On December 11th, the world's largest single-unit capacity floating wind farm was officially commissioned in Yangjiang, Guangdong Province, marking a new chapter in exploring deep-sea energy resources.
The platform, independently developed by Mingyang Group, is a global first, featuring two 8.3-megawatt offshore wind turbines mounted on a single floating foundation. With a total installed capacity of 16.6 megawatts, it is currently the largest floating wind farm in the world. The platform, with a displacement of approximately 15,000 tonnes, is operational in the Mingyang Yangjiang Qingzhou IV offshore wind farm, located approximately 70 kilometers offshore and in waters with a depth of about 45 meters. It is expected to provide around 54 million kWh of green electricity annually to meet the electricity needs of 30,000 three-person households.
Unlike traditional wind turbine structures, the two turbines on this platform stand side by side, with their rotors spinning in opposite directions. This design enhances wind speeds in the middle area between the rotors, resulting in increased electrical energy conversion from air kinetic energy. It boosts power generation by 4.29% compared to a large rotor turbine with the same swept area.
Furthermore, the platform underwent testing of its small-power unit in island mode, verifying its autonomous survival capability and stability when operating independently of the grid.
Mingyang Group will proceed with planned operational tests and comparisons with design parameters to ensure the wind farm operates under optimal conditions.
Author | Feng Huiting
Photo | Zhang Ling
Editor | Liu Lingzhi, James, Shen He
