Chinese turbine manufacturer MingYang has launched a 16MW offshore machine with a 242-metre rotor.
The MySE 16.0-242 is designed for high-wind IEC IB sites including typhoon-class IEC TC, and features 118-meter long blades giving 46,000m2 of swept area.
The turbine was recently certified by DNV and China General Certification Center (CGC) for design. It is scheduled for full prototype rollout in 2022, to be followed by prototype installation in the first half of 2023 and commercial production in the first half of 2024.
MingYang said the nacelle weight of the MySE 16.0-242 is competitively low at less than 37 tonnes per megawatt. Compared to a heavier nacelle, its “modest head mass allows for more efficient use of the tower and foundation construction, resulting in fewer purchased materials and logistics”.
MingYang’s hybrid-drive transmission technologies, particularly the medium-speed planetary gearbox with load sharing and forced main bearing lubrication, have been “fully optimised and inherited to ensure the robustness and efficiency” of the new unit.
All power electronics and MV-transformer have been relocated up tower into the nacelle, while the company said an air-tight design protects the nacelle from harsh salt spray corrosion while allowing for internal natural air cooling.
“In the future, it is planned to grow into a portfolio of model variants that can adapt to various offshore settings, ranging from the typhoon-prone South China Sea to the constantly windy North Sea in Europe,” added the company.
It added it is committed to growing its global presence and serving customers in all mainstream offshore wind markets including Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. As part of the key global strategies, MingYang is exploring developing overseas manufacturing facilities.
A single MySE 16.0-242 turbine can generate 80,000MWh of electricity every year, enough to power more than 20000 households. In comparison, it produces 45% more energy than MingYang’s previous turbine model, the MySE 11.0-203.
“The launch of our new largest wind turbine, MySE 16.0-242, is an apt illustration of the three essential drivers to technology evolution – demand, combinationand iteration,” said chief technology officer Qiying Zhang.
“In response to demand for anti-typhoon wind turbines in coastal Guangdong, MingYang systematically develops high-quality products by collaborating with global supply chain partners and integrating cutting-edge technologies from industries such as aerospace, materials, and big data.”