At 14:30 on July 19, the world's first 16-megawatt ultra-large-capacity offshore wind turbine was successfully connected to the grid and began generating electricity at the Fujian offshore wind farm, which is operated by China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG). It will contribute to China's energy structure optimization and power supply.
The wind turbine has an annual average output of 66 million kWh of green electricity, and is currently the offshore wind turbine with the largest single-unit generating capacity, the largest impeller diameter, and the lightest weight per megawatt in the world. It marks a significant milestone in China's research, manufacturing and operation capabilities for offshore wind power large-capacity units, and sees it elevate to an internationally advanced level.
The turbine's hub height is 152 meters, approximately the height of three Long March-5 launch vehicles; the combined weight of the engine room and the generator is 385 tons, equivalent to the weight of 190 off-road vehicles; and the blades each measure 123 meters in length and weighs 54 tons, sweeping an area of approximately 50,000 square meters -about the size of seven standard soccer fields.
Based on years of wind measurement data in the area, a single 16-megawatt wind turbine will be able to generate 34.2 kWh per rotation and more than 66 million kWh of clean electricity per year, which will meet the annual electricity consumption needs of 36,000 three-member households. That is equivalent to saving about 22,000 tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 54,000 tons. This will contribute to China's efforts to achieve its dual carbon goals and promoting the comprehensive green transformation of the nation's economic and social development.
The photo shows a 16-megawatt wind turbine at the Fujian offshore wind farm operated by the China Three Gorges Corporation off the coast of southeast China's Fujian Province. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The statistics shows that nearly 60 percent of the wind power equipment in the global market is produced in China. By the end of 2022, the global cumulative installed capacity of offshore wind power in the world reached 57.6 gigawatts, with China's accounting for 30.51 gigawatts, representing a 53 percent market share.
In addition, China's wind power equipment exports have grown rapidly, and its cumulative export capacity reached 11.93 million kilowatts, covering 49 countries and regions.
CTG was one of the earliest central State-owned enterprises in China to develop offshore wind power. Its subsidiary, China Three Gorges Renewables (Group) Co., Ltd. (CTGR), has nearly five million kilowatts of offshore wind power installed capacity connected to the grid, ranking first in China. Its large-scale offshore wind power development provides a wealth of application scenarios for technological innovation in offshore wind power units.
The photo shows a 16-megawatt wind turbine at the Fujian offshore wind farm operated by the China Three Gorges Corporation off the coast of southeast China's Fujian Province. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
This 16-megawatt offshore wind turbine is the world's first 16-megawatt commercial demonstration application unit. It has achieved major breakthroughs in wind turbine main bearings, blades and transmission chains, and boasts a high rate of domestic parts and components and a high degree of digitalization.
A representative of CTGR said that the turbine will test its design performance during commercial operation, which will provide technical support for future large-scale batch applications of 16-megawatt offshore wind turbines.
Influenced by the "narrow channel effect", the sea area where the wind turbines are located experiences strong winds of Force 6 or higher for more than 300 days and Force 7 or higher for over 200 days throughout the year. The annual average wind speed exceeds nine meters per second, making the annual average utilization hours for offshore wind power range from 3,500 to 4,000 hours. The excellent wind resource conditions provide unique advantages for the batch operation of large-capacity wind turbines.
"The 16-megawatt wind turbine features long blades, a large capacity, and high power generation efficiency. It can convert the rich wind resources in Fujian into a stable supply of green and clean electricity, and will also realize the intensive use of the sea and reduce the cost of electricity. It is considered an important guarantee for parity pricing offshore wind power and base development.
The 16-megawatt wind turbine to be applied in batches in the second phase of the Zhangpu Liuao Offshore Wind Farm Project, constructed by CTG, will promote the concentrated and large-scale development of offshore wind power and the high-quality development of the offshore wind power industry," said a representative of the Fujian Branch of CTG.
(Executive editor: Xie Yunxiao)
