On May 2nd, the world's largest floating offshore wind platform by unit capacity, named "Three Gorges Linghang Hao," was successfully installed in the waters off Yangjiang, Guangdong. This project, spearheaded by the China Three Gorges Corporation, signifies a major technological breakthrough for China in the field of deep-sea floating wind power. The platform is situated in waters over 70 kilometers from shore with a depth exceeding 50 meters. It consists of three main components: a 16-megawatt ultra-large-capacity wind turbine, a semi-submersible floating platform, and a novel mooring system. The turbine features a rotor diameter of 252 meters, with a swept area equivalent to seven standard football fields, and a maximum blade tip height surpassing 270 meters.
The installation and operation of the "Three Gorges Linghang Hao" present significant challenges due to the harsh marine conditions at its location, where maximum wave heights can exceed 20 meters and peak wind speeds may reach 73 meters per second. "We have developed and applied, for the first time domestically, several new technologies and materials, including a novel mooring system, an active ballast system, an intelligent monitoring system, and a 66 kV dynamic submarine cable. These innovations enable the 'Three Gorges Linghang Hao' to withstand super typhoons and operate safely and stably under severe sea conditions," said Pan Hongguan, an offshore wind engineer at the Guangdong branch of China Three Gorges Corporation.
The wind turbine is installed on a semi-submersible floating platform measuring 80.82 meters in length, 91 meters in width, and with a displacement of 24,100 tonnes. The platform is secured to the seabed using nine suction anchors, paired with domestically produced high-performance polyester fiber ropes and anchor chains. This marks the first application of polyester fiber ropes in China's offshore wind sector, noted for their high elasticity, strength, and durability. When subjected to impacts from wind and waves, these ropes can effectively absorb wave energy through their elastic deformation, mitigating rigid impacts on the structure. A single rope can withstand a maximum tension of 1,300 tonnes and offers long-term resistance to corrosion and fatigue in the marine environment, representing a significant advancement in high-end mooring materials and providing reliable, long-term security for the platform.
Building upon this stable mooring foundation, the "Three Gorges Linghang Hao" also pioneers the use of an active ballast system in China's offshore wind industry. During normal turbine operation, this system automatically adjusts the water levels in three column tanks to control the platform's attitude, effectively reducing the structure's sway in wind and waves and further ensuring stable turbine performance.
The platform also introduces a new solution for power transmission in complex sea conditions. The first-of-its-kind 66 kV domestic dynamic submarine cable employs a wave-shaped design. Through the strategic placement of buoyancy and weight modules, along with the addition of bend restrictors, the cable maintains a safe configuration underwater.
Previously, the world's first typhoon-resistant floating wind turbine and its foundation platform, the Three Gorges "Yinling Hao," was successfully connected to the grid in December 2021. The installation of the "Three Gorges Linghang Hao" represents another major step forward in China's development of deep-sea floating wind power technology. "Compared to the 'Three Gorges Yinling Hao,' the unit capacity of the 'Three Gorges Linghang Hao' has increased nearly threefold, while the cost per kilowatt has decreased by over 50%. Furthermore, all key equipment has achieved 100% domestic production. The 'Three Gorges Linghang Hao' is also the first floating wind facility in China to be classed by the China Classification Society, serving as a model for the large-scale, commercial development of deep-sea wind energy resources in the country. As the technology continues to mature, floating wind power is expected to play an increasingly vital role in China's new energy system," said Lin Yifeng, Chief Designer of the "Three Gorges Linghang Hao" and Chief Engineer of Three Gorges Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute.
It is reported that the "Three Gorges Linghang Hao" underwent integrated assembly at Tieshangang Port in Beihai, Guangxi. It was then towed across the Qiongzhou Strait starting April 20th, arriving at the target site off Yangjiang, Guangdong, where the connection of its nine anchor chains was completed on May 1st. Once operational, the platform is expected to generate approximately 44.65 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, sufficient to meet the yearly power consumption of 24,000 three-person households.