Introduction  Ports are facing significant electricity demand and carbon reduction pressure. The abundant wind energy resources in port areas make wind power highly promising for port applications. The site selection and design of wind turbines directly impact the economic benefits of power plants and production safety in the port area, thus, it has important research significance in the engineering design of wind energy systems.

  Method  Taking Chuanshan port area of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port as an example, this study investigated the engineering design principles and limiting factors for large-scale wind turbines in port areas and analyzed the wind resources and the potential for wind energy utilization in the port and the special weather affecting the port area based on statistic history data; based on the actual conditions of the port, the site selection and design of wind turbines were analyzed considering the limiting factors of the port area. The study also examined the selection and design methods of wind turbines and analyzed the selection and design from multiple dimensions, taking four mainstream models on the market as examples.

  Result  Ultimately, the WTG2 wind turbine that meets at least IEC Class I standards and has been specially designed to withstand typhoons is selected. The annual electricity generation can reach 24.53 GWh, resulting in cost savings of 0.233 hundred million and a reduction in CO₂ emissions of approximately 1.425 1 ten thousand tons.

  Conclusion  The proposed engineering design method for large-scale wind turbines in port areas, based on actual conditions, has been verified as feasible and can achieve significant economic and ecological benefits. It can contribute to carbon peaking and energy self-sufficiency in ports, providing valuable references for the engineering design of wind farms in port areas.