Successful Completion of Main Bearing Replacement for Y14 Prototype at Fuqing Xinghua Bay Phase I Offshore Wind Farm

During the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, the main bearing replacement and hoisting operation of the Y14 prototype of the first phase of the Fuqing Xinghua Bay Offshore Wind Farm project was successfully completed, which means that the offshore "big wind turbine" has successfully replaced its "Chinese heart".

As the first batch of domestically produced transformation and application of the main bearings of this type of unit in the industry, Fuqing Strait Company, a subsidiary of the Fujian Branch of the Three Gorges Group, overcame unprecedented, difficult and high-risk difficulties and efficiently completed the on-site lifting construction in just 56 hours.

Wind turbine main bearings are key components responsible for transmitting the mechanical energy of the wind rotor to the generator. Their stability and reliability directly impact the turbine's operating efficiency and lifespan. For a long time, my country's wind turbine main bearings have relied primarily on imported imports, which have been plagued by issues such as strict technical confidentiality, long lead times, slow after-sales service, and high maintenance costs, making them a persistent pain point and challenge for the industry.

In order to effectively solve the above problems, Fuqing Strait Company actively promoted the localization of single-row tapered roller bearings for 5MW units, adopted the "independent leadership, project support, and manufacturer cooperation" model, and jointly carried out the formulation of localization plans with the main machine manufacturers and mainstream bearing manufacturers. It organized 8 units to hold 5 special review meetings, and combined the actual work such as the unit structure characteristics and load conditions to conduct comprehensive analysis and optimization from the aspects of product design, material standards, production processes and quality control to ensure that the performance indicators of the localization plan are higher than those of the original foreign brand equipment.

It is reported that the construction period coincided with typhoon-prone season. To ensure the safe and orderly progress of on-site work, the Fuqing Strait Company insisted on advance planning, meticulous deployment, and strengthened coordination, efficiently completing key tasks such as relevant reviews, channel clearing, hydraulic engineering license processing, and main shaft system assembly. Seizing the brief window of opportunity after the passage of Typhoon "Bhagatsa", they transformed the "advancement" of early preparations into "high efficiency" of construction. "The on-site team safely and efficiently completed the disassembly, reassembly, and acceptance of major components such as the impeller, main shaft system, and nacelle cover. This breakthrough in core 'Made in China' technology fully demonstrates the Three Gorges people's determination for independent innovation," said a relevant person in charge of the Fujian Branch of the Three Gorges Group. The successful application of this main bearing localization solution not only took the first step in promoting the domestic substitution of core components for aging units, but also vividly epitomized the Three Gorges Group's continuous breakthroughs and continued efforts to help achieve the "dual carbon" goals.

The Xinghua Bay Offshore Wind Farm in Fuqing is the world's first high-power offshore wind turbine prototype test site. From the initial prototype test to the industry's first submarine cable reconnection to the current domestic transformation of core components, every step demonstrates the exemplary power of the "Xinghua Bay Model."