For the wind industry, aluminium profiles have not been a preferred material so far – steel and Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastics (GRP) are most commonly used. For many design departments, aluminium profiles are either too unknown to incorporate in daily design work, thought to be too weak, too expensive, or too corrosion-sensitive in an untreated… Read more »
Words: Jan-Hein Reeringh, Damen Shipyards Group As Europe strives to reach its ambitious 2020 renewable energy targets and with the trend for offshore wind farms to move into deeper and more challenging waters further from the shore – using bigger turbines and foundations – Damen Shipyards is making sure it is developing innovative solutions to… Read more »
The initial draft of the European Commission working paper is finally here, having been recently ratified in Brussels. And while the finer points that are to be rolled-out are yet to be determined (following the Copenhagen and Cancun meetings), the broad brushstrokes are in place. Here we present an exclusive Q&A from the Commission’s Ad… Read more »
Onshore and offshore wind farms may represent the vast majority of wind produced energy, but a number of initiatives around the world are examining the potential of high-altitude solutions to global energy concerns. PES takes a look at the innovative ideas… The problem of sustainable energy generation is one of the most urgent challenges that… Read more »
Interesting. That’s one word we could use to describe the industry in the last few months – booming in one regard, yet plummeting in another. And to get a good idea of what’s going on, you’d have to speak to a wide range of experts from a broad array of sectors… just like we’ve done… Read more »
As the credit crunch in Europe morphs into a sovereign debt crisis and on to full-blown currency crisis, it is easy to believe that the continent is something of a black hole when it comes to employment opportunities. But it’s not all doom and gloom and there’s life in the European jobs market in the… Read more »
Can embracing social media revolutionise our chances of success? Our industry is already convinced, of course – we view wind power as the panacea to saving the world. Yet in reality, the public support of ‘clean’ energy is not as absolute as the industry may hope for. One of the reasons that may cause this… Read more »
Alexander Hill, Energy Business Development Manager at Critical Software Technologies, discusses the importance of a standards-led, safety critical culture within the wind industry. Safety critical systems are entrusted to perform crucial tasks, ones that cannot be allowed to fail. They are systems that are essential to our modern life yet rarely contemplated by the people… Read more »
As Head of Centre for DUWET (Danish University Wind Energy Training), Steen Mortensen is at the cutting edge of the industry, and has seen it evolve from a nascent concern into a booming international powerhouse. We speak to the visionary trainer about skills gaps, the coming generation and the influence of wind associations on the… Read more »
The February 2012 issue of Renewable Energy Technology magazine features an SGS article entitled “Ensuring Reliable Operations of Wind Turbines,” written by Olaf Robenek and Nils Dreischerf, wind turbine inspectors from SGS. The article explains the significance of regular in-service inspections conducted by a reliable third-party company, to minimize the risks of costly downtime and… Read more »
When PES was first established, it was done so in tandem with the Sustainable Energy Europe 2005-2008 campaign. That particular milestone has come and gone, and earlier this year we achieved yet another legislative landmark. In January, the EU achieved its 2010 renewable electricity target of 21% of electricity (according to the EU’s 2001 Renewable… Read more »
Committee moves to protect emissions trading The European Parliament has sent a strong signal that the price of carbon emissions must be raised by fixing the Emissions Trading System (ETS) – one of the EU’s key laws on climate change. The Parliament’s Environment Committee voted in favour of withholding carbon allowances in the ETS –… Read more »
Some say the world’s second biggest exporter is undergoing a crisis of confidence with regards to renewables – and particularly, wind energy. Nigel Blackaby, Chairman of the Advisory Board, POWER-GEN Europe 2012 takes a look at the ramifications for the rest of the continent. In the wake of Fukushima disaster, energy experts now agree that… Read more »
Kirsty Macpherson and Hazel Tait of Gillespie Macandrew The proposed reform of the Electricity Market, allied to the time required to advance developments through the Scottish legal system, means that there is a five year countdown under way for developers to take advantage of the current incentive scheme in one of Europe’s leading locations for… Read more »
It’s back and bigger than ever. The most talked-about feature in Power and Energy Solutions returns, with a fresh selection of questions for the industry’s most incisive and intelligent commentators. Their answers may differ, but rest assured that you’re getting the very best analysis that the industry can provide. Contributors Mary CzulowskiBusiness Development Direct, West… Read more »
With a 10 billion euro offshore project now underway, France has emerged as a surprise contender for the continent’s wind energy elite. We chart the rise and rise of the country’s power ambitions. The new wind farms, which will comprise some 1,200 turbines, spread over five sites off the north and west coast of France,… Read more »
The EWEA Annual Event – Europe’s premier wind energy event – will showcase the latest innovations in the wind energy industry with an extensive exhibition, a high-quality conference programme, expert speakers and unrivalled networking opportunities. In short, it’s a must for the international wind energy community. Focusing on innovationPromoting continued innovation in the wind power… Read more »
As a logistics operation spanning over 150 countries, DHL are known throughout the world. Similarly, as manufacturers work with markets across the globe, the move into equipment carriage for wind energy appears a logical direction. PES talks to Peder Jensen, Global Sector Head, Renewable Energy, for DHL Global Forwarding about their foray into the sector…. Read more »
PES takes a look at the recently-published EWEA report on EU climate policy, and examines the potential for wind power to drastically reduce emissions by setting greater targets. BackgroundWind energy production does not emit any greenhouse gases (GHG), unlike coal, gas and oil. Because of the way the electricity market operates – using marginal costs… Read more »
Global Wind Power’s Simon Leed Krøs is well versed in the ways of wind energy, having helped his company to score a string of successful developments in Eastern Europe and beyond. In this exclusive interview, he takes a look at where (and why) the company has met challenges and exceeded expectations. PES: Welcome to PES…. Read more »
The key to building a wind farm is industrialisation: projects should be scalable and commercially viable from the bottom up. It follows that perhaps the most crucial consideration in an offshore development, solid foundations can literally make or break a project We take a look at all the critical components to present an unmissable ‘user… Read more »
As Managing Director of Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH, Andreas Bullwinkel governs a port infrastructure that is perfectly-placed and optimally-equipped for the wind industry. The nine locations have benefited from massive investment, and that finance is starting to bear fruit for the European industry as a whole. We spoke to the German businessman. PES: Welcome to… Read more »
UN Global Compact appoints WindMade Sustainability Partner of Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum WindMade will be the official Sustainability Partner of the UN Global Compact’s Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro just ahead of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development – Rio+20 (20-22 June 2012). WindMade, the organization behind the… Read more »
As part of the call for tenders for offshore wind power in France, the French government has just awarded a contract to the consortium led by Iberdrola and EOLE-RES for the development of the Saint-Brieuc (Côtes-d’Armor) wind farm, which was the most competitive field with three different technologies proposed. AREVA will build 100 turbines of… Read more »
Today GeoSea’s owned jumbo jack up platform Goliath returned back to base port after installing 120 tubular piles for the offshore wind farm Borkum (formely known as Borkum West II) during the worst meteorological months of the year. The German Bight is renowned for its potentially harsh wave and weather conditions which make offshore construction… Read more »
Nexans, a worldwide expert in the cable industry, has won a contract worth more than 50 million Euro to supply a total of 57 km of high-voltage subsea power export cables to Northwind NV in the North Sea. The project comprises 14 km of cable to connect Belwind Phase 2 to the Northwind wind farm… Read more »
nCode, the leading brand of durability, test and analysis products offered by HBM, announced today that its software for CAE fatigue analysis, nCode DesignLifeTM, has been certified by GL Renewables Certification (GL RC). nCode DesignLife is the first software for structural integrity to be GL RC certified for the design of cast and forged structural… Read more »
Cooperation on the certification of wind farms / Agreement signed / Certification services in accordance with IEC 61400 Cologne, March 29, 2012. TÜV Rheinland has signed a cooperation agreement with FGH (Forschungsgemeinschaft für Elektrische Anlagen und Stromwirtschaft e.V.), a research association and certification body specializing in electrical grid connection based in Mannheim/Germany. The two companies… Read more »
Dow Epoxy, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”), has introduced new DOW COMPAXXTM 900 foam core system, which is designed to enable the fabrication of wind blades exceeding 40 meters in length. Dow continues to offer DOW COMPAXXTM 700 foam core system for use in wind blades of less than 40 meters…. Read more »
Siemens Energy has been awarded an order to supply UVAC 2010 (Universal Vacuum Air Collector) solar receivers for the Megha parabolic trough power plant to be built in Andhra Pradesh, near Hyderabad, India. Megha is now the second project in India to be equipped with solar receivers from Siemens. Purchaser is Megha Engineering and Infrastructure… Read more »
Romax is launching a new product and service platform named INSIGHT, which it claims will significantly reduce the cost of wind energy, making wind farms more profitable. The company believes that INSIGHT can improve returns on wind assets by between three and six per cent. Romax anticipates that INSIGHT, which will be unveiled at EWEA… Read more »
Spring is upon us, heralding the begin of the construction season. However, the winter cannot be forgotten when choosing solar modules. Roof-integrated systems, in particular, need to withstand snow, moisture, and wind, as these systems become a part of the building envelope. SOLON SOLitaire is well-suited for these types of applications. Last winter deposited much… Read more »
Lincs Wind Farm Ltd has chosen Associated British Ports’ (ABP) Port of Hull as one of its logistics bases for its Lincs Offshore Wind Farm. Over the next few months, the port’s Albert and William Wright Docks will be the focal point for the storage and distribution of transition pieces installed as part of the… Read more »
Construction underway on 69 MW project expected to satisfy more than 5 percent of Oahu’s electric demand First Wind, an independent U.S.-based wind energy company, today announced that it has obtained $236 million in financing for its 69 megawatt (MW) Kawailoa Wind project on Kamehameha Schools’ Kawailoa Plantation lands on Oahu’s North Shore. A subsidiary… Read more »
SGS will attend EWEA 2012, Europe’s premier wind energy event, in Copenhagen, Denmark. At stand E-C79, SGS’s team of experts will demonstrate the wide portfolio of renewable energy services SGS has on offer. — SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing, and certification company, is one of over 400 exhibitors taking part in EWEA 2012… Read more »
Agreement sealed / co-operating in wind energy projects / expansion of service portfolio Cologne, 19 March 2012. TÜV Rheinland and EuroWind have agreed a strategic cooperation to combine their wind energy services. The cooperation agreement was formally signed in Cologne recently. The aim of the cooperation is an intensive dovetailing of their services for global… Read more »