China Installs First 20 MW Offshore Wind Turbine

China continues to build its global lead in offshore wind energy. In the latest development, a national research and development project has successfully installed the first 20 MW offshore wind turbine.

The massive turbine was recently installed in the southern Fujian Province, which is located north of Hong Kong and borders the Taiwan Strait. The turbine was installed on water depth of 130 feet (40 km) at a position approximately 18 miles (30 km) offshore. The turbine, built by Goldwind, is part of a project managed by the Three Gorges Group.

Chinese officials highlighted that it was just three years ago, in 2023, that they installed a 16 MW turbine also in Fujian. It was followed by an 18 MW turbine, and they continue to explore larger capacity turbines.

A key advantage of the 20 MW turbine is that it benefits from higher power generation per unit and lower cost. It increases the yield, enhancing productivity in the sea area usage.

(Goldwind)

Building and installing the turbine, which stands at the equivalent of a 58-story building, required addressing unique challenges. Goldwind developed a new lightweight design, which they said reduces the weight per megawatt for the unit, including the nacelle, hub, and blades. It weighs less than 40 tons, reducing its weight by more than 20 percent compared to the industry average.

Hoisting the turbine to its position, approximately 174 meters (570 feet) to the hub, required a fourth-generation wind installation vessel. It had a 2,000-ton lifting capacity. It also required high-precision in placing the three blades. Each of the blades is 147 meters (482 feet) in length. The companies report that the sweep area is equivalent to 10 standard football fields.

The system integrates lidar and blade root sensors to ensure safe operations. It is also designed to withstand strong typhoons. They report it unit’s airfoil blades have a wind energy utilization coefficient of .49, which significantly improves wind power capture and generation efficiency. After being connected to the grid, they report the unit is expected to generate over 80 million kWh annually.

The new turbine project is being called a “flagship of China’s energy goals.” China was expected to surpass 40 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by the end of 2025, far ahead of the UK, which is the largest in Europe. They report a generating capacity of over 600 million kilowatts, up 22.4 percent year-on-year.

Three Gorges last month reported the completion of the farthest offshore wind farm. It is located 85.5 km (53 miles) from the shore in Jiangsu province, north of Shanghai. The project features 98 turbines with a total capacity of 800 MW. It is expected to generate over 2.8 billion kWh of electricity.

China’s current Five-year Plan calls for installing 15 GW of offshore wind power capacity annually. Its goal is to reach 1.3 TW total wind capacity by 2030, 2 TW by 2035, and 5 TW by 2060.