Three ultra-long wind turbine blades, each stretching 502 feet (153 meters) long and weighing 92 US tons (83.5 tonnes), have been shipped from the Port of Yantai in China’s Shandong province.
These massive blades are destined for installation on what is expected to be the world’s most powerful offshore wind turbine, a 26-megawatt (MW) unit being developed by Dongfang Electric Corporation.
The shipment took place on August 1, with the blades now en route to an offshore testing base. According to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, the blades completed all static testing in May 2025. They are now preparing to undergo fatigue testing as part of the final phase of evaluations before offshore deployment.
Dongfang Electric had announced in 2024 that it was developing a 26 MW offshore wind turbine. The company rolled out the first nacelle from its production line in Fuzhou, located in Fujian Province, and has since been advancing the project at a rapid pace.
The wind turbine’s hub will be positioned at a height of 607 feet (185 meters), which is roughly the same as a 63-storey residential building. Its rotor diameter will exceed 1,017 feet (310 meters), setting new records for size in the offshore wind sector.
Dongfang pushes ahead in offshore wind race
Although Dongfang Electric has not traditionally been one of the top players in China’s offshore wind industry, it is now making clear moves to change that. The company is pursuing large-scale, high-capacity wind turbines and openly sharing updates and testing progress with the public.
This approach, including sharing photos from static tests that follow international standards like IEC 61400-23, is a shift from how some other Chinese firms operate.
The blade size is among the largest in the world. Standing upright, each blade is three meters taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza. The blades are also almost as tall as the Washington Monument in the United States and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Previously, the record for the longest blade was held by a 482-foot (147-meter) version made by Sinoma for Goldwind’s GWH300-20/25MW turbine. Now, Dongfang appears set to break that record by a wide margin.
What makes this development more remarkable is Dongfang’s decision to scale up quickly. Within a short time, it not only developed the 26 MW platform but also introduced a floating offshore wind turbine with a 17 MW capacity.
Massive power potential and engineering scale
The 26 MW wind turbine, once fully installed and operational, is expected to generate about 68 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean electricity every year. This amount of energy could supply power to nearly 40,000 households annually, marking a significant contribution to China’s renewable energy goals.
Just last month, the company partnered with the state-owned China Huaneng Group to unveil what is now the world’s most powerful direct-drive floating wind turbine.
This 17 MW floating turbine rolled off the production line in Fuqing, Fujian Province. Towering at 498 feet (152 meters) tall, with a rotor diameter of 859 feet (262 meters), this machine covers a sweeping area of 53,000 square meters—equivalent to about 7.5 soccer fields.
