A critical strategic gateway to Europe – and beyond – the ports operated by Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH handle a considerable amount of onshore and offshore freight. But what challenges do the turbines present, and how is the industry evolving? We spoke to new Managing Director, Inke Onnen-Lübben. PES: Welcome back to the magazine. How… Read more »
Accommodating your employees on-site means greater flexibility, less time travelling and increased security – coupled with a positive effect on your bottom line. Danish company Site Facility is an expert in the camp concept… It has to be convenient for the wind turbine manufacturer. And it has to be good for the employees. This was… Read more »
It is undoubtedly an exciting time to be involved in offshore wind in Europe. Offshore wind will probably make the alternative energy sector’s largest contribution to meeting Europe’s ambitious target of reducing CO2 emissions by up to 90 per cent by 2050. ‘Probably’. A new report based on the feedback of 200 executives within the… Read more »
According to Johan van Wijland, the offshore wind industry has certainly faced tough times, but there are many reasons to be positive about the future. We pressed the Director of Van Oord Offshore Wind Projects b.v. for more details and asked him about the scope of his company’s involvement in the sector. PES: Welcome back… Read more »
PES recently caught-up with the affable Vidar Bergli, VP Sales for Wirescan AS. He explained about the company’s innovative technology, its plans for future growth and the benefits of having major financial backers… PES: Welcome to PES magazine. Would you like to introduce the company to our readers and explain how you serve the wind… Read more »
Strategically located in the heart of Europe’s offshore wind territories, Zeeland Seaports is a key contributor to the success of many of the sector’s biggest companies. And while there will be many more opportunities to reap rewards in the region, Commercial Manager Peter Geertse of Zeeland Seaports believes that time is of the essence… PES:… Read more »
An integrated provider of safe, high quality, innovative services and technologies for the subsea industry, DeepOcean has ramped-up its activities in the offshore wind sector in recent years. We spoke to Pierre Boyde, Commercial & Business Development Director. PES: Welcome to the magazine. Would you like to begin by explaining a little about the background… Read more »
Going through the certification process for a wind turbine, support structure or substation related to the wind farm ensures that your asset adheres to required industry standards and best practice, and hereby reduces the total risk during the life cycle of the project. However, in a market with tight time schedules and scarce resources, it… Read more »
EWC Weather Consult’s high-speed computing graphic cards reduce uncertainty in long-term performance reference and the prediction of wind power production. Today, meteorologists need high-performance computing architectures in order to create high-quality weather forecasts and analyses. These results play a key role in the evaluation, production, provision and trade of wind power. It is now time… Read more »
There’s perhaps never been a more apposite time to consider Health & Safety at work – especially in our industry, with ever-growing turbines. We caught up with the latest thinking, and opportunities for training. Working high up in a wind turbine nacelle offers a spectacular view no matter if you are onshore or offshore, but… Read more »
As the number of offshore renewables projects continues to increase, so does the requirement for flexible offshore accommodation solutions. In response to the growth, the Ferguson Group’s product offering provides flexible living and working solutions to accommodate the number of workers needed to undertake these projects. The Ferguson Group is one of the world’s leading… Read more »
Morgan Troedsson, Product Manager for FORCE Technology, writes exclusively on the topic of blade maintenance offshore, and offers an expert industry perspective, coupled with an organisational overview. FORCE Technology is a leading technological consulting and service provider internationally. Our target is to sell highly specialised engineering know-how that delivers useful and efficient testing solutions to… Read more »
If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that companies need to adapt if they are to survive. Size is not everything. GeoSea nv (Geotechnical & Offshore Solutions) is an example of an organisation that has been involved in the offshore industry since the very start and has remained at the forefront due… Read more »
A company with a reputation for peerless customer service and the ability to locate craft that will fulfill the most demanding situations, German Renewables Shipbrokers GmbH is a shining light in the offshore industry. We put the questions to the company’s Matthias Mroß. PES: Welcome to PES magazine. Would you like to introduce the company… Read more »
With the US finally open for business, and China and Japan looking to expand into their vast coastal resources, is it finally time for Europe’s wind sector to spread its wings into untapped territories? Is Eastern Europe ripe for further development? We take a look at the conditions and deliver our assessment… Europe is the… Read more »
A company that deserves to be publically applauded for its part in the recent rescue operation where more than 300 Syrian refugees were found floating in fishing boats off the Italian-Sicilian coast, BBC Chartering is one of this magazine’s most regular contributors. We caught up, once again, with Senior Vice President Raymond Fisch… PES: We’re… Read more »
PES introduces an excellent logistics base for offshore wind parks in the North Sea, courtesy of Buss Group GmbH & Co. KG The offshore wind market offers enormous potential for logistics. The two Buss offshore terminals in Eemshaven and Sassnitz are ideally located – their close proximity to the wind parks in the North and… Read more »
David Dumeresque of Tyzack Partners discusses how to stand out from the crowd in an ever-changing sector. With the global population growing by an estimated 80 million people every year, including a significant increase in middle-class consumers, it is forecast that by 2030, the nine billion people living on this planet will need 40% more… Read more »
Profitable development of forested land for renewable energy production has become possible only recently, based on changes in legal framework conditions, technological innovations and high wind-turbine towers. In Germany, some of these projects have been realised successfully and more seem likely to follow in the future. However, there is still considerable demand for research. The… Read more »
The world’s premier networking event dedicated to the offshore wind sector, OFFSHORE 2013 is an unmissable diary entry for every industry executive. PES presents an exclusive preview. Held from 19-21 November at Messe Frankfurt, Germany, EWEA OFFSHORE, the world’s largest offshore wind energy conference and exhibition, presents an international platform for the offshore wind energy… Read more »
Comfort at Sea’s offshore accommodation services have already proven their worth on several large scale offshore wind projects, reducing man-hours and downtime significantly. With thousands of turbines to be installed offshore in years to come, the wind industry is crying out for operational offshore solutions. The long distance from shore to the sites for future… Read more »
As news breaks of a multi-billion Euro investment in nuclear power, we ask if the UK is still in a position to rule over Europe’s offshore revolution – or if it’s about to give up its crown… On paper, the UK should be the world leader in wind energy generation, with the biggest wind resource… Read more »
Barack Obama’s new climate change policy is not only a validation of our industry, it is a positive portent of future growth. In a recent speech, the U.S. President outlined his commitment to wind power and to a cleaner future for all. Here, we present the highlights. On Christmas Eve, 1968, the astronauts of Apollo… Read more »
Traditional energy production methods are, by and large, cooled by water, and place a massive burden on North America’s resources. Wind power, however, needs no such cooling and this is one of the reasons why it is being lined-up to play a stronger role in the energy mix. PES investigates. The heat waves and drought… Read more »
It’s less costly to get electricity from wind turbines than coal-fired power plants when climate change costs and other health impacts are factored in, according to a new study published in Springer’s Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. In fact, using the official U.S. government estimates of health and environmental costs from burning fossil fuels,… Read more »
The recently-published (seventh) edition of the annual DOE report highlights the key trends and important new developments from the past 12 months. An essential snapshot of the industry – which also informs the sector’s growth for the coming year – we’re delighted to present an exclusive extract. Annual wind power capacity additions in the United… Read more »
While the mainstream media will insist that the public are broadly against wind power developments, the reality – according to a recent Canadian study – points to a growing acceptance. And fewer complaints than you might expect. A spokesman for the Pembina Institute explains all… No other province in Canada has a longer history with… Read more »
Operations and Maintenance is expected to account for nearly one-third of offshore wind’s costs in the United States, and consequently, there is a large potential for reducing these through advanced O&M strategies. NREL and ECN, along with a panel of subject matter experts who provided input, have proposed a few suggestions… The following O&M strategies… Read more »
This annual snapshot makes for essential reading for any domestic wind executive, charting as it does, the game-changing statics for the industry. We present a hot-off-the-press exclusive extract. At the end of 2012, U.S. wind turbines in distributed applications reached a 10-year cumulative installed capacity of more than 812 MW from more than 69,000 units… Read more »
With a dataset of 50,000 home sales among 27 counties in nine states, and of homes were within 10 miles of 67 different wind facilities, the study produced by Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is easily the most far-reaching ever produced. Does it give credence to the anecdotal evidence? Find out more in our… Read more »
Although there’s currently just a solitary turbine operating off the American coastline, Cape Wind has finally gotten the green light, which means that the next 12 months are crucial for the continent’s offshore industry. PES investigates if it’s up to the challenge… In June this year, after years of offshore wind power projects being cancelled… Read more »
New York State’s Department of State (DOS) has completed a two-year study to generate and assemble the most comprehensive dataset of physical, biological, geographic, and socioeconomic information available for the Atlantic Ocean waters. For planners and wind farm operators planning on expanding into this wind-rich territory, it’s essential reading… New Yorkers rely on the ocean… Read more »
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s latest report offers an assessment of regional supply and demand conditions affecting the future of renewable energy in America’s West. Can the region become a powerhouse for wind supply in the coming years? Find out in our exclusive extract. Several Western states have renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requirements that have… Read more »
PES presents an exclusive overview of the U.S. market, fresh from the desks of the American Wind Energy Association. The U.S. wind energy industry achieved its best year ever in 2012, shattering numerous records. It installed 13,131 megawatts (MW) of capacity and surged past the 60-gigawatt (GW) milestone for total installed wind power capacity. Last… Read more »
At PES, we’re committed to providing timely commentary and insights to help our readers secure fresh opportunities and address key challenges. With that in mind, we’re pleased to present the very latest insight from Canada, courtesy of KPMG. The country has seen significant activity in the sector in the last 18 months – but is… Read more »
Energy and climate are THE challenges of our time – both globally and in my corner of the Pacific Northwest – and no set of challenges will have a greater impact on our nation’s economy, environment and quality of life in coming decades. Indeed, no other issues have bigger implications for the planet and coming… Read more »