China has completed the installation of an 18 MW wind turbine. This achievement was achieved by Dongfang Electric Corporation, a state-owned wind turbine manufacturer, on June 5, with the installation of a single turbine at a coastal test base in southern China’s Guangdong province.
A breakthrough in renewable energy
As countries look to phase out fossil fuels and increase their reliance on renewable energy, wind turbines are seeing a big push.
To take advantage of strong offshore winds, manufacturers have focused on making bigger and better turbines that can power multiple homes with a single turn of their blades.
The largest wind turbine in the world
At the China Wind Power event in October last year, DongFang presented two models of its 18 MW wind turbines, the largest in the world in terms of rated power. Less than a year later, it has successfully completed the installation of this enormous infrastructure.
How big is an 18 MW turbine? The diameter of the turbine’s rotor is an impressive 260 metres, and it sweeps an area of more than 53,000 square metres, slightly larger than seven standard-sized football fields.
Environmental and energy impact
The company estimates that the turbine will generate 72 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy annuallyenough to meet the energy demands of 36,000 homes.
More importantly, it will achieve this by avoiding the burning of 22,000 tons of coal and the emission of 59,000 tons of carbon dioxide.
Innovations in the Chinese Wind Industry
Interestingly, DongFang is not the only company in China that owns an 18 MW turbine. EcoInventos previously reported on MingYang Smart Energy’s 18 MW turbine, which can exceed 20 MW of power on windier days.
Size Matters, But Only in China
An example of how much power a large turbine can generate on a good day was seen last year when a 16 MW turbine faced wind speeds of 83 km/h. In 24 hours, the turbine produced 384 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy, enough to power 170,000 homes.
At the time, the South China Morning Post reported how the turbine designed by another Chinese OEM, GoldWind, could adjust its blades and continue generating power instead of shutting down, as has been the norm in the industry.
International Comparison
However, this trend of making larger wind turbines is only seen among Chinese manufacturers. European equipment maker Vestas, which held the previous record for maximum power output from a turbine, has no plans to build turbines larger than 16 MW.
GE Electric, another turbine manufacturer in the West, also considered the idea of making a 17-18 MW version of its popular Haliade series of wind turbines. Earlier this year, the parent company abandoned plans, citing losses in the offshore business and focusing its working capital on fulfilling a backlog of orders rather than developing new products.
Via www.dongfang.com.cn
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