A plan to create a government office to give a leg-up to the UK’s renewables industry has been welcomed by the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA). Secretary of State John Hutton has announced a proposed Office for Renewable Energy Deployment. The office, which should be up and running in the spring of 2009, pending the… Read more »
While the debate over offshore oil drilling in the United States rages, the federal government is looking to lease large swathes of its continental shelf to wind turbine operators. Competition is hotting up to develop wind projects on the shelf, which is currently covered by an oil-drilling ban that has become a contentious issue in… Read more »
Ireland and Scotland unite in green energy plan The Irish and Scottish governments and the Northern Ireland executive are co-operating on a plan for a wind electricity grid linking all three jurisdictions. Energy ministers recently launched the plan to make the case for an offshore wind-power grid operated by all three administrations. {pagebreak} “This… Read more »
Hydro power for city tram system A collaboration to provide hydroelectricity for the tram system in Manchester, UK, comes hot on the heels of an announcement that the UK city will be the second place in Britain to introduce congestion charging. Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) {pagebreak}… Read more »
European utilities acquire Shell’s stake in world’s largest offshore wind farm The world’s biggest offshore wind farm has been put back on track after the UK energy minister boasted that the technology could attract £3bn investment to the north-east of England alone. A host of wind schemes have been hit by planning delays, cost-inflation fears… Read more »
Maximum reliability – Cognis presents solutions to boost wind turbine efficiency at Husumwind 2008 Today’s wind turbines have to withstand extreme mechanical stresses under very demanding conditions, especially with the latest trend of offshore locations, where wind speeds are much greater and maintenance work is even more challenging. At this year’s Husumwind trade show, {pagebreak}… Read more »
Staffing solutions: giving clients room to breathe in a global market Headquartered in Berlin, with offices all over Germany, DAL Zeitarbeit is a recruitment and staffing company that operates in the power industry – particularly within the wind sector. In this exclusive interview, company owner Dr. Ansgar Lauterbach explains how the firm alleviates the human… Read more »
Taking on the challenge of grease lubrication in wind turbines Have you ever stopped at a wind turbine and been impressed at the sheer scale of the engineering challenges of constructing such a large harvester of wind energy? Developing and selecting the correct lubricant for these engineering monuments requires not only knowledge of lubrication solutions,… Read more »
Bolt securing system slashes costs and increases safety During the past decade it has become extremely important to optimise all aspects of product design. Competition is tougher than ever and steel costs have skyrocketed. For economic reasons each component must be utilised to its maximum capacity. Bolted joints became the centre of attention after recent… Read more »
Combining a Permanent Magnet (PM) generator with a power converter in a wind power drive train is simple, but nobody integrates them into a totally optimised package the way The Switch does. The Finnish company is a forerunner in supplying tailored electric drive trains that meet each of its customerâ
With oil prices reaching record levels and natural gas doubling in price over the last two years, the main beneficiaries are wind power and the environment. Manel Romeu Belles, of Danish turbine company Vestas, looks at how the harnessing of the wind is becoming a complement to oil and gas. {pagebreak} Over the last few… Read more »
In this technical article, Soren Qvist Vestesen of Vestesen A/S – a veteran PES contributor – further outlines the benefits of a Danvest wind–diesel system. Danvest Wind Diesel SystemsWith reference to my earlier PES article from earlier this year, I should like to further describe the efficiency of the Danvest system for high wind penetration… Read more »
UPS solutions for wind turbines – high performance in all weathers The performance and profitability of a wind turbine stands and falls with its operational reliability. Any fault or outage can cost the operator dear while also potentially impacting on safety; costly servicing puts an extra strain on budgets. Therefore, it is all the more… Read more »
BBC Chartering is a recognised global leader in providing tailor-made shipping solutions for both heavy lift and project cargoes. It was founded ten years ago and now operates more than 140 vessels from a network of 21 offices. In recent years the company has come to be known as a leading shipper of wind turbines…. Read more »
New Logo Reflects Dedication to Finding Simple Solutions to Complex Shipping Challenges.Leer, Germany – May 27, 2008 BBC Chartering, a recognized global leader in providing tailor-mad flexible shipping solutions for both heavy lift and project cargoes, introduced a new logo and graphic identity this week. This new design is a reflection of the company’s dedication… Read more »
Wind as a modern energy source: The Vestas View.Wind is an energy source which can help the world’s largest and fastest growing economies to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and on imported energy. {pagebreak} Over the past couple of years, Vestas, the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturer, has experienced tremendous growth, and the company… Read more »
With the steadily increasing share of wind power in the world’s total energy consumption, windmill fabrication is maturing as an industrial sector. Marcel Stemvers, European Marketing Manager of ESAB Nederland B.V, discusses the challenges that producers of wind turbine towers face today and the solutions that are being developed to address them. {pagebreak} Having originated… Read more »
The brainchild of Beluga Shipping and Sky Sails heads for success.MV “Beluga SkySails”, a multipurpose heavy-lift project carrier new-build that was christened on December 15th, 2007, and recently enjoyed its maiden voyage, is the world’s first modern merchant vessel to be co-powered by wind energy. {pagebreak} The 10,000-tdw carrier is owned, managed and operated by… Read more »
Stephan Golz is a representative of wind energy recruitment specialist of Stegmann Personal, an agency under the umbrella of the 7 (S)-Group, and one of the first companies of its kind to specialise in this sector. PES finds out what new demands the rapid growth of wind energy is placing on his firm, and how… Read more »
Taking wind turbines to new heights Wind turbines are highly engineered and sophisticated machinery which may operate in wide ambient operating temperatures and extreme environments such as offshore. As a vital asset, it makes good business sense to protect it and prolong its life. Correct lubrication is a critical factor that has been recognised by… Read more »
Clean wind turbines…inside and outDaniel Alessandri, Strategic Marketing Manager for the power generation division of Pall Corporation, considers the effects of the weather on the wind energy sector. {pagebreak} Roneklint, Denmark. Peaceful, sunny and green…what a change of pace from the horrendous past few weeks spent between Paris and England, all this in a matter… Read more »
Wind industry ready to boom. European Wind Energy Association Chief Executive Christian Kjaer talks exclusively to PES about how the European Commission’s ongoing efforts to tackle climate change are paving the way for “a massive expansion in wind power”, but certain member states should be reaching to pull their socks up. {pagebreak} In January this… Read more »
Quality should be designed into your products.The rising demand for renewable energy means a greater demand for sophisticated technology. But it’s not simply customer satisfaction that counts these days. Jukka-Pekka Mäkinen, CEO and President of The Switch, explains how his firm is responding and contributing to the environmental revolution. {pagebreak} PES: Can you explain a… Read more »
Unique system saves time and money for the wind power industry Swedish Actsafe is the company behind the world’s first power ascender, a personal elevator that climbs a standard rope. The company is now the market leader within this growing segment of rope access and is continuously developing solutions for making working at height safe,… Read more »
Dipl.-Ing. Kirsten Tschauder, Deutsche BP AG Unplanned wind turbine downtime can lead to high financial losses and wind energy market statistics indicate that the average turbine downtime due to unscheduled events is around 270 hours per year. Roughly one third of such losses can be minimised or avoided by considering the special ambient and application… Read more »
As the world entered a new millennium, Dr. Peter Volkmer discovered that condition monitoring of the rotor blades of wind turbines not only reduces risks but also pays for itself. At the time, systems monitoring the power train were already available and so the obvious question was why the most stressed parts of a wind… Read more »
Angelika Pullen, Policy & Communications Director, Global Wind Energy Council. With wind power predicted to deliver 34% of the world’s electricity by 2050, Angelika Pullen takes a look at how the future of energy is not only bright, but also decidedly green. Corporate leaders are walking a different path in their efforts to reduce carbon… Read more »
THE 21st CENTURY BATTLE FOR ENERGY Christian Kjaer, CEO of the European Wind Energy Association discusses the current state of the industry and puts forward his blueprint for the future… {pagebreak} In March this year, 27 EU Heads of State unanimously agreed that 20% of our energy consumption must come from renewable energy sources by… Read more »
As the wind energy industry sees sturdy growth, businesses are gearing up for surging demand. Amid what is likely to be an increasingly competitive global market, manufacturers and suppliers will need to show consistently high levels of products, services and support in order to keep a strong client base. Kirsten Tschauder of Castrol Industrial Lubricants… Read more »
When Size MattersHarry Kyogoku, Zephyr CorporationWhen it comes to creating renewable energy, the Zephyr Corporation has learnt that size is now more important than ever before. Founded in 1997, the Japanese firm’s success has soared with a continued growth in sales of their Micro Wind Generators and Airdolphin models. With the European market top of… Read more »
Don’t waste your energy.Soren Qvist Vestesen discusses how a Vestesen A/S Danvest Wind Diesel System can slash operational and maintenance costs, maximise output potential and cut down on waste energy, with an easily managed automatic back-up system Based in Denmark, Vestesen. {pagebreak} A/S is one of the world’s leading technology specialists for wind-diesel systems with… Read more »
Innovative technology for excellent resultsAt ENERCON GmbH in Emden, Germany, tailor-made, high-performance solutions optimise precast segment production, says Bastian Bicher, Corporate Product Engineer for Concrete at Sika Services AG’s renewable energy branch. As the threat of global warming has become a matter of urgency, so the race to lower greenhouse gas emissions has gained momentum…. Read more »
Smart meters are key to cutting domestic energy consumption. Dr Thomas Dittrich of Tadiran Batteries explains how his production line plays a vital role in the value chain, offering durability and cost efficiency through sophisticated technology. {pagebreak} Smart meters make it possible to cut energy consumption by as much as 10-15%, making a huge contribution… Read more »