The world’s largest single-capacity floating wind platform has two turbines

Mingyang Smart Energy’s huge 16.6 megawatt (MW) OceanX, with its double-turbine, “V”-shaped floating wind platform, is a game-changer.

The OceanX, which is made for use in deep water (115 feet or 35 meters), was designed by MingYang Smart Energy and built by the Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company and China State Shipbuilding Corp.

It features two MySE8.3-180 hybrid drive wind turbines with blade diameters of 597 feet (182 meters) and a capacity of 8.3 MW each. It’s capable of producing 54 million kWh annually, which is enough to power 30,000 Chinese households. It’s also durable enough to withstand winds of up to 161 mph (260 km/h) – and it keeps producing electricity.

OceanX’s 16,500-ton (15,000-tonne) floating platform is built with “ultra-high-performance concrete” and has a cable-stayed system. Its single-point mooring system allows it to ride waves as high as 98 feet (30 meters).

The single-capacity floating wind platform launched from Guangzhou, China, three days ago, and it’s currently on its way to the Qingzhou IV offshore wind farm in Yangjiang, Gangdong. It’s on a 191-nautical mile journey and is expected to reach its destination after 72 hours. Its massive blades have been adjusted to minimize the platform’s aerial profile on its trip.

Floating offshore wind allows wind farms to be placed in deeper waters where winds are stronger and steadier. In China, along with Europe and the Americas, floating offshore wind projects are gaining momentum, with several pilot projects and commercial developments already in progress.

Read more: In a first, a German offshore wind farm will use Chinese turbines

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