Export and inter-array cables are exposed to a hostile, high-risk environment during a wind farm’s operational life. Given that they comprise a hefty portion of an offshore wind farm’s capital expenditure costs, preventive maintenance for submarine conductors should be a priority for operators, according to the latest Offshore Operations and Maintenance report from Wind Energy… Read more »
All AREVA M5000 5 Megawatt offshore wind turbines are tested from now on in the new full load test bench in Bremerhaven (Germany) to deliver a 100% quality product to the next offshore sites. The test bench offers the possibility to check the functionality under nominal load conditions and is a tool for the qualification… Read more »
Ecotech Institute, the first and only college focused entirely on preparing America’s workforce for careers in renewable energy and sustainability, today announced that it is bolstering the wind energy training and safety labs, offering students access to cutting-edge equipment that prepares them for careers in the wind industry. According to the Department of Energy, wind… Read more »
Given all the troubling financial news in Europe at the moment, it would be easy to feel jaded by the current situation. But let’s not forget – our industry is one of few that is bucking the trend; we’re still forging ahead, breaking new markets and doing great business. Most of this is due to… Read more »
A full-size prototype of the floating LIDAR offshore resource assessment system, known as FLIDAR, has been successfully tested 15km off the Belgian coast. It has been located next to a stationary LIDAR (WINDCUBE®v2 LIDAR from Leosphere) on a fixed communication mast for the month of October, in order to test survivability and validate the accuracy… Read more »
16 Enercon E70 to Go into Operation at the Ponikve Site in 2012 With the signing of the Ponikve wind farm, around 45 km to the North-West of the Croatian port city of Dubrovnik, wpd has reached another milestone. The 45-million-Euro-project will be financed in cooperation with the KfW IPEX bank as well as with… Read more »
Tentec has launched a new electric-driven, high-pressure hydraulic pump for use with its renowned Aero range of bolt tensioning equipment. The WTP3, a self-contained unit with the ability to generate pressures up to 1600 bar, features an innovative handheld controller that enables engineers to operate the pump remotely. It has been specifically designed for global… Read more »
Green energy supplier Ecotricity won ‘Company of the Year’ at the Growing Business Awards in London last night. In a ceremony which kick-started the 2011 ‘Global Entrepreneurship Week’, the awards recognise UK independent and entrepreneurial businesses. Previous winners include LOVEfilm and lastminute.com. Ecotricity claimed first prize in the ‘Company of the Year’ category, which recognises… Read more »
SGS Industrial Services in China was awarded a contract to provide comprehensive third-party services for Chaonan and Dahao wind farms in Guangdong, China by China Resources New Energy Group Co., Ltd. (CRNE). Throughout the entire contract, scheduled from October 2011, SGS will ensure the best performance of the wind turbines. — One of the major… Read more »
Green energy company Ecotricity won ‘Best Independent Supplier’ at the Energy Excellence Awards in London last night. In a showcase of the top energy suppliers in the UK gas and power market, Ecotricity claimed the award for its innovative ‘not-for-dividend’ business model and pioneering attitude to customer service. Ecotricity Trading Director Asif Rehmanwala said: “Ecotricity’s… Read more »
The release or discussion of O&M cost data is still not discussed by leading operators, arguably out of a growing concern that public and policy enthusiasm for windpower would be dampened. As one large turbine fleet manager stated, “We have the data on O&M costs, but we won’t even share it with the manufacturers. [Their… Read more »
European wind power production will meet a massive 31% of the emissions reduction required by the current EU climate target. Today the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) published a new report revealing that by 2020, the EU wind industry would avoid 342 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to 31% of the EU’s target of reducing… Read more »
The key to making money in offshore wind is to secure long term, lucrative contracts. So how do you find who is tendering, when and what they look for in a partner? Most agree that you must talk with your customers about what they need and meet their requirements. Critical issues for procurement managers today… Read more »
In October 2011 and therefore in the new fiscal year 2012, Siemens secured an order for a 100 Megawatt (MW) wind power project in Puerto Rico. Between July and September 2011, the company also received five orders for the supply of wind turbines with a combined capacity of over 570 megawatts (MW) from North America…. Read more »
Offshore wind continues to boom. Since 2003, more than 500 o¬ffshore wind turbines have been installed – 35 per cent of them in 2010 alone. Dedicated offshore power sites appear each month across the UK, France, Germany and many other European countries. This rate of growth, set to continue next year, forces the entire supply… Read more »
A positive aspect of wind energy has always been the benefit to the economies and industries that support it. Shipping is one such industry crucial to wind farm development. PES speaks to Xavier De Meulder, Project Manager for Meriaura Ltd. about how wind energy is helping drive and develop his business. PES: Welcome back to… Read more »
Europe’s energy infrastructure must be updated and better connected, for it “pays the price for its outdated and poorly interconnected energy infrastructure,” admitted the European Commission recently. In this exclusive report, we look at the plans to build an integrated European energy network, and discuss the potential obstacles. Let us begin with the words of… Read more »
Despite a change in ownership, it is business as usual for SAL Heavy Lift Shipping. PES spoke to Director of Business Development Jan-Peter Esbensen at the company’s Steinkirchen HQ, about the organisation and its operations. PES: Welcome back to PES magazine. How’s business been since we last spoke? Have you been involved with any keynote… Read more »
With many wind farms now well established, operators must consider the provision of maintenance and examine the latest component technology available to protect their investment and ensure continued reliability, warns industry expert Phil Burge… Clean power With the attraction of clean, free renewable energy, wind power is one of the fastest growing energy sources and… Read more »
Wind energy has set two new records in 2011: in March, it produced more electricity than in its history and, for the first time, it was the technology that generated more power in Spain than any other resource. Spanish renewables generation over the first two months of 2011 covered 38 per cent of national consumption,… Read more »
The most talked-about feature in PES Wind 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. PES: Over the next five years, what increases in the efficiency of wind turbines… Read more »
Engineers are considering bolt tightening more carefully as standards, materials and assembly methods change. Should not fitters require similar accreditation to welders? The need for documented records of assemblies on a global basis is critical as design and cost is optimised. The introduction of new coating materials with different friction factors, protection against hydrogen embrittlement,… Read more »
20 Megawatt wind turbines are feasible, according to a new report from the EU-funded UpWind project. The group explored the design limits of upscaling wind turbines to 20 Megawatt (MW) and found that they would have rotor diameters of around 200 metres, compared to some 120 metres on today’s five MW turbines. PES presents an… Read more »
With the establishment of a technical training academy as well as a massive four year equipment and innovation investment programme, dredging and marine contractor Van Oord clearly see a big future for offshore wind development. Director of Offshore Wind Projects, Johan van Wijland, speaks to PES about their plans for the future. PES: Welcome to… Read more »
Innovation has always been the beating heart of the wind power industry, and the sector is all the better for it. In keeping with this constant quest for improvement, Marika van Pol presents Mercon and ALE’s new concept for offshore metmast installations – called EMI for Eco Metmast Installation. Construction company and installation specialist join… Read more »
With a struggling economy and the Chinese manufacturing industry growing by the day, Klaus Bergmann – Managing Director of renewable energy consultants BBB Umwelttechnik – explains why excellence at the planning stage has never been more crucial. PES: Welcome back to PES. Can you tell us about how the company’s evolved since we last spoke,… Read more »
Tough economic times mean shipping companies are looking to wind farm development to fulfil capacity. Raymond Fisch, Senior Vice President of BBC Chartering explains to PES how they are expanding despite intensifying competition. PES: Welcome back to PES. It’s been some time since we last spoke, can you give us an update on how the… Read more »
Shaun Skilton, Product Sales Manager for the HFDE Condition Monitoring Business Unit of Parker Hannifin, highlights the importance of effective hydraulic system maintenance to ensure long term reliability in installed turbines. As increasing numbers of wind turbines move out of their manufacturers’ warranty period, more and more maintenance contractors will be required to provide independent… Read more »
Dr. Isabel Boira-Segarra, Sector Leader for Renewables Europe at EC Harris explains how those at the forefront of wind energy technology will reap the rewards for the risks they take. With some countries across Europe questioning nuclear power in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, there is growing momentum for renewable energy sources to play… Read more »
In this article, Jim Hayward and David Wing of Baringa Partners share their thoughts on what European suppliers must learn from consumer psychology (and history) to ensure smart meter rollouts succeed. The date is July 15th 1979 and at the White House in Washington DC President Jimmy Carter has just completed an historic televised address… Read more »
A reflection of the industry itself; this year’s event has doubled in size since 2009, ensuring that EWEA OFFSHORE 2011 will be the biggest conference of its kind in the world. The offshore wind energy sector, despite the economic crisis blowing around it, remains decisively strong: In 2010 some 308 new offshore wind turbines, worth… Read more »
An increasingly visible operator within the offshore sector, Damen has built a formidable reputation on reliability, innovation and a dedicated staff. We spoke to the organisation’s Offshore Wind Business Development Manager, Peter Robert. PES: Welcome to PES magazine. Can you firstly explain a little about your business and how you serve the wind industry? Peter… Read more »
Any planned development that potentially affects a site of historical significance will always stir up controversy, but will a large-scale wind farm proposal off the northern coast of France – visible from the D-Day landing beaches – have further reaching implications for an industry already struggling with public concern over its effect on the local… Read more »
Demand for clean energy has led to a wind turbine building boom. But the industry’s leading designers are going beyond what’s been done before in an effort boost efficiency and yield. PES investigates. Everyone’s noticed that wind turbines are getting really big – some with blades as long as a football field – and more… Read more »
As we’ve found over the years, controversy is never very far away in this industry. Despite the great many economic and environmental benefits wind energy offers, the scale and nature of both land and offshore developments are frequently the subject of protest. Our industry has done much to improve cooperation with communities, and takes care… Read more »
The EU executive has announced its first ever plan to use €9.1 billion from the EU’s 2014-2020 budget to help upgrade Europe’s energy infrastructure, according to strategic climate and energy needs. The money will be available under the proposed EU budget for 2014-2020 in the form of newly-minted project bonds, grants and loan guarantees, according… Read more »