Category: Wind

Digital automated independent solutions: a necessity for asset managers and an opportunity for O&Ms

Wind industry business models are shifting their focus. They used to be mainly driven by financial aspects of the business plan and the debt used to finance it, while technical operations, often subcontracted, came in second place. The priority of the wind industry was to ensure robust turbines with a high degree of availability, with… Read more »

Combatting corrosion with traditional and new methods

PES Wind caught up with Ed Hall, President of Oxifree, to discover the latest corrosion solutions. Our readers have always been interested in this sector, as it has a real impact on maintenance and life span of the wind turbines. Research and development are at the forefront. The core product encapsulates the part, rather than… Read more »

The real value of condition monitoring

Before considering the impact that condition monitoring systems (CMS) have on our industry, it is important to first establish what CMS entails and how it came to be such an established piece of hardware in the renewable energy sector. A condition monitoring system would normally comprise of a series of sensors strategically placed on fundamental… Read more »

How independent real-time ocean insights support offshore wind insurance

Miros is a technology company that specialises in measuring the ocean surface. With over 35 years of experience engineering dry-mounted, radar-based sensors robust enough to weather the harsh and unpredictable conditions of the North Sea, the company develops innovative solutions for real-time, local environmental monitoring for the global offshore and maritime industry. By making essential… Read more »

Riding a wave of green innovation

MHO-Co is on a mission towards a greener and more economically viable service to the offshore industry. And the future is already here. Right now, the Danish shipping company is building the world’s first hybrid CTVs which are to be introduced in 2021. And they hope to take the technology even further with support from… Read more »

CTV access to wind turbines: improving efficiency and reducing costs

Mainprize Offshore has operated in the North Sea for over thirty years, and the family behind the company has a fishing heritage that dates back generations. This team has extensive experience in the offshore oil and gas industries, and has been going from strength to strength since entering the offshore renewables sector in 2012. Mainprize… Read more »

A real unique selling point!

Liftket‘s CEO Jürgen Dlugi, tells PES about the company’s expansion in the wind industry. In 1953 they started off by supplying electric chain hoists and are now able to offer a complete service crane globally, suitable for on and offshore work. Well aware of safety needs, they provide full training and tailor made packages to… Read more »

Extended validation and certification of new generation power converters reduce the cost of energy

As market demand for wind turbines has grown, so too have the demands for quality and performance, in order to reduce the levelized cost of energy (LCoE) and demonstrate that the technology is not just a clean solution for electric power generation, it is also a profitable addition to the energy mix. This is especially… Read more »

Making a difference in windfarm transformers

The electric energy industry has long been a conservative business taking very deliberate and measured steps in adopting new technologies. The renewable energy markets have forced companies to adapt to a fast-paced and rapid technology development cycle. The exponential growth and the demand for more power in a smaller envelope continue to drive rapid development…. Read more »

Sector coupling could aid energy transition

Since the 2015 Paris Agreement, there has been a global consensus that the transition to a CO2-neutral energy supply needs to be achieved worldwide within the next few decades. At the same time, considerable technological progress has been made with both onshore and offshore wind energy, for example, and, as a result, the energy generated… Read more »

Wind turbine energy generation: reliability problems and solutions

While wind is enjoying significant growth, studies confirm that wind turbines suffer from reliability issues: The EU’s RELIAWIND study found that electrical systems accounted for the highest failure rate, but gearbox failures accounted for the highest amount of downtime (14 days)1. The National Renewable Energy laboratory found that the majority of wind turbine gearbox failures… Read more »

Wind energy’s most important event goes digital

WindEnergy Hamburg, the world’s leading wind energy event, is taking place in 2020 despite the crisis. However, organizer Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH is not inviting visitors to its local exhibition campus this time but to the World Wide Web. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, WindEnergy Hamburg 2020 will be a fully digital event held… Read more »

The next energy frontier: floating wind farms

The global energy transition is underway. The uptake of renewables is accelerating, as the technology undercuts fossil fuel based energy generation and governments seek to achieve international climate targets. Renewable energy is now also accepted as an opportunity to drive green economic growth and job creation to help support the recovery from the impacts of… Read more »

Optimizing blade O&M: allying technology with blade expertise

Blade O&M has become a focus for BladeInsight, formerly Prodrone. André Croft de Moura, CEO and founder, spoke enthusiastically to PES, about his vison for the future of drone inspections, with added value. This blade centric company has already embraced the idea of predictive maintenance and is continuing to provide quality, agility and a focus… Read more »

Uncertainty and certainty

All over the world, people are asking two questions: How will COVID-19 have a continued effect, and what will the next American President do? The pandemic has caused manufacturing plant closures resulting in predictable havoc, but we have also seen COVID-19 disrupt supply chains that were once rock-solid, in ways nobody could have anticipated. It’s… Read more »

Smart connected bolting: taking the smart factory to the field

The smart factory is a term we all know well and is used in reference to the implementation of Industry 4.0 in the manufacturing environment. Significant benefits such as improved quality, higher productivity and cost reductions have transformed industries such as automotive and electronics in recent years through implementation of smart connected assembly solutions. Wind… Read more »

State-of-the-art inspections

At PES we were curious about Aero Enterprise, so we decided to call Robert Hörmann, CEO/CTO and Peter Kurt Fromme-Knoch, CEO/CFO to find out more about this fast developing, innovative company. They are very happy to be part of the BUSS Energy Group, finding much mutual benefit and profiting from the global reach. However, they… Read more »

The the Prime Minister has set out his Ten Point Plan, covering clean energy, transport, nature and innovative technologies.

Responding, Morag Watson, Director of Policy at Scottish Renewables, said:  “The Prime Minister’s recognition that renewable energy is at the heart of a green industrial revolution is to be welcomed. It remains vital, however, that the infrastructure and regulation changes required to underpin the required shift are prioritised, with proposals to alter to the way the electricity… Read more »

Offshore wind leaders urged to collaborate for radical advances to reduce subsea cable failures

The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult is urging the offshore wind sector to sign up to a world-first data collection platform that aims to vastly reduce subsea cable failures. In a global industry first, ELECTRODE will track cable failure trends and service downtime, as well as the effectiveness of current methods of monitoring, detection and… Read more »

Nabrawind and Peikko develop an innovative rock foundation for projects in Namibia

Combined solution minimises foundation size and environmental footprint Nabrawind and Peikko have developed an innovative rock foundation for wind turbines that will be first implemented in the Elizabeth Bay wind farm developed by the renewables Franco/Namibian company InnoSun Energy. Peikko, European leader in solutions for Onshore Wind Turbine Foundations, has a long and strong track… Read more »

PolyTech ice detection for Senvion turbines available

The PolyTech ice detection system is still available for Senvion wind turbines as usual and is fully integrated into the control system. This deep integration enables the automatic starting and stopping of the wind turbines. Functionality and added value are accessible without restriction both for existing systems and for new retrofits. The PolyTech ice detection… Read more »

The Nordex Group optimizes annual energy production of legacy turbines with vortex generators

Hamburg, 17 November 2020. The Nordex Group has optimized the aerodynamics of the rotor blades of a total of 80 N100/2500 wind turbines for the long-standing Turkish customer, Eksim. By installing the vortex generators, the power output of the older generation turbines will be increased by up to 2%. The Nordex Group offers its customers… Read more »

Practical online tools for happy installers and customers

(Wels, 17/11/20) Fronius relies on quality and is known for providing the best service on the market. Start-up, monitoring and after-sales support have also been completely reinvented with the latest generation of inverters. This has resulted in three useful apps for installers, service technicians and end customers.   Fronius has expanded its range of tried-and-tested… Read more »

WIND POWER INDUSTRY CHALLENGED TO VALUE HUMAN INGENUITY ALONGSIDE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Industry insight report from ARMSA Academy proposes a new decision-making philosophy to unlock safer and more productive projects Wind companies leaving money on the table by treating digitalisation as the sole route to project optimisation Report marks official launch of ARMSA Academy, a digital performance support platform to help wind industry professionals reduce levelised costs… Read more »

Electric vehicle registrations surpass National Grid’s System Transformation projections

Data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that by October more than 75,000 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) had been registered over 2020, representing more than the total BEV registrations for 2018 and 2019 combined. Further analysis into these figures by Cornwall Insight shows that the pace of electric vehicle (EV)… Read more »

New Professional RHIB Boat series from ProZero International

Tuco Marine Group launches new Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat series as part of the company’s wide range of ProZero boats for professional users. The new range complements the ProZero series with new RHIB ́s below the approx. 8m length that have been the smallest in the ProZero range until this new launch. “Delivering ProZero boats… Read more »

RWE expands portfolio and increases result

Adjusted EBITDA increases by 13% to €2.2 billion; adjusted EBIT up 29% to €1.1 billion; adjusted net income at €762 million. Wind and solar power portfolio expected to increase to about 10 GW by year-end RWE involved in more than 30 projects in the promising field of hydrogen RWE continues to expand its renewables business:… Read more »

Vestas and ZF Wind Power Launch First Serially Produced EnVentus Powertrain

World’s first serial powertrain for Vestas’ EnVentus platform is launched onto the wind market Vestas and ZF Wind Power bundled forces to anticipate the growth trajectory of renewable energy Customers all over the world will benefit from more flexible solutions and a wide range of customized turbine variants Lommel, Belgium. ZF Wind Power and Vestas… Read more »

Cornwall Insight comments on Renewables Obligation mutualisatio

Commenting on the announcement that Ofgem has confirmed mutualisation has been triggered for the 2019-20 compliance period (CP 18) of the Renewables Obligation (RO), Tim Dixon, Wholesale Team Lead Cornwall Insight, said: “This will be the third consecutive year in a row that mutualisation will have been triggered. This CP is slightly different from the… Read more »

Sennen wins funding to develop new technology feature

Lost production feature will give insights into sources and causes of wind farm lost production. Technology company Sennen has secured grant funding to develop a new software feature that will help wind farm operators minimise lost revenue caused by wind turbine down time. The new feature will enable users to quickly and accurately understand losses… Read more »

Nordex Group receives again major order for 302 MW from USA

Hamburg, 11 November 2020. The Nordex Group has received another large order for the N149/4.0-4.5 from the Delta4000 series. A wind farm developer has placed an order with the Nordex Group for 63 turbines for a project in the United States. The project and customer are undisclosed. In the summer of 2021 the Nordex Group… Read more »

Uptake of Time of Use tariffs still low, but set to increase

Research from Cornwall Insight’s ‘Connected homes insight service’ has found both suppliers and consumers have made tentative steps to explore Time of Use (ToU) tariffs. However, adoption of these tariffs is anecdotally low at the moment, and ambitious innovation and uptake has been held back by slow industry processes and understandable consumer caution. Key findings:… Read more »

Onshore milestones met on Moray East Offshore Wind Farm project

300,000km of cable laid across a 34.5km onshore route to connect the power generated offshore, to homes and businesses Innovative drilling techniques used to limit the impact on people, wildlife and the environment Completion of the Moray East offshore windfarm came a step closer as Siemens Energy, lead contractor for the 950MW project, announced work… Read more »

ANKER Foundations—a new technology for wind turbine foundations

ANKER’s innovative precast foundations mean that plant construction can be significantly optimized: not simply logistically, but economically and ecologically while at the same time reducing the CO2 footprint The Hamburg start-up company ANKER Foundations GmbH has developed a new type of technology for building foundations for wind turbines. The young company is using its technology… Read more »

Guidehouse Insights Report Shows Cities and Communities Smart Energy Market Expected to Reach $64 Billion by 2020

Smart energy communities that integrate multiple clean energy technologies are key to developing zero carbon cities  Nov. 4, 2020 – Boulder, Colo. – A new report from Guidehouse Insights analyzes the global market for technologies that support the development of smart energy community concepts, providing forecasts for all world regions, including breakouts by advanced energy… Read more »

Permission granted to dredge channel!

t’s big news – very big news! For the past ten years, the Port of Thyboron has been working to increase the depth of the channel Thyborøn Kanal as well as the harbour approach. After responsibility for dredging the channel was handed to the Port of Thyboron in 2019, we submitted an application to the… Read more »