World Record: China Installs Floating Offshore Wind Turbine with 16 MW Capacity

Wuhan (China) - The floating offshore wind market continues to gain momentum. Global potential is significant, and turbine capacity ratings are steadily increasing. According to state-owned energy company China Three Gorges Corporation (CGT), China has installed the world’s most powerful floating single wind turbine to date with its “Sanxia Linghang Hao” offshore project.

The offshore wind turbine has a capacity of 16 MW and was completed on 2 May 2026 in the offshore area off Yangjiang in Guangdong Province. The facility is considered a technological breakthrough in deep-sea wind energy and marks another step in the expansion of large-scale floating offshore systems. The site is located more than 70 kilometres offshore in water depths exceeding 50 metres.

Technical scale: large turbine for extreme offshore conditions

The system consists of a 16 MW turbine with a rotor diameter of 252 metres, mounted on a semi-submersible platform with a displacement of around 24,100 tonnes. The floating system is designed for extreme offshore conditions, including wind speeds of up to 73 m/s (around 263 km/h), corresponding to very strong tropical cyclones or category 5 super typhoons. In addition, design specifications include wave heights of over 20 metres.

Stability is ensured through a newly developed mooring system with nine anchoring points and a 66 kV dynamic subsea cable system. The design is complemented by an active ballast system that automatically regulates platform stability during operation.

According to the operator, several key technologies have been deployed for the first time in China’s offshore sector, including high-strength polyester fibre mooring ropes as well as new monitoring and control systems for platform operation.

Efficiency leap and industrialisation of floating technology

ompared with earlier demonstration projects, “Sanxia Linghang Hao” is expected to achieve significantly higher economic efficiency. Installed capacity per unit has nearly tripled, while specific costs have been significantly reduced. At the same time, a high degree of localised manufacturing has been achieved.

The turbine is expected to generate around 44.65 million kWh of electricity annually, enough to supply approximately 24,000 households.

Europe compared: France currently hosts the most powerful floating single turbine

In Europe, floating offshore wind turbines typically operate in the 8 to 10 MW range per unit. The most powerful floating single turbine is currently located in France in the Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL) project, where 10 MW-class Vestas turbines (V164-10.0 MW) are installed on floating foundations.

France therefore currently represents the upper performance limit in Europe. Other reference projects include Hywind Tampen in Norway at around 8.6 MW per turbine and WindFloat Atlantic in Portugal at around 8.4 MW.

China sets new benchmark for offshore wind capacity

With the 16 MW floating turbine, China significantly raises the previous technical ceiling for floating offshore single turbines. While Europe currently operates mainly in the 8 to 10 MW range, the Chinese project reaches a new performance class, setting a technological benchmark for future developments in the floating offshore segment.

Source: IWR Online, 08 May 2026