Chinese manufacturer Dongfang unveils new 13MW offshore wind turbine

Chinese manufacturer Dongfang Electric Corporation has unveiled plans for a 13MW offshore wind turbine at a wind power conference in Beijing.

Its new direct-drive turbine would have a power rating of 12.5-13MW, a 211-metre rotor diameter and 130-metre hub height, it announced.

The manufacturer has already started producing the turbine and aims to complete a unit by the end of this year.

It has not announced when it plans to install a prototype or when it plans to begin serial production of the 13MW turbine.

Dongfang has received design certification for the turbine from verification bodies China General Certification and the National Energy Key Laboratory for Wind and Solar Simulation, Testing and Certification.

The turbine manufacturer estimates that a single unit could produce 50GWh per year.

It has complete intellectual property rights for the turbine, whereas some Chinese manufacturers license turbine designs from western companies.

Dongfang stated that its new 13MW turbine is based on its 10MW D10000-185 model, which it connected to the grid this summer.

Other turbine manufacturers have announced larger, more powerful offshore wind turbines: GE has its 14MW Haliade-X, Siemens Gamesa has its SG 14.0-222 DD, Vestas has its V236-15.0MW, and MingYang has its MySE16.0-242.