EnergyOMNI's Perspectives｜Offshore Wind Turbine Development Review in 2025

Edited by EnergyOMNI

Fixed-bottom turbines: the debut of ultra-large 26 MW prototypes

Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Mingyang Smart Energy announced the launch of a 20 MW turbine in 2024. However, the race toward ever-larger turbines did not stop there. By 2025, manufacturers had already unveiled prototype turbines rated at 21.5 MW and even 26 MW.

In July 2025, the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) announced that it had approved Georgine Wind, a subsidiary of U.S.-based GE Vernova, to install offshore wind turbines in Norway with a single-turbine capacity of up to 18 MW. These turbines have a maximum tip height of 275 meters and a rotor diameter of up to 250 meters. The 18 MW unit is expected to undergo testing for up to five years, with an anticipated annual electricity generation of approximately 55 million kWh.

In April 2025, German turbine manufacturer Siemens Gamesa announced that it had completed the installation of a 21.5 MW prototype turbine. The turbine features a 276-meter rotor diameter, 135-meter blades, and a swept area of approximately 60,000 square meters.

Part of the development and construction of the 21.5 MW prototype was funded by the European Commission. In early 2024, Siemens Gamesa received €30 million (around NT$1.1 billion) in EU funding to install, operate, and test the prototype at the Østerild National Test Centre in Denmark. According to media reports in November, Siemens Gamesa is still conducting related tests and has not yet made a decision on commercialization.

Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC) of China announced in October 2024 that its 26 MW offshore wind turbine prototype had been rolled off the line. In September 2025, the company stated that the prototype had been successfully installed at the Offshore Wind Power Equipment Testing and Certification Innovation Base in Dongying, Shandong Province.

The 26 MW turbine is currently the largest in the world in terms of both single-turbine capacity and rotor diameter. It has a 310-meter rotor diameter, 153-meter blade length, an overall height of nearly 200 meters, and a swept area of approximately 77,000 square meters, and is designed to withstand Category 17 typhoons. According to Dongfang Electric, the turbine is specifically designed for offshore areas with medium to high wind speeds (exceeding 8 m/s) and can be configured for capacities ranging from 20 MW to 26 MW. Shortly after the prototype installation, the company stated that it had already received turbine orders, though it did not disclose the country or project location.

In terms of commercial deployment, the largest turbines operating in European wind farms in 2025 are Vestas' 15 MW turbines. In April 2025, the first Vestas V236-15.0 MW turbine was installed at the He Dreiht offshore wind farm in German waters, with first power generated in November. The He Dreiht project, developed by EnBW, will comprise 64 turbines and is scheduled for completion by mid-2026. In China, as early as 2023, a 16 MW fixed-bottom offshore wind turbine jointly developed by China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) and Goldwind was installed for the first time at an offshore wind farm off the coast of Fujian Province.

Floating turbines: 20 MW prototype installed

Dongfang Electric and China Huaneng jointly announced in July 2025 the launch of a 17 MW floating offshore wind turbine prototype. According to the press release, the turbine has a 262-meter rotor diameter, a swept area of approximately 53,000 square meters, and an expected annual electricity generation of 68 million kWh.

However, this is not the largest floating turbine currently under development in China. In January 2025, CRRC announced that it had completed the installation of its 20 MW "Qihang" floating offshore wind turbine prototype at its testing base in Shandong Province, claiming it to be the largest floating offshore wind turbine in the world. The Qihang turbine has a 260-meter rotor diameter and a hub height of 151 meters.

Mingyang Smart Energy went a step further in October, unveiling plans to develop a 50 MW floating offshore wind turbine using a dual-rotor design, with two 25 MW turbines mounted on a single floating platform, targeting mass production in 2026.

As of late December 2024, Mingyang had already completed the installation of the world's first dual-rotor turbine, Ocean X. The system mounts two 8.3 MW turbines on a V-shaped tower, delivering a total installed capacity of 16.6 MW. The turbine reaches a height of 219 meters, spans 369 meters laterally, and is mounted on a concrete floating platform, with an annual electricity output of 54 million kWh.

In terms of single floating turbines, a 16 MW floating offshore wind turbine jointly developed by China Three Gorges Corporation and Goldwind was successfully installed off the coast of Guangxi Province in October 2025.

In Europe, on the commercial front, the EFGL (Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe de Lion) floating wind farm in the Mediterranean, developed by Ocean Winds and Banque des Territoires, successfully installed its first 10 MW floating turbine in June 2025. The project will comprise three floating turbines with a total capacity of 30 MW. All three turbines were successfully installed by September, and the wind farm is expected to enter commercial operation in 2026.