The 24,100-ton "Three Gorges Pilot" turbine was installed on May 2 around 43 miles (70 kilometers) off the coast of Yangjiang, Guangdong Province.

It consists of three main parts: a 16-megawatt turbine, a semi-submersible floating platform, and a new mooring system that combines polyester cables with traditional anchor chains. The turbine has a rotor diameter of 252 meters and a swept area equal to about seven standard football fields, according to Chinese state broadcaster CGTN.

Unlike traditional offshore wind systems fixed directly to the seabed, the floating platform is secured by nine suction anchors working together with polyester fiber cables and anchor chains.

This structure allows the system to adjust to waves and ocean currents while staying stable. It also makes wind power generation possible in deep-water areas or locations with difficult seabed conditions where fixed-bottom turbines cannot be installed, according to Interesting Engineering.

The "Three Gorges Pilot" turbine, world's largest single-unit floating offshore wind turbine, instaleld off the coast of China. Photo from X

Once fully operational, the turbine is expected to generate about 44.65 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to supply roughly 24,000 households each year.

The project reflects China’s broader push to expand offshore wind power, where stronger and steadier sea winds improve efficiency while placing power generation closer to densely populated coastal regions.

China’s early offshore wind projects were mainly built in tidal zones and shallow waters, but the country is now moving into deeper and more complex marine environments with stronger government backing, as reported by The New York Times.

Last month, China Huaneng Group, one of the country’s five major power generators, completed China’s deepest offshore wind project. The wind farm sits about 45 miles off the coast of Yantai, northern China, in waters around 180 feet deep.

Wind energy supplied about 10% of China’s electricity last year, and that share is growing by roughly one percentage point annually. Coal still accounts for just over half of total power generation, but its share continues to decline.