The concrete sector is developing solutions that will meet the challenges set by Offshore Proof, a new survey by accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) which believes that offshore wind power has some way to go to prove that it can be a valid part of the renewable energy mix. The survey reports that the next 5… Read more »
When a seven metre portion of a Vestas blade prototype broke off last year – only weeks after the company had a signed a deal to supply the same model to a 420MW wind farm in Australia – the company felt it had some explaining to do. But according to the latest Wind Energy Update… Read more »
Rising fossil fuel prices, devastating oil spills and the nuclear crisis in Fukushima have in 2011 substantially raised expectations of wind energy. On the eve of Global Wind Day – June 15 – the wind industry can today reveal the globally avoided fuel costs from wind energy.In 2015 wind power will avoid 23.7 billion Euros… Read more »
Henrik Kuffner has been appointed as the first CEO of the newly created WindMade organisation. He took up his position on 1 June 2011 and will lead the creation of a global consumer label for companies and products using wind power. From 2002 to 2011, Mr. Kuffner served as Director General of the International Wool… Read more »
Offshore wind farm operators could be facing O&M costs as high as €100,000 to €300,000 per year, per turbine, according to the latest Wind Energy Update Operations and Maintenance report. This figure could be spiked by an additional 20 percent over the short term, as innovative 5MW variable-speed and direct-drive designs enter the market. Unknown… Read more »
To ensure offshore wind turbines are still upright 20 years down the track, more research is needed into the behaviour of the soil structures underlying them, says the latest report from Wind Energy Update. A distinguishing feature of offshore wind turbine structures is that the turbines impose a large horizontal load, at a great height,… Read more »
Leading turbine manufacturers GE and Siemens have come out in full support of a family approach to offshore health and safety today in London. With an estimated 40GW of offshore wind set to be installed by the end of the decade in Europe alone, the potential for employee accidents and projects put at risk due… Read more »
In recent years, and most noticeably 2011, the Occupations Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has been turning its attention to the North American wind industry, regularly issuing between 5 and 8 figure citations. Next year wind farm owners, operators, manufacturers and contractors can expect at step up in enforcement of employee safety regulations that will… Read more »
Dow Formulated Systems, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: Dow), today announced the introduction of the COMPAXXTM 700 foam core system for wind blades, the first in a line of new core materials that will help manufacturers extend blade life through the creation of high performance sandwich composites. Extensive sandwich panel fatigue… Read more »
On 15 June 2011, ‘Global Wind Day’, citizens from around the world can discover the benefits of wind energy while having fun. With Middle East instability affecting oil prices and debate over nuclear following Fukushima, the hundreds of events on offer on Global Wind Day will show people everywhere how wind can be part of… Read more »
The Global Wind Energy Council called for urgent action to exploit Japan’s tremendous wind power potential for a speedy transition towards renewable energy. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan’s announcement at the G8 Summit that Japan would move away from nuclear power towards more reliance on renewable sources is a welcome development, but there is a… Read more »
SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, is pleased to announce the opening of the SGS Wind Energy Technology Center (WETC), taking place on June 13, 2011, in Tianjin, China. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the SGS test center provides a complete range of full-scale testing capabilities for rotor blades, including natural frequency,… Read more »
Today’s vote in the European Parliament’s powerful Environment Committee and the launch of a new report by the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) have increased the pressure for a higher EU emissions reduction target and a renewable energy target for 2030. The EP Committee voted in favour of increasing the EU’s greenhouse gas emission reduction… Read more »
A flexible, ocean-going carrier with a well-earned reputation in the wind industry, BBC Chartering operates more than 120 multipurpose vessels from a global administrative coverage of 24 local offices. The company is equipped to serve even the smallest of ports – perfect for the remote locations where wind turbines are employed – and as the… Read more »
Having enlisted in the Air Force in 1981, Mark Goldstone finally retired as a Senior Master Sergeant in 2005 after a 24-year career. He quickly found employment in the wind industry, where he quickly discovered the similarities between his former service and his new career. Goldstone has never looked back, and now manages wind farm… Read more »
Many organisations can become disconnected in the way in which Energy and Sustainability is managed so that significant environmental and financial benefits can be lost. Here, Allen and York’s Victoria Kenrick presents an in-depth look at the development of the Energy and Sustainability role within North American wind energy organisations. Sustainability has become a mantra… Read more »
It was not so long ago that President Obama went to the World Trade Organization with a forthright complaint over the protectionist tactics of the Chinese renewables industry; a grievance which was subsequently vindicated. Great! we all thought. At last an administration is prepared to back our essential industry. But, hold on there – now… Read more »
As a marketer for Pall, Daniel Alessandri is used to asking questions of his suppliers, peers and colleagues. But answering them? In print? PES puts a selection of slightly more personal questions to one of the industry’s most influential figures. PES: Welcome to PES magazine, can you firstly explain a little about your role, and… Read more »
The late economist E F Schumacher (1911- 1977) became something of a hero to the early environmental and ecological movements, not least because of his oft-quoted maxim: small is beautiful. But if that was true back in the 1970s it is nevertheless a rule which is being ignored in the current wind generation industry. If… Read more »
Here PES presents the latest in our ongoing series of fascinating roundtable discussions, bringing together the leaders of the industry to discuss all the salient issues, including the role of pressure groups, relations with the Chinese, and the future of the industry. ContributorsCarl Levesque, Communications Editor, American Wind Energy Association Dave Lopez, Secretary of The… Read more »
An iconic American company that enjoys a near legendary reputation across the country and beyond, BNSF Railway delivers a effective transportation solution for the emerging wind energy industry. The company has the personnel, network, equipment and technology to make your wind shipment cost-effective and convenient, and provides a customized shipping solution for all your wind… Read more »
A recent decision by the Ontarian regional government in Canada has thrown the province’s ambitious offshore wind plans into apparent meltdown. In an unforeseen move, the province’s Liberal administration has cancelled offshore wind turbines over concerns about a lack of data, claiming there is insufficient information available about the technology’s proven success capability. PES investigates… Read more »
A Calgary-based company has been given the green light from provincial regulators in Alberta to construct what is expected to be the country’s largest wind energy project. The Alberta Utilities Commission has granted final approval to construct and operate the Blackspring Ridge I Wind Project which could be online as soon as 2013. PES reports… Read more »
In this far-ranging and prescient report, Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States: Assessment of opportunities and Barriers, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) examines the state of play for the wind industry in the US as well as examining the vital steps the continent needs to take in order to ease the pressure… Read more »
Although wind energy only produces about two per cent of the current electricity demand in the US, the Department of Energy, in collaboration with wind industry experts, has drafted a plan that would bring the installed wind capacity up to 20 per cent of the nation’s total electrical supply. To meet these expectations, wind energy… Read more »
The US Department of Energy has recently published its Rebuilding After Disaster: Going Green from the Ground Up report – a document which brings to mind the words of Theodore Roosevelt: “The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not… Read more »
While a political battle rages over whether Ontario’s Great Lakes wind scheme will go ahead, there’s no doubt that the Canadian state leads the way in wind generation, with more than 2,600 MW of capacity expected to be in service by the end of 2011. And while this is impressive, the fact is that more… Read more »
BBB Umwelttechnik GmbH (BBB), one of Germany’s leading providers of wind energy services, is offering a new systems solution for monitoring and safeguarding valuable wind measurement data. The Measurement Monitoring System (MMS) was developed in-house by BBB engineers and has several benefits for the clients. The solution enables web-based, location-independent access to real-time wind measurement… Read more »
GDF SUEZ, VINCI and AREVA have signed a partnership agreement to build up a competitive, sustainable offshore wind industry which will bring jobs. The alliance has been formed to allow the groups to reply jointly to the call for tenders announced by the French President of the Republic in January 2011. The government is targeting… Read more »
Iberdrola Renewables, the world’s leading provider of wind power, today announced a donation of $150,000 to Vantage Career Center in Van Wert, Ohio, on the occasion of Vantage’s 35th anniversary. Vantage broke ground on an expansion and renovation project that will include a new program to train renewable energy technicians. Iberdrola Renewables is currently building… Read more »
Ammonit presents the new data logger series Meteo-40 life at Windpower 2011 booth #5027a. With Meteo-40 the leading wind measurement expert Ammonit meets the high standards of MEASNET site assessment norm and sets a new benchmark in wind measurement. Thanks to intelligent data signature Meteo-40 prevents data manipulation. Thus it is the first data logger… Read more »
With 20-25% of an offshore wind farm’s capital expenditure sunk into its foundations, offshore wind foundation costs threaten to explode as offshore wind farms move into deeper waters, further from shore. The logistical challenge and its anticipated cost have galvanized designers, developers, and government-backed agencies to reset the thinking on subsea foundation design. But the… Read more »
The gloom of winter has well and truly passed, but you won’t find us at PES heading off to the coast for our summer break just yet, for this is our busiest time of year. And it seems, from the feedback we receive from you, it’s also a very productive quarter for the wind industry in general. Of… Read more »
Andy Tuan was recently appointed General Manager of PV in Asia for Air Products, to enhance customer engagement and emphasise the company’s growing commitment to facilitate strong growth in the region. Here, PES speaks to Andy about the company and how its local operations dovetail into a global strategy. PES: Welcome back to PES. When… Read more »
One of the industry’s most recognisable and trusted companies, Peikko Group has built its name on innovation and service. We caught-up with Markku Koponen, Director, Energy Industry, for the inside-track on the firm’s seemingly boundless endeavours. PES: Welcome to PES. Could you begin by telling us what your company does, when and how it was established and a little… Read more »
Critical Software will take part in the 6th annual SKF Wind Farm Management Conference in Barcelona, Spain, May 11-12 2011. Through its solutions for Renewable Farm Management (csEMS) and Wind Farm Condition Based Maintenance (PRODDIA), Critical Software enables its clients to reduce costs and improve revenue and profitability. The SKF Conference will bring together energy… Read more »