The new typhoon-resistant wind turbine developed by MingYang company employs blades that measure 140 meters, providing a sweeping area of 66,052 square meters. To put it in perspective: it covers an area equivalent to 12.3 NFL fields or 52.8 Olympic-sized swimming pools. It’s truly remarkable.
The offshore wind energy sector has achieved a new milestone with the announcement from one of its leading manufacturers that they plan to build a turbine whose blades will reach nearly the height of the Eiffel Tower.
Chinese company Ming Yang Smart Energy Group Ltd. plans to construct a 22-megawatt turbine with a rotor diameter of over 310 meters, as stated by a spokesperson.
A wind turbine that will have a height of 330 meters
As the turbine hubs must be placed at a sufficient height to prevent the blades from dipping into the water, it means that at their tips, the turbine blades will be close to the 330-meter height of the Eiffel Tower.
Adding a bit of clearance to ensure the blade tips stay above the water, it’s likely that you’re looking at something taller than the 319-meter, 77-story Chrysler Building in New York or the 324-meter Eiffel Tower in Paris, albeit one that rotates. I lack the imagination to truly grasp how awe-inspiring a machine like this would be up close.
Longer blades capture more wind, generating more energy. Larger turbines often reduce costs for wind developers, as they require fewer installations for the same capacity.
Ming Yang unveiled the design on Wednesday and plans to build the first one by 2024 or 2025, according to the company. In January, the company had revealed plans for an 18-megawatt turbine with a 140-meter diameter, which was then the world’s largest.
In fact, these turbines will be some of the largest moving parts ever constructed. Can you think of anything else with such massive visible moving parts? Nothing in the category of mega-mining machines comes close.
Although the 27 km circumference of the Large Hadron Collider holds the title for the world’s largest machine overall, it’s hidden underground, and we won’t be discussing it today.
