A Chinese company is building a colossal 16 MW offshore wind turbine

Zhongshan, China-headquartered MingYang Smart Energy is in the process of building the largest offshore wind turbine yet: the MySE 16.0-242 wind turbine. Once it launches, it will dwarf the 14-megawatt (MW) GE Haliade-X. Why do they keep getting bigger?

The MySE 16.0-242 is a 16-MW, 794-foot-tall (242-m) offshore wind turbine that will be able to power 20,000 homes per unit over a 25-year service life.

A single MySE 16.0-242 turbine will generate 80,000 MWh of electricity annually. It will produce 45% more energy than MingYang’s previous turbine model, the MySE 11.0-203.

When MingYang’s newest wind turbine powers up, its three 387-foot (118-m) blades will sweep a 495,140-square-foot (46,000-sq-m) area – the equivalent of more than six soccer fields.

One of these turbines will be able to eliminate more than 1.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the course of its life.

MingYang also says that its newest wind turbine will be capable of operating either anchored to the seafloor or on a floating base.

Here are its specs:

Nameplate capacity: 16MW
Height: 866 feet (264 m)
Blade length: 387 feet (118 m)
Rotor diameter: 794 feet (242 m)
Annual energy production: 80 million kWh

Unlike the prototype of GE’s Haliade-X 14 turbine, which as of this week is now operational, the MySE 16.0-242 is still in development. The prototype is scheduled for rollout in 2022, installation in the first half of 2023, and commercial production in the first half of 2024.

Why do offshore wind turbine manufacturers keep producing larger and larger prototypes? In a word, cost. Huge turbines increase energy capacity, creating economies of scale that drive the cost of energy per megawatt-hour down.

In turn, reduced costs, as well as the development of floating offshore wind farms, could greatly increase the number of potential sites offshore. It’s just smart business.

Photo: MingYang Smart Energy

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