China has commissioned its first large-scale offshore wind power project featuring 18-megawatt (MW) ultra-large turbines, marking a milestone in the country’s expansion of high-capacity renewable energy.

The Fanshi offshore wind power project in Yangjiang, South China’s Guangdong Province, entered full operation on September 24, according to China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN).

The project is designed to support China’s development of larger, lower-cost offshore wind farms and supply renewable electricity to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Located about 81 kilometres offshore, the project comprises 131 wind turbines, including 33 units rated at 18 MW.

CGN said this represents the largest large-scale deployment of offshore turbines with such a high single-unit capacity.

The turbines have rotor diameters of 292 metres, with each swept area covering about 66,000 square metres, equivalent to roughly nine standard football fields.

At full load, one rotation can generate about 43 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, while a single turbine can produce up to 56 million kWh annually.

The large turbines are expected to reduce the number of offshore turbine sites required, while lowering costs associated with submarine cable installation, offshore foundations and sea-area use.

Once fully operational, the Fanshi project is expected to deliver more than 6.6 billion kWh of clean electricity to the grid each year.

According to CGN, this could save about 1.92 million tonnes of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 5.1 million tonnes annually.

The project is also being viewed as a step towards greater efficiency and lower costs in China’s offshore wind sector.

“Offshore wind is a key driver of China's low-carbon energy transition,” said Sun Chuanwang, a professor at Xiamen University. He added that offshore wind can provide clean power close to major coastal energy-consumption centres, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and supporting emissions reductions in energy-intensive regions.

Sun also highlighted the potential for integrated models such as “wind power plus port-side manufacturing” to link renewable energy development with industrial growth in coastal areas.

China’s broader wind power sector continues to expand rapidly.

By the end of August, the country’s total installed power generation capacity had reached 4.10 billion kilowatts, up 11.1 per cent year-on-year, according to National Energy Administration data. Installed wind power capacity rose 19.6 per cent to 693 million kilowatts.

China also accounted for 78 per cent of newly grid-connected offshore wind capacity worldwide in 2025, according to an industry report cited by CCTV News, maintaining its position as the global leader in offshore wind development.