The World’s Most Powerful Offshore Wind Turbine with 18 MW Capacity Leaves Production Line in Fuzhou, Fujian Province on November 10
Workers inspecting a main component of the 18 MW wind turbine. (Photo: CMG).
The direct-drive offshore wind turbine is the largest in the world in terms of unit power and rotor blade size, according to CGTN. Comprising over 30,000 parts, the new wind turbine features blades that are 126 meters long and a swept area of 53,000 square meters, equivalent to 7.5 standard football fields. The inner diameter of the rotor shaft can reach up to 160 meters. This turbine is designed for areas with wind speeds exceeding 10 m/s and can withstand storms with wind speeds of up to 80 m/s.
“Due to the ease of operation, minimal maintenance requirements, and the ability to generate large amounts of electricity, we plan to utilize it extensively in remote offshore areas,” shared Ge Hongbing, General Director of Dongfang Wind Power Company.
Each turbine unit can achieve a capacity of 18 megawatts (MW) in an environment with an average annual wind speed of 10 m/s. The device produces 38 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity from a single rotation and provides 72 million kWh of electricity annually, meeting the needs of 40,000 households. The clean energy produced by the turbine each year can help save over 20,000 tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 55,000 tons.
It is expected that the 18 MW wind turbine will be mass-produced this year and installed in the southeastern coastal regions of China. Key components of the turbine, such as the blades, rotor, generator, converter, and transformer, are manufactured domestically.
Offshore wind turbines require higher standards and development costs compared to onshore turbines. The new turbine design is better suited to the complex offshore environment than previous designs and has a longer lifespan. To date, China is the largest producer of wind turbine equipment in the world, accounting for half of global output. China has built over 20 offshore wind farms, with each turbine unit’s capacity ranging from 6 to 18 MW.
