China develops 22 MW wind turbine

China's Ming Yang Smart Energy will develop the world's new largest offshore wind turbine with blades nearly as long as the Eiffel Tower is tall.

Installing the blades of a wind turbine. Photo: iStock

Ming Yang said its goal is to develop a 22 megawatt (MW) turbine with a rotor diameter of more than 310 meters, which will collect more wind and produce more electricity than any turbine currently in use, Interesting Engineering reported on October 20. A company spokesperson said they hope to build a prototype by 2024 or 2025.

The announcement comes months after Ming Yang unveiled a record-breaking 18 MW wind turbine with a diameter of 140 m in January. The company also unveiled its largest onshore wind turbine this week, with an 11 MW capacity and blades with a surface area equal to six football pitches.

The offshore wind industry is in a race to build ever bigger, more efficient turbines as developers look to lower costs and increase output. More massive wind turbines mean less installation and maintenance costs for the same capacity, making them attractive to investors and customers. But the industry is facing supply chain, quality and logistical constraints.

China is shifting its energy mix dramatically as it seeks to become carbon neutral by 2060. Given its diverse geography, the country is using a mix of hydropower, solar power and offshore wind farms to cut back on coal-fired power. Wind farms offer many benefits beyond generating electricity at night. They can be located in windy seas without impacting limited land resources. Typically, 10 MW turbines are used for offshore wind projects. However, larger turbines can produce more electricity without correspondingly increasing manufacturing and installation costs.

In early February, China installed a 16 MW turbine 32.8 km off the coast of Fujian Province. The $885 million project aims to install 400 MW of capacity in the second phase of the Zhangpu Liuao Wind Farm. Each 16 MW turbine installed in the project has a turbine hub 146 m high, equivalent to a 50-story building. The blades have a diameter of 252 m and a swept area of 50,000 m2. Each rotation of the turbine can produce 34.2 kWh of electricity and 66 GWh in a year, enough to supply 25,000 households. In total, the project will produce 1.6 TWh of electricity, saving 500,000 tons of coal and reducing 1.36 million tons of emissions each year.

An Khang (According to Interesting Engineering )

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