Tech & Sci
20:38, 30-Oct-2017
Largest wind turbine vessel may boost int'l cooperation in South China Sea
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China's largest self-propelled wind turbine installation vessel, Longyuan Zhenhua 3, could boost international cooperation in the South China Sea, experts said Sunday.
The vessel, which went into trial service on Sunday in Nantong, east China's Jiangsu Province, has a lifting capacity of 2,000 tons, making it the largest of its kind in the world.
Read CGTN's previous report on Longyuan Zhenhua 3
The left side of Longyuan Zhenhua 3. /Xinhua Photo
The left side of Longyuan Zhenhua 3. /Xinhua Photo
"This is different from land operations, since offshore operations encounter tougher conditions, requiring higher standards for the equipment," said Zhou Dadi, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission's China Energy Research Society.
"The Longyuan Zhenhua 3 has greater power than previous Chinese vessels, which means higher lifting and bigger capacity," Zhou explained.
Offshore wind turbine installations are mature in China and the Longyuan Zhenhua 3 can be used in the South China Sea, a region that has abundant wind resources, Chen Xiangmiao, a research fellow at the National Institute for the South China Sea, told reporters on Sunday.
The vessel could provide energy supplies for vehicles passing by the region and boost international cooperation, Chen noted.
Many Southeast Asian countries have abundant wind resources but lack the technology to make full use of that clean energy, and China could share the technology, he added.
The right side of Longyuan Zhenhua 3. /Xinhua Photo
The right side of Longyuan Zhenhua 3. /Xinhua Photo
However, Zhou does not share the enthusiasm about the vessel's use in the South China Sea, saying that "various kinds of offshore vessels are available in the South China Sea and the Longyuan Zhenhua 3 is not the only wind turbine installation vessel."
The vessel is a product of Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC), specially designed for the high-power offshore wind-turbine market, reaching higher than 6 megawatts, according to People's Daily.
It is 100.8 meters long, 43.2 meters wide, and has a draft of 8.4 meters and it can work at depths of up to 50 meters, making it the current leader in China.
Work on the new vessel began in 2016 and was completed in June 2017. It is ZPMC's third wind turbine installation vessel and their latest project was a two-turbine installation job at the Formosa 1 offshore wind farm.
966km
Source(s): Global Times