A Chinese company has embarked on installing the world’s largest single-capacity floating wind turbine platform.
MingYang Smart Energy’s new design, called Ocean X, was launched from the southern Chinese port city of Guangzhou to its final destination, the Qingzhou IV offshore wind farm in Yangjiang, Guangdong.
According to the company, the journey, which spans 191 nautical miles, is expected to be completed in 72 hours.
The Ocean The 54,000 MWh of annual production capacity could supply around 30,000 Chinese homes.
“The overall draft of the OceanX is 5.5m and the total drainage of the platform is approximately 12,000 tonnes. To ensure safe passage, it has carefully adjusted its massive blades to minimize the platform’s aerial profile, which demonstrates safety and precision,” the company said in a message on LinkedIn.
In December 2023, the company presented the first typhoon-proof wind turbine in history, with a power of 18 MW.
The OceanX platform is towed for installation at the Qingzhou IV offshore wind farm in Yangjiang.
Strengthening offshore wind power
As part of a global effort to phase out fossil fuels, solar and wind power installations have gained popularity and are being touted as the primary energy sources of the future.
Wind turbines can operate continuously, although their electricity output may fluctuate, while solar farms are limited in that they cannot produce electricity at night.
Over the years, wind turbines have grown in size, producing more electricity with each rotation. Originally, the goal was to move wind turbines offshore to save land for activities such as agriculture. However, the benefits of capturing faster ocean winds have led to the rise of the offshore wind farming industry.
Mingyang aims to contribute to the global transition to sustainable energy through innovative floating offshore wind technologies.
These include the MySE 5.5 MW and MySE 7.25 MW systems, as well as an advanced 16.6 MW floating wind turbine (OceanX dual-rotor). Designed to capture wind energy in deep waters, these systems can operate efficiently up to 100 kilometers from shore and at depths of 100 meters.
Competing with global leaders like Siemens Gamesa and local competitors like GoldWind and CSSC Haizhuang, MingYang’s turbines range in diameter from 853 to 958 feet (260-292 meters) and can sweep an area equivalent to nine football fields. With an annual capacity of 80 million kWh in eastern Guangdong, these turbines can power 96,000 homes and reduce CO2 emissions by 66,000 tons. Designed for medium to high wind speeds, they incorporate “active anti-typhoon technology” to withstand Category 17 typhoons with wind speeds of up to 61 m/s.
Advanced wind solutions
MingYang has created the new OceanX platform, which was built in partnership with Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company and China State Shipbuilding Corporation.
In 2020, a 1:10 scale prototype was tested, and the company completed the installation of the OceanX platform at its original scale in April of this year.
Atop a V-shaped structure are its two
rotors counter-rotating, each driven by MySE16.6(T) wind turbines whose blades have a diameter of 182 meters. To ensure optimal stability, this structure is installed on a Y-shaped floating platform and reinforced by high tension guy wires.
The floating platform, which weighs approximately 16,500 tonnes (15,000 tonnes), is designed to operate in waters deeper than 35 meters, allowing it to maximize offshore wind resources.
According to MingYang, the turbines’ full yaw capability further increases their efficiency. The platform construction uses ultra-high performance concrete to improve durability and economics.
OceanX uses a single-point mooring system, which reduces its influence on the marine environment and increases stability, even in typhoons.
In addition, the platform can withstand gusts of 260 km/h and waves of 30 meters in Category 5 hurricane conditions. It is impressive to see that when facing into the wind, it can still produce electricity in these difficult conditions.