World’s Largest Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Installed in Guangdong

China Three Gorges Corporation announced on the 3rd that the “Three Gorges Navigator,” the world’s largest floating offshore wind turbine with a single unit capacity of 16 megawatts, was successfully installed in the waters off Yangjiang, Guangdong, on the evening of the 2nd. The completion marks a major breakthrough in China’s deep-sea floating offshore wind power technology.

Located more than 70 kilometers offshore in waters over 50 meters deep, the “Three Gorges Navigator” comprises three key components: a 16MW ultra-large capacity wind turbine, a semi-submersible floating platform and a new mooring system. Its wind turbine has an impeller diameter of 252 meters, with a swept area equivalent to seven standard football pitches, and the maximum height of its blade tip exceeds 270 meters.

The waters where the platform is situated pose significant challenges to its installation and operation, with maximum wave heights exceeding 20 meters and peak wind speeds reaching 73 meters per second. To overcome these hurdles, a range of new technologies and materials have been independently developed and applied domestically for the first time.

The semi-submersible floating platform, measuring approximately 80 meters long and 90 meters wide with a displacement of 24,000 tons, is moored and positioned on the seabed by nine suction anchors, paired with domestically produced high-performance polyester fiber cables and anchor chains. The polyester fiber cables, a first application in China’s offshore wind power sector, boast high elasticity, strength and durability.

When the unit is impacted by wind and waves, the polyester fiber cables can effectively absorb wave energy through elastic deformation, reducing the rigid impact on the equipment structure. Each cable can withstand a maximum pull of 1,300 tons and resist corrosion and fatigue in the marine environment for a long time, representing an important breakthrough in China’s high-end mooring materials field.

A proactive ballast system, also a domestic first in offshore wind power, further ensures the platform’s stability. During daily operation, the system adjusts the water volume in three column tanks automatically to control the platform’s attitude, reducing its sway amplitude in wind and waves.

The platform also addresses power transmission challenges in complex sea conditions with its 66kV domestic dynamic submarine cable, another pioneering application. Designed with a wave structure, the cable maintains a safe shape underwater through reasonable arrangement of buoyancy and gravity blocks, as well as anti-bending protection devices. Xinhua News Agency reported that such high-voltage cables can reduce the number of cables needed by 30%, lowering wind farm costs significantly.

Looking ahead, the successful installation of the “Three Gorges Navigator” will lay a solid foundation for the development of China’s deep-sea wind power industry. It will also provide valuable experience for promoting large-scale application of floating offshore wind power technology, contributing to the country’s green energy transition and high-quality marine economic development.