China tests first practical submarine solar power plant at 10-metre depth in the open sea
Por Zhang Tong — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Science China Science China tests first practical submarine solar power plant at 10-metre depth in the open sea
Scientists successfully charge batteries and power a LED using lead halide perovskite solar cells in world-first test
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Zhang Tong in Beijing Published: 12:00pm, 21 Sep 2026 Updated: 12:14pm, 21 Sep 2026 In a breakthrough that could power the future of underwater operations , Chinese scientists have built and tested the world’s first submarine solar farm, successfully operating a perovskite-based photovoltaic system at a depth of 10 metres (33 feet) in the open sea.
The submerged array charged batteries and powered a LED panel, proving that solar energy can be harvested even in the dim, blue-green twilight of the ocean.
The achievement by a team from Yunnan University, published on September 11, in the journal Joule, overcomes a long-standing barrier: sunlight fades rapidly underwater , and conventional silicon solar cells are ill-suited to the narrow spectrum that remains. Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice