China Three Gorges (CTG) Corporation has completed the installation of a 16 MW floating offshore wind turbine, described as the world’s largest single-unit floating wind turbine platform, off Yangjiang, Guangdong.
The Sanxia Linghang (Three Gorges Pilot) platform was installed on 2 May in waters located more than 70 kilometres offshore at depths exceeding 50 metres, marking what the developer says is a major step forward in deep-sea floating wind technology.
In China, several companies are racing to bring large-capacity floaters to the market. In 2024, Mingyang Smart Energy installed a 16.6 MW floating wind platform at the Qingzhou IV offshore wind farm in Yangjiang. Mingyang’s floater, called OceanX, is a dual-turbine platform that features two MySE8.3-180 hybrid drive wind turbines. Last year, CRRC (China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation) installed its 20 MW Qihang prototype for testing in Shandong Province.
CTG says its newly installed platform is designed for harsh offshore conditions, built to withstand wave heights above 20 metres and wind speeds of up to 73 m/s.
The Three Gorges Pilot consists of a 16 MW turbine, a semi-submersible floating foundation and a new mooring system. The platform measures approximately 80.8 metres in length and 91 metres in width, with a displacement of 24,100 tonnes. The turbine features a 252-metre rotor diameter, with a swept area equivalent to around seven football fields and a blade tip height of over 270 metres.
The project incorporates several new technologies, including a novel mooring system, an active ballast system, a smart monitoring system, and a 66 kV dynamic subsea cable, the developer said.
The floater is secured by nine suction anchors, using a combination of anchor chains and high-performance polyester mooring lines, marking the first application of such polyester cables in China’s offshore wind sector. An active ballast system has also been deployed for the first time in the Chinese offshore wind sector, according to CTG.
For power transmission, the project uses a domestically developed 66 kV dynamic cable with a wave-shaped design and additional protection measures to ensure safe operation under complex sea conditions.
Offshore installation was supported by China’s first integrated deep-sea wind installation vessel, Wudongde , which carried out key lifting and mooring operations. Prior to installation, the floater was assembled in Beihai and towed to the site, arriving on 20 April, with mooring hook-up completed on 1 May.
The project follows the earlier deployment of the Sanxia Yinling (Three Gorges Leader) floating wind unit, commissioned in 2021.
According to the developer, the new platform delivers nearly three times the capacity of its predecessor, while reducing cost per kilowatt by more than 50 per cent and achieving full localisation of key equipment. Once operational, the Three Gorges Pilot turbine is expected to generate around 44.65 GWh of electricity annually, enough to supply approximately 24,000 households.