On February 5, the world’s first 20-megawatt offshore turbine was successfully debugged and connected to the grid in the waters off Fujian Province in East China. China’s pioneering attempt to install, debug and connect a 20-megawatt offshore turbine to the grid also marks its growing capacities in the R&D, offshore construction and operation of turbines with ultra-large installed capacity.
The 20-megawatt offshore turbine generates power. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The turbine stands 174 meters high, the height of a 58-floor building. The diameter of its impeller reaches 300 meters, enabling the turbine to sweep the air in an area equal to 10 standard soccer fields. Under proper operating conditions, the turbine can churn out over 80 million kilowatt-hours annually, equivalent to the energy generated by 22,000 tons of standard coal.
A distant view shows the 20-megawatt turbine and the turbine cluster in the waters off Fujian Province. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The construction of the turbine faced various challenges, such as its higher technological demands and cost. Scientific personnel achieved a number of technological breakthroughs that are up to international high standards, which can enhance the stability and affordability of turbines with large installed capacity.
Take the blade for example. The wing-shaped blades, which were independently developed by China Three Gorges Corporation and Goldwind, are more than 20 percent lighter in weight per megawatt than the industrial average. The blades significantly enhance the wind-capture and electricity-generation efficiency, driving China’s offshore wind industry toward deep-sea frontiers.
The operation of the turbine will further improve the marine space utilization, as it can generate more power at a lower cost within the same-sized areas. This will greatly facilitate the large-scale development of China’s wind-power projects.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
