China sails into deepwater floating wind to power giant CNOOC oil & gas complex
Mingyang 7.25MW turbine and platform will sit in 120-metre waters pumping green power to hydrocarbon facilities
Turbine maker Mingyang Smart Energy said one of its machines is now installed on what’s billed as China’s first deepwater floating wind platform and on its way to supply green power to offshore oil and gas production by fossil giant CNOOC.
The platform, called Guanlan, and its 7.25MW typhoon-proof turbine will operate at CNOOC’s Wenchang oil & gas complex in depths of 120 metres and 136km from shore, said Mingyang.
China – already the world-leader in fixed-bottom offshore wind – last year trialed a floater in 30-metre water depths.
Mingyang said the floating turbine will generate 22GWh annually replacing 10 million cubic metres of fuel gas.