In a world first, China installs an 18 MW offshore wind turbine

China has installed an 18-megawatt (MW) offshore wind turbine – the world’s largest by power rating – in Guangdong province.

State-owned power generator manufacturer Dongfang Electric Corporation completed the installation of the massive wind turbine at a coastal test base in Shantou on June 5.

China’s 18-MW offshore wind turbine has a 260-meter (853-foot) rotor diameter and a swept area of 53,000 square meters (570,487 square feet) – equivalent to 7.4 standard football fields.

This colossus is expected to generate 72 GWh of clean electricity annually – enough to power around 36,000 households.

In December, Mingyang unveiled a wind turbine design that offers flexible power ratings ranging from 18.X to 20 MW and rotor diameters from 260-292 meters (853-958 feet). It can cover a maximum swept area equivalent to nine soccer fields.

Chinese manufacturers are pushing the boundaries of wind turbine technology. They’re introducing larger and more efficient turbines, such as the world’s first 16 MW offshore wind turbine by China Three Gorges Corporation that came online in July 2023.

China’s eastern and coastal regions consume a lot of electricity, but most of the country’s energy resources are in the western and northern areas. Offshore wind farms help balance this distribution, enhancing energy self-sufficiency in high-demand regions.

China sees offshore wind power as a crucial component of its strategy to achieve carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

Read more: This new ‘world’s largest’ wind turbine makes power in severe typhoons

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