China holds the record for the largest wind turbine ever built and marks a breakthrough in research.
A major project
China has just developed a 16MW offshore wind turbine in Fujian province, in the east of the country. The wind turbine has the largest unit capacity and the largest propeller in the world. Thus, the country is making a breakthrough in advanced wind energy research and manufacturing.
The wind turbine has a propeller with a diameter of 252 meters. It covers a swept area of 50,000 square meters. The surface area represents the equivalent of seven soccer fields.
China says a single unit could produce 66 million kilowatt hours of clean electricity per year. Thus, the wind turbine is capable of meeting the annual electricity needs of more than 36,000 households. It would reduce coal consumption by 22,000 tons and CO2 emissions by 54,000 tons each year.
A strategic technology
The success of the 16-megawatt wind turbine marks a historic step forward in wind power equipment manufacturing in China. Indeed, the country is moving from being a competitor to a world leader. Thus, China is a new example for the development of the sector at the global level.
On the other hand, China breaks its own record after only one month. Indeed, the country has just commissioned a 13.6 megawatt offshore wind turbine. This one was in development until mid-October.
Qin Haiyan, a wind power expert with the China Renewable Energy Corporation, says:
“The success of the 16-megawatt wind turbine lies not only in improving its unit capacity, but also in effectively promoting the efficiency of offshore wind construction while reducing costs.”
The wind turbine will stimulate progress in the relevant technologies and increase the overall profitability of offshore wind energy. In addition, China’s offshore wind industry reflects its offshore equipment manufacturing capacity.
