China's Mingyang Smart Energy on Friday announced the launch of next flagship offshore wind turbine – the MySE 18.X-28X - "going beyond the 18MW threshold." This means that, at the time of writing, this is the most powerful offshore wind turbine announced so far.
According to the company, the MySE 18.X-28X, with 140-meter-long blades and a rotor diameter of over 280 meters, can sweep a 66,052 m2 area, equal to the area of nine football fields.
"Under an annual average wind speed of 8.5m/s, each turbine can generate 80 GWh of electricity per year, sufficient to supply 96,000 residents, while reducing CO2 emissions by 66,000 tonnes," the company said in a social media post.
"When compared to the installation of 13MW models, the higher output of the MySE18.X-28X would save 18 units required for a 1GW wind farm, shaving off construction costs by 120,000 - 150,000 USD/MW," the company said.
"Going beyond the 18MW threshold, MySE 18.X-28X is the epitome of Mingyang’s consistent innovations and comprehensive upgrade on the proven hybrid-drive technology.
"The modular and lightweight design, as well as the use of holographic sensing MPC and digital twin DTC technology, serve as the basis for MySE18.X-28X’s intelligent, efficient, and reliable operations against the most extreme ocean conditions, such as a level-17 typhoon with wind speeds >56.1 m/s," Mingyang said.
"With the new MySE 18.X-28X, Mingyang has taken a major step toward accelerating the green energy transition by driving LCoE reductions and technological breakthroughs for the offshore wind industry," Mingyang added.
The company did not say when the construction of the first MySE 18.X–28X units would start.
Interestingly, this is the second 18 MW offshore wind turbine announcement from a Chinese developer in less than a week.
Namely, China's CSSC Haizhuang said it is working to build the H260-18MW offshore wind turbine, which it said would break a global record with an 18MW capacity rating. The turbine will have a giant 260-meter-diameter rotor.
According to CSSC Haizhuang, the H260-18MW offshore turbine has a swept area of 53,000 square meters, equivalent to the area of seven standard football fields.
First Blade Built for Mingyang's 16MW Turbine
Worth noting, Mingyang Smart Energy’s blade factory in Shantou, Guangdong recently completed production of the first MySE260 blade for the upgraded MySE 16-260 offshore wind turbine, which the company said set a new record for the world's longest anti-typhoon blade following the Asia's longest 111.5-meter blade released in June 2022)
Mingyang said that, with the MySE260 blade, the MySE 16-260 offshore wind turbine features a 260-meter rotor diameter and 53902 m2 swept area, capable of generating 67 million kWh.