China’s First Deep-Sea Floating Wind Power Platform Installed

Offshore construction activity on Haiyou Guanlan, China’s one-of-its-kind deep-sea and floating wind power platform, has finally been completed.

The subsea cable opens an advanced power transmission artery that connects the offshore oil and gas platforms of the country’s Wenchang oilfield to the first-ever deep-sea floating wind power platform in China, dubbed the Haiyou Guanlan, off the coast of Hainan Province.

Haiyou Guanlan will likely generate about 22 million kWh each year as it boasts 7.25 megawatts (MW).

China installs its first deep-sea floating wind platform. Source: CGTN, YouTube.

Since the platform will operate in deep-sea zones that will experience extreme weather, Haiyou Guanlan’s wind turbine and physical structure were designed to withstand strong winds at the highest speed of 84 meters/second.

Via the platform, it will save fuel gas up to 10 million cubic meters per year, which will satisfy the equivalent yearly electricity demand of about 30,000 individuals. This will also contribute to lowering CO2 emissions by nearly 22,000 tons.

CGTN released footage of this unique installation.

CNOOC further states that the platform is the world’s first-ever deep-sea floating wind platform. It also is the world’s first to provide offshore gas and oil extraction facilities in deep-sea zones. It leads, among other platforms in the world, in various aspects, including investments per megawatt, steel usage for each megawatt, and overall capacity.

As this platform executes the installation, the Global Times reported that it adds to the nation’s 20 offshore wind power plants with a capacity that surpasses about 30 million kilowatts. Even though this maintains China’s ranking as the leading nation in the world, in the offshore wind power sector, the resource exploration and utility of coast wind power is hitting a saturation point.

References: ChinaDaily, CGTN