China's first homegrown 16MW gas turbine rolls off production line

BEIJING -- A major Chinese electric generator producer, Harbin Electric Corporation, has achieved a milestone in the high-end equipment manufacturing sector with the successful assembly and roll-out of the country's first domestically developed 16-megawatt (MW) gas turbine prototype, named HGT16.

Dubbed the "crown jewel" of equipment manufacturing, gas turbines are critical to energy, aerospace, industrial production and offshore engineering, thanks to their high power density, efficiency and low emissions.

This achievement aligns with China's broader national goal to bolster the resilience of its renewable power systems.

Cao Zhi'an, chairman of Harbin Electric Corporation, revealed that the newly launched HGT16, measuring 6 meters in length, 2.4 meters in width and 2.8 meters in height, boasts a power output of no less than 16MW and thermal efficiency exceeding 36 percent, the Science and Technology Daily reported on Thursday.

The turbine, which holds fully independent intellectual property rights, offers significant advantages in terms of mechanical drives, distributed energy supply, emergency power support and offshore platform operations. Its rapid start-stop capability provides solid support for renewable energy grids primarily based on wind and solar power, according to Cao.

Cao emphasized that Harbin Electric Corporation overcame multiple technical challenges during the project -- and established a comprehensive independent research and development system.

"We will accelerate core technology breakthroughs, deepen collaboration across the industrial chain, and promote the industry toward high-end, intelligent and green development, so as to foster an ecosystem for China's mid-to-small gas turbine sector," he said.