China Commissions 16-Megawatt Floating Offshore Wind Platform

China’s first independently developed 16-megawatt floating offshore wind platform began operations in August.

The power plant, named ‘Haiyou Anlan’, has been connected to the Lufeng Oilfield grid and directly supplies environmentally friendly electricity, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) announced.

Designed and built to withstand extreme conditions caused by super typhoons with sustained wind speeds of up to approximately 220 kilometres per hour, the platform and its operation mark a significant step forward for China’s deep-sea floating wind power equipment technology, opening a new path for the development of offshore wind power in the country, CNOOC said.

The wind power platform is installed in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, approximately 136 kilometres from the coast, in the northern part of the South China Sea. The platform has a height nearly equivalent to a 110-storey building and weighs 7,800 tonnes, with a swept area equivalent to 7.5 times the size of a standard football pitch.

Electricity is transmitted to the Lufeng Oilfield grid via submarine cable. The facility is expected to generate 54 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually, CNOOC stated.

Compared with semi-submersible offshore wind platforms, the tension leg platform (TLP) system can reduce the amount of steel consumption without sacrificing structural strength, thanks to its floating structure.

The TLP system also reduces the sea area footprint used by the facility, CNOOC said.

China’s offshore wind resources are highly abundant and important for the future growth of offshore wind power capacity.

CNOOC estimates the project will save 15,000 cubic metres of fuel oil and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 35,000 tonnes per year.