China's CRRC reveals first order for 'world’s largest' floating wind turbine
Chinese have led global wind turbine 'arms race' among manufacturers, with its OEMs first to reach 20MW milestone
Chinese state-owned manufacturing giant CRRC has already booked its first order for a monster 20MW floating wind turbine that it says will be the world’s largest.
The model has a 260-metre rotor diameter and a maximum blade tip height of 320 metres. Its 53,000 square metres swept area is equivalent to seven standard football fields. It generates 40kWh of electricity per rotation at full load wind speed, says CRRC.
He also confirmed that CRRC has already taken its first order for two of the behemoth turbines from Power Construction Corporation of China, better known as PowerChina, which is also state-owned.
CRRC Group is best known as a railway supplier but is also a major player in China’s wind sector. With 20 manufacturing facilities, CRRC says it has equipped more than 260 wind farms worldwide, boasting a total installed capacity of over 13,000 units.
The new CRRC machine will be the world’s largest floating wind turbine, said Chongbo.
Chongbo said the 20MW floating model is open for international orders.
China has led what has been described as a global arms race among wind turbine makers to produce supersized machines, with its OEMs the first to reach the 20MW milestone. The constant scaling up has brought with it claims that this could hinder turbine reliability, as well as causing problems for the global supply chain.
Chinese OEMs have been out in force at WindEnergy Hamburg – expected to have received 40,000 delegates from the global wind sector this week – as they ramp up their international ambitions.
(Copyright)