China has formally inaugurated the world's largest offshore wind installation, deploying 1,000 next-generation turbines across 3,800 square kilometers of the South China Sea, collectively generating 18 gigawatts of continuous clean electricity sufficient to power 50 million homes and displacing 45 million tons of carbon emissions annually.

 

China has formally inaugurated the world's largest offshore wind installation, deploying 1,000 next-generation turbines across 3,800 square kilometers of the South China Sea, collectively generating 18 gigawatts of continuous clean electricity sufficient to power 50 million homes and displacing 45 million tons of carbon emissions annually.

The Guangdong Offshore Wind Mega-Complex, constructed by China Three Gorges Corporation over four years, deploys turbines of China's own CSSC Haizhuang H260 model, each standing 380 meters from seabed foundation to blade tip and generating 18 megawatts individually under rated wind conditions, making them the world's largest and most powerful wind turbines currently operational. Installation was achieved through a fleet of 47 specialized jack-up vessels operating simultaneously, completing one turbine installation every 18 hours at peak construction pace, a logistical achievement requiring 12,000 workers coordinated across the 3,800 square kilometer installation zone throughout the construction period. An underwater high-voltage direct current transmission network carries generated electricity 380 kilometers to Guangdong province's coastal grid connection facilities, with energy losses across this distance measuring just 2.1%.

The installation's economic performance has already exceeded projections in its first operational quarter, generating electricity at a leveled cost of $0.031 per kilowatt-hour, making it the cheapest large-scale power source of any type currently operating anywhere in China, undercutting even the country's extensive coal fleet by 23%. China's National Energy Administration has approved six additional mega-complexes of similar scale along the nation's eastern coast, collectively projected to deliver 108 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2032 and advance China's commitment to carbon neutrality by an estimated 8 years ahead of its official 2060 target timeline.

Source: China Three Gorges Corporation, China National Energy Administration, 2025

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