On August 29, Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC) successfully completed the installation of the world’s largest 26-megawatt offshore wind turbine at the Dongying Offshore Wind Power Equipment Testing and Certification Innovation Base.
Dongfang Electric Corporation successfully completed the installation of the world’s largest 26-megawatt offshore wind turbine at the Dongying Offshore Wind Power Equipment Testing and Certification Innovation Base on August 29. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The milestone sets new world records for both single-unit capacity and rotor diameter of installed wind turbines, marking a leap forward in China’s high-end equipment manufacturing and establishing a new benchmark for global offshore wind power development.
The 26 MW offshore wind turbine consists of more than 30,000 components, with the entire supply chain under fully independent control. Core parts such as the generator, blades, bearings, and control system have reached world-leading levels in multiple technologies. Featuring large capacity and high efficiency, the turbine has a rotor swept area of 77,000 square meters.
The 26 MW offshore wind turbine consists of more than 30,000 components, with the entire supply chain under fully independent control. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The turbine adopts a third-generation semi-direct drive integrated design, combining the shaft system, gearbox, and generator into a compact and reliable structure. It features a fully sealed body to resist salt spray, dual cooling systems for efficient heat dissipation, and a dual typhoon-resistance strategy that can withstand super typhoons up to Level 17. Its fully localized control system also overcomes key technical challenges in core components.
The ultra-long blades use an advanced aerodynamic-structural design that reduces load while improving efficiency and reliability, maximizing wind energy capture. The optimized transmission chain raises overall efficiency by more than 2 percent, while the three-level full-power conversion technology ensures high-quality electricity output. Designed for medium- to high-wind offshore areas, each turbine generates as much electricity as a small wind farm, helping to lower investment and operating costs and accelerate the shift toward grid parity.
With a flexible capacity of 20 to 26 MW, the turbine can adapt to different offshore conditions. Each unit can generate up to 100 million kWh of clean electricity annually — enough to power 55,000 households — while saving over 30,000 tons of coal and cutting carbon emissions by more than 80,000 tons.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
