Recently, Guo Neng Hai Ce 1 Hao, the industry’s first integrated offshore wind power submarine cable detection platform independently developed by CHN Energy’s Longyuan Power Group, successfully completed its maiden voyage in the waters of Rudong County, Nantong, Jiangsu Province.

The platform provides robust technical support for the industry’s expansion into deeper and more distant maritime areas.

Jiangsu Rudong Huangang Offshore Wind Farm by Longyuan Power

As China’s largest wind power developer, Longyuan Power has actively aligned with the national “wind power going global” strategy. Since constructing the world’s first intertidal pilot wind farm in Rudong, Jiangsu 17 years ago, the company has cumulatively connected 39.1 gigawatts of capacity to the grid, securing its position as the global leader.

With near-shore wind resources nearing saturation, deep-sea areas have emerged as the new Blue Ocean for offshore wind development. Statistics show that China’s technically exploitable deep-sea wind energy resources exceed 1200 gigawatts, three to four times the capacity of near-shore regions.

Technicians conducting scanning and testing on the offshore booster station

Developed to address the operational challenges of deep-sea wind power maintenance, Guo Neng Hai Ce 1 Hao is an unmanned, autonomous cruising platform equipped with integrated detection capabilities. It combines unmanned surface vessels, underwater robots and proprietary sensors, utilizing acoustic, optical, electrical and magnetic detection technologies to achieve precise cable fault localization, autonomous navigation and adaptability to complex sea conditions.

Measuring 18 meters in length and 4.1 meters in width, the platform boasts a range of 460 kilometers and operates in three modes: remote control, autonomous navigation and manual piloting. It maintains positioning accuracy within ±3 meters under Level 3 sea conditions.

Guo Neng Hai Ce 1 Hao during its maiden voyage operations

During its maiden mission, the platform demonstrated exceptional operational efficiency through a four-phase process: mission planning and preparation, departure and cruising, underwater robot deployment and retrieval, and data processing and analysis. Real-time data transmission and intelligent analysis significantly enhanced detection speed and precision.

Field tests revealed that detection time was reduced from 22 days to 2–3 days, accuracy improved tenfold, and cable fault localization costs dropped to one-tenth of those for comparable foreign products.

The successful deployment of Guo Neng Hai Ce 1 Hao not only addresses inefficiencies and inaccuracies associated with traditional manual inspections but also delivers an intelligent, unmanned solution for offshore wind power maintenance.

Moving forward, the platform will provide smart inspection services for more offshore wind farms, ensuring the safe and stable operation of turbines while advancing China’s offshore wind industry into deeper waters.