On August 11, the world's largest single-unit floating wind power platform named OceanX set sail from Nansha, Guangzhou, heading for the offshore wind farm in Yangjiang for installation.
Developed autonomously by the Zhongshan-based Mingyang Group, the wind power platform can be applied in extensive sea areas with water depths exceeding 35 meters. After its official operation, it will generate an average of 54 million kWh of electricity annually, meeting the daily electricity needs of 30,000 households for a year.
(Photo: Jiang Jianzhuo)
The voyage covers approximately 191 nautical miles and is expected to take about 72 hours. After departing from Nansha Port, the platform will sail along the outbound channel of Guangzhou Port into the Pearl River Estuary, passing through the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge before navigating out of Lingding Bay.
The platform will then continue westward, passing through Zhuhai, Jiangmen, and the Nanpeng Island Offshore Wind Farm in Yangjiang, ultimately heading towards its destination.
Notably, OceanX can reduce costs by over 50% and has achieved several global firsts. Its floating foundation is the world's first made from ultra-high-performance concrete with a compressive strength exceeding 115 MPa, four times that of ordinary concrete.
The pontoon also adopts a world-first design featuring a "glass fiber shell + XPS core material + protective coating material" solution, breaking through the limitations of traditional pure steel or steel-concrete structures. Furthermore, the platform boasts global innovations in its wing-shaped twin towers, dual main engines, dual rotors, and cable system.
Wang Chao, Chief Designer of Mingyang Group's floating wind turbine platform, said, "Compared to land, offshore wind resources have exceptional characteristics. Firstly, the average wind speed and air density are higher, allowing for greater utilization of wind energy. Secondly, offshore wind farms are typically located away from densely populated coastal areas, and their operational lifespan can reach 25 years, compared to 20 years for onshore facilities, enabling them to generate more electricity over a longer period."
According to Chen Faqiao, the project leader of the OceanX floating offshore wind power platform, since the beginning of the hoisting of this floating wind turbine, it has attracted the attention of many industrial associations at home and abroad. Especially after the completion of the hoisting, some overseas wind power developers and clients have come to Zhongshan for visits and research.
Reporter | Abby
Editor | Nan, James
