The world's first 20-megawatt offshore wind turbine was successfully installed in the waters off of East China's Fujian province on Tuesday, its operator, China Three Gorges Corp (CTG), said.

As part of a national key research and development program, the project has all its major components independently developed and produced in China, it said.

Located more than 30 kilometers off the coast of Fujian province, in waters exceeding 40 meters deep, the installation proves that massive-scale wind power is now viable in harsh, far-shore environments, CTG said.

Once connected to the grid, the single turbine is expected to generate 80 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually — enough to meet the yearly energy demand of about 44,000 households.

It is also expected to save about 24,000 metric tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 64,000 tons each year.