Imagine living on an island where every part of your life - from cooking meals to lighting homes -- is powered by green energy. On Dachen Island, China's zero-carbon island, that's not just an idea. It's reality.
Located 29 sea miles east of Taizhou city in Zhejiang province, it took us nearly two hours by boat to reach Dachen Island - a pair of islands known as Upper and Lower Dachen. Once a testing ground for China's early wind turbines, today, Dachen is at the frontier of a green energy revolution.
At the heart of this transformation is something called flexible low-frequency power transmission - a world-first technology operating at 20 Hz, while most power systems run at 50 or 60 Hz. This lower frequency brings big advantages: it reduces the charging power needed for submarine cables, cuts investment costs, and softens the impact on the grid - making it not just effective, but economical.
"The biggest advantage," explained Zhang Ye, the Deputy Director of the development and construction department of State Grid Zhejiang Taizhou Power Supply Company in Jiaojiang District, "is that this technology achieves the optimal balance between technical performance and cost - paving the way for future long-distance offshore wind transmission."
But what struck me most wasn't just the tech - it was the story.
Just a few decades ago, Dachen was an isolated island shrouded in darkness at night. The only source of power? Diesel generators - noisy, polluting, and labor-intensive to maintain. That changed in 2009, when the island began transitioning to wind power.
Standing outside the Dachen Power Supply Station, the first thing that caught my eye were three old, weather-beaten turbine blades. A quiet tribute to how far the island has come.
Jiang Weijian, the station director who has witnessed the island's energy evolution, shared how this shift transformed daily life. Today, Dachen generates over 60 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity each year - while only using about 10 million. The rest? It gets transmitted back to the mainland. That's not just self-sufficient - it's beyond carbon neutral.
The ripple effects of clean energy run deep. Local industries, especially fishing and tourism, are thriving. Dachen is famous for its yellow croaker - a golden, tender, and delicious fish that's become a signature of the island. Fishermen have switched from diesel to green electricity for aquaculture, making operations more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable.
From towering offshore turbines to cutting-edge energy tech, Dachen isn't just a model for sustainability - it's a revolution in motion. And standing on its shores, feeling the sea breeze and seeing a community powered entirely by wind, I couldn't help but think: this isn't just the future. It's already here.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service■
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