In Hainan, China, Mingyang Smart Energy has constructed the largest offshore wind turbine in the world, with a staggering 20 MW capacity. This enormous turbine raises the bar for offshore wind energy by surpassing its predecessor, the 18 MW model that was first introduced in 2023.
This turbine, called the MySE18.X-20MW, is built with great reliability, lightweight efficiency, and modular design. With a diameter ranging from 260 to 292 meters (853 to 958 feet), the massive rotor covers an area of 66,966 square meters, or more than 12 NFL football fields. An astounding 80 million kWh of electricity may be produced by the turbine each year, enough to power about 96,000 houses. Its robust design allows it to withstand severe weather conditions, including level-17 typhoons with wind speeds of up to 79.8 meters per second (178.5 mph).
This kind of project is very vital in taking the clean energy sector to the next stage and bringing down production costs. According to an International Renewable Energy Agency report, considerable cost reductions have been noted in offshore wind energy. The levelized cost of energy for offshore wind dropped from $0.197/kWh to $0.081/kWh between 2010 and 2022 and is now 17% more expensive than the cheapest fossil fuel options. In total capacity added, however, it sees offshore wind beat out other renewables, like solar and hydropower, by a mile because of the constant, strong winds out at sea.
Mingyang, however, is not content; it plans for an even larger 22 MW turbine whose rotor sweeps 75,477 square meters. As offshore wind technology continues to evolve (it promises to play a key role in meeting the world’s growing energy demands) with ever-larger turbines producing clean energy more efficiently than before.