood-bamboo composite developed by Beijing Forestry University.

The pipes are designed to provide both buoyancy and support for the platform. The bamboo and wood fibres were modified to help them withstand marine conditions, according to Beijing Forestry University professor Qi Chusheng,

Qi told China Green Times, an official forestry trade newspaper, that the materials were designed to withstand corrosion, high humidity, salt spray and ultraviolet radiation.

The platform will be monitored over time to check its durability, adaptability and resistance to fatigue.

The results will help understand if similar wood-bamboo materials can be used in offshore power plants, marine energy islands and marine ranches.

Marine ranches are areas of the sea where marine life is cultivated and ecosystems are restored. China has been developing them to support food security through sustainable seafood production.

10-kW prototype to megawatt scale

Jilin-2 has ten times the capacity of the Jilin-1 prototype, which had a capacity of 10 kW.

The developers plan to build a megawatt-level bamboo-based project. They also want to promote the use of bamboo-based materials in marine applications.

China has been expanding offshore solar projects along its coastline as it works toward its goals of reaching peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

In December, a 1-gigawatt offshore solar farm was brought online off Dongying in Shandong. State-owned developer CHN Energy described it as the world’s largest offshore solar farm.

Most floating solar systems use steel or plastic structures along with buoyant floats. Jilin-2 uses engineered bamboo and wood composites instead.

The 100-kW platform will show how well the bamboo structure performs during long-term use at sea.

China’s growing use of bamboo

The project is part of China’s effort to find more uses for bamboo and cut the use of some plastic products.

China introduced an action plan in 2023 to replace plastic with bamboo. The initiative was also included in the country’s latest forest and grassland conservation plan released in July.

Bamboo is a fast-growing woody grass found naturally across Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. It is used as a building material because it is lightweight, flexible, durable and strong.

Reference: interestingengineering, scmp