World’s Largest Offshore Wind Turbines Enter Testing Phase In China

Chinese manufacturers are stepping up their attempts to develop larger turbines for offshore wind farms.

Two of the largest turbines ever built, Envision Energy’s 16.7 MW prototype and Dongfang Electric’s 18 MW prototype, have begun testing, with plans for even larger turbines underway.

The manufacturers compete for dominance in the domestic market and plan to expand their presence in the international wind turbine industry.

Envision Energy, established in Shanghai in 2007, has recently installed the largest offshore wind turbine in the world, the prototype EN-256/16.7, to the grid based in Shenyang, China.

This achievement marks a significant milestone in the Chinese offshore wind power industry, steering it at the forefront of significant global tech advancements.

The EN-256/16.7 is the world’s largest wind turbine and the first-ever “carbon neutral” offshore megawatt wind turbine based in China.

Building on the foundation of the EN-252/14 model, the EN-256/16.7 boosts technological innovations in several aspects, such as delivery, manufacturing, hoisting, and maintenance.

This turbine is designed to perform optimally in the challenging conditions of deep-sea environments.

Core components like blades, gearboxes, and electrical systems pass rigorous type certification tests.

Envision’s robust offshore wind turbine supply network spans the Chinese coastal waters, and its production units can produce almost 10GW.

The network supports the delivery of large wind turbines to markets with wind speeds across Zhejiang, Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Shandong.

The huge success of the CGN Huizhou assignment, which used 19 Envision turbines, including the EN-252/14 and EN-226/8.5 models, underscores the performance and reliability of Envision’s offshore wind turbines.

The turbines have been operating stably for over six months, reflecting robust delivery capabilities.

Addressing issues presented by deep-sea cases, Envision has developed innovative solutions for transporting, hoisting, and maintaining enormous wind turbines.

The turbines’ modular design permits easy component replacement, lowering offshore operation time and enhancing efficiency.

Envision’s single-blade self-developed horizontal replacement hoist also enables the maintenance of large-scale blades under adverse conditions like typhoons.

In January, the EN-256/16.7 unit reportedly rolled off the production line at Sheyang Zero Carbon Industrial Park, highlighting Envision’s dedication to low-carbon material, intelligent designs, and zero-carbon manufacturing.

Dongfang Electric has expanded the scope of offshore wind energy by completing the installation of its 18 MW semi-direct drive turbine.

The turbine, built in April, has been relocated to a coastal test site in Guangdong Province, southeast China, near Hong Kong.

The 18 MW turbine has an 853-foot (260-meter) rotor diameter and is designed modularly with an integrated shaft system, gearbox, and generator to improve reliability and efficiency.

According to the firm, the turbine can generate 72 million kWh annually and comes equipped with a maintenance lifting system.

Dongfang’s achievement demonstrates the industry’s rapid advancements.

In 2013, it installed its first offshore wind turbine, a 5 MW unit.

Six years later, in 2019, they installed Asia’s first 10 MW unit, followed by the region’s first 13 MW unit in 2022.

Dongfang claims to have more than a third of the Chinese market share for turbines larger than 10 MW.

Reference: Windmills Tech, Electrek

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