World’s biggest wind turbine – 26 MW – rolls off production line in China

Chinese state-owned manufacturer Dongfang Electric says it has completed the production of a mammoth 26MW offshore wind turbine, by far the most powerful turbine yet to roll off the production line.

Dongfang Electric shared photos of the huge turbine dwarfing company employees on social media.

Designed to operate in areas with wind speeds of 8 metres per second (m/s) and above, the turbine is also built to withstand typhoons.

And, if it were to operate in an area with average wind speeds of 10m/s, a single unit would be capable of generating 100GWh of clean energy each year – enough to power 55,000 homes on its own.

A single unit would therefore be able to cut standard coal consumption by 30,000 tonnes and reduce CO2 emissions by 80,000 tonnes.  

State-owned media outlets were also in attendance for the unveiling, reporting that the turbine would operate with a blade swept area of over 310 metres, and that the hub height would measure at 185 metres.

Though it has not actually been installed anywhere, the 26MW offshore wind turbine is easily the largest of its kind in the world.

In late August, Chinese renewable energy equipment manufacturer Mingyang Smart Energy took the lead in the race to build, install, and operate the world’s largest wind turbine when it completed the installation of a 20MW turbine – which is capable of generating 80GWh each year and a swept area of between 260 to 292 metres.

If Dongfang Electric are able to install its new 26MW anytime soon, it will skip away with the lead, as there have been very few reports of a turbine that could match it.