World’s largest wind turbine breaks record for power generated in a single day
Typhoon helped single turbine, which has a rotor diameter more than double that of the London Eye, produce enough energy to power 170,000 homes
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Your support makes all the difference.A wind turbine in China has set a new world record for the most amount of electricity generated in a single day, after operating during typhoon conditions.
The Goldwind GWH252-16MW turbine, which was installed at an offshore wind farm in Fujian Province in June, produced 384.1 megawatt hours in a single day – enough to power roughly 170,000 homes.
The record was achieved on 1 September, according to state-owned power company China Three Gorges (CTG), surpassing the previous record set by Danish company Vestas in August.
The turbine’s rotor has a diameter of 252 metres – more than double the diameter of the London Eye – and at full speed each blade can reach up to 70 per cent of the speed of sound.
The record-breaking wind turbine features an innovative design that allows it to adjust its blades in real time when winds reach high speeds. This allowed it to continue operating during Typhoon Haikui last week, during which conventional turbines were forced to shut down.
“We are closely monitoring critical components like the main control programme, pitch system and generators to gradually lift power restrictions while ensuring operational safety,” a spokesperson for Goldwind told the South China Morning Post.
Figures from the Chinese Wind Energy Association show that China installed more than 11,000 wind turbines last year, 90 per cent of which were at onshore wind farms.
Separate figures from the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggest that China added nearly three times as much wind capacity in 2022 compared to the European Union, and accounts for more than a third of all of the world’s installed wind capacity.
Projections from the agency indicate that electricity from wind and solar will double over the next five years, providing almost 20 per cent of global power generation by 2027.
“China is forecast to install almost half of new global renewable power capacity over 2022-27, as growth accelerates in the next fice years,” a recent IEA report noted.
“Very ambitious new renewable energy targets, market reforms and strong provincial government support provide long-term revenue certainty for renewables. In most Chinese provinces, utility-scale renewables are cheaper than regulated coal electricity prices, driving rapid adoption. In the main forecast, China is expected to reach its 2030 target of [renewable] capacity five years in advance.”
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