In the tide of energy transition and carbon neutrality, China's wind power industry has once again proved its innovation ability and technological strength. The 18 MW offshore wind turbine developed by Dongfang Electric Group, with its 100% localization rate, not only refreshed the world's record for offshore wind power capacity, but also marked a major breakthrough in China's high-end equipment manufacturing field.
The successful grid connection of 18 MW offshore wind turbines is the pride of China's engineers and technicians, and it is also a vivid embodiment of the transformation from "Made in China" to "Created in China". The unit's proprietary technologies, including high-performance airfoil blades with large thickness and blunt trailing edges, and adaptive load shedding technology, not only improve wind energy conversion efficiency, but also ensure the stability and reliability of the unit in extreme sea conditions.
Figure: China's first self-developed 18 MW offshore wind turbine generates electricity
In terms of power generation, based on an average annual power generation of 72 million kWh, the power generation of a single unit of 18 MW is equivalent to more than three times that of a traditional 5 MW unit. This improvement directly reduces the construction cost per unit of energy and makes offshore wind power more competitive in the market. At the same time, it reduces the demand for the number of turbines in the wind farm, further reduces the cost of infrastructure construction, sea acquisition, installation, etc., and improves the overall economic benefits of the wind power project.
From a cost-effectiveness perspective, the commissioning of 18 MW offshore wind turbines will significantly reduce the overall investment cost of wind farms. Based on the average annual electricity consumption of each household of 2,000 kWh, the annual power generation of a single unit can meet the electricity demand of about 40,000 households. Behind this figure is a strong impetus for the large-scale and intensive development of offshore wind power in China.
Technological innovation is the core driving force for the development of the industry. The 18 MW offshore wind turbine adopts the third-generation fully integrated drive train, which effectively reduces the weight and size of the nacelle and improves the friendliness of transportation and hoisting through the multi-system strong coupling design method. The realization of these technical details not only improves the performance of the unit, but also facilitates the installation and maintenance of offshore wind power.
This technological breakthrough has far-reaching implications for the entire wind power industry and environmental protection. It has promoted the technological progress and industrial upgrading of the wind power industry, and enhanced China's competitiveness in the global wind power market. At the same time, as a representative of clean energy, the large-scale application of offshore wind power can help reduce dependence on fossil energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and fight global climate change.
In summary, the successful grid-connected power generation of China's first self-developed 18 MW offshore wind turbine is an important milestone in the development of wind power technology in China. It not only reflects China's independent innovation capability in the field of wind power, but also provides a new direction and impetus for the development of global wind power technology. Looking ahead, with the continuous advancement of technology and the further reduction of costs, offshore wind power is expected to play a more important role in the global energy transition, contributing China's wisdom and strength to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality.
