The world's largest 16-megawatt offshore wind turbine stands in an offshore wind farm off the coast of Fujian Province on June 28, 2023. Photo: Yang Ruoyu/GT

On the vast seas of China, a massive group of wind chasers have earned an international reputation as they set up wind turbines in the turbulent waves, harnessing the power of the sea breeze to illuminate countless households. 

Recently, these wind chasers ushered in an exciting milestone.

On Wednesday, with the completion of the final blade's mounting, the world's first 16-megawatt offshore wind turbine was successfully installed in East China's Fujian Province on the offshore wind farm owned by the China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG). 

Once operational, it will become the largest single-unit capacity offshore wind turbine in the world, capable of generating over 66 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually, which can meet the annual power needs of 36,000 three-person households. 

This also marks a significant breakthrough in China's high-end equipment manufacturing capability and deep-sea offshore wind construction capability, joining the league of global green energy generation leaders.

On Wednesday, Global Times reporters embarked on a marine patrol from the Changle district of Fuzhou. After a two-and-a-half-hour journey, a gigantic white "windmill" came into view on the vast blue sea. This was the newly installed 16-megawatt offshore wind turbine. The center height of the wind turbine hub is 152 meters, the weight of the engine room and the generator combination is 385 tons. Each blade weighs 54 tons and is 123 meters long, able to accommodate 300 adults standing side by side. The rotor sweep area is about 50,000 square meters, roughly equivalent to 7 standard soccer fields.

Lei Zengjuan, executive director of CTG Fujian, revealed that the turbine has established a path from technological innovation to large-scale commercial application since its design. Significant breakthroughs have been made in the research, development, and manufacturing of key core components such as the wind turbine's main shaft bearings, blades, and transmission chains. It is characterized by a high localization rate and a high degree of digitalization, especially marking the end of China's history of being unable to independently research and manufacture large-capacity offshore wind turbine main shaft bearings.

The waters where this wind turbine is located are one of the world's three major stormy maritime areas. Influenced by the "narrow channel effect" of the Taiwan Straits, this area experiences strong winds, high waves, and fast currents, making it the "devil's wind zone." 

This 16-megawatt "steel giant" stands against the wind, with hundreds of sensors and a laser radar on its cabin, which can sense temperature, humidity, and wind speed, digitally tracking the operation status of the unit and adjusting the wind turbine's angle and power in adverse weather conditions. This improves the adaptability of the wind turbine, allowing it to be widely used in China's southeastern coastal areas, countries along the Maritime Silk Road, and European and continental American countries.

Graphic: GT

"At a time when global wind power technology is developing rapidly, large-capacity wind turbines can effectively reduce the number of units of the same installed size, significantly reduce the cost of construction, which is an important way to increase efficiency in offshore wind power, and greatly promote the upgrading of China's offshore wind power industry," Zeng Jianping, general manager of CTG Fujian, told the Global Times.

China has always been a country that has embraced the ocean throughout history. In the new era, this country has "planted" rows of "windmills" in a modern way. In recent years, China's offshore wind power installed capacity has continued to grow, becoming an important driver in the country's energy transformation. As of March 2023, the cumulative grid-connected installed capacity of offshore wind power in the country was about 30.89 million kilowatts, and the installed scale has ranked top globally for two consecutive years.

Graphic:GT

Experts pointed out that China's emphasis on the development of offshore wind power not only aims to drive regional economic growth and gradually achieve shared prosperity for all its people, but also considers the need to build a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

The continuous breakthroughs in core technology and the accelerated industrialization and localization of major equipment will help China's offshore wind power to enter the era of cost parity comprehensively during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), providing a continuous source of momentum for the green transformation of the country's economy and society.

Construction workers work on the conduit frames of the 16-megawatt offshore wind turbine on June 24, 2023. Photo: Xinhua

The tower barrels of the 16-megawatt wind turbine are transported to the world's first 2000-ton fourth-generation offshore wind installation platform, the Baihetan, on June 24, 2023. Photo: Courtesy of CTG

Technicians use a crane to hoist a blade to be mounted on the 16-megawatt offshore wind turbine on June 28, 2023. Photo: Courtesy of CTG

Officers from the Fujian Maritime Safety Administration oversee the 16-megawatt offshore wind turbine on a marine patrol ship on June 28, 2023. Photo: Zhu Sheng