20MW Floating Wind Turbine ‘Tuqiang Hao’ Begins Construction

Construction has officially begun on the world’s first 20-megawatt floating wind turbine demonstration unit, named “Tuqiang Hao” (图强号), following a launch ceremony held on May 20 in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. The project, led by State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), marks a major milestone in China’s push to commercialize deep-sea floating wind power and represents the largest single-unit capacity floating wind turbine ever attempted, according to Science and Technology Daily via People’s Daily Science Channel.

A Leap in Scale and Engineering

The “Tuqiang Hao” is a core demonstration project under China’s National Key Research and Development Program. Once operational, the 20MW floating turbine is expected to generate approximately 55 million kilowatt-hours (55 GWh) of electricity annually — enough to meet the power needs of roughly 16,000 households.

What sets this project apart is not just its unprecedented scale, but the extreme environmental conditions it is designed to withstand. The demonstration site features a current velocity of 2.3 meters per second, a maximum wave height of 23 meters based on a 50-year return period, and extreme wind speeds exceeding 77 meters per second — equivalent to super typhoon strength. Such conditions are exceptionally rare among global floating wind projects.

Innovative Steel-Concrete Composite Foundation

The “Tuqiang Hao” employs an innovative steel-concrete composite structure for its floating foundation — a first for a 20MW-class deep-sea floating wind turbine. This hybrid design aims to significantly reduce material costs while maintaining structural integrity under extreme loads.

Key technical targets include steel usage of less than 300 tons per megawatt of foundation capacity and a per-kilowatt construction cost below 20,000 RMB (approximately $2,760 USD). This represents a cost reduction of over 30% compared to existing floating wind demonstration units, according to the project’s specifications. Extensive scaled model tests were conducted prior to construction to verify the safety and reliability of the design.

Context: China’s Rapid Offshore Wind Evolution

The “Tuqiang Hao” project is the latest in a series of rapid advances in China’s offshore wind sector. In January 2026, the world’s first 20MW fixed-bottom offshore wind turbine was successfully hoisted in Fujian province, as reported by Guangming Daily. That turbine was grid-connected and began generating power the following month.

In early May 2026, just weeks before the “Tuqiang Hao” announcement, the 16MW floating platform “Three Gorges Linghang Hao” (三峡领航号) was installed in Yangjiang, Guangdong, in what was then the world’s largest floating wind platform installation, as covered by People’s Daily Finance Channel.

China’s offshore wind capacity has grown rapidly, with cumulative installed offshore wind capacity exceeding 47 GW and ranking first globally for five consecutive years, according to People’s Daily. The country added 6.3 GW of new offshore wind capacity in 2023 alone, according to the Global Wind Energy Council.

Strategic Significance: From Demonstration to Commercialization

The “Tuqiang Hao” project represents a critical step in China’s strategy to advance floating wind technology from prototype demonstration toward large-scale commercial application. Floating wind is essential for accessing China’s deep-sea wind resources, as much of the country’s best offshore wind potential lies in waters too deep for conventional fixed-bottom foundations.

The cost reduction targets are particularly significant. Floating wind has historically been substantially more expensive than fixed-bottom offshore wind. Achieving a per-kilowatt cost below 20,000 RMB — a 30% reduction from current demonstrators — would bring floating wind closer to commercial viability and potentially accelerate deployment at scale.

What to Watch For

Several questions remain about the “Tuqiang Hao” project, including the specific timeline for completion and offshore installation, the identity of the turbine manufacturer supplying the 20MW unit, and the exact location of the demonstration site. The project’s success could pave the way for commercial-scale floating wind farm developments in China’s deep-sea waters, particularly in typhoon-prone regions where the technology’s resilience will be put to the test.

As China continues to push the boundaries of offshore wind technology, the “Tuqiang Hao” stands as a testament to the country’s ambition to lead the global energy transition — and a signal that floating wind power may be closer to commercial reality than many observers anticipated.