"Incredible! This Giant Wind Turbine Can Sweep a Football Field Per Spin!"

 

The China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) is taking offshore wind energy to new heights with the construction of the largest and most powerful wind turbine ever. This incredible machine boasts a peak output of 18 megawatts and a massive 260-meter (853-ft) diameter on its three-bladed rotor.

The size of a wind turbine plays a crucial role in its efficiency. The longer the blades, the greater the swept area, and the more energy that can be harvested from a single pole. In the offshore wind industry, the cost of sea-bed foundations is significant, so the ability to generate more energy from fewer locations is a major advantage. The CSSC Haizhuang H260-18MW, with its massive 260-meter (853-ft) diameter on its three-bladed rotor, is set to revolutionize the industry with its ability to sweep a football field per spin and generate a peak output of 18 megawatts. This incredible wind turbine is proof of how advancements in size and technology can lead to significant improvements in the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of offshore wind energy.

The CSSC Haizhuang H260-18MW is not only the largest wind turbine ever built but also sets a new standard in terms of efficiency. The previous record holder, the MingYang Smart Energy MySE 16.0-242, used 118-m (387 ft) blades to sweep a 46,000-sq-m (495,140-sq-ft) area. However, the CSSC Haizhuang H260-18MW turbine increases the blade length by 8.5%, to 128 m (420 ft), resulting in a 15.2% increase in swept area to 53,000 sq m (570,490 sq ft). This makes it the most efficient wind turbine in terms of energy harvesting, and it's set to make a significant impact in the offshore wind energy industry.

The CSSC Haizhuang H260-18MW wind turbine is truly impressive in terms of size and efficiency. To put its size into perspective, it can sweep an area of 53,000 sq m (570,490 sq ft), which is equivalent to 9.9 standard NFL football fields. This is a significant increase from the previous record holder, the MingYang Smart Energy MySE 16.0-242, which could sweep an area of 46,000 sq m (495,140 sq ft) - equivalent to 8.6 standard NFL football fields. Under peak conditions, the H260-18MW machine can generate 44.8 kWh of energy every time it spins, making it the most efficient wind turbine in terms of energy harvesting.

It is interesting to note that despite its larger size, the CSSC Haizhuang H260-18MW wind turbine promises to generate less power at the end of the day than the smaller MingYang turbine.

According to CSSC, the new size king of offshore wind, "can output more than 74 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity per year, which can meet the annual electricity consumption of 40,000 households of three," while MingYang says that "a single MySE 16.0-242 turbine can generate 80,000 MWh of electricity every year, enough to power more than 20,000 households." It seems that the difference in output is likely due to the different methods of calculation or assumptions used by the companies. However, it is important to note that the CSSC Haizhuang H260-18MW wind turbine is still a significant advancement in terms of size and technology, making it more efficient in terms of energy harvesting per square meter.

CSSC claims that their new H260-18MW wind turbine will have a significant impact on the cost of building offshore wind farms. According to the company, an example 1-gigawatt capacity offshore wind farm using these 18-MW turbines would require 13% fewer units than if 16-MW turbines were used. The corresponding reduction in sea-bed work, cabling, and other costs would reduce the cost of the farm by "hundreds of millions of yuan." Each 100 million yuan is equivalent to about US$14.8 million at current exchange rates. This means that the new wind turbine design could lead to significant cost savings in the offshore wind energy industry.

It will be interesting to see how the CSSC Haizhuang H260-18MW wind turbine performs in the real world. The company appears to be well into the production of the first unit. According to the reports, they are building the vast majority of the components in its own factories to avoid supply chain issues. The company has already created at least one of the mammoth SuperBlade+ wings, the giant generator, the gearbox, the frame, and one of the biggest bearings seen. The main nacelle appears to be more or less assembled, and the hub to which the blades will be attached looks pretty close too. It will be interesting to see how this wind turbine performs in terms of efficiency and cost savings in the offshore wind energy industry.

It is worth noting that the information about the production and assembly of the CSSC Haizhuang H260-18MW wind turbine is that has been uploaded by a wind energy enthusiast and not by the company itself. We were not able to find an official CSSC video, which is not surprising given that Chinese companies are not always consistent in releasing English-language press releases. Therefore, it is important to take this information with a grain of caution until there is official confirmation from the company.