Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Sinotrans has completed the full logistics chain for what is now China’s deepest offshore wind power project, enabling the Huaneng Shandong Peninsula North Offshore Wind Power Project to achieve full capacity grid connection on April 7.
The project, with a total installed capacity of 504,000 kilowatts across 42 sets of 12 MW turbines, sits approximately 70 kilometres offshore in water depths of 52 to 56 metres. It is expected to generate 1.7 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year, displacing roughly 500,000 tonnes of standard coal and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 1.35 million tonnes annually.
Overland obstacles and precision route planning
The scale of the cargo presented formidable challenges on land before a single component reached the water. Generator cabin modules produced at the Rushan factory measured more than eight metres wide with a transport height of 9.3 metres. Moving these units along a 15 kilometre urban road from the factory to Rushan Port required navigating traffic lights, guardrails, and overhead cable barriers.
Sinotrans deployed what it called a “dual mode inspection” approach. Drones captured aerial imagery to build three dimensional models of the route, while CAD software simulated every turn and gradient change for the transport vehicles. Project leaders then surveyed the route on foot to verify each plan. The team reduced more than ten identified obstacle points to five, cutting road renovation costs for the client by an estimated 60%.
Engine room components weighing up to 300 tonnes were moved from factory to port using axle vehicles and self propelled modular transporters, known as SPMTs.
Port operations and stacking innovation
At Rushan Port, Sinotrans integrated heavy lift engineering into every stage of quayside handling. A 1,600 tonne crawler crane managed hoisting for all major components, including engine rooms and hubs, loading them onto deck barges ranging from 5,000 to 12,000 tonnes of capacity. Pre assembly of engine rooms, side cabins, and water cooling packs took place in the terminal yard rather than offshore, converting what would have been expensive high altitude work at sea into ground level operations. The company said this approach raised overall wind farm construction efficiency by approximately 20% and reduced idle time for costly installation vessels.
Sinotrans and Rushan Port management reserved 30,000 square metres of dedicated storage yard for the project, easing production pressure on turbine manufacturers and establishing an inspection regime to protect equipment stored in the coastal environment.
Ultra long blades exceeding 120 metres in length were produced at a Yangzhou factory and shipped from Yangzhou Port, nearly 700 nautical miles from the offshore installation site. Conventional blade shipping methods typically dedicate an entire deck to a single blade, driving up voyage costs. Sinotrans instead used a “double blade stacking” method with custom marine brackets designed to match the shape and stress profile of blades from 8.5 MW to 14 MW turbines, effectively doubling the cargo capacity of each sailing.
Multi port coordination across provinces
Congestion at Yangzhou Port and tight factory schedules forced Sinotrans to build a triangular logistics network linking Yangzhou Port for production, Rushan Port as the primary storage hub, and Penglai Port as an auxiliary facility. This arrangement kept inventory flowing between three locations across multiple provinces over several months of construction, ensuring a steady supply of all 42 blade sets without delays.
Throughout the campaign, Sinotrans applied a four stage control process covering planning, disclosure, inspection, and emergency response. The company reported zero safety incidents and zero equipment defects across the entire land, port, and sea transport operation.
The project marks a significant step for commercial wind power development in deeper Chinese waters. As turbine sizes continue to grow and installations push further offshore, the logistics complexity required to move components weighing hundreds of tonnes across provinces and onto distant sea sites is becoming a defining challenge for the sector’s expansion.
