MingYang reveals 18-MW offshore wind turbine model with 140-meter-long blades

Wind turbine manufacturer MingYang Smart Energy (Guangdong, China) has moved beyond the 18-megawatt (MW) threshold for offshore wind turbines, recently announcing its latest MySE 18.X-28X model featuring 140-meter-long blades. This surpasses the 118-meter-long wind blades previously launched on the MySE 16.0-242 platform in 2021. Timeframe for production and installation have not yet been disclosed.

According to several sources, the MySE 18.X-28X turbine will have a swept area of 66,052 square meters, equal to the area of nine football fields. Per offshorewindbiz.com, under an annual average wind speed of 8.5 meters/second, each turbine “can generate 80 GWh [gigawatt-hours] of electricity per year, sufficient to supply 96,000 residents, while reducing CO₂ emissions by 66,000 tonnes.”

When compared to 13-MW models, MinYang notes, the MySE 18.X-28X can save 18 units required for a 1-GW wind farm, reducing construction costs by $120,000-150,000 per megawatt.

The 18-MW wind turbine is able to operate at extreme ocean conditions such as a level-17 typhoon.

Mingyang has joined CSSC Haizhuang Wind Power, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp. (CSSC), becoming what is reported to be the only two wind turbine manufacturers developing wind turbines with an individual capacity of 18 MW or more.