World's Largest Wind Turbine Installed Off China Coast

A wind turbine the size of a 58-story building now stands in the waters off southern Fujian, China, marking a historic leap forward in clean energy technology.

On January 13, China Three Gorges and Goldwind installed the world's first 20 MW offshore wind turbine more than 30 kilometers from shore in waters exceeding 40 meters deep. This single turbine will generate over 80 GWh of electricity each year, enough to power approximately 44,000 households.

The numbers behind this engineering marvel are staggering. The turbine's rotor diameter stretches 300 meters across, with blades reaching 147 meters long. Its swept area equals 10 standard football fields, capturing ocean winds with unprecedented efficiency.

What makes this achievement even more impressive is the turbine's lightweight design. At less than 40 tonnes per megawatt, it weighs more than 20 percent below the industry average, making installation and maintenance significantly easier.

The turbine also features cutting-edge safety technology. An intelligent monitoring system with integrated LiDAR and blade root load sensors allows the unit to operate autonomously in remote offshore locations, reducing the need for risky human intervention in harsh ocean conditions.

The Ripple Effect

This installation represents more than just a single turbine. It signals a global race toward bigger, more efficient renewable energy solutions that's accelerating faster than many experts predicted.

China Three Gorges and Goldwind previously installed the world's first 16 MW offshore turbine in 2023, also in Fujian waters. Meanwhile, competitor Mingyang Smart Energy installed a 20 MW prototype at an onshore test site in 2024 and recently unveiled plans for a massive 50 MW floating turbine.

Each new milestone drives down the cost of clean energy and makes transitioning away from fossil fuels more economically viable. As these companies push technological boundaries, coastal communities worldwide gain access to reliable, affordable renewable power that doesn't harm the planet.

The project received support from China's National Key Research and Development Programme and was selected as a major technological equipment demonstration by the National Energy Administration. This backing ensures the innovations developed here will be shared and scaled across future wind farms.

The future of clean energy is getting bigger, smarter, and more powerful with every installation.