China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has started operating a 16 MW floating wind platform in the South China Sea, with the unit now supplying electricity to the Lufeng oilfield grid, according to Chinese media.
CNOOC had previously reported that Haiyou Anlan was under development as part of its expansion into deepwater floating wind, following the 7.25 MW Haiyou Guanlan platform, which began supplying power to the Wenchang oilfield in 2023.
The new floating wind turbine was installed in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, approximately 136 kilometres offshore. The floater has a total height of more than 307 meters and weighs around 7,800 tons. Electricity generated by the turbine is transmitted to the oilfield through a 4.3-kilometer subsea cable, with annual output expected to reach approximately 54 million kWh.
CNOOC explains that Haiyou Anlan, which uses a tension-leg platform (TLP) foundation, is designed for operation in severe offshore conditions, including typhoons with sustained wind speeds of up to around 220 kilometers per hour.
The project is expected to reduce the Lufeng oilfield’s reliance on fuel-based power generation, saving approximately 15,000 cubic meters of fuel oil and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by around 35,000 tons per year.
CNOOC is also combining floating wind power with conventional generation and energy storage to manage variations in renewable power supply. The platform left Zhuhai’s Gaolan Port on June 28, once integration was complete, and was subsequently installed at the Lufeng oilfield.
This oilfield project in the Pearl River Mouth Basin consists of two drilling and production platforms and a subsea production system, with the core facility being the Lufeng 15-1 jacket Haiji-1, which is 302 meters high and weighs 30,000 tons.
The Chinese energy giant is augmenting its portfolio and adding new segments to existing projects, as illustrated by the recent start-up of an expansion project at another offshore oilfield that now has 19 offshore platforms and a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel.
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