The World’s Mega Wind Turbines Are About to Get Even Bigger

“The trend is to get larger, no matter for onshore or offshore turbines,” Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Zhang Chuanwei said in an interview. Equipment designs are also likely to allow for more customization for specific locations, he said.

Deploying larger equipment can reduce the number of turbines needed at each wind farm site, lowering project costs. Giant-sized products are also seen as likely to be in increased demand as the world builds more and more offshore project, and for use in massive clean-energy hubs like those planned by President Xi Jinping for China’s vast interior.

Larger turbines are well suited for China’s desert projects and transporting giant blades is relatively easy through the mostly unpopulated areas, according to Zhang. Installations in mountainous rural areas tend to need smaller and more bespoke turbines, he said in an interview Wednesday in Hainan, on the sidelines of the Boao Forum.

China’s wind industry has entered a stage of high-speed growth and will be boosted by the major new clean-energy hubs, and by offshore developments, according to Zhang. With strong central and local government support, “China’s renewable development could only get better, and the market size become larger,” he said.

Global wind installations are forecast to rebound in 2023, as the US accelerates adoption of renewables and as China ramps up investment to help meet climate targets. About 115 gigawatts of new capacity will be added in 2023, compared with 78 gigawatts last year, according to the Global Wind Energy Council.