China Dwarfs Global Records With Colossal 26MW Wind Turbine

China has revealed the world’s largest wind turbine with a record-breaking capacity of 26 megawatts. The massive turbine, designed and built by state-owned Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC), towers at 185 meters tall, equivalent to a 63-story building. Its rotor diameter exceeds 310 meters, with blades stretching nearly 150 meters each.

The turbine’s swept area covers more than 10 standard football fields, capturing wind energy with unprecedented efficiency. When operating in areas with average wind speeds of 10 m/s, each unit can generate 100 million kilowatt-hours annually. This single turbine can power approximately 55,000 households each year. This engineering marvel is designed to operate effectively in wind speeds of 8 meters per second and above, maximizing its power generation potential throughout the year.

Unprecedented wind capture: one turbine, 100 million kWh annually, powering 55,000 homes from a football field-sized sweep.

What makes this achievement even more significant is that the turbine is fully domestically designed and manufactured in China. Wang Jun, Vice General Manager of Dongfang Electric, emphasized the company’s success in overcoming technological bottlenecks in wind energy development. All key components, including bearings, control systems, generators, and rotor blades, are locally produced. The turbine consists of over 30,000 individual parts, showcasing China’s advanced wind turbine supply chain.

The 26MW giant uses third-generation fully integrated semi-direct drive technology. It’s built specifically for medium and high-wind-speed offshore regions, with a fully sealed construction to protect against harsh marine environments. Similar to how the U.S. has seen solar capacity growth exceeding 76% in 2023, China’s wind energy sector is experiencing remarkable technological advancement.

Compared to previous 18MW models, this turbine delivers 67% greater generator torque while reducing vibration by 36.8%.

Factory production was completed in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, with deployment expected at the Fujian offshore wind farm in the Taiwan Strait. The environmental impact is substantial – each turbine eliminates the need for over 30,000 tons of standard coal yearly and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 80,000 tons.

From an economic perspective, using these turbines in a 500MW project reduces the number of units needed by over 30% compared to 18MW designs. This lowers the cost per kilowatt-hour by more than 10%, helping wind power achieve economic parity with traditional energy sources.

This technological breakthrough positions China at the forefront of ultra-large wind turbine development and advances the global shift to renewable energy.