China Has Completed Its First Deep-Sea Floating Wind Farm

China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has completed the construction and installation of the nation’s first deep-sea floating wind platform, Haiyou Guanlan. This was announced on Tuesday with the company aiming to meet ‘s wind structure in order to serve the country’s ever-growing energy needs.

Haiyou Guanlan is a 5,000-meter undersea cable designed to work at a depth of 394 feet below and last for 25 years in harsh subsea conditions. Its new cable connects the floating wind platform to offshore oil and gas platforms located 136 kilometers away from Wengchang on the coast of Hainan Province, Southern China.

The new structure is expected to generate a whopping 22 million kWh annually, producing 7.25 megawatts (MW) of energy.

Haiyou Guanlan’s physical structure and wind turbine have been specifically engineered to endure powerful winds reaching a maximum velocity of 84 meters per second. This platform is intended for deployment in marine regions that are prone to severe weather conditions.

By implementing this construction, approximately 10 million cubic meters of fuel gas will be saved each year. This energy conservation will be adequate to satisfy the annual electricity needs of approximately 30,000 individuals. Furthermore, it will lead to a reduction of approximately 22,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

The development of this project significantly contributes to the country’s overall offshore wind power initiative, which encompasses a remarkable total capacity of over 30 million kilowatts, distributed among 20 wind power plants.

“The H260-18MW turbine will make a great contribution to the improvement of turbine capacity and efficiency, as well as reducing the LCOE [levelized cost of energy] of offshore wind farms,” read the company statement at the time.