The world’s largest single-capacity floating wind platform has launched, and its maker has released footage of the operation. Mingyang’s OceanX will travel 191nm (220 miles, 354km) over the next three days to reach its final offshore destination.
When we first reported on Mingyang’s OceanX, it had already caused a bit of a stir thanks to its dual-rotor design. Now, it has launched from its construction site in Guangzhou, China, and is headed to the Qingzhou IV Offshore Wind Farm in Yangjiang, Gangdong, to showcase its remarkable technology.
OceanX is not a lightweight, even for an offshore wind farm installation. It consists of two MySE16.6(T) wind turbines with a blade diameter of 597 ft (182 m) and the entire floating platform weighing 15,000 tons that can be anchored in waters as deep as 115 ft (35 m).
Mingyang
Built by Mingyang Smart Energy, a partnership between Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company and China State Shipbuilding Corp, its twin rotors are designed to generate over 16 MW of power. It can automatically turn to face the wind so it always faces into the wind, which can be significant.
According to the company, it can withstand winds of up to 161 mph (260 km/h) in Category 5 hurricane or typhoon conditions. The single-point mooring and leeward stance allow the rotors to flex without the danger of hitting the supporting structure, which is designed to withstand such high winds and rough seas.
Some reports have claimed that OceanX could even generate power in a hurricane, but that’s up for debate. Official specs say its nominal wind speed is around 22 mph (36 km/h), which is far from hurricane range. Also, formulas for wind turbine characteristics suggest that any turbine that tries to generate power instead of moving like a feather to survive high speeds will very quickly tear itself apart.
Maybe there was a mix-up in translation or Minyang's marketing department was a bit optimistic.
Source: Mingyang