China develops 22 MW wind turbine

China's Ming Yang smart energy company will develop the world's largest new offshore wind turbine, with blades nearly as long as the Eiffel Tower.

Installing the blades of a wind turbine. Photo: iStock — Installing the blades of a wind turbine. Photo: *iStock*

Ming Yang company says its goal is to develop a 22-megawatt (MW) turbine with a rotor diameter of over 310 meters, capturing more wind and producing more electricity than any current turbine, Interesting Engineering reported on October 20. According to a company spokesperson, they hope to build a prototype by 2024 or 2025.

The announcement comes months after Ming Yang unveiled its record-breaking 18 MW wind turbine with a diameter of 140 meters in January of this year. The company also revealed the largest onshore wind turbine this week, with a capacity of 11 MW and blades covering a surface area equivalent to six football fields.

The offshore wind industry is witnessing a race to build larger and more efficient turbines as developers seek to lower costs and increase output. More massive wind turbines mean lower installation and maintenance costs for the same capacity, making them attractive to investors and customers. However, the industry is facing supply chain issues, quality concerns, and logistical constraints.

China is significantly shifting its energy sources in an effort to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Due to its diverse geography, the country is using a combination of hydropower, solar power, and offshore wind farms to reduce coal-fired power generation. Wind farms offer numerous benefits beyond nighttime electricity production. They can be located in windy areas without impacting limited land resources. Typically, 10 MW turbines are used for offshore wind projects. However, larger turbines can produce higher amounts of electricity without a corresponding increase in manufacturing and installation costs.

In early February this year, 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 phase 2 of the Zhangpu Liuao wind farm. Each 16 MW turbine installed in the project has a turbine shaft height of 146 m, equivalent to a 50-story building. The rotor blades have a diameter of 252 m and a sweeping area of 50,000 m2. Each rotation, the turbine can produce 34.2 kWh of electricity and 66 GWh per 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 greenhouse gas emissions annually.

An Khang (According to Interesting Engineering )

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