China’s Mingyang Smart Energy has unveiled plans to develop a massive 50 MW floating offshore wind turbine featuring a twin-head design similar to the company’s Ocean-X platform.
The capacity of the world’s largest floating wind turbine would be nearly double that of the largest design currently available, according to Bloomberg .
The wind turbine would use two 25 MW main engines supported by a V-shaped tower, similar to the design of the company’s Ocean-X platform , a 16.6 MW floating unit launched last year.
The turbine is planned to be installed in deep waters, featuring twin 290-metre rotors.
The Chinese wind turbine manufacturer recently unveiled its plans to invest up to GBP 1.5 billion to build a manufacturing facility in Scotland that would serve the deployment of floating technology at scale in the UK.
A number of sites in Scotland have been shortlisted, Mingyang said, with Ardersier Port near Inverness currently the preferred location. The project would enable the redeployment of workers previously employed in the oil and gas sector.
Earlier this year, another Chinese company, CRRC, announced that it had installed what it claims to be the world’s largest floating offshore wind turbine in Shandong Province.
The 20 MW Qihang prototype has a diameter of 260 metres and a hub height of 151 metres.