CGN Yangjiang Fanshi 2 offshore wind project reaches full capacity, deploying 18MW turbines

The CGN Guangdong Yangjiang Fanshi 2,000 MW Offshore Wind Power Project (hereinafter referred to as the Fanshi Offshore Wind Power Project), China's first new energy project to feature large-scale deployment of 18 MW ultra-large offshore wind turbines, has achieved full-capacity grid connection.

The project can deliver over 66 billion kWh of clean electricity to the grid annually, equivalent to saving approximately 1.92 million tonnes of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 5.1 million tonnes. This is comparable to afforesting an area of roughly 14,000 hectares, contributing to the continuous optimization of the energy structure in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

With this milestone, the installed offshore wind capacity in Yangjiang City has surpassed 8,000 MW, making it the prefecture-level city with the largest offshore wind power installed capacity in China.

Project Overview

Located in the sea area south of Nanpeng Island, Yangdong District, Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province, the Fanshi Offshore Wind Power Project consists of two 1,000 MW sub-projects. The farthest point of the project site is 81 km from the shore, with a maximum water depth of 53 meters. A total of 131 wind turbines have been installed, including 33 units of 18 MW ultra-large offshore wind turbines—the largest single-unit capacity offshore wind turbine model deployed in batches in China.

Key Specifications of the 18 MW Turbines

• Rotor diameter: 292 meters
• Swept area: Approximately 66,000 square meters, equivalent to nine standard football fields
• Power generation per rotation: Approximately 43 kWh under full-load operation, enough to meet the daily electricity needs of an average household for nine consecutive days
• Annual power generation per unit: Up to 56 million kWh

The batch application of 18 MW ultra-large offshore wind turbines has effectively reduced the number of turbine positions required, saving costs on submarine cable laying, offshore foundation construction, and sea area occupancy, thereby continuously driving down the levelized cost of offshore wind energy.

Engineering Challenges and Breakthroughs

Offshore installation of ultra-large components in deep-water environments is widely recognized as a challenge in the offshore wind power construction sector. The Fanshi I offshore substation weighs 6,168 tonnes, and the total hoisting weight of a single 18 MW turbine exceeds 1,500 tonnes. These large-volume, heavy-weight offshore components are significantly affected by wind, imposing extremely high requirements on vessel operations, component attitude control, and positioning accuracy.

"To address a series of on-site challenges—including ultra-long-distance heavy-load marine transportation, component stability control under wind and wave conditions, and millimeter-level precision alignment—we seized the limited offshore operational windows and successfully completed the marine transport and hoisting of large components for the Fanshi project. This has resulted in a replicable set of construction solutions for ultra-large equipment in deep-water conditions."

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— Xu Xiaomin, Head of Yangjiang Offshore Wind Power Company, CGN New Energy Guangdong Company

Grid Integration Innovation

Beyond the large-scale application of ultra-large turbines and breakthroughs in heavy equipment construction, the Fanshi Offshore Wind Power Project also holds significance as a key component of Guangdong Province's key projects and the Western Guangdong 10,000 MW offshore wind power base.

The project has built China's first 500 kV intermediate reactive power compensation station for offshore wind farms, pioneering a new model for stable, long-distance grid integration of large-capacity wind power. This innovation addresses industry challenges such as long offshore distances, extended transmission lengths, and significant voltage losses that have constrained the stable grid connection of million-kilowatt-level offshore wind farms.