'Two blades break off' world's most powerful wind turbine in China
UPDATED| Giant prototype offshore wind turbine survived super typhoon but has reportedly succumbed to what appear to be multiple blade breaks this month
The world’s most powerful wind turbine, a 20MW giant manufactured by Mingyang, has reportedly suffered multiple blade breaks just months after the prototype machine was installed in China.
The blades on the MySE18.X-20MW prototype offshore model broke earlier this month, according to Chinese news reports.
Videos posted on Chinese social media show pieces of the giant blades falling from the turbine as it still spins. Other videos and pictures posted show the turbine now static, missing two blades entirely.
The wind turbine is described as having a modular, lightweight design with flexible power up to 20MW and a wind rotor diameter of 260-292 metres.
With an average wind speed of 8.5m/s, it can generate 80 million kWh annually, offsetting 66,000 tons of CO₂ emissions — equivalent to the annual consumption of 96,000 residents, says Mingyang.