Domestic wind turbine spindle bearing exceeded 8,000 units mark, the core components of the independent into a new stage

Domestic wind turbine spindle bearing exceeded 8,000 units mark, the core components of the independent into a new stage

After years of joint technical research, the two sides gradually mastered the core design and manufacturing process of main bearings, and successfully realised large-scale production. 2024, the domestically-made main bearings passed the international IECRE induction quenching certification, which further enhanced the recognition of the products in the international market. Up to now, more than 8,000 sets of main bearings jointly developed by Vision and Luoxia have been delivered, of which all wind turbines used for export have adopted domestically produced main bearings, showing the solid foundation of Made-in-China in the global wind power industry chain.

Breaking the ‘black box’ and mastering key technologies

The main bearing, as one of the most critical transmission components in the wind turbine, has a direct impact on the operational stability and power generation efficiency of the whole machine. It not only has to withstand huge dynamic loads, but also needs to run stably for a long time under complex and changing environmental conditions. Due to its high technological threshold, it has long been monopolised by a few foreign companies.

‘The main bearing is not a simple mechanical structure, but a crucial ‘joint’ in the whole system.’ Yu Haibo, general manager of Luoxia, pointed out in an interview that ‘its performance is directly related to the service life of the wind turbine, the frequency of maintenance, and the overall power generation performance.’

In order to break the foreign technical barriers, Vision and Luoxia have launched systematic research and development around material selection, processing technology, heat treatment technology, testing methods and other aspects. Through the optimisation of the internal structure of the bearings, the improvement of lubrication and the introduction of a real-time monitoring system, the reliability and durability of the products have been greatly improved.

Real-world verification, creating a ‘zero failure’ record

Since the first domestic main bearing was put into service in 2019, its operational performance has been fully verified. Up to now, more than 7,200 Vision turbines equipped with domestically produced main bearings have been running stably for more than six years globally, during which not a single bearing failure has occurred. This achievement is also rare in the international arena, fully proving the quality and technical strength of domestic products.

‘We have translated our systematic understanding of wind turbines into specific needs for bearings, and have truly developed from customer needs.’ Yang Yawen, deputy general manager of Vision Energy's wind power product line, said, ‘This deep synergy allows our products not only to have better performance, but also to be more in tune with actual application scenarios.’

In addition, Vision also combined the 30-year equivalent working condition simulation test technology to assess the fatigue life of the main bearings under extreme environments, thus ensuring their ability to operate stably under various complex climatic conditions. Meanwhile, the intelligent monitoring system is also integrated into the bearing design, which can provide real-time feedback on key parameters such as temperature, vibration, lubrication status, etc., and provide data support for later operation and maintenance.

From substitution to leadership, the localisation rate has increased significantly

According to industry data, before 2019, the localisation rate of domestic wind turbine main bearings was less than 10%. Now, the rate has jumped to about 60%, of which the localisation rate of main bearings used by Vision Energy is as high as 80%. This means that the domestic main bearing not only in the number of substitution, in the quality and service has also won the market widely recognised.

At the same time, the international market share of Chinese wind turbine manufacturers is also expanding. According to a report released by Wood Mackenzie, the top three global wind power installed capacity in 2024 was first bagged by Chinese companies, namely Goldwind, Vision Energy and Ming Yang Intelligence. In addition, new orders from Chinese companies in overseas markets have increased by more than 50 per cent year-on-year, demonstrating strong international competitiveness.

Looking ahead: Towards a higher level of manufacturing

As the 14th Five-Year Plan draws to a close, the blueprint for the 15th Five-Year Plan is in the making. Driven by the ‘double carbon’ goal, wind power, as an important part of clean energy, will usher in greater development space. This also puts forward higher requirements for the capacity, quality and intelligent level of core components.

Luoxia said, the company plans to comprehensively improve the manufacturing capacity and management level in the next five years, the goal is to achieve 15 billion yuan in revenue by 2030. To this end, the enterprise will continue to increase investment in intelligent manufacturing, digital factory construction and other aspects, to create a more competitive wind power supporting system.

‘The localisation of main bearings is not only a technical issue, but also an important measure to guarantee national energy security.’ Lou Yimin, Senior Vice President of Vision Energy, emphasised, ‘Only by mastering key core technologies can we take the initiative in the global energy transformation.’

Summary:

The successful launch of the 8,000th domestic main bearing is not only a microcosm of the development of China's wind power industry, but also a true reflection of China's manufacturing to high-end and intelligent. With the accelerating process of domestic substitution, Chinese wind power is moving towards the centre of the world stage with a more confident attitude, injecting strong power for the global green energy transformation.