0102030405
World’s First 20-MW Offshore Wind Turbine Connected to Grid
2026-02-12
Source: China Energy News Network
It was learned from China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) that on February 5, the world’s first 20‑megawatt offshore wind turbine completed commissioning in the sea area of southern Fujian and was successfully connected to the grid for power generation. This marks a new milestone in China’s R&D, manufacturing, offshore construction and operation capabilities for ultra‑large‑capacity wind turbines.
"Since the completion of hoisting on January 13, the commissioning team has overcome challenges such as monsoons in southern Fujian and complex sea conditions. They efficiently completed static commissioning including nacelle function tests, hub signal tests, typhoon resistance and safety function tests, and successfully realized grid connection. This has laid a solid foundation for high‑standard scientific research in the follow‑up stage," said Jiang Guangqiu, Deputy General Manager of Fujian Branch of China Three Gorges Corporation and Director of Fujian Provincial Engineering Research Center for Efficient Development and Utilization of Offshore Wind Power.
The world’s first 20‑MW offshore wind turbine has a hub height of 174 meters, equivalent to a 58‑story building. Its rotor diameter reaches 300 meters, with a swept area equal to 10 standard football fields. Under rated working conditions, the annual power generation of the turbine exceeds80 million kWh, which can replace about 22 000 tons of standard coal.
The 20‑MW offshore wind turbine connected to the grid this time is a key project under the National Key R&D Program “Renewable Energy Technology” and has been listed in the 5th batch of major technical equipment of the first (set) in the energy sector by the National Energy Administration. It has achieved independent control of the entire industrial chain and 100% localization of key components, with innovative breakthroughs in three major technical fields: lightweight design, intelligent monitoring system and high‑efficiency aerodynamic performance.
In terms of lightweight design, the unit weight of the whole turbine (including nacelle, hub and blades) is less than 40 tons per megawatt, more than 20% lower than the industry average, effectively reducing hoisting difficulty and foundation construction cost. In terms of intelligent monitoring system, a multi‑dimensional sensing safety early‑warning system has been established by integrating lidar and blade root load sensors, strongly ensuring the autonomous and safe operation of the turbine under unmanned offshore conditions. In terms of high‑efficiency aerodynamic performance, the turbine adopts independently developed airfoil blades with a wind energy utilization coefficient of 0.49, significantly improving wind capture and power generation efficiency.