China just launched its first deep-sea floating wind platform, CNOOC Guanlan. Setting sail from Zhuhai in Guangdong province to Wenchang, Hainan province, the platform is owned by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and represents the nation’s first offshore wind power project with a water depth of over 100 meters and an offshore distance of over 100 kilometers.
The CNOOC Guanlan platform will be installed in an oil field located 136 kilometers from Wenchang and will be connected to the offshore oilfield group’s power grid. This integration will provide sustainable energy for oil and gas production in the region. The platform is equipped with Mingyang Smart Energy’s MySE 7.25-158 hybrid drive typhoon-proof wind turbine, capable of withstanding typhoon winds of a maximum average wind speed of over 60 meters per second for ten minutes.
Once operational, the wind turbine will enable a yearly saving of nearly ten million cubic meters of natural gas, according to Mingyang Smart Energy.
China’s leadership in offshore wind energy continues to grow, as highlighted by a recent report from the World Forum Offshore Wind (WFO). In 2022, China installed 6.8 GW of the 9.4 GW of offshore wind capacity installed worldwide. Out of the 42 new offshore wind farms that began operating last year, 29 were installed in China.
The WFO report suggests that China is likely to maintain its top position in adding new offshore wind capacity in 2023, as the country leads in projects currently under construction.
