News Archive February 2018

U.S. Wind Industry Had a Strong 2017, Nears 90 GW

"Building new wind farms keeps American factory and construction workers busy"

200 MW Red Pine Wind Farm in Minnesota Up and Running

EDF Renewable Energy continues to push wind energy in Minnesota, marking their 11th wind farm in the state.

Hub Height of 162 metres: Vestas Breaks Another Record

Vestas will install the highest wind turbines in Asia in Thailand wind project.

Berlin-based storage manufacturer Younicos is modernizing an intelligent 10 MW battery storage system to provide ramping services smoothing out wind variability at a wind farm in Maui.

Wind Energy Is Now Lowest-Cost Option for Electricity in Canada

Nevertheless, wind energy has still a long way to go: The installed wind energy can only supply six per cent of Canada’s electricity demand.

Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm Runs Under Full Power

The project is now capable of generating its full capacity of 573 MW

Magenta Goes Green: T-Mobile Joins RE100

The company commits to 100% renewable energy use by 2021. Furthermore, the Solomon Forks project marks T-Mobile’s 2nd major wind power project

HBM Presents New Online Guide on Strain Measurement

The online guide focuses on the selection, installation, data acquisition, and analysis of electrical as well as optical strain gauges.

In the U.S., offshore wind industry is still in its infancy. Although the first offshore wind farm has been up and running since the end of 2016, residents and government still seem to be not quite convinced of the technology. This makes a study recently published by an offshore wind developer all the more interesting. The study examines the possible effects of an offshore wind farm on the electricity grid during a severe snowstorm like the one at the beginning of the year.

Ørsted Continues Green Transformation

2017 was a financially strong year for Ørsted

Bladt and Semco Push Offshore Industry in Taiwan

The companies have entered a partnership with Taiwanese shipyard CSBC Corporation to deliver offshore substations.

Prysmian Wins European Tender to Deliver Power Link to Capri

The contract has been awarded by Terna Rete Italia S.p.A., a company fully owned by Terna S.p.A., the Italian Transmission System Operator.

Hauff Technik Officially Opens Swiss Office

Swiss national subsidiary Hauff-Technik Swiss AG opened its new customer service and distribution centre on 1 February, 2018

Enel Brings Six Brazilian Wind Farms Online

The 172 MW Morro do Chapéu Sul wind facility in Brazil, consisting of six wind farms, has started commercial operation.

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. President wants to introduce budget cuts for the development of renewable energies and energy efficiency into Congress. The federal states won't have it and protest in their own way.

REETEC and OWS Repositions Themselves with Unique Onshore and Offshore Service Portfolio

The REETEC merger with Off-Shore Wind Solutions (OWS) creates a powerful independent competence centre for onshore and offshore services

Statkraft and ESFORIN Demonstrate Possibilities of Block Chain Technology

Renewable energy generators and industrial consumers connected via blockchain

Iberdrola has announced the winners of the tendering process for the maintenance of a large portion of its wind turbine fleet, namely 4,425 megawatts (MW) operated in the Iberian Peninsula.

GE Renewable Energy Gets Brazilian Order

ENGIE teams up with GE Renewable Energy to bring 360 MW of wind power to create a wind project with the highest concentration of turbines in the country.

One of World's Largest Energy Storage Facilities to Be Build in the UK

The new energy storage system will supply on demand power to approximately 100,000 UK homes

Vestas Introduces Advanced Anti-Icing System

Vestas Anti-Icing System™ is based on electro-thermal heating elements embedded in the laminate directly below the blade’s surface.

Vestas Dips Deeper into Analytics with Aquisition of Utpus Insights

The turbine manufacturer hopes to expand its service offering by seizing more digital opportunities

Endesa Purchases Five Wind Farms in Spain

The five wind farms are located in Galicia and Catalonia and have a combined capacity of 132 MW

The relationship will see E.ON helping Peel Ports to develop attractive energy solutions for investors and operators on the site, with the potential for renewables facilities and innovative energy approaches.

Current wind measurement techniques used for the planning and development of wind parks, including the exploration of possible locations are often cumbersome and expensive...

Record Year for Offshore Wind in Europe in 2017

13 new offshore wind farms were completed, including the world’s first floating offshore wind farm, Hywind Scotland.

As part of the strategic initiative to expand project development activities beyond the offgrid/hybrid segment into utility scale PV projects, the juwi board has decided to strengthen the project development expertise in the management team.

KfW Pushes German Energy Transition

KfW’s promotional programmes make an important contribution to climate action.

BluEarth Enters U.S. Market by Aquiring Two Wind Farms

Canadian Renewables operator BluEarth has entered the U.S. Market / Company acquires majority interest in two wind farms in Minnesota

Alberta Government Continues to Support Renewable Energy

The next rounds of the renewable energy procurement has been announced.

DNV GL Finishes Due Diligence on Dutch Offshore Wind Project

The focus was on technical risks in the investment in Borssele III-IV

Joint Research: Norway and Denmark Team Up in Offshore Development

Numerous researchers from Denmark and Norway are joining forces to further promote the development of offshore wind energy.

Ørsted Invests in Taiwan Storage Project

“The storage pilot in Changhua will kick off a new platform for industry-academia-government collaboration."

Tri Global Energy on Top Spot in Texas Wind Development

TGE accounts for 65 % of all wind energy projects being developed in Texas and 20 % of wind MW under construction in the U.S.

Strong 4th Quarter for Nordex in the U.S.

The turbine manufacturer expects to grow installations this year again

While in many countries of the world, the share of renewable energy in the electricity mix is increasing and politicians are trying to promote the expansion of renewables in a variety of ways, other countries are taking an almost unnoticed and fatal step back reinvesting in coal, gas and nuclear programs instead.

GE Hits Jackpot Order in North America

The GE 2 MW-127 turbine has been selected for 2.9 Gigawatts of Projects in North America

ELA Cotainer Initiatey Conference in Texas to Share Ideas about the “Energiewende”

The event will be held on February 27, 2018 at the Texas A&M in Galveston, TX.

Gannets Avoid Offshore Wind Turbines

The birds avoid wind farms in order to prevent coliding with the turbines.

The UK Wants More Offshore Wind Farms

“With costs continuing to come down at a pace and Government looking at further opportunities for additional offshore wind deployment in the 2020s"

wpd in Final Talks to Build Offshore Wind Projects in Taiwan

wpd intends to commission two offshore wind farms in 2020

Research Studies Scour on OWF Foundations to Optimise Jacket Design

The research is conducted by HR Wallingford and the University of Rostock, with fundings from the German government.

Taaleri Energia Takes First Steps into U.S. Market

The Finnish developer aquires an onshore wind farm in Texas.

IWES Tests Suction Bucket Foundations

What are the effects of extreme wave loads to the installation method which reduces noise?

Ørsted Gets EIA Approval for Taiwan Offshore Projects

The four offshore wind projects located off Changhua County in Taiwan have gotten green lights from The Environmental Protection Administration

OWA Calls for Development of Black Start Capabilities for Offshore Wind Turbines

The Carbon Trust has launched a new competition

DNV GL Provides Due Diligence for Walney Extension

The independent energy advisory and certification body DNV GL has become the technical advisor to a group of institutional lenders for the Walney Extension offshore wind farm.

Marine Renewables Canada Adds Offshore Wind to their Focus

The association plans to focus on similarities and synergies of the resources in order to advance the sector as a whole

Worldwide Wind Power Capacity Rises to 539 Gigawatt

All wind turbines installed by end of 2017 combined can cover more than 5% of the global electricity demand

New Enterprise of the Year Award Goes to Rovco

Rovco continues to push boundaries in a bid to revolutionise the way underwater surveys are performed.

Wind Energy in Europe: Bright Present, Dim Future

WindEurope Releases Annual Statistics for Wind Energy in Europe

ABB to Upgrade German Substation to Strenghten Grid

To help integrate more renewables and enhance grid reliability, ABB has won an order from TransnetBW to upgrade a substation

MidAmerican Energy Switches on Two Wind Farms in Iowa

Beaver Creek and Prairie Wind Farm are now generating electricity

FERC Approval for Development of Transmission System for Offshore Wind

ADP gained FERC approval to develop a shared transmission system to enable Massachusetts to fully harness the potential of offshore wind power.

El Hierro which belongs to the Canary Islands has covered 100% of its electricity demand between January 25 and February 12 with renewable energy, says operator Red Eléctrica

Ørsted Chooses Siemens Gamesa to Equip World's Largest Offshore Wind Farm

Danish energy company Ørsted awards an order of 1,386 MW to German-Spanish Siemens Gamesa to supply wind turbines for world's largest offshore wind farm

Europe Breaks Record of New Installations Again

The Global Wind Energy Council released its annual market statistics today.

Miniature Force Washer PACEline CSW by HBM Allows Reliable Shear-Force Monitoring

Complete a wide range of measurement tasks with just one sensor

Community Wind in Germany under Threat

Market changes are necessary to stop the downward spiral of community wind in Germany.

In recent days, a number of large companies have committed themselves to the use of more renewable energy. These include the world's largest food group, Nestlé, and the world's second largest brewery, Heineken. Soon thus chocolate bars and beer will be ‚powered by wind energy'.

Senvion Awards Jan De Nul Group to install Wind Turbine Generators in Germany

Jan De Nul will install turbines for Trianel Borkum II

Early Preparations for Triton Knoll OWF UnderWay

Construction will start in summer

Siemens Gamesa Unveils New Strategic Plan

The company wants to gain global leadership within the next two years.

Shipowner of the Year Award Goes to Global Marine Group

GMG has installed 387 inter-array cables and 421 cable pull-ins across 40 European offshore wind farms.

Marine Life Loves Offshore Wind

The turbine foundations of the Block Island Wind Farm act as artificial reefs, attracting fish and other marine wildlife.

Working on the World's Highest Wind Turbine

The unique natural electricity storage facility in Gaildorf presented the workers with special challenges in its construction.

Hywind Performing Better Than Expected - Despite Some Gruesome Weather

Statoil is very pleased with the performance of the first three months of the world's first floating offshore wind farm

New Report on Australia's Energy Future Published

“A comprehensive national energy and climate strategy is needed for Australia to have a cleaner and more secure energy future."

Frost & Sullivan recognized Sentient Science' flagship DigitalClone® life extension solution for wind turbines with their New Product Innovation Award for Wind Prognostics.

With this comprehensive choice of system modelling and engineering analysis software, SKF is now able to provide its customers with a range of tools that match their individual needs.

Russia Pushes for Wind Energy

Construction will kick off in summer.

European Commission Allows Belgian Green Certificates

The certificates schemes for renewable electricity and high-efficiency cogeneration implemented in Flanders are in line with EU State Aid rules.

Nordex Expands Footprint in Greece

Nordex has received a contract for two wind farms in Greece and service operations.

FERC Removes Barriers for Elecetrical Storage Market

This order will enhance competition and promote greater efficiency in the nation’s electric wholesale markets, and will help support the resilience of the bulk power system.

First Foundation in at Kriegers Flak

Jan De Nul has installed the first gravity based foundation for the project in Denmark

OWC to Do Constructionn Readiness Assessment for East Anglia One

“OWC will support the East Anglia ONE project in undertaking a thorough construction readiness assessment."

Aker Solutions Aims to Reduce Costs, Lower Risks and Improve Performance by Collecting Data

The company wants to collect and analyze large volumes of data from offshore energy installations

Bella Italia powered by Wind Energy

E.ON installs new wind farm in the Naples region and further expands its onshore portfolio

NSW Delivers Inter Array Cables for German Offshore Wind Farm

Van Oord awarded NSW with the contract to deliver inter array cables for Deutsche Bucht Wind Farrm

Enel and Partners Builds Storage Plant in Germany

The storage plant will provide frequency regulation services to Germany’s Primary Control Reserve (PCR) market to rapidly stabilise the grid.

Rocky Mountain Power Plans Major Wind Expansion

The cost of the four new wind projects with a total capacity of more than 1,300 MW is estimated at approximately $1.5 billion.

Smarter Grids Needed to Secure Cost Savings

“The energy sector is transforming rapidly. This transformation needs a common vision, shared by both the renewables and grid industries."

Senvion Wins Order in India

44 Senvion 2.3M120 turbines are to be delivered

NSG Wind and Wilhelmsen Win Technical Maintenance Contract for TenneT

They are to provide technical maintenance for TenneT’s off- and onshore transformer stations and AC electricity transmission systems.

IRENA: EU Can Double Share of Renewables to 34% in 2030

A new report outlines the path for Europe to increase share of renewables while boosting the economy

TransAlta Renewables Acquires Two Wind Projects in the U.S.

The wind development projects are construction-ready and located in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire

LiDAR measuring systems are increasingly in use in the wind industry. They are more flexible than wind measuring masts and offer a multitude of additional possibilities to gain new insights.

Vestas' Colorado Factories Stay Busy

Vestas wins a 50 MW order in the U.S. and announces all production will take place in their four Colorado factories.

European Parliament Votes for Modernisation of Electricity Market

Priority dispatch – which guarantees renewables are injected first into the grid – will continue to apply to existing wind farms.

NarrativeWave and Invenergy Partner Up to Tackle Production Problems via Software

Invenergy will use NarrativeWave’s software to optimize its fleet of wind turbines and other renewable energy assets.

Lufft Launches New CHM8k Cloud Height Sensor

New ceilometer for applications in which low-lying measurement ranges in up to eight kilometers are in focus.

Vattenfall Chooses HVDC Technology for Norfolk Vanguard Wind Farms

Using HVDC transmission technology means a much narrower cable corridor which is favoured by citizens of the area

Siemens Gamesa Repeats Success in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Siemens Gamesa wins its second order in the Balkan country

New Project Studies Shadow Effect in Offshore Wind Farms

DTU Wind Energy and Vattenfall work together to test the effects of offshore wind turbines standing in close range to each other

What Does the Future Look Like?

A vision for 2050: an army of autonomous robots service giant wind turbines with tens of rotors

High Investments for High Security of Supply

TenneT is preparing the electricity system for the participation of millions of electricity consumers using new software in pilot projects testing blockchain technology.

Joint Research Project: Guidance for Grouted Connections in Pre-Piled and Lightweight Jacket Structures

Environmental footprint of offshore foundation significantly reduced by use of seawater mixed grout

Nordex Sales Down

Project delays are causing the dip in sales, but the company has also been adjusting structural costs last year.

Siemens Gamesa Wins Big in Turkey

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has signed an agreement to supply up to 1 GW capacity of wind energy in Turkey.

EDPR Secures a 200 MW PPA for Prairie Queen Wind Farm

The wind farm currently under construction is located in Kansas.

Vestas Improves Blade Service by Partnering with InspecTools

Vestas strengthens predictive wind turbine maintenance

The 206 MW portfolio consists of two operating solar projects (Futtsu and Kanagi), one operating wind project (Otsuki) and two in-construction wind projects (Ohorayama and Tsugaru)

Generali Group Stops Investments in Coal

Instead the company plans to increase investments in green projects up to € 3.5 billion by 2020

New High-Strength Glass-Fiber Fabric for Wind Turbine Rotor Blades by SAERTEX

The unidirectional high-strength fabric achieves tensile strengths that are up to 20% higher and will be presented at the JEC World 2018