China has connected the world’s first 16-megawatt floating wind power platform using tension leg platform (TLP) technology to the power grid of the Lufeng offshore oilfield, AzerNEWS reports, citing Xinhua.
According to the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the platform is capable of operating under extreme weather conditions equivalent to a Category 17 super typhoon, withstanding wind speeds of up to 220 kilometers per hour, and has an estimated service life of 25 years.
The floating wind platform is located approximately 136 kilometers offshore in the Pearl River Mouth Basin in the northern South China Sea. Standing nearly the height of a 110-story building, the structure weighs around 7,800 tonnes, while its wind turbine swept area is comparable to 7.5 standard football fields.
Electricity generated by the platform is transmitted to the Lufeng Oilfield’s power grid through submarine cables. The facility is expected to produce approximately 54 million kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity annually, helping reduce the oilfield’s reliance on conventional energy sources.
The platform is expected to generate approximately 54 million kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity annually for the oilfield. This will help save around 15,000 cubic meters of fuel oil and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 35,000 tonnes per year.