China Sets New Offshore Wind Record with 26MW Turbine Unveiling

Beijing – China’s offshore wind industry has reached a new milestone with Dongfang Electric unveiling a 26-megawatt turbine, the largest of its kind. In an announcement on October 12, 2024, the company shared images of the nacelle, the core of the turbine that houses the generator, though other key components like the blades were not shown. The blades are said to have a massive diameter of 310 meters
with a hub height of 185 meters.
According to Dongfang Electric, at average wind speeds of 10 metre per second, a single turbine can generate 100 GWh a year, enough to power 55,000 homes.

Dongfang Electric, based in Chengdu, Sichuan, already produces 18MW turbines. In June 2024, one of these turbines began generating electricity off the coast of Guangdong province. However, competition among Chinese manufacturers is fierce, with companies like Mingyang Smart Energy Group and Windey Energy Technology Group also producing turbines of the same size.

In a separate announcement, Chinese wind manufacturer CRRC revealed last week that it had produced the world’s largest floating offshore wind turbine, with a capacity of 20MW.

These announcements come just ahead of China’s largest industry event, China Wind Power, set to begin on October 16 in Beijing. The event is expected to showcase the latest innovations and developments in wind energy.