World’s first 20-megawatt offshore wind turbine unit put into operation in East China Sea
The world’s first 20-megawatt offshore wind turbine unit was successfully connected to the grid for power generation off the coast of east China’s Fujian Province on Thursday, marking a significant milestone in China's renewable energy advancement, according to the China Three Gorges Corporation.
Installed more than 30 kilometers offshore in waters exceeding 40 meters in depth, the colossal turbine began generating electricity as its 14-meter-long blades slowly rotated above the East China Sea.
Each full revolution produces more than 50 kilowatt-hours of clean electricity.
Developed and installed by the China Three Gorges Corporation, the unit features a hub height of 174 meters, equivalent to a 58-story building, and a rotor diameter of 300 meters, giving it a swept area comparable to ten standard soccer fields.
Operating at full capacity, the turbine is expected to generate over 80 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to meet the power needs of about 44,000 households for a year while displacing roughly 22,000 tons of standard coal.
"Compared with currently common 13-megawatt offshore models, the 20-megawatt turbine can generate the same amount of electricity while using 30-percent less sea area and reducing costs by 25 percent in foundation construction, subsea cable laying, and other key processes. It offers a more economical solution for the future large-scale, intensive development of offshore wind power," said Lin Sheng, an executive at the Fujian branch of the China Three Gorges Corporation.
The unit incorporates domestically developed airfoil blade technology, lightweight design, and digital and smart integration systems. Its weight per megawatt is over 20 percent lower than industry averages, significantly boosting wind capture and power conversion efficiency.
This provides crucial technological and equipment support for further expanding China's offshore wind power development into deeper and more distant waters.
