OceanX, the world's largest single-capacity floating wind turbine, just took on the might of Super Typhoon Yagi and passed with flying colors.
As Interesting Engineering reports, Mingyang Smart Energy recently shared an image on LinkedIn showing the turbine operating in extreme winds that peaked at 139 mph.
The company said in the post that OceanX was "unfazed by the storm's fury" and "emerged as a symbol of strength and innovation."
Not every wind provider fared as well. Recharge reported that Super Typhoon Yagi damaged at least six of Wenchang Wind Power Plant's wind turbines, just as the plant was looking to upgrade to more typhoon-resistant models.
OceanX's ability to withstand the extreme weather validates the project's desire for the turbines to be typhoon-proof. Mingyang says the turbines can tolerate wind speeds up to 161 mph and up to 98-feet waves.
The development of the product has been steady. Mingyang unveiled a 1:10 prototype in 2020 and installed the finished platform in April of this year. The cutting-edge wind turbine can power up to around 30,000 Chinese households annually and promises to be a key cog in the move to sustainable energy.
Innovative offshore wind farms like OceanX provide companies like Mingyang with many more possibilities for operation than conventional ones. As Interesting Engineering notes, these turbines can operate 62 miles away from shore and up to 328 feet underwater. Of course, that can come with exposing the turbines to the full power of events like Super Typhoon Yagi.
As the world switches from dirty energy to clean energy, wind power's ability to withstand the increasing number of extreme weather events will be critical.
Sustainable energy sources, like wind, are central to lowering the world's reliance on fossil fuels and slowing the warming of the planet. China has become a leader in creating the world's largest turbines, designed to be typhoon-resistant and power an increasing number of households.
Commenters on Mingyang's LinkedIn post were impressed by OceanX's resilience and interested in how it will impact the turbine in the long term.
🗣️ What kind of renewable energy should we rely on most?
🔘 Solar panels ☀️
🔘 Wind turbines 🌬️
🔘 Nuclear generators ☢️
🔘 None of the above 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
,"We have now seen the first real-life test with extreme winds. Congratulations!" one poster wrote.
Another commenter noted: "It's almost shocking to see how within a few weeks after deployment, the 'once per 50 years storm' already became reality."
The LinkedIn user added that while they were encouraged that the turbine was "engineered accordingly," they want to "see how this event will affect the fatigue life of the system as a whole and the individual components."
That will be an interesting saga to follow as Mingyang continues to expand operations into Brazil and Europe while eyeing the U.S. market.
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