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BEIJING | Xinhua | The world’s most powerful offshore wind turbine has begun feeding electricity into the grid off the coast of southeast China, marking a major technological leap in the country’s wind power industry.
The colossal turbine, developed and installed by China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG), is located in the phase II Liuao offshore wind farm, more than 30 kilometers off the coast of southern Fujian in waters deeper than 40 meters.
The 20-megawatt (MW) unit successfully completed commissioning and started operation on Thursday, the CTG announced.
This achievement represents the first successful installation, debugging and grid-connection of an ultra-large-capacity 20 MW offshore wind turbine globally, according to the CTG.
“The commissioning team overcame challenges like the monsoon winds and complex sea conditions to complete all tests efficiently,” said Jiang Guangqiu, deputy general manager of CTG’s Fujian branch.
“This turbine provides crucial technical support for the future development of offshore wind power in deeper waters,” Jiang added.
According to the CTG, the wind turbine’s hub stands 174 meters above sea level, equivalent to a 58-story building. With a rotor diameter of 300 meters, the blades sweep an area comparable to 10 standard soccer fields.
Operating at its rated condition, the single turbine is projected to generate over 80 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This output can meet the yearly power consumption of approximately 44,000 households and is estimated to save about 22,000 tonnes of standard coal, significantly reducing carbon emissions.
Developing a turbine of this scale presented substantial technical challenges. A key innovation is its specially designed airfoil blades, a shape that maximizes aerodynamic efficiency.
Through lightweight construction and digital integration, the turbine’s weight per megawatt has been reduced by more than 20 percent compared to the industry average, significantly boosting both its wind-capture efficiency and power generation performance. ■
