Category: Wind

Hempel launches new solvent-free coating for offshore wind turbines

Leading coatings manufacturer Hempel announced today the release of Hempadur Multi-Strength 35460, a new solvent-free version of its best-selling protective coating for offshore wind turbine foundations. As well as helping wind turbine manufacturers reduce solvent emissions, the new coating offers a six-hour drying time, one of the fastest in the industry and is gentler on… Read more »

Mita-Teknik presents news at HUSUM 2012

Mita-Teknik will be presenting exciting new additions to their already extensive product portfolio at HUSUM WindEnergy 2012. Through several product seminars held at their booth, you will be granted new insights to the company’s latest advances in Making Wind Competitive. News On the News front, they present the new Retrofit Concept, which focusses on prolonging… Read more »

Distributors Group Europe (DGE) to present Dow Corning® brand and Molykote® brand wind energy solutions at HUSUM WindEnergy 2012

Dow Corning Corporation, a global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, has announced that its high-performance Molykote® brand Smart LubricationTM solutions and Dow Corning® brand silicone sealant solutions for the wind energy industry will be featured by Distributors Group Europe (DGE) during HUSUM WindEnergy 2012, which takes place September 18 through 22 at Messe… Read more »

3E and Baze partner to deliver intelligent wind farm monitoring software

Independent global renewable consultancy and software company, 3E, are teaming up with Baze Technology. BazeField Wind Farm Management system will now be incorporated into part of 3E’s SynaptiQ Wind software portfolio. SynaptiQ Wind is a multi-user, multi-technology software platform for wind portfolio management as well as reporting and business intelligence. It will now be powered… Read more »

Bringing experience to offshore

The international marine contractor Van Oord continues to shine in our sector through its Offshore Wind Projects division, which focuses on Europe. We last spoke to the company’s Johan van Wijland (Director of Offshore Wind Projects) in 2011, and caught up with him again this summer – an exciting time for the company. PES: Welcome… Read more »

The Switch CEO calls for the wind industry to adopt a networked approach to deal with slowdown and boost innovation

In a statement released today, Jukka-Pekka Mäkinen, President and CEO of The Switch, called for the adoption of an industry-wide networked model to overcome the rigidity of the vertical integration that still stifles the entire industry, making it difficult to adjust rapidly to the slowdown and to maintain a high level of innovation. “In the… Read more »

A procurement platform driven by innovation

A relatively new addition to the wind sector, WINDSOURCING.COM uses cutting-edge technology to service sales and procurement processes. We asked Stefan Weber to talks us through the pioneering online service… PES: Welcome to PES magazine. Can you begin by explaining a little about your company and how you serve the wind industry?Stefan Weber: WINDSOURCING.COM is… Read more »

Wind farms: certified grid compatibility

The number of wind farms connected to the electricity grid is steadily rising, and proof of grid compatibility is mandatory for grid connection. But what criteria do wind turbines and wind farms have to meet for certification in Germany, for example? PES investigates… Before wind farms can be connected to the German electricity grid, they… Read more »

Connections to steel: non-weld post-paint solutions

Wind energy infrastructure, be it onshore or offshore, relies heavily on the use of steel for most of its key components, whether it be turbines, towers, foundations or transformer stations… the list goes on. As a result there is a significant amount of work required to transform ‘bare’ steel into something able to produce the… Read more »

Aerial surveys: offshore wind farms and the natural environment

A well-respected figure in the industry, Stuart Clough joins us to discuss offshore wind farms and APEM’s Remote Sensing team, which uses the most powerful medium format camera in the world. The importance of environmental surveys to offshore wind farm developmentLocation is important to the energy sector, but none more so than wind farms, where… Read more »

Six best practices for effective wind farm operation

Using industrial Ethernet switches to assure maximum uptime A high-speed, industrial-grade network infrastructure offers wind farm operators many benefits, including improved operational management, visibility and access to key data. Real-time data access enables operators to monitor wind turbine uptime, performance and power output – even from remote locations. This data, which is used to track… Read more »

Delivering offshore electricity to the EU

We return to the pioneering EU funded project, which ran from May 2010 to June this year. coordinated by the European Wind Energy Association, it provides an in-depth analysis of the national and international Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) practices; policy recommendations for developing existing and potentially new MSP for the development of offshore renewable power… Read more »

Bird brained?

A 1.5bn wind farm that could have powered almost 400,000 homes has been rejected by the British government because it might kill 90 small birds a year. Clearly, our avian friends present us with a (costly) problem that is not going away… Over £10m, and three and a half years of planning, have been wasted… Read more »

WindMade: one year on

In the early part of 2011, we wrote about a new global branding initiative for the industry that was set to “change how the world consumes energy, one product at a time”. It was a lofty claim, for sure, but has WindMade begun to deliver on its ambition? Or even started to make a difference?… Read more »

Last Word

Our round-up of the season’s best wind power quotes returns – with a heavy dollop of politics. It seems as though we’re not all singing from the same European hymn sheet, and that there are some wildly diverging views about the way forward. Plus ça change… “Having seen a year in which the solar industry… Read more »

An appetite for innovation

Regular contributors to PES, Damen are boat builders of some note. A major force in the European wind industry, they’ve carved a niche by tailoring their products to our precise needs. We spoke to the company’s Jan-Hein Reeringh and Remko Bouma. PES: Welcome back to PES magazine. How’s business been since your last appearance –… Read more »

Enabling efficient offshore logistics

A reliable operator of several German terminals, Buss Port Logistics is known for providing a sterling service to the wind industry’s most demanding clients. PES takes a closer look at the company. Buss Port Logistics operates efficient multi-purpose terminals in Hamburg and other ports, and represents a diverse range of port-specific services. The terminals handle… Read more »

The importance of QA and diligence in acquisitions

PES is proud to introduce a new regular columnist to the magazine: Christian Holmgaard, CEO and Senior Consultant Project Manager for WTG Partners – a well-respected and well-known Danish consultancy. In this, the first of his missives, he discusses the (manifold) merits of turbine inspections… We see many companies that are looking to invest in… Read more »

Messe Husum and Deutsche Messe nominate three firms for the Windalliance Technology Award

Husum / Hannover, 5 September 2012. An independent jury has nominated HOCHTIEF Solutions, Kenersys Europe and SkyWind for the international Windalliance Technology Award. The award ceremony will take place at the leading international trade fair HUSUM WindEnergy on 19 September in Husum. In addition to the innovative character of the products and solutions submitted, the… Read more »

New milestone for AREVA Wind with inauguration of new jack up vessel INNOVATION

INNOVATION, the new heavy lift jack up vessel inaugurated today in Bremerhaven, will be used for the upcoming installation of AREVA M5000 proven technology. Purpose-built for offshore installation, it sets a new milestone for AREVA Wind’s comprehensive offer and further strengthens the group’s competitive offshore business model. The powerful vessel was built by HGO InfraSea… Read more »

European wind market set for Chinese offensive, says bank

The European wind turbine manufacturing industry has “little meat left on its bones” and is heading for a “critical” 12 months in 2013, according to international financier Rabobank. In its latest quarterly renewables report, the Dutch bank said that 2012 would be “a defining year in the survival” of major players in the market, such… Read more »

Growth Of Wind Power In The Nordic Region A Look At The Drivers

In this article Vicky Kenrick from international recruitment consultancy, Allen & York, explores the reasons for this surge in potential by examining electricity and turbine prices and the state of the investment market, before concluding with an overview of the job opportunities being created. Wind power is the world’s single fastest-growing source of energy, and… Read more »

Health and Safety special

As our industry matures, H&S is becoming ever more important, which is why we decided to devote our entire roundtable to the sector in this issue. As always, we’ve brought together a roster of some of the finest minds in the industry, and pitched them a selection of challenging questions. Their answers are in equal… Read more »

We need to talk about onshore

Is Europe’s terrestrial wind business in danger of being forgotten? Despite having battled severe economic headwinds, Europe’s offshore wind industry has really picked up the pace this year and substantially increased its market share. According to EWEA, developers connected 132 turbines to the grid in the first half of 2012, and those turbines, which have… Read more »

Complete control from turbine to park

As the demand for flexible, controlled power in the grid increases, today’s wind turbines and parks are growing in size. In order to control these wind parks, and to ensure that they are balanced and able to comply with the grid codes all over the world, Mita-Teknik offers an open, reliable, flexible and intelligent Wind… Read more »

Talking your language

As Sales Director (Europe) for Taewoong, Michael Birk Petersen is a familiar face to many in the industry. The company specialises in seamless rolled rings and open die forgings, and from its satellite office in Denmark, serves all of Europe. We spoke to Michael about the company, the stability of the sector, and future growth…. Read more »

A turbine built for offshore

Earlier this year, Alstom – a global leader in the world of power generation and transmission – announced that it was to build four new factories in France. In today’s uncertain economic environment, it could be perhaps considered a brave move, but with production of the Haliade 150 at the beating heart of the expansion,… Read more »

Germany: powering ahead

While the spotlight tends to fall on the German PV sector, there’s no doubt that the country’s wind industry is one of the most enviable in Europe. Granted, there are some national concerns that need to be addressed, but both the country’s domestic market and export record show remarkable signs of life. PES investigates. As… Read more »

Shipping With Focus And Simplicity

Although global shipping markets currently show signs of recovery, the next threat may just lurk around the corner. In interconnected global markets, non-linear dynamics contribute to sustain or break existing resource flows and associated dominant thinking patterns. It seems that nothing is ever free ofwhat Schumpeter referred to as process of “creative destruction”. In the… Read more »

Testing times for EU wind energy

PES speaks to Morgan Troedsson, Product Manager from FORCE Technology, a leading global technological consultancy and service provider in Scandinavia, employing specialised engineering know-how for practical and efficient solutions to the wind energy business. Wind turbine blades are highly sophisticated products, composed of a variety of materials and composites. During operational life the blades are… Read more »

Danish Export Association paves the way for increased internationalisation

Rikke Berg, Business Sector Manager for Danish Wind Energy Group of the Danish Export Association provides PES with an in-depth analysis of the organisation and its many benefits. HistoryThe Danish Export Association was founded in 1965 by a number of forward-thinking business leaders in Jutland with Grundfos as one of the main players. The association… Read more »

Assessing the wind

Stephen Norman, the Met Office’s Senior Wind Energy Consultant, examines recent developments in wind data and assessment, and speaks to PES about how data can be used to a far greater effect on wind energy investments.As the popularity of renewable energy solutions continues to soar worldwide, there are ever increasing numbers of farmers and landowners… Read more »

A perfect foundation for business

PES: Welcome back to PES magazine. How’s business been since your last appearance – is the market performing much as your company had predicted? Mikko Niininen: The business has been booming and we are still on a growth base. Happily, the outlook is even more promising for next year than it was last year –… Read more »

A pivotal 12 months

Speak to virtually anyone connected to the wind industry in Europe, and they’ll tell you that this year has been perhaps one of the most important that we’ve ever faced. A springboard period for future growth, 2011 was a seminal period, and the highs and lows have all been documented by the European Wind Energy… Read more »

PALFINGER WIND at Husum WindEnergy 2012

• New business division: After Sales and Service• Product presentation of the PK 40002 M nacelle crane• Dealer network expanded in France This year all eyes in Husum will be on wind energy from September 18 to 22. PALFINGER WIND will be on site at booth E09 in hall 2 at the wind energy industry’s… Read more »