News Archive January 2021

Renewable Energy Tax Credits Extended

The Production Tax Credit (PTC) and the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) have been extended in the U.S.

New Landmarks for Sweden

The highway between Oslo and Gothenburg gets to see 10 SG 5.8-155 turbines next to the road.

GE Renewable Energy announced that it has secured a 27.2 MW contract to supply 8 units of GE’s 3 MW-137 wind turbines to support construction of the Phuoc Minh Wind Farm, located in Ninh Thuan, in the South Central Region of Vietnam.

Hornsea Project Three OWF Gets Green Light

RenewableUK has welcomed the decision to build the offshore wind farm.

Hitachi ABB Power Grids' latest high-voltage hybrid switchgear for offshore wind application is the first-of-its-kind to enable the collection grid between the wind towers to operate at a higher voltage level.

ENERCON Continues Success Story in Turkey

Since its realignment, ENERCON has been increasingly focusing on foreign markets. The turbine manufacturer has been particularly successful in Turkey.

The U.S. state of New Jersey has announced a $250 million investment to build a factory for offshore wind towers. Just recently, New Jersey announced plans to build a factory for rotor blades, and now it's adding towers for offshore turbines.

First Offshore Wind Energy Zone in Belgium Completed

All wind farms in the zone have been built on schedule and are producing electricity

GE Renewable Energy Wins 1 GW Order from Pattern Energy

GE Renewable Energy will supply 377 turbines for Pattern Energy’s Western Spirit Wind farms in New Mexico.

In view of the expiry of the fixed remuneration for many wind farms in the near future in accordance with the Renewable Energy Sources Act in Germany, there is a clear demand from operators for PPAs in order to be able to continue the operation of these wind farms economically.

STEAG Sells Romanian Wind Farm Crucea to Local Energy Supplier

German-based energy company STEAG wants to focus on other markets in the future and is therefore selling its wind farm to Romanian energy supplier Hidroelectrica.

REA Summarises Brexit Deal and its Impact on Energy

The briefing firstly provides an overview of the Energy Chapter, before going on to look at wider issues that could affect business operations.

Siemens Gamesa to Supply its First Wind Farm in Ethiopia

The 100MW Assela wind farm will be located between the towns of Adama and Assela, approximately 150 km south of the capital, Addis Ababa

Ramboll demonstrated the great potential of its True Digital Twin technology through a pilot-test that has been conducted at the Wikinger offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea.

M-PT: Barcode scanner for torque wrenches

Digitalization should be that easy. It starts with sophisticated software and continues with smart accessories.

Energy Systems Need AI - But AI Needs Boundaries

Risks must be managed to maximise the benefits, says Daria Bierla Gazzola, Digital Communications Officer at IRENA.

2020 was a momentous year. Not only because the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because renewable energies provided a large part of the electricity supply in more and more countries. It also revealed problems though, that will have to be solved in the future.

Canada Moves Closer to Net-Zero

The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) welcomes the release of an enhanced plan to address climate change by the Federal Government.

Peninsula Clean Energy Procures Wind Energy

Peninsula Clean Energy has agreed to procure 245 megawatts of power from three California wind projects

OWC Supports Polish Baltic Sea Offshore Wind Projects

PKN Orlen, through its subsidiary Baltic Power, holds a license to build wind farms in the Baltic Sea with a maximum total capacity of up to 1.2 GW.

In 2019 APEM were commissioned for a year of monthly wildlife surveys which were delivered on time despite facing challenging circumstances brought about by the global coronavirus pandemic.

Renewable Power Capital has made its first investment by committing to the acquisition of a 100% ownership interest in a 171 MW portfolio of onshore wind projects from OX2

U.S. Logistics Company Crowley Shipping Moves into Renewable Energy Business

Crowley Shipping has formed a New Energy division strategically focused on offshore wind and LNG

The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (FCH2-JU) has awarded the consortium behind the OYSTER project EUR 5 million to investigate the feasibility and potential of combining an offshore wind turbine directly with an electrolyser and transporting renewable hydrogen to shore.

N-O-S Signs Contract for Provision of 7 CTVs

N-O-S will provide crew transfer support to Ørsted’s UK West Coast Hub through provision of 7 CTVs over the next three years.

The ever-increasing size of wind turbines, with blade span exceeding 160 meters and heights of more than 220 meters, requires more and more attention to accurately modeling the atmospheric turbulent flow through wind farms in order to optimize the energy output of the giant rotors.

RWE Constructs Wind Farm on Former Opencast Mining Site

RWE is planning to commence construction of another wind farm on a recultivated opencast mining site in Germany

ENERCON Finishes Swedish Wind Farm on Schedule

Despite the corona pandemic ENERCON was able to handover the first phase of a Swedish wind farm on schedule.

Mayflower Wind Announces Lower Energy Costs

Thanks to the expansion of the ITC the costs for offshore wind power generated in the planned wind farm Mayflower Wind will drop even further

Climate Change Continues to Threaten World

Copernicus announces that 2020 was the warmest year on record for Europe

NTR Fund Acquires French Wind Farm

Sustainable infrastructure investor and asset manager NTR has added a further 48 MW to its renewable energy platform through the acquisition of Artigues et Ollières wind farm in France.

Prysmian Group Completes Acquisition of EHC Global

EHC Global is a leading manufacturer of strategic components and integrated solutions for the vertical transportation industry.

wpd Orders Nordex Turbines for Finnish Wind Farm

The Nordex Group will supply turbines of the type N163/5.X of the Delta4000 series for the Karhunnevankangas wind farm.

Matafongo Wind Farm in the Dominican Republic Changes Hands

InterEnergy Group has bought the 34MW Matafongo wind farm in the southwest of the Dominican Republic, as well as a pipeline of other projects.

Renewables to Account for Most New Electricity Generating Capacity in the U.S.

Developers and power plant owners plan for 39.7 gigawatts of new electricity generating capacity to start commercial operation in 2021, the EIA says.

GE Renewable Energy Wins Orders For New Mexico Wind Farms

The orders include the repowering the 90 MW Aragonne Wind project and the supply of the 145 MW Aragonne Mesa wind farm.

IEA to Publish Roadmap to Net-Zero Emissions by 2050

The International Energy Agency has announced that it will produce the world’s first comprehensive roadmap for the energy sector to reach net-zero emissions by 2050

ESVAGT's New Vessel Ready for Work

NHST-146 or 'Esvagt Schelde' is the first of three SOV newbuildings for Vestas. It is finally ready and accepted by the Class and by ESVAGT

For Ingeteam, 2020 has been the year in which the company has strengthened its renewables business in the United Kingdom, winning contracts that have allowed it to double its maintained power in as little as a year, moving up to 650 MW.

In December 2020, Rosatom commissioned the largest wind farm in Russia to date. Since January, the Kochubeyevskaya wind farm has been supplying electricity to the Wholesale Electricity and Capacity Market (WECM).

Torque testing possible now with the new meters of the PCE-DFG N TW series

PCE Instruments now offers the proven force gauges of the PCE-DFG N series as PCE-DFG N TW with sensors for torque measurement.

The energy transition in Africa continues to be slow. And the assumption that the developing continent could skip fossil energy production in favour of renewables is not coming true either. This is now prompting the UN to appeal to the solidarity of the international community.

New York State has awarded Equinor and BP the contract to build 2500 megawatts of offshore wind farms. This is in addition to a further 816 MW from an earlier award, bringing the total contract to 3.3 GW.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced two new state contracts to procure 2,490 MW of offshore wind from Equinor Wind U.S. via the Empire Wind II and Beacon Wind projects, effectively doubling the state’s offshore wind power procurement and significantly growing the offshore wind industry in the United States.

Six for Thor

The Danish Energy Agency has prequalified a total of six consortia and companies to participate in the tender for Thor Offshore Wind Farm

EIB Backs Portugese Wind Farm Construction

EIB and BPI provide €112 million to construct and operate two wind farms with a total capacity of 125 MW in Portugal

Iberdrola continues its investment spree in renewables and has started the new year by breaking ground at the Mikronos wind farm, located in the province of Rhodopes in Thrace, northern Greece.

Count Poland In on Offshore Wind

The Polish Parliament unanimously has adopted Poland’s first Offshore Wind Act yesterday paving the way for Poland to develop offshore wind in the Baltic Sea.

Fraunhofer IWES Takes Baltic Sea Seafloor into Focus

Fraunhofer IWES has conducted a boulder detection and geohazard survey in the Baltic Sea on behalf of Iberdrola S.A.

Deutsche Windtechnik Wins Full Service Contract in Poland

Deutsche Windtechnik's Polish unit has added some Enercon turbines to its full-service portfolio.

Siemens Gamesa and Siemens Energy Team Up

Both Siemens companies want to push green hydrogen production from offshore wind energy in Germany.

Ørsted and PepsiCo Sign Long-Term PPA

PepsiCo has signed two agreements with Ørsted to purchase energy from the Haystack wind farm in Nebraska and the Western Trail wind farm in Texas.

RWE Invests in France and Poland

RWE plans to construct four wind farms in Poland and France totalling 76 MW.

ENGIE Commissioned 3 Gigawatts despite Pandemic

ENGIE commissioned 3 GW of new renewable energy capacity in 2020 despite the difficult global pandemic context

Orlen Secures Grid Connection Agreement for Polish Offshore Wind Farm

The agreement marks another milestone in preparations for the wind farm project

Repsol and Grupo Ibereólica Renovables Advance Construction of 189 MW Cabo Leones III Project

The first phase of the project is already up and running

WindEurope Criticizes Germany's New Renewable Energy Act

Many important reforms including measures to simplify permitting have been postponed.

DNV GL Changes Name

DNV GL will change its name to DNV on 1 March 2021. The present name has been in place since the 2013 merger between DNV (Det Norske Veritas) and GL (Germanischer Lloyd).

Renewable Energy Development Zones (REDZ) have a key role to play in the South Africa’s Just Energy Transition, creating priority areas for investment in the electricity grid and increasing South Africa’s green energy map

Total Leaves American Petroleum Institute

Total, a French multinational integrated oil and gas company and one of the seven 'supermajor' oil companies in the world, withdraws from the American Petroleum Institute (API).

GE Renewable Energy to Supply Ocean Wind Offshore Project with 13 MW Turbines

GE Renewable Energy and Ørsted have finalized the supply and service contracts for 1.1 GW Ocean Wind Offshore project in New Jersey

The project will propose modular, flexible and smart optimisation based on offshore renewable electricity generation, combining floating wind and photovoltaic technology.

Giant Onshore Turbines Move into Finland

Siemens Gamesa has signed a contract to supply 14 SG 5.8-155 turbines optimized for the Alajoki-Peuralinna site in central Finland

Taaleri SolarWind II Fund and Masdar Invest in Polish Onshore Wind Farms

The two companies have acquired 100% ownership of the Mlawa and Grajewo wind farms.

RWE Divests a Stake of 24% in U.S. Onshore Wind Farms to Greencoat

RWE has signed an agreement with Greencoat to sell a 24% stake in four RWE onshore wind farms in Texas.

Scotland's Moray East OWF: First Turbine Installed

950 MW Moray East offshore wind farm has announced the successful milestone of its first turbine installation in the Moray Firth, Scotland.

Fugro has been awarded a geotechnical and water consulting contract to support the route planning, permitting and installation of 106 km of underground power cables on Section 2 of Germany’s new Suedlink powerline.

In the newest BWE Industry Report “Wind Industry in Germany 2021” M-PT introduces the new sensor-controlled battery torque wrench MAD-S with ±1,0% absolute accuracy.

Ørsted Leaps into its First Renewable Hydrogen Project

Ørsted has taken the final investment decision on the renewable hydrogen demonstration project H2RES in Denmark

U.S. Energy Department Announces Open Funds for Offshore Wind Research

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $14.5 million for environmental research to support U.S. offshore wind development.

Mainstream and Aker Horizon Sign Investment Deal

Aker Horizons will acquire a 75% equity stake in Mainstream Renewable Power

A new report on hydrogen decarbonization pathways published by the Hydrogen Council shows that low-carbon hydrogen supply at scale is economically and environmentally feasible

AkzoNobel Proposes to Acquire Tikkurila

AkzoNobel and Tikkurila have a common approach to sustainability, Akzo Nobel says.

The world invested a record amount last year in the expansion of low-carbon assets, including renewable energy, clean transport, energy storage and electric heat - despite the Corona pandemic sweeping the globe. And green investment is also key to recovery.

Turbine Orders Surge in 2020 Despite Pandemic

Wind turbine orders increased by 74% to a record number of 15 GW in the last year.

North Sea = Powerhouse of Northwest Europe

Transmission system operator TenneT increases the transmission capacity in the German and Dutch North Sea to more than 26,000 MW

Joe Biden Could Unleash U.S. Offshore Wind

“This is the opportunity the offshore wind industry has waited for,” said Liz Burdock, CEO of the Business Network for Offshore Wind.

German grid operator 50Hertz and Danish grid operator Energinet pursue a collaboration in the 'Bornholm Energy Island' project to connect both countries to an offshore hub

In its efforts to progress wind farm projects stuck in development due to bat concerns and reduce the impact of wind farms on bat populations while increasing the energy production and revenue potential, Natural Power brought together a team of bat experts and technology and software engineers to develop this new service.

Kongsberg Maritime will supply technologies from its existing offshore product portfolio to meet the specific challenges posed by operating in this challenging and sometimes hostile environment.

Majority of Irish People Support Wind Energy

A new opinion poll shows that a majority of people in rural Ireland would support a wind farm being built in their area.

“Biden’s target of a carbon-free power sector by 2035 is extremely ambitious and would require a massive acceleration in investment in renewable power generation and energy storage solutions," says GlobalData's Will Scargill.

MET Group Acquires Wind Farm in Bulgaria

The MET Group has completed the acquisition of a 100% stake in Enel Green Power Bulgaria EAD, which owns a 42-megawatt wind farm in Bulgaria.

Ørsted Ranked World's Most Sustainable Energy Company - Once Again

For the third time in a row, Corporate Knights named Ørsted the most sustainable energy company.

Greek Government Wants Offshore Wind

The Greek wind energy association ELETAEN is now running a consultation for a planned government framework for offshore wind development, open to any interested party until 1 February 2021.

Statkraft and Deutsche Bahn Sign PPA

Statkraft and Deutsche Bahn have signed a one-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for green electricity.

GWO Training Available

Less than one year on only 6% of the GWO Training Provider network is closed despite the impact of a third COVID-19 lockdown across Europe.

Equinor Celebrates US Success with Norconsult's Support

Norconsult, Norway's largest interdisciplinary consulting firm, has successfully assisted Equinor in preparing the two offshore projects Empire Wind and Beacon Wind.

Heerema Wins DNV GL Support for 'Silent Foundations'

Heerema Marine Contractors announces that DNV GL has now awarded a Statement of Feasibility to both concepts that are under development.

Prysmian Group is taking a step forward on its path to improve the sustainability of its operations, by making its Finland submarine, high- and medium-voltage cable plant, the company’s excellence centre also for green energy consumption.

Danish Offshore Wind Farm Kriegers Flak Nears Commissioning

Denmark's largest offshore wind farm, Kriegers Flak in the Baltic Sea, is about to be commissioned and will push offshore wind power to new heights in the country.

Europe Recorded its Greenest Electricity Year Ever

For the first time, in Europe more electricity was generated from renewables than from fossil fuels during the last year.

The program will retain New York's existing renewable energy resources, promote lower statewide carbon emissions, and help support the state's economic recovery by increasing in-state competition and reducing energy costs.

After the change of the U.S. government, Vineyard Wind has requested the BOEM to continue the Federal Permitting Process for one of the first U.S. offshore wind farms

IWEA Rebrands as Wind Energy Ireland

Yesterday the Irish Wind Energy Association rebranded as Wind Energy Ireland.

GE Researchers Want to Scale Up Offshore Wind Power

The team at GE Research are applying decades of experience to develop a more powerful generator for offshore wind turbines.

DecomBlades Consortium Receives Funding

‘DecomBlades’ is a three-year project which seeks to provide basis for commercialization of recycling of wind turbine blades using sustainable solutions.

Deutsche Windtechnik Experiences Record 2020 in the U.S.

1 GW mark exceeded in November - resulting in 10 GW company-wide

Community Energy Working Group: Annual Strategy Meeting

During its Annual Strategy Meeting, the IRENA Coalition for Action took the key decisions for its activities in the year 2021.

Climate Risk Overview Launched

Climate Risk Overview is a global online tool that combines multiple data layers and enables users to identify the world’s most-at-risk coastal areas.

The companies will combine their strong, complementary skills and expertise to work together to explore the possibility to develop, operate and deliver power from commercial scale offshore wind facilities in Norway.

GE Announces Results

GE Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. said, “As 2020 progressed, we significantly improved GE's profitability and cash performance despite a still-difficult macro environment."

DNV GL Merges Energy Business Units

DNV GL will combine its current Oil & Gas and Power & Renewables businesses into one new business area called Energy Systems.

Money makes the world go round - and so a threat from BlackRock, the world's largest investment company, could perhaps achieve what politicians, environmental activists and the entire climate protection movement have so far failed to do sufficiently: create a change in thinking among the world's major corporations to finally give climate change the attention that this global threat deserves.

Nexans : Partner of the Film 'Legacy'

Sharing the photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand's convictions and acting in support of the fight against climate change, Nexans joins the his approach by partnering for his latest movie.

Brüel & Kjær Vibro Introduces VIBROSTORE 100

VIBROSTORE 100 is palm-sized and provides vibration level and bearing wear monitoring for balance-of-plant machines at the push of a button.

First Turbine in at Kriegers Flak

Vattenfall has announced that the first turbine at Denmark's largest offshore wind farm is now in place.

The 'Floating Offshore Wind: Cost Reduction Pathways to Subsidy-Free' study suggests large floating offshore wind projects could secure CfD strike prices below current wholesale electricity price forecasts as early as 2029, depending on the deployment scenario pursued by the UK.

The construction monitoring scope includes the monitoring of permitting, design, manufacturing and construction activities and project expenditure on behalf of a consortium of international lenders.

The Administration’s actions today also establish the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy and create a federal government-wide task force that will coordinate actions between agencies

Deutsche Windtechnik Wins Order in Sweden

A contract to provide full maintenance for eight Siemens wind turbines at the Gunnarby wind farm in Sweden was signed

PNE Releases New Corporate Film

The new film recognises PNE's new strategic orientation as a "Clean Energy Solutions Provider"

EIB Supports Croatia's Energy Transition

The EIB and Croatia expand cooperation on the development and financing of Croatia’s key energy, resilience and climate projects

UK: Renewables Beat Fossils

Analysis by Ember reveals that a major milestone has been reached in 2020 in the United Kingdom, as renewables overtook fossil fuels as the main source of electricity.

ENERCON to Supply Wind Projects in Italy and the UK

ENERCON has signed a framework agreement with ERG covering 190 MW for five projects in Italy and the UK

Ørsted Reorganises Organisational Structure

New Executive Board and Executive Committee

Enel Wins 62.6 MW in Italian Auction

Two wind farms will be located in Sicily and Campania while construction work will begin in 2021 and 2022 respectively, with entry into operation in 2022.

UMaine Awarded Funding to Accelerate Wind Rotor Blade Development

The University project will develop a rapid, low-cost additive manufacturing — 3D printing — solution for fabricating large, segmented wind blade molds.