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A 16 MW floating wind turbine has been installed in the South China Sea. China Three Gorges (CTG) Corporation, which developed the project, claims it is the largest floating machine of its kind, excluding platforms with twin turbines.
The Sanxia Linghang project, also known as Three Gorges Pilot, is located off Yangjiang, in China’s Guangdong province. Installed 70 kilometres from the coast, in a sea area where water depth exceeds 50 metres, the platform consists of a 16 MW wind turbine, a semi-submersible floating structure and a seabed mooring system.
Mounted on a platform 80.8 metres long and 91 metres wide, the machine has a rotor diameter of 252 metres. The area swept by the blades is roughly equivalent to seven football fields, while the blade tip height exceeds 270 metres above the surface. A large part of the turbine assembly was completed on land, at the port of Tieshan in southern China. It was then towed out to sea and assembled at its final location for testing.
Pan Hongguan, an offshore wind engineer at CTG’s Guangdong branch, said the project incorporates several new technologies, including a novel mooring system, an active ballast system, a smart monitoring system, and a 66 kV dynamic subsea cable.
The turbine is expected to generate 44.65 GWh of electricity annually
CTG says the floating wind unit has been designed for harsh offshore conditions. The corporation claims it can withstand waves higher than 20 metres and wind speeds of up to 264 kilometres per hour.
The project builds on the company’s earlier undertaking – Sanxia Yinling, or Three Gorges Leader – a 5.5 MW floating wind turbine that entered operation in 2021.
The company said the new platform has three times the capacity of its predecessor, while the cost per kilowatt has been reduced by more than 50%, and key equipment has been fully sourced locally. CTG also says it is the largest floating wind turbine, excluding twin-turbine units.
The system is expected to generate 44.65 GWh of electricity per year, enough to supply approximately 24,000 households, according to the company’s statement.
Chinese companies compete in the development of floating wind turbines
China’s offshore wind turbine segment has enjoyed strong growth in recent years, while several Chinese companies are competing in the field of high-capacity floating units. Ming Yang Smart Energy installed the 16.6 MW OceanX floating wind turbine in 2024. Unlike CTG’s platform, OceanX consists of two turbines.
In January last year, China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) installed its 20 MW Qihang floating wind turbine prototype for testing at a site in Shandong province.
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