- China’s Sany Renewable Energy has erected the onshore wind turbine with a 15MW prototype installed earlier this week in northeast China’s Jilin Province.
- A single 15-MW turbine generates enough electricity to power 160,000 households annually.
China’s Sany Renewable Energy has erected the onshore wind turbine with a 15MW prototype installed earlier this week in northeast China‘s Jilin Province.
The lovingly named SI-270150 turbine features 430-ft-long blades (131 m), creating a maximum swept area of 616,298 sq ft (57,256 sq m), equivalent to nearly 11 American football fields. According to Sany, the onshore turbine rotor diameter is 886 ft (270 m), surpassing the onshore wind turbine on Goldwind’s 12-MW design launched in 2023, which had a 787 ft (240 m) rotor diameter.
The 430-foot blades were first manufactured at the company’s facility in Inner Mongolia back in January. They were built to be durable and stable and incorporate recyclable parts. They also bested Sany’s 2023 record for the longest onshore turbine blades, which measured 341 feet (104 m).
A single 15-MW turbine generates enough electricity to power 160,000 households annually. This one is designed to run for 25-30 years and features several design optimizations to see it through that lifespan. Its drivetrain features a dual tapered roller bearing integrated main shaft support system, “ensuring high load-bearing capacity and stability.”
Wind energy nerds have also stated that this 15-MW turbine isn’t nearly as giant as the world’s largest offshore turbine, about last month – the 20MW behemoth from China’s Mingyang Smart Energy.
That’s because offshore turbines can be built with higher towers and longer blades to take advantage of more consistent winds found over the ocean. Sany said this prototype wind turbine will undergo a year of operational testing for reliability in an experimental wind farm.
That’s another feather in China’s wind energy cap. As of 2023, the country accounted for 65 per cent of global wind capacity, with four of the top five wind turbine manufacturers being based there. That includes the world’s #1 OEM, Goldwind, and Mingyang, which built the world’s largest offshore turbine last month. Sany, meanwhile, is at #7.