The largest WEUs

The development of wind energy installations is characterized by a certain "gigantism". In order to reduce unit costs on turbine production and increase the efficiency of using wind farms, manufacturers are increasing the height of towers and the diameter of rotor blades. With the advancement of design technologies for creating wind power plants, there is also an increase in the rated capacity of a single WEU (Wind Energy Unit). Below is the dynamics of changes in average turbines installed in projects of various countries.

As can be seen from the above graph, in most countries leading in wind energy projects are used turbines with a power of about 4-5 MW. However, already now there are wind installations of even greater capacity, which we will now discuss.

1. MySE 22MW installed power 22 MW

In October 2023, the Chinese company Ming Yang Smart Energy Group Ltd, specializing in wind turbine production, presented a model of an offshore wind turbine MySE 22MW with a power of 22 MW. This is currently the most powerful wind installation presented to date.

The turbine will have a rotor diameter of more than 310 meters. More precise data on the dimensions of the turbine has not yet been provided by the manufacturer.

According to information provided during the presentation and on the company's website, the windmill is intended for regions with high wind potential, and the turbine will be able to use both stationary and floating deployment in the sea. The development of the turbine is scheduled from 2e24 to 2025.

2. MySE 18.X-28X installed power 18 MW

At the beginning of 2023, Ming Yang Smart Energy Group Ltd presented a wind turbine with a power of 18 MW and a rotor diameter of over 280 meters.

The turbine is specifically designed for use in regions with high wind speeds and is equipped with storm-resistant technology, allowing it to withstand typhoons of category 17 (wind speed 56.1–61.2 m/s).

The manufacturer claims that when using the turbine in places with an average annual wind speed of more than 8.5 m/s, electricity generation reaches about 80 GWh per year.

According to information on the company's website as of the end of 2023, there is information on the first release of turbines on platform 18.X-28X with a power from 18 to 20 MW at the production base in Shanwei in China. According to the press release, the turbine can have a power from 18 to 20 MW and rotor diameter from 260 to 292 meters.

3. H260-18MW installed power 18 MW

Presented by CSSC Haizhuang (a subsidiary of CSSC) wind installation H260-18MW has a rotor diameter of 280 m and an installed power of 18 MW. The swept area of the rotor blade is about 53,000 square meters, which is equivalent to the area of seven standard football fields.

According to data provided by the manufacturer, when installing a turbine in places with sufficient wind potential (1 class), one turbine can generate about 74 million kWh of electricity per year and provide enough annual power for 40,000 households. And at maximum wind speed per revolution, the turbine generates 44.8 kilowatt-hours of electrical energy.

When creating a turbine, the manufacturer decided to maximize the localization of components in the wind installation. According to data from CSSC Haizhuang, the degree of localization of the turbine is over 99%.

When designing turbines, specialists from the company developed new technological innovations in wind energy to address problems they encountered. For example, new production technologies for blades were developed called SuperBlade+ and allow creating a turbine with the highest ratio of swept area to power output. Thanks to this new approach in designing and manufacturing turbines, it was possible to significantly reduce the amplitude of blade vibrations and loads on bearing bearings. Secondly, the manufacturer had to develop a special gearbox that, according to the manufacturer's statement, has high reliability and increased working resource capacity.

At this time there is no information about the completion dates of the H260-18MW wind generator in the sea where it will start undergoing comprehensive testing programs.

Video on turbine installation

4. MySE 16.0-260 and MySE 16.0-242 installed power of 16 MW
In December 2021, Ming Yang Smart Energy introduced a turbine with an installed power of 16 MW and a rated power of 16 MW, later increasing the rotor diameter to 260 m.

The wind installation was designed for operation in strong wind conditions (IEC class 1B), including IEC TC typhoon class.

According to the manufacturer's claims, if placed in an area with sufficient wind potential, annual electricity production can be about 67 million kilowatt-hours.

Both MySE 16.0-260 and 16.0-242 use MingYang Smart Energy's adaptive optimal control for positioning the turbine to maximize electricity generation depending on wind conditions.

In July 2023, a prototype of MySE 16.0-260 was installed at an offshore wind farm near the coast of Fujian province in the Taiwan Strait, China.

The tower's height is about 152 meters, and the generator weight is 349 tons.

5. GWH252-16MW installed power of 16 MW

In 2022, Goldwin (leader in the number of turbines delivered in 2022) presented an offshore wind installation with a power output of 16 MW. The wind energy installation has a rotor diameter of 252 meters and a working area of the rotor disc of about 50,000 square meters (equivalent to approximately seven football fields). The tower height is 146 meters.

At calculated operating conditions, one wind turbine can produce around 66 million kWh of electricity per year. And at nominal wind speed, the WEU generates 34.2 kWh of electricity for each rotation.

On June 28, 2023, a turbine with an installed power of GWH252-16 MW was successfully installed at an offshore wind farm "Three Gorges" in Pintan, Fujian province, China. This installation set three world records, including the highest unit power (record broken), the largest rotor diameter (record broken) and the lightest weight per unit of installed capacity MW among all installed turbines.

An amazing fact is that the wind turbine installation was completed in record time of just 30 working hours. According to the company, the installation time for the GWH252-16 MW turbine was shortened due to improvements in assembly and installation processes. In particular, modular construction and preassembly of the rotor were used, as well as a "single blade" installation method that allows overcoming difficulties during installation and minimizing construction time.

The heaviest component installed on the wind energy unit weighs about 500 tons.

For Wind Turbine Installation, a specialized platform Bayheyan, developed by the group "Three Gorges", was used. This self-propelled integrated platform for installing wind turbines is known for its exceptional lifting capacity, ability to work in deep water and spacious deck area, making it the largest of its kind in China.

The successful installation of a 16 MW wind turbine represents a significant breakthrough in the production of high-tech equipment for large-capacity offshore (marine) wind turbines worldwide.

6. Vestas V236 - installed power 15 MW

In February 2021, the Danish company Vestas introduced the V236-15.0 MW turbine for offshore (marine) wind energy. The rotor diameter is 236 m, and the swept area is 43,742 m².

The V236-15.0 MW installation at the National Test Center for Large Wind Turbines Osterild in Western Jutland, Denmark set a new record for electricity production from a single wind turbine over 24 hours, producing 363 MWh*h.

Below are all the turbines with installed power of more than 10 MW as of January 2023.