News Archive April 2016

U.S. wind farms reduced electric power sector carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 132 million metric tons in 2015, according to the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) forthcoming annual U.S. wind industry market report. The avoided emissions are equal to those of 28 million cars, or more than six percent of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from U.S. electricity generation last year.

Vestas will supply and install 15 V100-1.8 MW wind turbines for the Ausines wind farm. This will be the first larger-scale wind farm to be built in Spain in two years.

Germany: DNV GL certifies new rotor blade manufacturing technology

Covestro receives world’s first DNV GL certification for a polyurethane infusion resin

Global: Offshore wind costs falling fast confirmes new study

The second Cost Reduction Monitoring Framework (CRMF) was delivered in by ORE Catapult to the Offshore Wind Programme Board.

Revolutionary technology for Wind Energy in India / GE launches Digital Wind Farm and latest Wind Turbine 2.3-116 / India’s first Digital Wind Farm technology pairs world-class turbines with the digital infrastructure for the wind energy industry

US: AWEA CEO statement on U.S. and China decision to sign climate accord

“This historic announcement shows the U.S. is in the market for climate solutions that work."

New official figures released yesterday highlight the record performance of renewable energy over the past year. Renewables are playing a central role in powering Britain’s homes, business and factories – and fuel bills are falling.

BPD Zenith has been selected to deliver its Maximo for Offshore Wind asset management solution to the world’s largest operational wind farm, London Array, to support the subsequent phases of the wind farm’s lifecycle.

“We are now taking the first steps towards establishing our company as a truly global player in the wind turbine industry,” says Lars Bondo Krogsgaard, CEO of Nordex SE.

Europe: Intertek appointed as Offshore Planning Specialists for France-Alderney-Britain (FAB) Project

Electricity networks in UK and France are being linked

SSE has secured a deal to transfer its 80% ownership stake in the Machrihanish-based Wind Towers Scotland (WTS) factory to global manufacturer of wind farm tower structures, CS Wind. The South Korean firm has announced plans to invest up to £14million in Scotland and create around seventy new jobs in rural Argyll.

US: Utah wind farm commissioned with support from SgurrEnergy

A 60MW wind farm was commissioned in Utah this week with technical support from leading renewable energy consultancy, SgurrEnergy.

Brazil: Vestas starts the year with a 172 MW order

The orders are the first Vestas has announced in Brazil in 2016 and consist of six wind farms

Since 2012, GDG has been developing in-house optimization procedures for monopile engineering which provide significant savings to developers and contractors by reducing the size of offshore foundations.

We are delighted to announce that Remarkable Group has been appointed by Vattenfall to provide communications and consultation support for one of the UK’s largest offshore wind farms.

UK: SeaPlanner to become system provider for DONG Energy

SeaPlanner Launches Exclusive Marine and Helicopter Coordination Centre in New Contract Awarded by DONG Energy

Egypt: Gamesa secures deal of 160 MW

Gamesa wins EPC contracts for two wind farms in Egypt / The company will install 80 of its G80-2.0 MW turbines in the Gabbal El Zayt region, located along the Red Sea coastline.

South Africa: All Wind Turbines installed at Noupoort Wind Farm

All thirty-five wind turbines have now been installed at the 80 megawatt Noupoort Wind Farm in South Africa’s Northern Cape.

nkt cables has been awarded a contract by DONG Energy to deliver 170 kilometres of 220 kV high-voltage AC submarine export cable system for the Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm.

The company will continue to implement the project construction worth 49 M USD / This sale will free Abengoa of debt obligations, as well as the associated guarantees and meet the terms agreed with suppliers and the end customer, Power Plants & Electric Transmissions (UTE)

The European Wind Energy Association and a group of other industry associations from different sectors have today called for ambitious proposals for electricity market reforms in 2016.

North America’s 10-year outlook totals 74.5GW of wind power growth, bolstered by the long-term extension of the US PTC and a stronger focus on climate-conscious energy policies in Canada

Europe: EWEA rebrands itself to "WindEurope"

Why did EWEA decide to rebrand to “WindEurope”?

The Hawaiian Electric Companies have outlined a detailed plan charting a 30-year course leading to 100 percent renewable energy in Hawaii.

A company within the Arise AB group today entered into an agreement for and acquired all shares in Kölvallen Vind AB, which is the project company that has the rights to the Kölvallen wind power project.

This partnership between experienced marine energy actors is positioned in the Mediterranean (Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées Region) to provide support for development of the French floating wind turbine industry.

Canada: Ontario Launching New Competition for Renewable Energy Projects

Province Securing Clean Energy Future and Supporting Jobs

With renewable energy becoming cheaper, electricity prices are going down. However, the UK government continues with construction of nuclear power plant Hinkley Point C, despite horrendous costs. This is reminiscent of a German example ...

Europe: WindEurope welcomes Enel Green Power’s Francesco Venturini as new chairman of the board

WindEurope has elected Francesco Venturini, Chief Executive Officer of Enel Green Power, as its new chairman.

Australia: Yass Valley Wind Farm Approved by PAC

The Planning Assessment Commission approved the Yass Valley Wind Farm on 30 March 2016, marking the end of the project’s lengthy journey through the planning assessment process.

Global: World Bank Group Unveils New Climate Action Plan

Plan to Help Countries Meet Paris COP21 Pledges

Global: 2015 Sets Record for Renewable Energy

Renewable power generation capacity grew 8.3% in 2015, the highest rate ever recorded

With a total installed capacity of 400 MW, will be Enel’s largest wind farm worldwide / Enel will invest approximately 610 million US dollars in the construction of the new facility / The power and the renewable energy credits from Cimarron Bend will be sold under power purchase agreements to Google and to the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities

"We are delighted to announce we have recently been awarded a contract worth more than £2m to supply crew transfer vessels to a wind farm off the coast of Norfolk."

Netherlands: First turbine up at Kattenberg wind farm

Completion of commissioning planned for summer 2016 / €15,000 for local sustainability projects / RWE to continue expansion of wind power portfolio in the Netherlands

Wales: Construction of Wales largest onshore wind farm has started

Vattenfall, the European energy company, said on Friday that the first turbine at the largest onshore wind farm in Wales has been fully erected.

The company has been contracted to supply 32 MW for Concord New Energy, with whom it recently agreed another order for a project being developed at an altitude of 3,400 metres / In addition, Gamesa will deliver another 50 MW for phase three of the Senjitu II complex

The specialist marine supplier is leasing the innovative handling equipment to the Rampion project being developed by E.ON, the UK Green Investment Bank and Canadian energy company Enbridge.Ltd

US: Big brands and other emerging customers signed for more than half of new wind power capacity contracted in 2015

AWEA: Fortune 500 companies, cities and universities dawn as major customer class

Protective sleeve from SKF fits over radial shaft to prevent abrasion – in the same way that a screen protector prevents damage to an expensive mobile phone.

Leading civil engineering firm Jones Bros has embarked on the building of a six-turbine wind farm in South Wales that will support apprenticeship opportunities for young people in the area.

The Suzlon Group, one of the leading global renewable energy solutions providers, has announced its maiden order win of 105MW (50 units of S97 120m 2100kW WTG with Hybrid Tower) from Greenko Group, the largest renewable Independent Power Producer (IPP), with over 1 GW of operating assets.

France: Gamesa to erect 9 of its G97-2.0 MW model

Gamesa lands contract to supply 18 MW to the Quint wind farm located in northern France and maintain it for 15 years

Germany: Offshore Living Quarters with feel-good guarantee

ELA Container Offshore GmbH has developed a new interior for offshore accommodation containers

UK: MPI Workboats commence contract with Statoil

We are pleased to announce that MPI Workboats has been awarded two long-term contracts with Statoil on the Dudgeon Offshore Windfarm.

Partrac has announced the award of a marine monitoring support services contract for the ABLE Marine Energy Park (AMEP). AMEP is a fully consented infrastructure project in the Humber estuary designed to offer port facilities for the renewable energy sector, particularly offshore wind.

Adani’s Maiden Foray into the Wind Vertical / Inox Wind to Install 50 MW in Andhra Pradesh and 20 MW in Madhya Pradesh / Multi-Year Operations & Maintenance Contracts

GE Renewable Energy signs its first two retrofit projects in Vietnam and China / GE’s digital effort provides its customers with innovative technology and solutions that improve power plants efficiency.

Germany: Roxtec provides sealing solutions on demand

“Roxtec fully understands our sealing needs”

Top nine wind energy trends of 2015 in the US

2015 was one of the most successful years ever for U.S. wind power. The industry installed the third most new wind power capacity in history, second only to 2009 and 2012.

In the first quarter of 2016, Nordex obtained three new orders for a total of more than 40 MW in Turkey. These projects, for 18 turbines altogether, are located in different regions of the country and cover wind classes IEC 1 to 3.

UK: Gamesa contracted to supply 33 MW for five developments

The company will install 17 turbines and will maintain them for ten years.

The company supplies clean electricity to 22 museums and cultural centers that receive over 9 million visitors a year

The global balance of renewable energy spending has tipped. In 2015, for the first time ever, developing countries invested more in green energy than those in the developed world. That shift – in the year of the Paris Climate Change Agreement – is huge.

Natural Power has been appointed by Kite Power Solutions (KPS) to support proposals for consenting a test and development site at RAF West Freugh (now operated by QinetiQ), near Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

Fengate Capital Management announced that it has executed a purchase and sale agreement for the acquisition of a 25% equity interest in San Juan Mesa Wind Project LLC, which is the owner of a 120 megawatt fully contracted operating wind project located in New Mexico.

Canada: Energy Policy 2030 - The Quebec wind industry supports the Quebec government’s objectives

Wind energy is set to play a major role in the action plans of Quebec’s 2030 energy policy

The Hive™, is a fully autonomous drone docking station, produced by Singapore start-up SwarmX It will now be offered in DNV GL’s smarter operations services bundle to all Southeast Asia renewable energy providers.

Europe: SUN-AIR opens new route in cooperation with Siemens Wind Power

The Danish airline SUN-AIR, a franchise partner of British Airways, opens a new route between Humberside and Aalborg and Billund on the 17th April 2016.

The German navigation system manufacturer Raytheon Anschütz announces a new contract for the delivery of the Synapsis Integrated Navigation System (INS) to a Crew Change Vessel (CCV). The vessel is being built for the Danish shipping company Esvagt by Astilleros Zamakona Shipyard in Spain.

Official ground-breaking ceremony: vortex energy builds 22MW "Gadegast" wind farm / After three years' project development the construction work is starting on the eight wind turbines in Saxony-Anhalt

8.2 Consulting AG was chosen by DIF to perform a preliminary technical due diligence of the German Offshore Wind Farm Meerwind S|O. Special focus was given to the analysis of the O&M strategy, the O&M budget estimation, the estimation of electrical losses and a general red-flag analysis.

Japan: Siemens to supply direct-drive wind turbines for onshore wind farm

Delivery, installation and commissioning of 13 SWT-3.2-101 for Eurus Higashi Yurihara wind power plant / 5-year service contract

MidAmerican Energy Company announced a major project that will provide a cleaner energy future for Iowa. The announcement is a giant step toward realizing the company’s vision of 100 percent renewable energy for customers in the state.

Apex Clean Energy has acquired the Sugar Creek Wind One project from American Wind Energy Management Corp (AWEM). The project has the potential to support 175 MW of wind energy capacity in Illinois.

Fortum has made a final investment decision on the 75-megawatt Solberg wind park project in Northern Sweden, announced earlier this year. According to the plan, the construction starts in summer 2016 with ground works and the wind park is expected to start production in early 2018.

France: Innergex completes the acquisition of seven wind power projects

Acquisition of 7 operating wind power projects with an installed capacity of 87 MW / Private placement of Innergex common shares for a total value of $50 M

Westar Energy welcomed local leaders and landowners Monday to break ground and celebrate as construction begins on the 280 megawatt Western Plains Wind Farm near Spearville.

C-bed’s floating hotel, Wind Ambition, is applying its full single cabin capacity on a new offshore wind project in the German North Sea. Along with workshop, storage, and office facilities, Wind Ambition provides accommodation for a total 137 persons in single cabins.

With the merger, DELTA and FORCE Technology create one of Denmark and Scandinavia’s biggest GTS technology service companies. With approximately 1600 employees and over 1.5 billion DKK in turnover, the goal is to be the favorite Nordic impartial service- and knowledge partner within selected technology sectors. Ernst Tiedemann becomes the new Chairman of the Board.

Indonesia: Siemens and Indonesia sign energy cooperation agreements

Memorandums of Understanding for development of distributed generation as well as power and transmission infrastructure

EDF EN Canada Inc., a subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles, today announced the signature of a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) for a total of 60 megawatts (MW) of wind energy.

Eurus Energy Group will soon start construction of Eurus Higashiyurihara Wind Farm (total output: 41.6MW), which our group has been developing in Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture.

Construction starts at Cristalândia wind farm, which once completed will have an installed capacity of 90 MW and will be able to generate more than 350 GWh per year / Enel will be investing approximately 190 million US dollars in the construction of the new wind farm

France: wpd sells French wind farm portfolio

Eight onshore wind energy projects with a total capacity of 131 MW are being sold

GE will provide four substations worth approximately $250 million to reinforce Egypt’s national grid / These substations will help connect more than 6.5 million homes to the grid

In cooperation with the Technical University of Denmark, Vestas is installing a concept demonstrator to test the technical feasibility to operate and control a multi-rotor turbine.

ReNew Power, leader in its home market, will install 20 of Gamesa's G97-2.0 MW class S turbines at a wind farm located in Karnataka / Fourth project for Gamesa and ReNew Power, for which it has already signed firm orders for the supply of 140 MW in different projects.

P-Laser 525 kV is the first fully recyclable environmentally friendly HVDC cable / Increased power transmission capacity and lower system costs by more than 10%

DONG Energy, a leading developer of offshore wind projects, and class-leading offshore energy support vessel operator, Seacat Services, today confirmed a two year, 4-workboat crew transfer deal to support construction operations at the 580MW Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm.

The clear success of wind energy in the U.S., which leads the world in wind energy production, has forced critics to attack the renewable record of other countries because the evidence against them is so strong here.

The world’s first portable Lift, a compact machine that encompasses high level technology and latest engineering features, the most revolutionary HighStep product has finally been certifiedby Tüv Süd following the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.

With the market launch of its solution for a needs-based aviation obstruction lighting system, Nordex is taking a major step towards boosting the acceptance of wind farms among nearby residents.

The Sandbank project is now done, and last week the last load out from our production facilities in Aalborg took place. The project began in 2014, and has, according to schedule, been ongoing for nearly a year and a half.

The Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm is located 8 km off the coast in Liverpool Bay, United Kingdom. With a total of 32 MHI Vestas wind turbines of 8 MW each, the offshore wind farm will have a total capacity of 258 MW.

The company developed Energy Thrust to increase production across its 660-kW, 850-kW and 2.0-MW platforms by up to 5% / This upgrade will be installed at 54 Iberdrola wind farms in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Greece and Cyprus.

Germany: Lufft introduces VS2k and launches MARWIS 2.0

Two innovations are to supplement the product portfolio of G. Lufft, the sensor manufacturer based at Fellbach

Senvion, a leading global manufacturer of wind turbines, has concluded a contract with global wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power for the supply and installation of 93 turbines for two wind farm projects in Chile totalling 300 megawatts (MW).

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) launched its flagship publication, the 'Global Wind Report: Annual Market update' in Brussels. The wind power industry set new records across the world last year, and wind is leading the transformation of the global power system, long overdue and very necessary to achieve the climate objectives agreed by 186 nations in Paris last December.

US: "Thunder Spirit" and "Fair Wind" connected to the grid

Upbeat in the US: Nordex connects two new projects to the grid

RNRG and Ventus Ingenieria have announced the acquisition and installation of a Wind Iris nacelle-mounted Lidar at the 20MW Caracoles wind farm in Uruguay. The Wind Iris will monitor turbine performance and offer optimization solutions for the project.

Turkey: ICCI 2016: Wind Energy Talks

Services for the Turkish Market

DONG Energy and MHI Vestas Offshore Wind have jointly installed a V164-8.0 MW wind turbine test tower and foundation onshore to test several installation and commissioning procedures, and to act as a critical training tool before the commencement of Burbo Bank Extension offshore installation.

Belgium: Rentel in exclusivity with Siemens for building the fourth complete Belgian offshore windfarm

Largest offshore wind turbine in Belgian waters / Need for a stable legal framework for finalization of the project

Germany: Far offshore wind farm Global Tech I in stable operation

One terawatt-hour of North Sea wind power towards the energy transforma

Senvion, a leading global manufacturer of wind turbines, has signed its first UK contract with NTR plc to supply ten Senvion MM92 and three Senvion MM82 turbines to the Quixwood Moor Wind Farm.

Global: Parnership between Aqualis Offshore and CSDC

Aqualis Offshore and CSDC join forces

Arkona wind farm to have a total capacity of 385 megawatts / First order for large direct drive offshore wind turbines in the Baltic Sea / Service to be provided together with the customer E.ON

US: ELA Container Offshore GmbH at the OTC 2016 in Houston

ELA Container Offshore GmbH will participate at the OTC 2016, the Offshore Technology Conference, from 2 - 5 May 2016. The conference will take place in Houston, Texas.

Energy supplier E.ON has awarded the contract for the transport and installation of foundations at the Arkona offshore wind project in the German Baltic Sea to Van Oord

The company will supply 62 of its G114-2.0 MW Class S turbines at two wind farms in the state of Karnataka / It will also build two wind farms, with capacity of 50 MW and 24 MW, in the states of Rajasthan, under EPC contracts

EDF Energies Nouvelles is announcing the commissioning of extensions to the Ventominho (additional 23 MW) and Arga (additional 4.7 MW) wind farms, two of its assets in Portugal

On a sunny Monday we held the topping-out ceremony for our new building in Brande. Over the past years we have grown with our customers and it has resulted in the need to expand our facilities in Brande.

Sweden: HAWE Hydraulik founds subsidiary in Sweden

With the opening of an office in Sweden, HAWE Hydraulik SE will expand its presence in strategically important markets.

STX France SA has been awarded an order to design, build and install one of the largest HVAC offshore substation (385 MW) ever built due for delivery in 2018. The substation will be installed in the Baltic sea in Germany, where is located the offshore wind farm of Arkona.

Danish Energy & Climate Minister officially inaugurates the 16 MW Måde project in Denmark featuring the first V164-8.0 MW turbines used in commercial operation.

Japan: Senvion secures turbine order and opens office in Tokyo

Senvion, one of the world's biggest wind turbine manufacturers, today announced the opening of its office in Tokyo to service the local market.

Value-creating business models for customers / Intelligent, data-driven services applied to more than 50 projects / Fully integrated cyber security-by-design

East Anglia ONE to have a total capacity of 714 megawatts / Largest order to date for the 7 MW wind turbine / Second offshore project for ScottishPower Renewables / Service initially agreed for first five years

Germany: Züblin building Offshore Terminal Bremerhaven (OTB)

Ed. Züblin AG of Stuttgart, in a joint venture with Heinrich Hirdes GmbH, has been selected to build the Offshore-Terminal Bremerhaven (OTB).

The agreement is believed to be Europe’s largest wind turbine contract for a single project / Low Carbon Contracts Company confirms “significant contractual milestone” achieved / 75m-long blades to be manufactured in Hull

SAERTEX and its partners involved in the working group "DIN SPEC 81000 - Testing Method for Technical Textiles" – TexTechno, Faserinstitut Bremen (Bremen Fibre Institute), Groz-Beckert and the FTA Forschungsgesellschaft for Textiltechnik (FTA Research Centre for Textile Technology) – will receive the DIN Innovation Award 2016 which is to be awarded during the 2016 Hanover Messe (25 – 29 April).

A research project of the Federal Government of Germany on the subject of energy storage enters the decisive round: The first test object, a hollow sphere storage made of concrete, is now finished and will be equipped with the necessary technology to be sunk into Lake Constance this fall. The aim is to create a system that in future will store electricity from offshore wind farms until it is needed.

Vestas has been notified that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) will not exercise the option to change the ownership ratio of MHI Vestas Offshore Wind A/S ref. company announcement No. 41/2013 of 27 September 2013.

Brazil: Gamesa to supply 65 G114-2.1 MW turbines

The company will install 136.5 MW at the Babilonia wind complex located in the state of Bahia

SSE has launched a new 100% renewable energy product called ‘SSE Green’, which allows organisations to report zero emissions for their purchased electricity.

France: 8.2 Consulting AG performed TDD services for Innergex

On March 21st 2016, Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. announced the successful acquisition of a 87 MW portfolio consisting of 7 operating wind farms in France.

Confirming the competitiveness of Vestas’ upgraded 3 MW platform in Sweden, Fortum Generation AB has placed a firm and unconditional order for 22 Vestas V126-3.45 MW turbines.

Wind turbines are exposed to extreme stresses and environmental influences. The leading edges of rotor blades are particularly susceptible to damaging erosion and the accumulation of ice, depending upon the weather conditions. This can lead to turbine damage and significant degradation of its aerodynamic performance.

SAERTEX will once again exhibit at JEC Americas, the international trade show for the composites industry, on May 3-5.The fifth JEC Americas show will take place this year at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta

50,000 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity spread across more than 30,000 GE wind turbines in more than 35 different countries / Recent acquisition of Alstom’s renewable energy unit expands GE’s wind footprint in Europe and Brazil

Germany: Manufacturing center for rotor blades starts operation

Testing of change-over of manual labor to industrial production

RenewableUK is highlighting new official Government statistics which show that the British public believes that renewable energy provides tangible economic benefits - and they want clean energy projects built in their area.

Nordex has secured orders for two wind farms in the South West of Ireland totalling 42.5 MW, which will enter full operation in summer 2017. Both orders include a 15 year “Premium” full-service contract.

India: Tata Power successfully commissions 44 MW Lahori wind farm project in Madhya Pradesh

Total installed capacity stands now at 9183 MW / Current installed non-fossil fuel capacity is 1674 MW

US: American wind power hits the ground running

First quarter results are in / U.S. industry starts construction on over 2 gigawatts

The independent service provider Deutsche Windtechnik X-Service GmbH has received two contracts within the space of a few weeks for the new Nordex N117 turbines.

A portfolio of wind projects in Canada has reached financial close, after SgurrEnergy provided lender’s technical due diligence to support the financing process.