Chinese firm MingYang Smart Energy has launched what is set to become the world’s largest and most powerful offshore wind turbine.
As indicated by the name, the MySE 16.0-242 will have a generation capacity of 16MW and a rotor diameter of 242 metres. Each blade will be 118 metres long.
The turbine is expected to enter commercial production in the first half of 2024 following the installation of a prototype in the first half of 2023.
“The launch of our new largest wind turbine, MySE 16.0-242, is an apt illustration of the three essential drivers to technology evolution – demand, combination and iteration,” said Qiying Zhang, president and chief technology officer of Ming Yang Smart Energy.
“In response to demand for anti-typhoon wind turbines in coastal Guangdong, MingYang systematically develops high-quality products by collaborating with global supply chain partners and integrating cutting-edge technologies from industries such as aerospace, materials, and big data.”
“Over the years, we have gained over 10GW cumulative track record and iteration experience with hybrid drive technology. These enable us to have a rapid learning curve in product R&D and position us well to become an offshore wind leader.”
Recent years have seen rapid growth in the size and power of turbines offered by manufacturers.
The largest currently in operation is GE Renewable Energy’s 12MW Haliade-X model – a prototype of which was installed in Rotterdam in 2019. SSE Renewables and Equinor have chosen an upgraded 13MW version to power the first two phases of the 3.6GW Dogger Bank offshore windfarm.
The previous record holder was Vestas’ V164 model, of which the latest version has a generation capacity of 10MW.
In May last year, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy unveiled a 14MW turbine, which was expected to become commercially available in 2024 following the installation of a prototype later this year. The turbine was chosen by Innogy to power the 1.4GW Sofia offshore windfarm which is now owned by RWE.
In February of this year, Vestas unveiled an even larger 15MW turbine, which was first expected to be installed as a prototype in 2022 before entering commercial production in 2024.