Construction of China's first large-scale offshore wind farm using turbines with a single capacity of 16 megawatts started on Saturday, according to the China Three Gorges (CTG) Corporation.

Currently, wind turbines with a single capacity of less than 10 MW are usually used in the country's offshore wind farms, according to Gong Kuangmin, deputy general manager of the Zhangpu Haixia Co., LTD affiliated to the China Three Gorges Corporation.

Gong added that the larger the capacity of a turbine, the higher the power generation efficiency and the lower cost in development and operation will be.

Located in waters 32.8 kilometers off Zhangpu County, Zhangzhou City in east China's Fujian Province, the wind farm is expected to start sending power to the grid at the end of August.

With a total installed capacity of 400 MW, the facility will generate over 1.6 billion kilowatts of electricity annually after completion, saving 500,000 tonnes of standard coal and reducing 1.36 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year, according to the CTG.

Gong said they will integrate the wind farm with marine ranching, offshore hydrogen production and photovoltaics development to promote comprehensive utilization of marine energy.

The 16-megawatt offshore wind turbine, developed by the CTG and the Goldwind Science and Technology Co.,Ltd., had rolled off the production line in November 2022.

The country's offshore wind power has developed fast in recent years. Haizhuang Wind Power Co., LTD, a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, said its 18 MW wind turbine – the world's largest – rolled off the production line in east China's Shandong Province on January 6.

In addition, the country's Ming Yang Smart Energy Group Ltd. unveiled its 18 MW turbine on January 10.