A Chinese company has launched the world’s largest wind turbine, capable of harnessing energy from even the most powerful Category 5 hurricanes.
Developed by MingYang Smart Energy, the massive Ocean X platform consists of two wind turbines arranged in a V-shape, delivering a total power output of more than 16MW.
The turbine platform, which began operations in the southern Chinese port city of Guangzhou, can produce 54,000 MWh of energy per year, enough to power 30,000 Chinese homes annually, the company said in a LinkedIn post.
The company first tested a 1/10-scale small prototype in 2020 and completed the installation of the OceanX platform at full size in April this year.
It consists of counter-rotating rotors with enormous turbine blades measuring 182 meters (597 feet) in diameter, mounted on top of a V-shaped structure.
The structure is secured by high tension cables and attached to a Y-shaped floating platform for maximum stability.
The giant platform, built from ultra-high-performance concrete, weighs about 16,500 tonnes and can operate in waters more than 35 metres (115 feet) deep, according to the company.
Mingyang says the turbine platform can withstand wind speeds of up to 260 km/h (161 mph) and waves up to 30 meters (98 feet) high, and can generate power even in Category 5 hurricane conditions.
“It is highly typhoon resistant and can withstand winds of up to 79.8 meters per second,” the company says on its website.
These types of hurricanes can cause devastating damage, destroying most wooden homes, trees, and utility poles as they move through residential areas.
Typical wind turbines would struggle under such harsh conditions, which can cause power fluctuations and premature wear on generator parts.
The company calls the new design “an adaptive system that ensures stability and safety even in extreme typhoon conditions” and hopes it will usher in “a new dawn for marine energy.”
This could be crucial for power generation in coastal China areas like Guangzhou, which are regularly hit by strong typhoons, especially in times of climate change-induced storms.
This will also contribute to China’s goal of covering one-third of the country’s electricity consumption from renewable energy by 2025.
The wind turbine platform could also contribute to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by around 56,000 tonnes by supplying green energy to thousands of homes.
