China Deploys World’s First 16-MW TLP Floating Offshore Wind Platform

China has deployed the world’s first tension-leg platform (TLP) floating offshore wind platform with a single-unit capacity of 16 megawatts.

The platform left its assembly site in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, on Sunday after completing construction and is heading to the Lufeng oilfield cluster in the South China Sea.

Instead of supplying electricity to the mainland, it will send power directly to offshore oil and gas facilities through subsea cables.

Developed by the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the project combines offshore wind power with oil and gas production to reduce carbon emissions from offshore operations while expanding the use of floating wind technology.

The platform is more than 307 metres tall, weighs nearly 8,000 tonnes and is the largest floating offshore wind platform of its type by single-turbine capacity.

Unlike traditional offshore wind turbines that are fixed to the seabed, this platform floats on the water. It is held in place by a tension-leg platform system, which uses taut steel cables anchored to the seabed to keep the structure stable in deep and rough waters.

Once operational, the platform is expected to generate about 54 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.

The electricity will be sent directly to the Lufeng oilfield cluster, where it will provide renewable power for offshore oil and gas production.

According to the project, using wind power is expected to cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 35,000 tonnes a year and save around 15,000 cubic metres of fuel oil annually.

Officials say the project will also support the development of China’s floating offshore wind industry, strengthen the marine economy and contribute to a cleaner and more efficient energy system in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

References: interestingengineering, cgtn