China's Sany Renewable Energy claims it has just erected the world's largest onshore wind turbine. The 15MW prototype was installed earlier this week in northeast China's Jilin Province.
The lovingly named SI-270150 turbine features 430-ft-long blades (131 m), making for a maximum swept area of 616,298 sq ft (57,256 sq m). That's equivalent to nearly 11 American football fields. According to Sany, it's also set a record for the largest onshore turbine rotor diameter at 886 ft (270 m), surpassing the previous largest onshore wind turbine on the planet, Goldwind's 12-MW design launched in 2023 with a 787-ft (240-m) rotor diameter.
The 430 ft blades were first manufactured at the company's facility in Inner Mongolia back in January. Those were built to not only be durable and stable, but also to incorporate recyclable parts. They also bested Sany's 2023 record for the longest onshore turbine blades, which measured 341 ft (104 m).
A single 15-MW turbine is said to be able to generate enough electricity to power 160,000 households for a year. This one is designed to run for 25-30 years, and features several design optimizations to see it through that life span. Its drivetrain features a dual tapered roller bearing integrated main shaft support system, "ensuring high load-bearing capacity and stability."
Wind energy nerds will have noticed that this 15-MW turbine isn't nearly as big as the world's largest offshore turbine, which we wrote about last month – the 20MW behemoth from China's Mingyang Smart Energy.
That's because offshore turbines can be built with higher towers and longer blades to take advantage of more consistent winds found over the ocean.
There's also less concern about visual and noise impact since they're far from populated areas, and they're not constrained by land usage regulations.
It'll be a little while before this 15-MW turbine is installed widely. Sany said this prototype wind turbine will go through a year of operational testing for reliability in an experimental wind farm.
That's another feather in China's wind energy cap. As of 2023, the country accounted for 65% of global wind capacity, with four of the top five wind turbine manufacturers being based there. That includes world #1 OEM Goldwind, as well as Mingyang, which built the world's largest offshore turbine last month. Sany, meanwhile, is at #7.
Source: Sany Renewable Energy
