It is increasingly common to see how different cities around the world implement systems that generate clean energy , with the aim of polluting less and replacing other forms of energy that pollute more. Some of them are hydroelectric, solar or wind energy, among many others. One of the most popular is the one that allows us to obtain energy from the wind, an unlimited resource. With the use of large windmills, the wind moves its blades and electricity is generated. This time China has wanted to take a step forward and has announced the project of what will be the largest wind turbine in the world.
The MingYang Smart Energy company has announced the world’s largest offshore wind turbine, which is called MySE 16.0-242. It is a 16 megawatt windmill and almost 250 meters high, which has the capacity to power up to 25,000 houses for 25 years.
Larger size and more electricity generation
This is a very bulky project as when the blades of this mill start to turn, it will take up an enormous amount of space. Each blade measures 118 meters and by turning the three that the turbine has, a space similar to that occupied by six soccer fields will be covered.
This new turbine would generate 45% more electricity than the company’s predecessor, in addition to being 19% larger in diameter and also increasing its swept area. The bigger it is, the better it can work and the better performance it can give.
The arrival of this new mill should cause a drop in the production prices of wind energy. It is estimated that by 2026 wind power will be the most expensive way to generate one megawatt per hour, costing about $ 120. For its part, coal would cost about 73 dollars and the energy obtained from solar panels 33 dollars.
Will the cost of wind energy go down?
Of course, the wind fills in the gaps that solar energy cannot, so combining these two forms of energy in the future will be very important. Predictions say that within about 30 years, the cost of wind energy will have fallen between 37 and 49% , in part thanks to these types of giant offshore wind turbine projects.
The Chinese company has ensured that this new turbine is only the beginning of new projects that are to come and that this first mill will be able to generate energy being installed both on the seabed and on a floating base.
The prototype will be fully built next year, and then installed and commissioned in 2023. In addition, commercial mass production is scheduled to begin by 2024.
