News Archive July 2020

European Parliament Wants to Boost Energy Storage

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) propose options to develop hydrogen and batteries

With the installation of the Northwester 2 offshore wind farm in May, Belgium reaches an installed capacity of 1,775 MW and surpasses Denmark as the world's fourth largest producer of offshore wind energy.

Report: India’s Clean Power Revolution

India has become a model country for others looking to leverage low-carbon investments in their Covid-19 economic recovery strategy.

LiDAR for Offshore Wind Deployed in New Jersey

Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind and Rutgers University have deployed a Wind LiDAR in Tuckerton, New Jersey

Ørsted Completes Plum Creek Wind Project in the U.S.

The 230 MW wind farm is located in Wayne County, Nebraska, and was completed on schedule even amidst global challenges.

Automated Precision Europe GmbH (API) has further improved their distribution channels by entering a new partnership in Italy for its Radian Laser Tracker system products and accessories. In addition to their long-time partner Microservice S.r.l., API Radian products will now also be sold by COORD3 in Italy with immediate effect.

The REA has published a report setting out renewable energy and clean technology stimulus policies that will achieve a fair and inclusive economic recovery in line with UK's legally binding Net Zero targets.

Germany: Renewables Account for 55.8% in First Half of 2020

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE just presented the data on the net electricity generation for the public power supply for the first half of 2020

To successfully advance that strategy, Siemens Gamesa has decided to shut down its Aoiz factory, which is not competitive in the market environment to produce blades for large turbine models.

There's no question that the construction of offshore wind farms is associated with noise and pollution for the local wildlife. But could a completed wind farm also have positive effects by creating new diversity in its area? US researchers draw an unusual comparison.

With the slogan “From 60 to 100 by 2032: for an economy with prospects”, 50Hertz has set itself the specific goal of getting the electricity demand in its grid area covered

Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Farm Gets Green Light

Another 1.8 GW offshore wind farm will bring green electricity to the UK soon.

Ireland's New Government Sets Sights on Green Future

The new governemtn promised a “revolution” in renewables, to include annual capacity auctions and to increase their 2030 offshore wind target from 3.5 GW to 5 GW.

WindEurope has published a position paper on the EU Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy. The paper identifies the need for a collaborative and long-term approach to maritime spatial planning, aligned with EU climate goals.

COVID-19 Will Significantly Reduce Global Long-Term Energy Demand

Compared to DNV GL’s pre-pandemic forecast, the amount of energy required by humanity in 2050 will be 8% lower.

Without a major acceleration in clean energy innovation, countries and companies around the world will be unable to fulfil their pledges to bring their carbon emissions down to net-zero in the coming decades

Representatives of the Polish government and Polish wind energy industry have signed a 'Letter of Intent on cooperation for development of offshore wind power in Poland'. It's seen as the start for Polish offshore wind.

Ørsted has awarded Semco Maritime a one-year service contract for programmed preventive maintenance on the two offshore substations for wind farms Borkum Riffgrund 1 and Borkum Riffgrund 2 in Germany.

Borealis Signs PPAs in Finland

Borealis has signed two long-term power purchase agreements with wind farm operator and developer Ilmatar Energy

Both Software in the Loop (SiL) and Hardware in the Loop (HiL) systems are commonly used in the industry, but the advanced simulation models developed by Ingeteam as Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) allow for higher agility to run parameter sweeps and to test new algorithms.

The Electrical Safety Standards Harmonization report highlights offshore wind industry’s best practices for electric safety for turbine systems, subsea cables, and substations.

The Ministers of the NSEC countries in a joint declaration agreed on the key role of offshore wind energy in achieving Europe’s climate targets for 2050.

SSE Renewables Changes Names of Offshore Wind Farms

SSE Renewables’ Seagreen 2 and 3 offshore wind farms are to be renamed to Berwick Bank wind farm and Marr Bank wind farm

Analysis: Renewables Can Create 12,000 New Jobs in near future

The Government needs to take steps to maximise the economic benefits of renewable energy in the coming years.

Report: Eastern Europe's Coal Regions Need to Move Off Coal Power for Green Recovery

The BNEF report maps least-cost transition options for four key power markets in Central and Eastern Europe.

The MySE11-203 wind turbine is designed for offshore operation and is to be built next year. It will be available for commercial operation from 2022.

eologix Equips Seven Austrian Wind Farms with Ice Detection System

eologix sensor technology gmbh will equip all the wind turbines by Enercon with their eologix:safe system.

API and NM3D IBÉRICA Become Partners

New Strong Partners for 3D Metrology in Spain and Portugal: API and NM3D IBÉRICA

Nexans sells German Metallurgy Business

Mutares will be better suited to further develop the activities

Task Force for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines Established

There's a huge potential for floating offshore wind turbines - but only if costs can be reduced drastically. A solvable task, as the wind industry knows.

Vestas Surpasses Milestone in Poland

With the latest order of 166 MW for two projects, Vestas reinforces its market leadership in Poland by surpassing 1 GW of order intake from auctions.

Danish Ørsted and Taiwan-based TSMC have signed a corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA). TSMC will buy all the power produced by Ørsted’s 920MW Greater Changhua 2b & 4 offshore wind farms, making it the largest-ever contract of its kind within renewable energy.

Siemens Gamesa Launches New Turbine for India

The turbine manufacturer has launched the next generation wind turbine for the country, the SG 3.4-145.

RWE has moved a step closer to the realisation of its 1.4 gigawatt (GW) Sofia Offshore Wind Farm with the selection of the preferred suppliers for the project’s high voltage direct current (HVDC) electrical transmission system.

ENERCON Wins Order to Supply Six Wind Farms in Germany

ENERCON has secured new project orders for 220 MW in Lower Saxony, Germany

Nordex to Supply Spain's Largest Wind Farm with Turbines

Nordex has won an order by Enlight Renewable Energy to supply Spain's largest wind farm with wind turbines.

Wether in construction, mechanics, automotive, steel construction, oil & gas power-plants or wind energy: regular inspection and maintenance of bolted joints is crucial for various industries in order to avoid costly system failures and to ensure operability.

Hellenic Cables to Supply Inter-Array Cables for Seagreen OWF in Scotland

Seaway 7 has awarded Hellenic Cables to provide 66kV inter-array cables and accessories for the Seagreen offshore wind farm.

Eolus Acquiring Seven Onshore Wind Projects in Sweden

Eolus has signed an agreement to acquire seven wind power projects in an early development phase from Vindkraft Värmland, a subsidiary of Modern Energy.

EDS HV Group Wins Three Contracts from Vattenfall for Offshore Wind Farms

EDS HV Group have secured two new contracts with Vattenfall for high voltage network commissioning and safety management at three wind farms in Denmark

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) will boost ties to put the renewables driven energy transformation at the heart of Latin America and the Caribbean’s economic recovery following the COVID-19 outbreak.

Germany's Environment Minister Schulze remarked: “It is imperative that we, as EU environment ministers, are actively involved in the ongoing discussion on shaping Europe's economic recovery."

MHI Vestas Strenghtens Local Ties in Taiwan

MHI Vestas has become the only wind turbine manufacturer to source fasteners and cables locally

All Array Cables for Borssele I & II Offshore Wind Farms Installed

Ørsted and Van Oord have successfully installed all 94 array cables connecting the turbines of Borssele I & II offshore wind farms.

Report: 70 GW of Floating Wind in 2040 Possible

Technology development challenges to commercialisation remain, however, once they are dealt with the industry is good to deliver

Whitelee Wind Farm Gets Ion-Lithium Battery Storage System

UK's biggest onshore wind farm will be supplied with an ion-lithium battery storage system by Ingeteam.

A new analysis by the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) finds that investors remain optimistic about long-term renewable energy growth, even as companies experience significant headwinds from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The transition of coal regions’ carbon-intensive economies towards more sustainable forms of power generation will play a key role in reaching the Green Deal objectives, WindEurope says.

HUBER+SUHNER Expects Solid Half-Year Result

The Swiss company has taken cost-cutting measures at an early stage and introduced short-time working

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, investor confidence in offshore wind energy is unbroken. New figures show an unprecedented increase in investment in this technology, more than offsetting the decline in other renewables. But what comes after Corona?

Siemens Gamesa Wins 165 MW Order in Vietnam

Siemens Gamesa has scored a double order, including one for the largest nearshore wind farm in Vietnam's emerging wind market

Number of Renewable PPAs on the Rise

Cornwall Insight has identified 38 new PPAs representing around 1.5GW of capacity, which has been publicly announced.

Innovative Farming: OWF Norther Gets First Offshore Seaweed Farm in the World

Belgian offshore wind farm Norther is taking part in a unique project to grow seaweed on a large scale in the North Sea.

Vestas Wins Another Order in Vietnam

Vestas has secured a 101 MW order for the second phase of the B&T Wind Farm.

MHI Vestas Signs Supply Chain Contract with KK Wind Solutions in Taiwan

The contract signing confirms MHI Vestas as delivering Taiwan’s most comprehensive local scope for offshore wind production.

Siemens Gamesa Wins First Service Contract for Senvion Offshore Wind Turbines

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy will service Germany’s offshore wind park Trianel Windpark Borkum II (TWB II).

Statkraft Publishes Q2 Results

A significant hydrological surplus due to high snow reservoirs has put pressure on the Nordic power prices

AYOP is an association of companies, regional authorities and knowledge / educational institutions in the area in the Netherlands that are active in the offshore energy sector.

Vestas Still Getting Stronger in Poland

Vestas has secured another 121 MW order in Poland, expanding their market leadership in the country.

Vena Energy Announces Construction of Japan’s Tallest Wind Turbines

The Nakasato Wind Farm will feature wind turbines with a hub height of up to 116.5 meters, making them the tallest wind turbines in Japan to date.

The company wil install the high-voltage DC interconnector, including the manufacturing of approx. 2x260 km of 320 kV high-voltage DC on-and offshore power cables, installation by the cable-laying vessel NKT Victoria and protection of the cables.

Goldwind to Build Wind Farm in Kazakhstan

The 100MW wind power project is located in Zhanatas, Dzhambul of Kazakhstan, with the site about 9km to the downtown of Zhanatas.

Schaeffler AG Gets New CFO

Dr. Klaus Patzak appointed new CFO of Schaeffler AG following Dietmar Heinrich

Vestas Wins Another Intertidal Project in Vietnam

The project will feature customised towers placed on reinforced onshore foundations above sea level.

wpd and ENGIE Sign PPA in Poland

The PPA was signed between the project companies of wpd’s own onshore wind farms “Jarocin Kozmin” and “Slupca-Kolaczkowo” and the Polish ENGIE subsidiary.

Vattenfall CEO Steps Down

Vattenfall's CEO Magnus Hall has decided to step down after almost six years at the head of the Swedish energy group.

WindEnergy Hamburg: All Eyes on India

India will be featured at the WindEnergy Hamburg 2020 which will take place in December this year.

Marine Site Characterisation Campaign Under Way in the UK

The resulting Geo-data from Fugro’s geotechnical investigations will feed into the ground model for the Norfolk Vanguard and Norfolk Boreas wind farms

While the company has started construction of the Lily solar + storage project in Texas - its first utility-scale solar + storage project in North America - Enel also announced future storage expansion plans.

ENGIE and EDPR Form Joint Venture Ocean Winds

The joint venture will bundle the offshore activities of both companies

REWITEC Reaches 3,000 Wind Turbine Treatments

"Manufacturers, warranty providers, service companies and oil formulators rely on REWITEC to keep wind working”.

The Norwegian Export Credit Guarantee Agency (GIEK) has recently widened its mission to include offshore wind, and more generally banks and investors participating in large international energy-infrastructure projects.

RenewableUK Publishes Offshore Wind Project Intelligence Report

The global pipeline of offshore wind energy projects which are operational, under construction, consented or being planned is ever growing

UK: Offshore Alliance to Fast-Track Energy Transition

The Energy Transition Alliance between the Oil & Gas Technology Centre and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult focuses on net zero technologies integration

Technical systems on wind turbines should prevent collisions with birds or bats as far as possible. Nature conservationists, research and industry are working on the matter quite thoroughly, as various projects show.

The House Rules Committee convened to consider expanding the Jones Act, the federal law that regulates maritime commerce in the United States, to cover construction at sea and potentially require U.S.-flagged installation vessels to service offshore wind projects being built in federal waters.

BayWa r.e. Joins Consortium for Offshore Wind

Matthias Taft, CEO of BayWa r.e., noted that “We are delighted to join forces with Elicio and Ideol, and to jointly drive forward innovation in the Scottish offshore wind sector."

GES to Install Three Spanish Wind Farms

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has ordered GES to construct and install three wind farms in Zaragoza, Spain

Atos to Work for Ørsted in the U.S.

Atos will deliver mission-critical communications for Ørsted offshore wind farms in the U.S.

To further strengthen our commitment towards the energy transition, the Projects BU launched a new brand strategy able to deliver clear messages to all the Group’s stakeholders and meet the industry’s new challenges.

New York's second offshore wind solicitation seeks up to 2,500 megawatts of projects, the largest in the nation's history, in addition to last year's solicitation which resulted in nearly 1,700 megawatts awarded.

ENERCON's New Prototype Installed in the Netherlands

ENERCON has completed installation of the E-160 EP5 prototype in Wieringermeer, Netherlands.

WindEurope Works Towards a European Standard for Decommissioning Wind Turbines

This November WindEurope will publish a comprehensive document on this topic

Ball Signs Two VPPAs in Europe

The company has signed two virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) in Europe – one for the Corral Nuevo project with wpd and one for the Brattmyrliden project with Falck Renewables.

Antaris Turbine Installed in Russia

The Antaris turbine has passed the test in the long Russian winter.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has received a new 60-MW order to extend the Cabo Leones 1 wind project in Chile, operated by the joint venture formed by the French utility EDF Renewables Chile and Spain’s Grupo Ibereólica Renovables.

Analysis of the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) by WindEurope

The main hurdle in the NECPs remain the permitting regulations.

The timely conclusion of BOEM’s review is critical to the Vineyard Wind project as well as to secure robust development of future offshore wind in the U.S.

Saipem Bags Several New Offshore Wind Contracts

Saipem has been awarded new offshore wind contracts, for projects located in the UK, Scotland and France.

Iberdrola and Fertiberia are allied in their commitment to the sustainability of the industrial sector and have decided to build a plant for the production of green hydrogen.

The annual Renewables Global Status Report from REN 21 has confirmed that Ireland is second only to Denmark in the share of electricity provided by wind energy. If you focus on onshore wind energy, Ireland is even #1.

Siemens Gamesa Appoints Jorge Magalhães as Head of Technology of Onshore Business Unit

Jorge Magalhães brings more than 30 years of experience in global companies, including ten in wind industry as Head of Innovation for Vestas.

New Sea State Forecasting Tool to Be Developed

Turbine accessibility is a key determinant of a wind farm’s profitability. The partners want to work together on raising the accessibility.

All 102 Siemens Gamesa offshore wind turbines of East Anglia ONE – situated 43km off the Suffolk coast – are now fully operational, with the capacity to produce 714MW of clean energy.

Nexans Publishes 2020 First Half Results

Despite a challenging environment, Nexans delivered a robust performance

TenneT Integrates Record Amount of Offshore Wind into German Grid

“The expansion and integration of offshore wind energy is of central importance for the European energy transition,” says TenneT COO Tim Meyerjürgens.

Study: Offshore Wind as "Game Changer" for Ireland

The EirWind Blueprint outlines strategic recommendations to inform policymaking, at a vital, formative time for the sector.

Nordex Wins Order from Colombia

German turbine manufacturer Nordex has won an order for the supply of 41 N149/4.0-4.5 turbines for an undisclosed wind farm in Colombia.

At the beginning of the year, Australia was hit by the worst bush fires the continent had ever seen - with catastrophic effects, the full extent of which is only gradually becoming apparent. Then came COVID-19 and brought about the lockdown. Now the country is vacillating between a new start and a rising number of new cases, and the question arises as to what the future should look like.

GE Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr.: "We expect to return to positive Industrial free cash flow in 2021. We are accelerating our transformation to make GE stronger and drive long-term, profitable growth."

Vattenfall Constructs Largest Hybrid Energy Park

The comapny's largest hybrid energy park is currently taking shape in the Netherlands and contains of solar panels, wind turbines and batteries.

CrossWind Wins Hollandse Kust (noord) Tender

The CrossWind joint venture betwenn Eneco and Shell has won the latest tender in the Netherlands

Renewable energy capacity investment showed great resilience in the first half of 2020, in the face of the unprecedented economic shock caused by the coronavirus, according to the latest figures from research company BloombergNEF (BNEF).

Renewables Provided a Record 37.1% of the UK’s Electricity in 2020

Wind alone generated a record 20% of UK electricity last year (10% from onshore wind and 10% from offshore wind), RenewableUK noted.

Analysis: Impact of COVID-19 on the Wind Sector

WindEurope has published an analysis of how the ongoing pandemic affected new installations, auction schedules, financing and electricity production in the European wind industry.

Offshore Grid Connection Borssele Beta Receives Grid Readiness Certification

TenneT’s high voltage connection for the offshore wind farms Borssele III, IV and V is now ready for use.

Baltic Cooperation in Offshore Wind

The governments of Estonia and Latvia have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a joint offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Riga.

"The responsiveness and flexibility of our supply chain, paired with the high level of differentiation of the markets in which we operate, have enabled us to respond forcefully to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic," says Chief Executive Officer Valerio Battista

The construction of the floating platform is said to be finsihed in August and will be installed near the Canary Islands this fall despite the COVID-19 pandemic.