Invisible, but there are. Much of the seabed is occupied by very long roads that connect virtually all countries. ANDl map of submarine cables It does not stop expanding and, if something has shown us the war in Ukraine, is that it is a key infrastructure. They are vital for communication systems. Beside him, there are other types of pipes: Those that transport fuel and those that allow connecting all the Offshore energy infrastructure.
And China has just achieved a milestone in its network: they have installed More than 10,000 kilometers of underwater pipes with the aim of continuing to develop its energy independence.
China and the offshore. China has a vast terrestrial territory, but although it is exploiting it with Huge solar ‘farms’ and the largest hydroelectric plant in the world (more another one on the way), they are also developing offshore energy. It is the one that allows access to resources at sea, such as Marine wind (For what they are developing science fiction wind turbines), natural gas, solar or oil.
The country is promoting megaprojects such as Chaozhou wind park either floating solar plants while drilling Looking for oil independence (Something complicated Due to the volume they need). It is a strategy that responds to two objectives: the aforementioned energy independence and decarbonization betting on renewables. And, to grow in installed capacity in the sea, they need pipes that connect with land plants.
Accelerated development. That is where the more than 10,000 kilometers of pipes that China has already installed, one “megaconstruction”, In its own way, which has experienced an accelerated development in recent years. Only between 2021 and 2025, the country installed more than 1,500 kilometers of new pipes, some at depths of more than 1,500 meters, entering the ultra -proprafundas waters.
These pipes have different diameters. Thus, there are some of less than three centimeters in diameter, but others much larger that exceed 120 centimeters. Imagine a pipe with the diameter of a 50 -inch TV.
Independence. This huge investment translates into projects such as Hohai Bay. It is the one that concentrates the densest pipe network in the country, with more than 3,200 kilometers and focused on both crude and gas transport. Another project is Deep Let No.1the first “field” of Ultraprofundo Gas developed entirely by China that opera 1,500 kilometers deep.
Resistant. To install these pipes, the country developed the Hai Yang Shi You 201. This is its first boat designed to tend pipes at even greater than DEEP is No.1. We are talking about that you can perform facilities at depths of 3,000 meters and, for this, the pipes themselves must be resistant.
They are designed to resist both high temperatures and a very high pressure, but also They tell with anticorrosion treatment and internal capacity to transport gas and oil currents that reach 120 degree temperatures. Its thickness is considerable: about four centimeters.
Projection. In the end, this pipe network is both a technical achievement and the foundations on which the China’s independence desire at energy level. The idea is to exceed 13,000 kilometers of pipes by 2030, further strengthening the country’s energy transport network, while continuing to develop its offshore capacity.
And, although we talk about gas and oil, we cannot forget that the country also has an interest in transporting ‘green’ fuels such as hydrogen or shale gas, fuel they recently discovered Gigantic deposits that will help in that objective of reduction of import dependence.
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