Offshore Wind

Mingyang Says 20-MW Offshore Wind Turbine Installed in South China Sea

China’s Mingyang Smart Energy said it has completed installation of the company’s MySE18.X-20MW offshore wind turbine at a project in Hainan, according to a statement posted on the group’s LinkedIn page.

The company said the turbine, which it calls “the world’s largest single-capacity offshore wind turbine,” was installed at the Hainan site on August 28. The turbine is notable for its power output of up to 20 MW and its “modular, lightweight design,” with “wind rotor diameter of 260-292 meters,” according to Mingyang.

The company also touted the turbine’s environmental attributes, writing, “With an average wind speed of 8.5m/s [meters per second], it can generate 80 million kWh annually, offsetting 66,000 tons of CO₂ emissions—equivalent to the annual consumption of 96,000 residents.”

Mingyang Smart Energy said it achieved a key milestone in the offshore wind sector by installing the world’s largest single-capacity offshore wind turbine, the MySE18.X-20MW, on August 28 at a site in Hainan, China. Source: Mingyang Smart Energy

Hainan is one of China’s southernmost provinces, on the coast of the South China Sea near Vietnam. Mingyang, one of several Chinese companies building ever-larger offshore wind turbines, has said its models are well-suited for placement in deep ocean sites, and to operate in areas with high wind speeds. Chinese officials in July said the country has a plan to build 29 GW of offshore wind power generation capacity over the next few years.

Dongfang Electric, another Chinese company, in June of this year said it was completing the installation of its 18-MW semi-direct dive turbine, which is also designed for deep sea offshore installations. The company said its turbine has a rotor diameter of 260 meters and would be capable of producing 72 million kWh per year.

Mingyang in October 2023 said it was developing a larger 22-MW turbine, with a rotor diameter of more than 300 meters. The company said it expects to have a demonstration unit ready next year. Mingyang officials at the time said that model would feature stronger, more resilient blades because China can experience typhoon winds. The company has said it can continue to advance the size of its turbines due to advancements in manufacturing and lightweight carbon fiber technology.

—Darrell Proctor is senior editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).