China unveils onshore wind turbine rated up to 14MW
New turbine has 12.5MW nameplate capacity but can be boosted up to 14MW
A colossal onshore wind turbine that is among the largest on Earth and twice as powerful as those made in the West has rolled off the production line in China.
Chinese manufacturers have for some time dominated an industry arms race to build ever larger wind turbines.
State-owned manufacturing giant CRRC – best known as a leading railway supplier – has increasingly muscled its way to the front of this race, alongside better-known Chinese turbine makers such as Goldwind and Envision.
Earlier this year, CRRC rolled a 12.5MW onshore wind turbine off the production line in China. The power level of the machine can be configured from 11MW to 14MW, the OEM said in an announcement.
At maximum capacity, that would make it roughly twice as powerful as the biggest onshore machines produced by European turbine making giants Vestas (7.2MW) and Siemens Gamesa (7MW).
The diameter of the wind rotor can be expanded to more than 250 meters. Compared with a 10MW unit, still huge by Western standards, CRRC said its new turbine can reduce the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) by around 8%.