News Archive April 2020

The wind industry needs to be able to work, in particular the production of components without which global wind energy supply chains will grind to a halt.

The new report from the RE-Source Platform, Risk Mitigation for corporate renewable PPAs, is designed to tell corporates all they need to know to mitigate risks when entering renewable Power Purchase Agreements.

Statkraft Gives Update on Projects Amid Corona Crisis

Some construction projects have been temporarily put on hold while other sites remain open.

AkzoNobel Pauses Key Parts of Its Transformation

It's a response to the significant market disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The markets for renewable energies have become highly competitive. The Europeans as first developers of the global energy transition have long since ceased to be the only ones acting worldwide. While the Chinese and Americans are scoring points mainly in their home markets, Europe is now increasingly facing competition from the Gulf region.

Deutsche Bucht Offshore Wind Farm Achieves Completion

The offshore wind farm in the German North Sea, owned by Northland Power, is up fully and running.

Nordex Installs Giant Turbine in the Netherlands

The turbine boasts the largest onshore rotor diameter in the country

GWEC: Spotlight on India

The Global Wind Energy Council sheds some light on one the huge markets of wind energy: India

The EU Heads of State and the European Commission have already stated that Europe should prepare a Plan to get back to normal functioning with sustainable growth, based on the green transition and the digital transformation, as a guiding principle.

German Ministry: Global Nature Conservation Reduces Risk of Future Pandemics

Committed nature conservation in many regions of the world is the key to preventing new infectious diseases

innogy Enters Taiwanese Offshore Wind Market

innogy and Asia Cement Corporation sign strategic partnership

Escalating Situation in South Africa

Energy company Eskom proposes to curtail operational wind farms citing reduced demand in relation to COVID-19

Iberdrola Announces Massive Investments to Overcome COVID-19 Crisis

The company wants to speed up investments to help their supply chain in difficult times

COP26 Postponed

The COP26 UN climate change conference set to take place in Glasgow in November has been postponed to next year due to COVID-19.

The wind industry is particularly susceptible to the effects of this disruption because project completion delays could preclude developers from qualifying for the full value of the production tax credit.

Boralex Successful in French Tender

Four projects with a total capacity of 70.4 MW were selected in the last round of French tenders.

“This funding for offshore wind resource science will improve the weather models that wind plant developers and operators rely on to manage their fleet effectively and provide predictable, low-cost electricity,” said Assistant Secretary Daniel R Simmons.

Danish Coal Consumption Falls to Record-Low

Last year, Danish consumption of coal fell by almost 43%, and now accounts for just 5% of the observed energy consumption.

Which Country Has the Cheapest Corporate PPA Prices in Europe?

A new survey by BNEF presents results of a corporate PPA pricing survey, de-mystifying fair price ranges in Europe

BayWa r.e. Executes Tax Equity, Hedge and Construction Loan commitments for Texas Wind Farm

The project is already in construction and is expected to be placed in service in Q4 2020.

MHI Vestas Orders Typhoon Proofed Onshore Turbines at Vestas

Vestas has received a 139 MW order from MHI Vestas Offshore Wind to supply 33 Vestas V117-4.2MW typhoon variant turbines for Akita Noshiro Offshore Wind Farm Project.

Energy supplier innogy has made the final investment decision for the 342 MW Kaskasi offshore project in the German North Sea and awarded contracts with a total value of more than 500 million euros

Turning a Coal Site into an Offshore Terminal

Brayton Point on the U.S. east coast has been in redevelopment as a manufacturing & logistics hub for offshore wind

DOLFINES and CIMC RAFFLES Sign MoU for Floating Wind

The two companies have agreed to cooperate in the commercial development of their activities in Europe and Asia to boost floating wind in Europe and Asia.

Prysmian's Leadership Team Invests in the Company

It's a sign of commitment and confidence in the recovery from the pandemic-related crisis and in the Company's long-term growth prospects

Nordex: Huge Order Intake in Q1

The Nordex Group has closed the first quarter of 2020 with an order intake of 1.644 GW, increasing the volume of firm orders in a year-on-year comparison by almost 59 per cent (Q1/2019: 1.035 GW).

CanWEA Calls for Collaboration with Hydro-Québec

The wind industry is looking forward to deepening its relationship with Hydro-Québec, says industry body CanWEA.

BRAUN Windturbines Installs Small Wind Turbine in Northern Germany

The customer is now completely independent from the public grid.

India's Renewables Installations Faces Delays

Due to COVID-19, over 21.6% or 3 gigawatts of renewable energy projects in India will be delayed, predicts Wood Mackenzie in a new report

Renewables Capacity with Strong Growth in 2019

The renewables sector adds 176 GW of generating capacity with solar and wind accounting for 90 per cent of additions.

"The geographic location is very challenging for offshore wind turbines. The area has a reputation for both earthquakes and typhoons, which require certain foundation design standards to withstand the giant forces of nature”, says Søren Juel Petersen, Global Market Director for Offshore Wind in Ramboll.

Nexans Management Takes Voluntary Paycut

Nexans CEO, members of the Board of Directors, and management have taken voluntary paycuts due to COVID-19

How TÜV Nord Manages the Current Crisis

"As TÜV NORD, we are needed now, as we will be in the future, and are making our contribution to economic and social stability,” Dirk Stenkamp said.

Report: WindEurope's Financing and Investment Trends

Most of the investments in new wind farms were in onshore wind

Vestas suspends guidance for 2020 - For Now

As soon as the company deems that it is capable of giving new estimates for the full-year results, Vestas will disclose updated guidance.

Liebherr Reaches Next Milestone

Liebherr and DEME have installed one of the most distinctive parts of the Heavy Lift Crane 295000: the 145 meter long boom

Ørsted Completes Another Onshore Project in the U.S.

The Danish developer has completed its Sage Draw Wind project, a 338MW wind farm that straddles Garza and Lynn Counties in Texas.

While the corona pandemic is still in full swing in Europe, China is already one step ahead and seems to have overcome the worst. Isolation measures are slowly being eased and the economy is picking up again. Now the first analysts are venturing a look at what could happen to the rest of the world.

Green Schuldschein Loan Placed

Automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler has placed its first Schuldschein loan, raising a total of approximately 350 million euros in the current difficult market environment.

Prysmian Group Seeks IBM's Support for its Digital Transformation

A new efficient IT infrastructure will support the group’s global growth strategy

Innovative Rotor Blade Design Successfully Tested

ACT Blade provides world’s lightest wind turbine blade inspired by yacht-racing for tests at ORE Catapult’s test and validation facility in Blyth

OWC Wins Contract for U.S. Offshore Wind Project

Offshore Wind Consultants (OWC) will develop a ground model for a U.S. offshore wind project and its cable route

MHI Vestas Appoints Regional Manager for Asia Pacific Region

Masato Yamada will now be based in MHI Vestas’ Tokyo office.

The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Industry has approved the plans to develop and operate the floating offshore wind farm Hywind Tampen for the Snorre and Gullfaks oil and gas platforms.

U.S. Voters Strongly Favor Offshore Wind Energy

Republicans and Democrats agree on this topic

DEME Hits Halfway Mark on Foundation Installation

DEME Offshore is making progress in installing the foundations for Dutch offshore wind farm Borssele 1 & 2.

Dongfang Assembles First 7 MW Typhoon-Resistant Offshore Wind Turbine

The Chines manufacturer DEC has assebled its first independently developed offshore wind turbine which can resist typhoons

Virginia Commits to Offshore Wind Energy

The Virginia Clean Economy Act paves the way for an enormous expansion of offshore wind, solar, onshore wind, and energy storage.

Electrolyser Placed in Offshore Wind Tower

ITM Power and Ørsted proposed to place an electrolyser in the tower of an offshore turbine

IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera Issues Statement

The IRENA Director-General issues a statement on renewable energy in the time of COVID-19

AXA and ACCIONA Acquire KKR’s 33.33% Equity Stake in ACCIONA Energía Internacional

Under the current transaction, ACCIONA will increase its equity stake in AEI from 66.67% to 80.0%.

Wind Turbine Manufacturer Senvion Sells its Indian Branch

German wind turbine manufacturer Senvion has entered into a binding agreement with a strategic investor to sell and transfer its fully operational Indian entity.

GE Renewable Energy Signs First Contract in Vietnam

GE will build its first wind farm in Vietnam

Wind Wildlife Research Fund Studies: First Results Are In

The studies are providing new information about interactions between wind energy and wildlife

VCM-3: A New Dimension of Healthcare Awareness for Assets

As an optimal condition monitoring solution, it helps turn vibration into real business value.

Clir Monitors over 1 GW in Europe

The company reached this milestone by the end of the first quarter in 2020.

The installation of Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm has reached another milestone in the delivery of critical new UK energy infrastructure, with the safe installation of the first of two offshore substation platforms (OSPs).

UK Turbine Prices on the Rise Due to COVID-19

According to GlobalData, turbine prices might rise after the corona crisis due to a possible bottleneck

After a few weeks in lockdown mode, the calls for a recovery of the economy and society are getting louder all over the world. However, more and more people do not want a simple return to the situation before the corona crisis.

Global Demand for Wind Turbine Materials to Grow Rapidly

Frost & Sullivan expect the market to nearly double by 2026

API Presents 3D Measurement Solutions

API with live demonstrations events

PNE AG Holds Purely Virtual Annual General Meeting

The online Annual General Meeting allows for the punctual payment of the proposed dividend

Brazilian Energy and Transmission Auction Postponed

The Ministry of Mines and Energy in Brazil has indefinitely postponed the auctions that were scheduled for May, 2020 due to COVID-19

A broad coalition of power generators, trade associations, and think tank experts requests a technical conference or workshop to discuss carbon pricing in wholesale electricity markets

Mirova Acquires Swedish Wind Farm from RES

RES has announced the sale of Rödene Wind Farm to Mirova

Study: Europe Can Achieve Climate Neutrality Before 2050

SolarPower Europe and LUT University have launched a new report that models a 100% renewables scenario for Europe to reach climate neutrality before 2050.

Belgian Offshore Wind Farm Completed

All turbine are installed at Belgium's Northwester 2 Wind Farm

Wood Secures EPC Onshore Wind Contracts

The contracts in the United States are worth a combined $100m.

Report: How Can More Businesses Be Offshore Wind Winners in the UK?

The report is aimed at bringing more businesses into the offshore wind supply chain to help the industry achieve 60% UK content by 2030.

GWEC and GWO: Dire Need for Trained On-Site Workers for Offshore Wind

The global offshore wind industry is in need of 77,000 workers for emerging markets like Asia and North America - by 2024.

106,000 U.S. Jobs in Renewable Sector Lost

The U.S. have become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. The economy has been hit hard, with 106,000 jobs lost in the renewable energy sector in March alone

Fred. Olsen Windcarrier to Conduct Preliminary Geotechnical Investigations for Thor

Geo has awarded a contract to Fred.Olsen Windcarrier to work on Thor offshore wind farm off the coast of Denmark.

Renewable Energy Must Be Core to Fresh Start after Corona

The current corona virus crisis will have a global impact on the market development in 2020, but renewable energy has to be a core element to restore the global economy

AWEA Publishes Annual U.S. Market Report

The wind industry topped the mark of 100 GW and employed 120,000 Americans in 2019

Ørsted Enables Construction of First Taiwanese SOV

This charter contract represents the first-ever bespoke SOV in Taiwan and in Asia Pacific.

Amsterdam to Get Energy Port

The development of this new port is crucial for realising more wind farms in the Dutch North Sea.

Tanzania's First Wind Project Nearly Finished

The country in East Africa will soon have its own wind farm with a capacity of 2.4 MW

Energy company Vattenfall and grid operator TenneT signed an agreement for the offshore grid connection of Hollandse Kust Zuid 3&4 wind farm off the Dutch coast.

Siemens Gamesa Celebrates Another Win at Polish Auction

"We are very pleased with our current success," said Enrique Pedrosa, Chief Regions Officer at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Onshore business unit.

AWEA’s Wind Powers America Annual Report 2019 Shows Top 6 Wind Energy Trends

Wind is the preferred choice for new power and fuels more U.S. families and businesses than ever before while providing well-paying jobs

Jan De Nul Wins Contract to Connect Dutch Offshore Wind Farms

TenneT has awarded a consortium of Jan De Nul Group and LS Cable & System the contracts for the supply and installation of high voltage cables for offshore farms

EGCO Group Buys into Taiwan's Yunlin Offshore Wind Farm

Electricity Generating Public Company Limited (EGCO Group) has acquired a 25% ownership interest in the wind farm.

LAP Webinar: Improved wind blade layup process using laser projection

Join us on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 11:00am ET (5:00pm CEST) and register today for the free webinar.

Research Project EWiNo Improves Wind Field Modeling

In complex terrain the new method aims to improve wind field modeling and wind farm operation

EnBW Baltic 2: Service from Denmark

Instead of from Rostock, service for the German offshore wind farm EnBW Baltic 2 will be provided from the Danish port of Klintholm on the island of Møn, according to EnBW.

Keeping the Lights on in Europe

The Power Transmission System Operators are working full speed and across borders to keep the light on in Europe and to restart an ever greener economy

Heerema Fabrication Group to Fabricate Pre-Piling Template for Taiwanese OWF

The pre-piling template is a tool that enables Heerema Marine Contractors to install the piles accurately.

Already last week, various initiatives called for joint sustainable action for Europe to get economy - hit hard by COVID-19 - back on its feet. In the meantime, a majority of European states are rooting for this idea.

GE Renewable Energy Signs 10-Year Service Agreement in the U.S.

The agreement with Idaho Wind Partners includes full-service agreement for 122 GE 1.56-82.5 turbines

“Our results for the first quarter demonstrate our transformation was fully on track, even though COVID-19 already had a significant impact, especially in China and later in the quarter other regions of the world," says CEO.

innogy Exits Offshore Service Vessel Market

With the sale of their last offshore installation vessel Seabreeze II, energy company concentrates on its core market.

Webinar Invitation: Why Community Power Matters in Times of Crisis – Industrialised Countries

30 April, 14:00 h to 16:30 h Central Europa Summer time

Renewable Energy Projects in Asia Pacific in Risk of Delay or Cancellation

This is equivalent to pushing back the Asia Pacific renewables construction pipeline by nearly two years.

SCADA International Secures Contract from Siemens Gamesa

SCADA International will produce server solutions for 10 GW of on- and offshore wind turbine projects

ORE Catapult Testing Facilities Resume Full Operations Despite COVID-19

After introducing measures to ensure staff safety during the COVID 19 pandemic, the testing facility resumes work.

Ofgem Approves Shetland Transmission Link

If the Shetland Viking Wind Farm project goes ahead, SSEN will build a 600MW subsea electricity transmission link from Shetland to mainland Scotland.

ABO Wind's Net Profit for 2019 Amounts to 11.4 Million Euros

ABO Wind has achieved an eight-figure consolidated profit after taxes for the fourth time in a row.

Dominion Energy and Ørsted Near Construction on U.S. Pilot Offshore Project

Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project remains on track for installation and operations

Petersberg Climate Dialogue 2020 Starts Today

Due to COVID-19 the meeting of around 30 climate ministers will take place online for the first time

ENERCON with Success in Finland and Vietnam

While the E-147 EP5/4.3 MW prototype was installed in Finland, the company has contracted a further 310 MW of project orders to be implemented in Vietnam by the end of 2021.

Located in a wetland area of the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam and surrounded by aquaculture shrimp farms, the sites’ limited space and complex infrastructure requires a specific transportation and installation solution to construct the projects, the Danish turbine manufacturer says.

RWE Achieves Commercial Operation on Polish Wind Farm

The 7 MW Nawrocko wind farm near Stettin can supply up to 15,000 households with green power

Developer wpd Concentrates on Taiwanese Market

With several contracts, wpd is strengthening its presence and activities in Taiwan and intensifying its focus on this emerging energy market.

Vattenfall to Construct Scottish Onshore Wind Farm

Vattenfall and Greencoat UK Wind will construct the South Kyle onshore wind farm in Scotland

Nordex Receives Brazilian Order

Nordex will supply 17 turbines for Voltalia Brasil for its 58.8 MW Ventos Serra do Mel 4 wind farm

Bladt to Construct Arcadis Ost 1 Substation for German OWF

Parkwind and Bladt have signed an agreement for the design, fabrication, and installation of the Arcadis Ost 1 substation in the German Baltic Sea.

Beginning of an Era: alpha ventus Turns 10

In April 2010, the first German offshore wind farm alpha ventus went into operation in the German North Sea

Prysmian Holds Annual Shareholders' Meeting

2019 financial statements approved dividend of €0.25 per share for a total of some €66 million

World's First Submerged Slip Joint Successfully Installed

The Slip Joint is an alternative connection between foundation elements, a monopile and a transition piece.

Solar and Wind Cheaper Than Ever

The last months have seen costs for solar,wind and batteries fall even lower

Nexans Aurora Slowly Comes to Life

All blocks have been assembled for the Cable Laying Vessel (CLV) Nexans Aurora

France Aims for 40% Renewables in 2030

Last week France submitted its final 2030 National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) to the European Commission.

Corona Pandemic with Impact on Dutch Offshore Auction

The offshore wind market in the Netherlands is actually in the middle of a boom - but now the first effects of the corona pandemic are being felt.

Coalition for Action Calls for Green Recovery

Over 100 leading players in renewable energy, gathered under the IRENA Coalition for Action, have come together in a joint call for action

Total orders $19.5B, (5)%; organic orders (3)% / Total revenues (GAAP) $20.5B, (8)%; Industrial organic revenues $18.9B, (5)% / Industrial profit margin (GAAP) of 34.9%, +2,960 bps; adjusted Industrial profit margin 5.8%, (410) bps / Continuing EPS (GAAP) of $0.72, including a $11.1 billion after-tax gain following the sale of BioPharma and a $4.6 billion after-tax unrealized loss on marking GE's investment in Baker Hughes to market; adjusted EPS $0.05 / GE CFOA (GAAP) $(1.7)B; Industrial free cash flow $(2.2)B

BRAUN Installs Another Small Wind Turbine in Germany

The Antaris wind turbine has been installed on a 24m mast in Hesse

Neptune Energy and Eneco today announced that Eneco, a leader in the field of sustainable energy, has joined as a partner on the PosHYdon pilot, the world’s first offshore green hydrogen project.

Developing Countries Need Solidarity

"Globally, we have to shape economic stimulus so that we are also able to achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals."

Dutch Wind Farm Delivers First Electricity

The Borssele 1 & 2 offshore wind farm has generated its first power