Category: Wind

Maximising asset value in onshore wind

Do you know what to look for when choosing an asset manager to look after your renewable portfolios? Emily White, managing director of Entap, suggests some key questions that operators and investors should ask. She questions whether asset managers always focus on the things that investors and fund managers really care about. According to Wikipedia,… Read more »

Down to the last detail

We’ve interviewed Kari Tuominen, Peikko’s Director, Wind Turbine Foundation Technology, several times before, but we didn’t realise just how much research and development goes into the company’s renowned foundations. Kari talks us through the meticulous process and give us his thoughts on the future… PES: Welcome back to PES. For the benefit of new readers,… Read more »

Dedicated to wind

Maasvlakte 2, the extension to the port of Rotterdam, will offer a strategic hub for offshore wind in the North Sea and beyond. Slated for starting operations in 2016, the Offshore Terminal Rotterdam promises increased capacity and market-leading facilities. PES takes a look. Up to now, the port of Rotterdam, the largest seaport in Europe,… Read more »

Looking at the bigger picture

For Karoliina Joensuu, Global Head of Renewable Energy for Pöyry Hydropower & Renewable Energy, Operational Excellence is a key – and growing – part of the company’s service offering. We spoke to the respected executive about the company’s current focus and discussed where growth is coming from. PES: Welcome back to PES. For the benefit… Read more »

For best results: add unrivalled expertise

A company founded and run by long-serving industry figureheads, Marten Seifert and Lorenz-Heinrich Carstensen, RECASE offers a pioneering consulting dynamic. We headed to Germany for a wide ranging interview with the respected executives. PES: Welcome to PES. Would you like to introduce the company and tell us a little about how you serve the wind… Read more »

Both eyes on the prize

A focused and ambitious company that boasts an impressive range of specialisms and solutions, SeaRenergy is the preferred partner for many key players in the offshore market. We’re delighted to welcome the company’s Managing Director Dr. Benjamin Vordemfelde to the magazine for an in-depth interview. PES: Welcome to PES. Would you like to introduce the… Read more »

We have seen trackers run over by trucks that still work!

A company that specialises in developing tracking sensors for heavy industry and rough environments, Trusted A/S is making waves in the wind industry. Why? A variety or reasons – not least the sheer durability that is perfectly suited to the extreme climate demands of our sector. We spoke to the company’s Rasmus Nørgaard Andersen. PES:… Read more »

Form and function

Tuco Marine Group specialises in manufacturing ocean-going vessels that have light structures and hulls created with composite materials such as carbon fibre. Naturally, the wind industry is a prime market for the Denmark-based company and indeed, it has been going from strength to strength. We spoke to company founder, Jonas Pedersen. PES: Welcome to PES…. Read more »

Extremes Expose Industrys Need To Understand Climate

The weather factor in portfolio diversification and asset management – a Vaisala study. The year of 2015 has undoubtedly been one of challenge for many U.S. wind project operators. In terms of performance, the first quarter was one of the lowest on record for large portions of the country with some areas seeing wind speeds… Read more »

Full speed ahead

As Director of Van Oord Offshore Wind Projects b.v., Johan van Wijland is a familiar face to many in the industry. He’s also a regular contributor to PES and joins us once again to discuss the company’s latest developments. New vessels? Massive monopiles? The Luchterduinen and Gemini projects? All are covered right here… PES: Welcome… Read more »

Hotel comfort, outstanding capabilities

We have welcomed Vroon Offshore Services B.V. to PES before, as a leading provider of support vessels for the wind industry (and others). But as Niek Spiljard explains in this illuminating interview, the company is committed to taking its offerings to the next level and asserting its place in the market. PES: There is a… Read more »

Electricity: the world is getting ever more connected

While there is a lot of talk about the growth of decentralised power generation, another trend is being largely overlooked: that of regional electricity integration. Remarkably, all over the world countries are connecting up their power systems, to make the best use of their (energy) resources, while at the same time boosting economic growth and… Read more »

Innovation is in our DNA

A young company with a fresh, can-do attitude, Zensor offers a ‘one-stop shop for monitoring solutions’ in the wind market. It’s currently creating waves with a raft of new clients, and is also attracting the attention of leading institutions with a major award. We found out what makes the company tick, thanks to a conversation… Read more »

Bright thinking, smart solutions

A company that is firmly focussed on the “many challenges out there to make construction and maintenance in the offshore industry more safe and efficient,” Ztechnologies is an acknowledged, and celebrated, innovator. We spoke to the organisation’s Reinout Prins. PES: Welcome to PES. Would you like to introduce the company and tell us a little… Read more »

Wim Biesemans new CEO DEME Concessions

ZWIJNDRECHT – Wim Biesemans joins the Belgian dredging, environmental and marine engineering group DEME. Biesemans will join DEME’s management team as CEO of DEME Concessions. He will oversee all concession activities related to infrastructure, renewable energy (offshore wind and wave and tidal energy) and marine resources. Wim Biesemans is certainly no stranger to the renewable… Read more »

Averting catastrophe through ingenuity

Automatic systems for fire detection and suppression in wind turbines are becoming increasingly commonplace. And with good reason – they offer round the clock reliability and comprehensive unsupervised protection. Firetrace is a leader in this burgeoning sector, delivering a modular solution that is trusted worldwide. We spoke with the company’s respected Business Development Manager, Angela… Read more »

Powering The Future Engaging The Public In The Energy Mix

This month, Dr Stephen Breslin, CEO of Glasgow Science Centre, announced the UK’s first ever coalition of industry and policy-makers to create an exhibition that aims to raise public awareness of the energy challenges that we face and engage in the debate on how to solve them. When it launches in December, Powering the Future… Read more »

What benefits can digital hydraulics bring to the wind industry?

We take a closer look at an award-winning innovation that could revolutionise the design of floating turbines. This year, the UK’s longest running and most prestigious prize for engineering innovation was awarded by the Royal Academy of Engineering to Artemis Intelligent Power. Known for spotting the ‘next big thing’ in the technology sector, the MacRobert… Read more »

Taking offshore construction to the next level

With the acquisition of the offshore jack-up crane vessel, Vidar, the respected Jan De Nul Group’s services for the installation of offshore wind farms will be considerably extended. We examine the group’s recent acquisition and wider wind offering. Services for the renewable energy industry are a key part of the services provided by Jan De… Read more »

Measuring success

Founded more than 50 years ago as a sub-division of Wavin-Labko Oy, Labkotec Oy is a leading Finnish manufacturer and supplier of electronic measuring technology. The company’s expertise is regularly relied upon by both industrial enterprises and municipal utility companies. And increasingly, the wind industry has been relying on its services. We consider the company’s… Read more »

Collaborate to accumulate

With a $2bn Kenyan wind farm the testing ground for a deal between US 
& China firms, the recently-launched SEASTAR Alliance and Mitsubishi’s recent link-up with Vestas, we take a closer look at wind’s new power partnerships. Is collaboration a winning model for future growth? In September this year, China National Machinery Industry Corporation (Sinomach)… Read more »

On the leading edge: innovative solutions to reduce rain erosion

Bigger, taller, faster – all clear trends, when looking at the evolution of wind turbine technology over the past ten years. Reducing the cost of energy is the constant target, and engineers are pushing the boundaries of blade length and tip speeds to increase annual energy production (AEP). PES presents an exclusive despatch, courtesy of… Read more »

Regulatory risk for EU renewables investors greatest in Spain, Italy

Investors in European renewable energy projects face the greatest regulatory risk in Spain, followed by Italy, say the respected financial analysts, Moody’s Investors Service. We present an exclusive extract from their latest report. BackgroundWhile Spain and Italy are presented with the toughest challenges, in contrast, France, Germany and the United Kingdom have strong regulatory frameworks,… Read more »

Testing the energy solutions of tomorrow

At Clemson University, an old shipyard has been turned into the world’s largest wind energy testing centre. Renk Test System (RTS), a German company, has provided a facility containing the world’s most powerful wind-turbine tests rigs, which permit simulation of any type of wind force. As wind energy rapidly develops worldwide, the US government plans… Read more »

Turbine Transformation A New Lease Of Life For Ageing Wind Turbines

While fresh-out-of-the-box wind turbines have their place in the wind power mix, there’s also (a growing) demand for reinvigorated assets of a certain age. We explore the re-engineering market. As the wind energy market has matured, assets are ageing and many turbines are passing the end of their warranty period. At the same time, operators… Read more »

Real-time underwater noise monitoring as a mitigation tool

Experts in ecology survey innovation, marine consultancy and a host of other specialist legislative disciplines, Baker Consultants are becoming increasingly visible – and respected – in the wind energy arena. Here, they examine the growing influence of underwater noise. In recent years, following publication of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), which requires EU… Read more »

Impact report: are offshore farms more damaging to birdlife than previously thought?

Offshore wind farms which are to be built in waters around the UK could pose a greater threat to protected populations of gannets than previously thought, according to a new study by researchers at the universities of Leeds, Exeter and Glasgow. We take a closer look at the findings. It was previously thought that gannets,… Read more »

Unveiling a new vessel

Slated to be ready for her first offshore wind project in the North Sea by Q1 2016, Wind Innovation is set to be a game changer for C-bed. We take a look at the specs and grab five minutes with the company’s Flemming Hjorth. Presenting Wind Innovation100% tailor-made for optimising the installation and commissioning stages… Read more »

Going global

In most parts of the world, renewable energy is flourishing – with wind power leading the charge into untapped markets and booming territories. We asked GE’s Peter Oram to provide us with an overview of the current situation in a number of key technologies… After a record year of installations in 2014, renewables accounted for… Read more »

Lets Meet In Paris

EWEA Annual Event, the world’s premier wind energy conference and exhibition, comes to the French capital this year. We examine what delegates can expect from the hotly-anticipated show, which is taking place just two weeks ahead of the UN Climate negotiations, guaranteeing strong international media exposure and attracting over 9,000 high-profile business and political leaders…. Read more »

State of the market: projects in Kuwait

“The use of alternative energy in Kuwait is important for three reasons: the growing demand for electricity, the high price of oil and the optimal environment for investing in alternative energy as Kuwait is abundant with bright sun and wind,” says Dr. Bader Al Taweel, Chairman of Renewable Energy at Kuwait Engineers Society. And who… Read more »

seebaWIND to provide full maintenance for 40-megawatt wind farm in Saxony-Anhalt

Osnabrück, 03.11.2015. seebaWIND Service GmbH will provide full maintenance for the Esperstedt-Obhausen wind farm in Saxony-Anhalt. The farm boasts 16 Fuhrländer FL2500 wind turbines with a total capacity of 40 megawatts. By winning this contract the vendor-independent service provider now has 90 per cent of this turbine type in Germany under contract. The full maintenance… Read more »

ATP-owned ALL NRG Group Acquires WTG Partners

ATP-owned ALL NRG Group acquires WTG Partners, and with this acquisition, ALL NRG Group comes closer to achieving its vision of becoming a total supplier to the wind power industry. WTG Partners in Ebeltoft is acquisition number four by ALL NRG Group, and with this acquisition ALL NRG Group comes even closer to achieving its… Read more »

Greensolver And Ply Energy Merge To Enhance European Wind And Solar Asset Management

Strategic agreement sees Greensolver and PLY Energy collaborate to deliver enhanced European asset management services to financiers and investors Paris, 2nd November 2015 – Greensolver, the independent wind and solar farm asset manager, has announced that it is merging with Dutch based developer and asset manager, PLY Energy. Under the terms of the agreement, PLY… Read more »