The most significant difference between high-altitude wind power and ordinary plain-area wind power does not simply involve “moving turbines up the mountain.” As altitude increases, air density decreases. Low temperatures, strong winds, complex terrain, and road transport conditions also affect turbine design and construction.

The expansion project of the Yunnan Xundian Julongliang Wind Farm provides a typical case of high-altitude, large-capacity wind power. It achieved full-capacity operation in 2026 and belongs to China Datang Corporation.

1. Project Overview

The Julongliang wind farm expansion project is located in Jinyuan Township, Xundian County, Kunming City, Yunnan Province. The average altitude of the site reaches 3,239 meters. The project has a total installed capacity of 158.22 MW.

It installs three 8.34 MW wind turbines and twelve 11.1 MW wind turbines. The project achieved full-capacity operation on July 19, 2026.

According to public data from China Datang Corporation and the SASAC, the project will provide about 462 million kWh of clean electricity annually. It will save approximately 140,000 tons of standard coal each year. It will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 380,000 tons annually.

Among these wind turbines, the 11.1 MW unit represents the most noteworthy piece of equipment. This model uses a 125-meter tower height and a 221-meter rotor diameter. Its swept area is roughly equivalent to 5.5 standard football fields.

Item	Data
Site Elevation	3,239 m
Total Installed Capacity	158.22 MW
Number of Turbines	15
Maximum Turbine Capacity	11.1 MW
Rotor Diameter	221 m
Annual Electricity Generation	Approx. 462 million kWh

2. Why Does 3,239 Meters of Altitude Become a Technical Challenge?

In the wind power industry, altitude is not merely a geographical parameter. As altitude rises, atmospheric density decreases. Under the same wind speed, the air provides less kinetic energy. Mountainous terrain also generates complex airflow patterns. Wind speed and direction variations become more pronounced.

For 11 MW-class large turbines, this means that the turbine design cannot simply replicate low-altitude designs. The project optimized its turbine control algorithms, nacelle temperature control, and blade aerodynamic structures. These optimizations addressed low air density, strong turbulent winds, and low temperatures.

This reflects an increasingly evident trend. The larger the turbine capacity becomes, the more important the matching between the turbine and site-specific conditions becomes.

3. The 11.1 MW Turbine and Tower

The Julongliang project adopts a 125-meter tower and a 221-meter rotor. A 221-meter rotor gives a single turbine a very large swept area. For mountain wind farms, large rotors improve wind energy capture. However, they also increase dynamic loads on the blades, hub, and tower.

From a structural perspective, the tower bears several types of loads from the upper turbine assembly. These include vertical loads, horizontal loads, overturning moments, and cyclic fatigue loads.

In complex mountain wind farms, turbines do not experience steady inflow conditions for long periods. Therefore, fatigue analysis and dynamic response assessment become especially important.

Notably, public data do not disclose the specific plate thickness, base diameter, or steel grade for individual towers. Consequently, these parameters cannot be directly inferred from public reports.

4. Construction Challenges in High-Altitude Areas

One of the truly difficult parts occurred before turbine installation. The project site lies in a typical plateau mountain environment. Construction had to address road transport in mountainous terrain, transfer of large components, high-altitude lifting, and multi-disciplinary cross-construction.

Public records from China Energy Engineering Group mention complex geological conditions. They also note ultra-long mountain road logistics and lifting of very large turbine units.

For turbine blades and tower sections, transport routes are often more demanding than for ordinary equipment. A single large blade can exceed 100 meters in length. During transport, planners must consider road width, sharp curves, slope gradients, and subgrade bearing capacity. They must also evaluate turning radii, mountain bridges, culverts, and temporary road conditions.

Therefore, a large high-altitude wind power project integrates equipment design, road engineering, and lifting operations.

5. The Core of Foundation Construction Is Not Simply “Bigger Is Better”

The turbine foundation ultimately bears all loads from the upper structure. In mountain projects, foundation design must pay close attention to terrain and geological conditions.

For example, even for the same 11 MW turbine, ground treatment may differ completely. One turbine position may sit on intact rock, while another may have thick overburden. Their foundation solutions would be entirely different.

When public data do not provide the specific foundation type, we should not assume pile foundations or spread foundations. A more reasonable engineering process follows this sequence: geological investigation, bearing capacity evaluation, load calculation, foundation type selection, and stability verification. This represents one of the biggest differences between large turbine foundations and ordinary building foundations.

6. Conclusion

The value of the Julongliang project does not rest solely on its 158.22 MW capacity. Its greater significance lies in the large-scale application of 11.1 MW turbines in high-altitude mountain scenarios.

Previously, large turbines were mostly concentrated in flat areas such as Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Gansu. However, the Julongliang project demonstrates that large-capacity wind power is equally feasible in Yunnan’s high-altitude, mountainous terrain.

This is achievable through customized turbine designs, optimized construction, and refined operational control. This also points to an important direction for high-altitude mountain wind power as it moves toward larger-capacity turbines.