France, Germany, Italy, and Portugal set new solar records in May. World’s largest offshore converter station, “Heart of the Sea Wind,” officially departs
（2026/5/25—2026/5/31）
Author: Shu-Xin Zhang
International Energy News
1. France, Germany, Italy, and Portugal set new solar records in May
According to an analysis by Spanish consultancy AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, several European countries set new records for solar power generation in May. On May 20, Italy and Portugal recorded their highest daily solar output, reaching 160 GWh and 28 GWh, respectively. On May 22, France reached 168 GWh, breaking its previous record. On May 25, Germany generated 480 GWh, its second-highest daily solar output on record. However, electricity prices rose in France, Germany, Belgium, the UK, the Netherlands, and Italy. The highest average prices were recorded in Italy and the UK at €116.31/MWh and €123.33/MWh, respectively.
AleaSoft noted that increased electricity demand and lower wind power output in some markets were the main drivers of higher power prices. Rising natural gas prices added further upward pressure. On May 19, TTF natural gas futures rose to €51.82/MWh, the highest level since April 8. Prices later fell amid progress in U.S.-Iran talks and reduced concerns over LNG supply disruptions, but the weekly minimum settlement price remained 3% higher than the previous week. The trend in natural gas prices will continue to influence European electricity markets.
2. Thailand’s 2026-2050 power development plan to accelerate clean energy
According to Thai media reports, due to the impact of the conflict in the Middle East, the drafting of Thailand's 2026 Power Development Plan (PDP) is expected to be delayed until June. Industry insiders said the new plan will incorporate demographic data alongside economic growth indicators in electricity demand forecasting. Thailand's average annual population growth rate is expected to be -0.21%, which will affect residential electricity consumption in the long term. Climate factors such as temperature and precipitation will also be included to improve forecast accuracy. The plan will focus on incremental power demand from data centers, the digital economy, and the rapid adoption of electric vehicles, while also accommodating commercial and residential "self-consumption" generation models, in line with the government's 200 billion baht energy transition loan program.
Although Thailand's economic growth is slowing, the overall reduction in power demand during the planning period will be limited due to support from the digital industry and EVs. To meet green power demand from data centers and enhance competitiveness in attracting investment, Thailand has increased its planned small modular reactor (SMR) capacity from 600 MW to 2,400 MW, to be developed as a low-carbon, high-safety baseload power source and gradually replace retiring conventional thermal units. SMR deployment will help ensure grid security and stability while supporting Thailand's 2050 carbon neutrality goal. The new power plan is expected to enable grid connection of SMRs within 7 to 10 years.
3. Israel aims for 26 GW of renewables by 2035
According to data released by Israel's Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the country's cumulative renewable energy capacity reached approximately 8 GW by the end of last year, accounting for more than 16% of its electricity consumption. Solar power dominates the renewable energy fleet. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Israel's installed solar capacity increased from 5,363 MW at the end of 2024 to 7,121 MW.
Approximately 4 GW of renewable energy projects are currently under construction in Israel, and up to 14 GW could be developed over the next decade. The national renewable energy strategic plan targets approximately 5 GW of agrivoltaics, 4.5 GW of ground-mounted facilities, 4 GW of dual-use facilities, and 0.5 GW of other renewable technologies to meet its 2035 goal. Most of this capacity will be realized through competitive models without subsidies.
The ministry stated that the government will remove barriers, shorten processes, create certainty, and implement active tools such as installation obligations, tariffs, grants, and targeted incentives in areas where potential has not yet been realized. In addition, Israel plans to deploy solar power on 100,000 rooftops by 2030, covering 15% of the country's rooftop area and adding an estimated 1.6 GW of solar capacity.
Domestic energy news
1. World’s largest offshore converter station “Heart of the Sea Wind” officially departs
According to China Three Gorges Corporation, the world's largest offshore converter station, named "Heart of the Sea Wind," departed from Nantong, Jiangsu Province today. It will be installed at the Three Gorges Yangjiang Qingzhou V and VII offshore wind farms. This marks China's official entry into the era of ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission for offshore wind power, providing a replicable and standardized technical solution for the development of deep-sea wind farms.
The offshore converter station is hailed as the "heart" of an offshore wind farm. Its main function is to collect, step up, and convert the alternating current (AC) generated by individual turbines into high-voltage direct current (DC), which is then transmitted to the onshore grid via submarine cables. As the world's first ±500 kV, 2,000 MW flexible DC offshore converter station, the "Heart of the Sea Wind" utilizes a domestically pioneered modular and intensive transmission system. Through compact design under constraints of limited space and weight, it aggregates power from all turbines across two wind farms within a single station for voltage boosting and conversion, reducing overall project costs and saving sea area usage.
Compared to traditional AC transmission, flexible DC transmission significantly reduces power loss. The "Heart of the Sea Wind" can convert 66 kV AC from offshore turbines to ±500 kV high-voltage DC, stably delivering approximately 6 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually to load centers with lower loss and higher efficiency.
2. PV power generation at China's first dedicated cargo hub airport exceeds 100 million kWh
Data from the Smart Grid Monitoring Platform of State Grid Hubei Electric Power Co., Ltd., Ezhou Power Supply Company showed that as of May 27, the cumulative photovoltaic (PV) power generation at Ezhou Huahu International Airport had surpassed 100 million kilowatt-hours.
As China's first dedicated cargo hub airport, Ezhou Huahu International Airport has experienced rapid cargo business growth since its operation began in 2022. Currently, it has opened 119 cargo routes, and its cargo volume surged from less than 10,000 tons in the initial operation phase to 1.4781 million tons in 2025. Concurrent with this business expansion, the airport's peak electricity demand has exceeded 20,000 kW.
The airport has deployed a power generation complex consisting of 247,000 square meters of rooftop PV panels and 12,000 square meters of PV curtain walls, with a total installed capacity of 27.43 MW. To ensure efficient utilization of the green electricity, the local power department has continuously strengthened the power grid framework in the airport area. By constructing and renovating power transmission and transformation projects, they have established a two-way channel for the local consumption and outward transmission of green electricity. The airport area's power grid has now been upgraded from a single-chain structure to a "ring network + dual power supply" structure. Furthermore, the largest charging station cluster in Hubei Province has been built, with 11 charging areas capable of simultaneously serving 278 electric vehicles, covering all types of airport operation vehicles, including cargo tow trucks and ground support equipment.
3. National computing centers consumed 170 billion kWh of electricity last year
At the National "AI+" Energy On-Site Promotion Conference held on the 26th, the National Energy Administration (NEA) stated that China had built 42 ten-thousand-card-level AI computing clusters by 2025. The total electricity consumption of national computing centers reached 170 billion kWh, accounting for 1.6% of the country's total social electricity consumption. The average annual growth rate of electricity used for computing at the eight hub nodes of the national integrated computing network over the past three years was approximately 39.5%, significantly higher than the average growth rate of overall social electricity consumption.
The Director of the NEA pointed out that with the development of artificial intelligence, electricity demand loads are exhibiting new characteristics such as high growth, high density, concentrated distribution, and complex operation, leading to a continuously increasing demand for high-quality power supply. It is projected that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the national electricity consumption for computing will increase by an average of over 100 billion kWh annually, reaching 800 billion kWh by 2030, accounting for about 6% of total social electricity consumption.
Currently, China has built the world's largest power system. The business environment for electricity consumption has been continuously optimized, with several "Access to Electricity" indicators reaching international advanced levels. Cumulatively, over 300 billion yuan in power connection investments have been saved for electricity users. Concurrently, last year's national green electricity transaction volume reached 328.5 billion kWh, with 930 million green certificates traded. The proportion of green electricity consumption in newly built data centers in places like Hohhot's Helingeer (in Inner Mongolia) and Qingyang (in Gansu Province) has already exceeded 80%.
The NEA stated that the next steps will involve continuing to open up energy application scenarios, leveraging the leading role of central SOEs and the main role of private enterprises, improving the power supply quality for new productive forces, strengthening multi-party collaboration, achieving breakthroughs in core technologies, fostering a favorable ecosystem for integrated development, and enhancing the governance of AI applications in the energy sector.
(Main news sources: CCTVNEWS APP, Xinhua New Media, International Energy Network, China Energy Network, National Energy Administration, PV magazine)
