The wpd group in Bremen is currently preparing the implementation of the offshore wind farm project Butendiek, which will consist of 80 wind turbine generators and will be built 32 km to the west of Sylt in the German North Sea. The project company, Butendiek Offshore Windpark GmbH & Co. KG, has now commissioned KfW… Read more »
The European Commission recently launched its first call for proposals for the world’s largest programme of investment in low carbon and renewable energy demonstration projects. But what does all this mean for the future of wind? The so-called NER300 initiative will provide around €4.5bn in financial support for at least eight projects involving carbon capture… Read more »
Ever since the first windmills were developed by the Persians in the sixth century AD, man has been fascinated by the power of these simple but effective instruments which can do so much to utilise and harness efficiently the powerful natural elements surrounding us … Those comparatively primitive machines were designed to automate the essential… Read more »
When it comes to wind turbines and winning the public relations charm offensive, offshore is definitely the way to go. The very nature of siting wind turbines out at sea ensures there are fewer objections from protesters, environmental pressure on the brownfield sites of Europe is considerably eased and, most importantly, higher and more constant… Read more »
The wind business is in an enviable position throughout Europe. According to the most recent set of statistics released by the EWEA last year, more wind power capacity was installed in Europe during 2009, than any other renewable energy technology. About 39 per cent of installed renewable energy capacity was wind, followed by natural gas… Read more »
Pilot trials are due to begin in India in 2012 for an ambitious and innovative project which could harness the power of the winds at over 30,000ft. At that height they blow at over 200mph, so it’s a goal worth pursuing to add to the world’s growing renewable energy portfolio and help ease the pressure… Read more »
One of wind’s biggest challenges has always been obtaining ‘buy-in’ from the consumer. But this looks set to change with the launch of a major new initiative that will soon see a ‘WindMade’ logo emblazoned on dozens of household products. It worked for Fairtrade and organic food, but will it work for wind? At the… Read more »
PES is proud to present a pair of exclusive interviews with two leading lights from the industry. First, we speak to Dow Wire & Cable’s Ram Ramachandran, Global Director of End-Use Marketing, about the US-based company’s innovative marketing and publicity strategy; followed by an illuminating conversation with Ian Davidson, Exxon Mobil’s Global Industrial Marketing Manager…. Read more »
Words: D. Kühnel, T. Neumann; DEWI GmbH As one of the world’s leading consulting organisations in the field of wind energy, Germany-based DEWI offers a number of related measurement services, energy analyses and studies, together with technological, economical and political consultancy for the industry, wind farm developers, banks, governments and public administrations. Here, two of… Read more »
German-based BBB Umwelttechnik GmbH was founded by the three engineers who remain in control of its day-to-day operations and after whom the company is named. Providing one-stop logistical support solutions to the wind industry among others, the company has built an enviable reputation for stealth and reliability. PES spoke to founding director Joachim Binotsch about… Read more »
PES speaks to Meriaura’s Xavier De Meulder about the Finnish shipping company’s wind power credentials and aspirations, the state of the European market, and delivering on promises whatever the weather… PES: Welcome to PES magazine. Can you begin by giving us a brief overview of your company and outline how you serve the wind industry?… Read more »
SAL Heavy Lift Shipping boasts a fleet of 15 heavy lift vessels, providing customised and reliable sea transportation solutions for all types of project cargoes, including heavy machinery, equipment for the oil and gas industry, (offshore) wind energy, cranes and floating cargo. The German-based specialists have developed an enviable reputation, largely as a result of… Read more »
With a formula for success which includes combining years of practical experience with enviable scientific know-how in all areas of wind energy utilisation, Deutsche WindGuard Consulting GmbH has built an enviable reputation among the wind farms of Europe. The company, based near Hamburg in Germany, offers its customers engineering services of the highest standards in… Read more »
Words: Catriona Munro The scourge of bribery and corruption traverses industries and markets like no other. However, against an eclectic backdrop of intensifying international competition and heavy R&D investment, coupled with a patchwork of regulation, the renewables energy sector could be particularly exposed to such threats. PES examines a new law that could potentially have… Read more »
Victoria Kenrick of international sustainable recruitment specialist, Allen & York explores current trends within the wind energy sector; including an in-depth look at where the latest job roles exist within Europe, which job types are on the increase and the transferable skills that exist for professionals wanting to make their career move into the industry…. Read more »
With many European nations embarking on smart metering programmes, Duncan Sinclair of Redpoint Energy examines the ways in which advanced meters can be used to combat the highly variable output of intermittent energy sources such as wind. In January 2011 the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) announced that Europe is set to beat its target… Read more »
In January this year, the British Government announced a far-reaching review of Feed-in Tariffs, which, on the face of it, seemed like bad news for the renewables industry. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find that, while large- scale PV operators are right to be up-in-arms, the review could bode well for wind… It… Read more »
Euler Hermes Rating GmbH (Allianz group) has again awarded a rating of A for the creditworthiness and sustainability of wpd AG in 2011. Thus, the company is being rated as strongly above average as compared to the overall economy. In the past, the wpd group was able to profit to a large extent as the… Read more »
Do you feel as if you are helping in some small way to make a difference to the world? It’s a question that few of us ever consider, but the very nature of our industry lends it validity. In this issue’s exclusive ‘My vision’ interview, we put this and a selection of other, more philosophical… Read more »
PES reveals the amazing story behind the iconic brand’s diversification from cars to turbines – and how it put them back on the road to success. In Europe in the 1980s, there was only one car to have: the Ford Sierra Cosworth. The family saloon car had been fitted with an engine from a British… Read more »
As the Managing Director of one of Europe’s top PR agencies for the energy industry, Alastair Turner is responsible for creating buzz, managing crises and building brands. He talks to PES about all the essential issues and offers some indispensable advice for wind executives everywhere. PES: Welcome to PES magazine. Can you explain a little… Read more »
Talk of wind turbines and we tend to think of huge structures out in the country, conjuring up visions of a romantic idyll with a few delicately spinning blades on the horizon. The truth of the matter, however, is that of late these contemporary icons are as likely to be seen on the outskirts of… Read more »
Words: David Parkin A crucial consideration for the entire renewables sector, with particular relevance to wind, storage is a burning, and imminent issue. David Parkin, Head of Renewable Energy for Atkins, presents the issues from a British standpoint and discusses how they mesh into the wider European framework. The UK is at the forefront of… Read more »
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced a brave new plan to build offshore wind turbines, producing a total of 3,000 MW and requiring a massive investment of €10bn Euros. A call for bids for the construction of the turbines was to be launched later this year, the president said, adding that 600 turbines were to… Read more »
As the Managing Director of world-renowned ladder manufacturer Hailo, Winfried Czilwa has a knack for spotting commercial opportunities in a diverse range of business sectors. Here, he talks to PES about the company’s operations in the wind power arena. PES: Welcome to PES magazine. Can you begin by giving us an overview of your company… Read more »
Maximizing the Capture and Use of Available Wind Tunnel Energy Clean Wind Energy Tower, Inc, announced that the Company had filed with the United States Patent & Trademark Office “A Petition to Make Special Under Accelerated Examination Program,” a patent application titled Efficient Energy Conversion Devices & Methods. The application covers specific aspects of deploying… Read more »
Discover the numerous improvements of the synthesis module: CLIMATOLOGY: – Possibility to launch synthesis weighting several thermal stabilities– Integration possible of mesoscale data – New formats for time series data including stability– POWER CURVES : – Use of the WTG format– Automatic computation of the density at the wind turbines– New functionality enabling power curves… Read more »
BBB Umwelttechnik GmbH (BBB), one of German’s leading wind energy service providers with sites in Gelsenkirchen and Weiden, is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Following its establishment in the spring of 1996 by Klaus Bergmann and brothers Gerhard and Joachim Binotsch, the wind experts have overseen a continuous expansion of the company. It now has 24… Read more »
SGS Industrial Services in China was awarded a contract to provide comprehensive Quality Control Services of wind towers for Goldwind, a Chinese wind turbine manufacturer based in Urumqi, Xinjiang. During the entire project, SGS supervises the wind tower production process and provides onsite inspection, testing, auditing, monitoring and Quality Control witness services. — The reliability… Read more »
Günter Laubinger (46) has been appointed head of the contracting and procurement department at BBB Umwelttechnik GmbH (BBB), a wind energy consulting company based in Gelsenkirchen. He will be responsible for the inspection of project-specific contracts as part of technical due diligence (TDD) investigations. Customers will benefit from his expertise in drafting precise delivery and… Read more »
With effect from 1 March 2011, the HARTING Technology Group has appointed Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Torsten Ratzmann as Senior Vice President Operations. Alongside global management of all production sites, his future area of responsibility includes all logistics procedures and goods movements, plus the management of HARTING Applied Technologies GmbH & Co. KG, where special machine and… Read more »
National Energy Administration to fully support Clean Energy Expo China and Wind Power Asia The naming of clean energy, especially wind power as one of its main beneficiary in China’s 12th Five-Year plan is expected to be a boon to the domestic industry for the coming years. The Chinese government has announced its 12th Five-Year… Read more »
In what is regarded as milestone decision Finish authorities granted the water permit to Suurhiekka offshore wind farm, the first full scale offshore project of the country. The project of 80 turbines has been developed by wpd since 2007 and aims for start of construction in 2014 – depending on the government’s decision on a… Read more »
The revolutionary character of trendsetting technologies sometimes can be misjudged and underestimated because they only make out one part of complex high-end systems. In the case of the innovative crane, currently being in the construction process in Rostock and destined for the new Heavy Lift Jack-Up-Vessel by BELUGA HOCHTIEF Offshore the danger of such a… Read more »
Ukraine is making a firm step towards the green energy future. This week one of the country’s regional governors launched a project which will becomea pilot for other green energy solutions in Ukraine. The Chairman of Donetsk Region State Administration Anatoly Blyzniuk announced that installation of three out of 23 preplanned wind power units in… Read more »
Despite a buoyant European offshore wind market, developers are facing into a whole bundle of purchasing headaches due to the seemingly limited number of suppliers in the offshore wind energy business. The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) says 9.3 gigawatt (GW) of new wind power capacity was installed in the EU during 2010 with offshore… Read more »