An offshore wind turbine with a capacity of 10 MW started operating Sunday in east China's Fujian Province, according to Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC), the turbine's manufacturer based in the southwestern city of Chengdu.

It is estimated that the wind energy converter, jointly developed by DEC and China Three Gorges Corporation, can produce 40 million kWh of clean energy every year at an average wind speed of 10 meters per second.

The annual power output can support the average electricity consumption of 20,000 households of three members in a year. The turbine will reduce coal use by 13,000 tonnes and cut carbon dioxide emission by 35,000 tonnes.

According to DEC, the wind turbine has set a new record for China's unit capacity of offshore wind turbines and is expected to be put into mass production in the near future.