China sets new standard in wind energy innovation with the installation of a 26 MW offshore wind turbine, marking a world record.

China Deploys World's Most Powerful Offshore Wind Turbine

China has taken a significant step forward in offshore wind energy with the deployment of the world's most powerful turbine, boasting a capacity of 26 MW. This development marks a powerful symbol of how China is not just keeping pace but setting the pace in offshore wind.

The turbine, manufactured by Dongfang Electric, has a blade wheel diameter of over 310 meters and a hub height of 185 meters. It is engineered to withstand winds of up to 200 kilometers per hour and can produce 100 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually with average winds of 10 meters per second. The deployment of this turbine is expected to cut coal consumption by 30,000 tons and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80,000 tons.

China's advantages in offshore wind energy lie in integrated supply chains, state-backed financing, policy support, and rapid technological improvements. Dongfang Electric, the company behind the world-record setting turbine, has also made history by installing the world's largest wind turbine with a capacity of 26 MW. This turbine has three 153-meter-long rotor blades and stands nearly 340 meters high from the sea surface, almost as tall as the Berlin TV Tower.

Earlier this month, Dongfang Electric shipped the world's heaviest nacelle, along with its three giant blades, to the site. The turbine is designed for offshore areas with wind speeds of eight meters per second and above.

The contrast in offshore wind energy development is stark between China and Western players like the US, Europe, and Japan, where projects have stalled due to high financing costs, supply chain strains, and declining subsidies. China, on the other hand, is expected to install nearly three out of every four of the world's new offshore turbines this year.

Provinces like Guangdong are targeting ambitious capacity growth, with 17 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2025, more than any single country outside China has achieved to date. The country's largest turbine makers, including Dongfang, Goldwind, and Ming Yang Smart Energy, are pushing beyond domestic waters, but foreign expansion has proven slower due to limited operational track records and political scrutiny overseas.

Yujia Han, a researcher with Global Energy Monitor, stated that China's large and diverse market provides domestic companies with the skills and innovation needed to build global competitiveness. The median cost of offshore wind power in China is now less than half that of the UK, the world's second-largest market.

The new 26 MW turbine reflects the trend toward ever-larger machines as developers push further offshore in search of stronger winds and lower costs. However, the turbine must still undergo fatigue testing before full certification. Despite this, it is clear that China's dominance in offshore wind energy is growing, setting a powerful example for the rest of the world.

The turbine was shipped to a testing and certification base, marking the beginning of a new era in offshore wind energy for China and the world.

China sets new standard in wind energy innovation with the installation of a 26 MW offshore wind turbine, marking a world record.