Category: Wind

Windcube First Lidar to get full IEC compliance / Remote sensing sensitivities study: transition from Scalar to Vector wind reconstruction

Paris, France 18th June 2018. Leosphere has announced that Windcube, its ground-based Lidar, has successfully met the full conditions for the IEC 61400-12-1 ed2 2017 standard. The IEC 61400 12 1, ed. 2 [1] standard sets a scheme to assess the uncertainty of remote sensing devices (RSDs), involving a calibration test for every unit and… Read more »

GustoMSC and Barge Master team up for US offshore wind feeder solution

chiedam, Netherlands – June 18, 2018 – In order to service the emerging US offshore wind markets, GustoMSC and Barge Master join forces in the development of a motion-compensated feeder solution. This solution offers a flexible and cost-effective alternative for installing the first wave of US projects. Combining the strengths of both companies creates a… Read more »

SeaRoc Group Delivers Trio of Consultancy Projects in South East Asia

SeaRoc Group continues to support the expansion of offshore wind in South East Asia with the delivery of three separate consultancy projects across the region. Taiwan – SeaRoc facilitated and chaired a Design Risk Assessment workshop for the Formosa I Offshore Wind Farm. The workshop covered the full project scope, including all major sub-suppliers (Wind… Read more »

Lighthouse Lidar Lights Up Offshore Wind Farm Plans With Zero Downtime18 June 2018: Details of a novel three year project to enhance the energy assessment and revenue forecasting for the proposed Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm 15km off the Angus coast in the East of Scotland demonstrates significant benefits of adopting bespoke technology to gather data. A ZephIR wind Lidar system was installed on an existing lighthouse structure thanks to a custom-built solution developed by SgurrEnergy (now Wood). This innovative solution not only negated the need for an independent offshore structure but the Lidar also took a comprehensive data set at heights from its installed location up to the projected turbine height, required no servicing and reported no major faults for the duration of the project. The project was carried out in cooperation with the Northern Lighthouse Board. The ZephIR wind Lidar, attached to the world’s oldest surviving sea-washed lighthouse at Bell Rock in Scotland, achieved up to 95% data availability and conducted measurements remotely at heights of more than 180m above the sea during the 3 years of detailed wind direction and wind velocity measurements. These data sets were taken to complement the wind data from an offshore met mast. At the end of the campaign the Lidar and supporting structure were removed with no trace left on the historic lighthouse. Matt Smith, Offshore Expert at ZephIR Lidar, said: “At ZephIR Lidar, we understand that no deployment is the same and we provide the very best solution and customer service for every unique case. Seeing a ZephIR wind Lidar mounted on a heritage piece of infrastructure like Bell Rock lighthouse was a great experience! We thoroughly enjoyed working with Inch Cape Offshore Limited to get the best wind measurements possible with this a one-of-a-kind solution.” Pre- and post-deployment validations of the ZephIR wind Lidar were conducted against a 91m IEC compliant mast at the UK Remote Sensing Test Site. From analysis of the results there were no significant changes observed in the Lidar’s performance during the 3 ½ years, with absolute performance fitting well within the industry standard (IEC) requirement for accuracy on wind speed for a first class, calibrated, well-mounted cup anemometer. John Reddish, Technical Manager, Inch Cape Offshore Limited said: “The ability to set up the Lidar system quickly and take wind measurements without the need for any additional infrastructure brought huge benefits to the project in terms of reducing costs, improving efficiency and staying on schedule.” John added: “The harsh Scottish coastal climate naturally brings challenges to overcome and we had the additional challenge of protecting the heritage of the Bell Rock lighthouse. Thanks to its small, compact size and robust design, ZephIR’s wind Lidar provided non-intrusive technology that was resistant to the adverse effects of the environment and as a result, helped us gather the necessary data without the need for servicing or delays due to repairs.”

18 June 2018: Details of a novel three year project to enhance the energy assessment and revenue forecasting for the proposed Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm 15km off the Angus coast in the East of Scotland demonstrates significant benefits of adopting bespoke technology to gather data. A ZephIR wind Lidar system was installed on an… Read more »

A Decade of Sustainability: OutSmart celebrates its 10-Year Anniversary

Independent Energy Asset Expert company marks a major milestone. OutSmart announced today that it has achieved a major milestone: A decade of growth as an independent Energy Asset Expert company. Operating as the front runner in the energy transition market  in Europe. OutSmart -originally launched in 2008—has grown into a European market leader in the… Read more »

MSPs Unite to Back Scotland’s Onshore Wind Sector

Event marks first ever Onshore Wind Week Scotland’s onshore wind sector generates 8,000 jobs and £1.5 billion in turnover MSPs from across the political spectrum came together today (14 June) with workers from the onshore wind industry outside the Scottish parliament to back Scotland’s sector. Apprentices from throughout the Scottish onshore wind supply chain, as… Read more »

Rovco completes Amazon Reef survey for Greenpeace

UK subsea services company, Rovco has announced the successful completion of an underwater survey of the Amazon Reef, off the northern coast of Brazil, for leading environmental organisation, Greenpeace. The Bristol-based firm carried out a full 3D seabed survey, deploying its SubAtlantic Mojave and Seaeye Cougar ROVs while using its latest 3D reconstruction technology. The… Read more »

WindEnergy Hamburg, the world’s leading expo, presents the greatest

range for global offshore – number of offshore wind farms is growing Hamburg, 14 June 2018 – The offshore sector of the wind industry has made headlines in recent months. It has progressed rapidly, both in technical innovation and in the competitiveness of offshore energy in the electricity market. Many of the companies active in… Read more »

New offshore contracts for life-saving wind farm workers

Paramedics will be working on two offshore wind projects off the East of England coast in new contract awards for pioneer SSI Energy. The first company to supply highly-trained life-saving dual role technicians has won its first long-term offshore contract as part of the operations and maintenance team on the Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm… Read more »

Ground Broken on New Test Stand for Generator/Converter Systems

Work recently got under way on the Institute’s latest construction project with digging a whole for the heavy-duty foundations of a 250 m2 hall in the direct vicinity of IWES´s nacelle test bench. If all goes to plan, a new test stand for minimal systems – comprising a high-speed generator and converter system – is set… Read more »

Blade leading edge erosion: damage limitation, containment and prevention

Following the recent news, widely published in the industry and national press regarding a number of offshore wind farms, it seems that last year’s end of warranty inspections highlighted unprecedented amounts of offshore wind turbine, blade leading edge erosion, across several offshore wind farms in Europe. As the offshore wind industry enters the 2018 season… Read more »

Blustery winds onshore in Latin America

S&P Global Ratings rated its first onshore wind project in 2003. Since then, the renewable energy sector has undergone tremendous expansion. In the past decade alone, its compound annual growth rate has totalled 20%, thanks largely to the rising awareness of how using fossil fuels for power generation contributes to climate change. In Latin America… Read more »

Ultrasonic clamp load testing: the best way to ensure correct bolt pretension

Achieving the correct bolt pretension is essential in assuring bolted joint integrity. Bolted joints are critical when ensuring the safe operation of wind turbines or other similar bolted connections. In this context, ultrasonic measurement has proven to be a very accurate and cost-effective solution when installing new bolts, as well as when evaluating existing bolts… Read more »

Don’t make public approval of your wind plans the most difficult part of your projects

Although wind power remains broadly powerful as a renewable resource, opposition to wind farms is nothing new. For supporters, wind seems to offer something for everyone: carbon-free electricity, construction and maintenance jobs, and competitive utility rates. Still, wind farms are not accepted by all, and criticism of new wind installations around the world has effectively… Read more »

Renewing the energy industry

PES wanted to know more about how Peterson is applying a collaborative approach, together with transferring expertise and know-how to become a top player in offshore wind and renewables logistics. Sander G van Helvoort, Business Manager Wind & Renewables, Peterson was happy to help with this. The global energy industry is currently under-going a change… Read more »

World class state of the art asset management leads renewable energy optimisation

The past ten years has seen a massive step change in the renewable energy sector. It is becoming one of the most innovative industries, continually evolving to deliver greater value to wind farm owners and to provide a future-proof solution for our global energy demands. With the demise of subsidy driven economics, the industry has… Read more »

How to break the vicious cycle of extreme weather and energy security, whilst saving money

The battery storage market is expanding and domestic and community users are expected to install small-scale batteries. This is linked to coal phase out and cold waves, such as The Beast from the East. PES invited Keith Robertshaw, Business Development Director from N-ERGY Power Solutions to clarify the link and explain why the batteries market… Read more »

Surveying the offshore scene

We look into the increasing importance of geophysical and geotechnical pre surveys in the offshore wind market. MMT is a Marine survey company that is leading the way in this specialist area. PES: Welcome back to PES Wind magazine. Thanks for talking with us. For the benefit of our new readers would you like to… Read more »

Modular accommodation: flexible assistance to the offshore wind sector

With the continuous progression of the offshore wind industry we find more operators than ever searching for effective and efficient solutions to their operations. In the wind energy sector, modular units can be placed on a huge variety of vessels and barges to accommodate the manpower required during the commissioning phase of the projects. Accommodation… Read more »

Outsmart the future with digitalisation

Wind energy is proven to be a reliable way of producing clean renewable energy, and the net inflow of financial investors reflects that the industry has matured. Wind energy is clean and safe and simply constitutes a smart investment. The business will, however, see some challenges going forward. Generating new electricity has always depended on… Read more »

How can the offshore sector finance hybrid power?

The offshore industry is now recognising the potential of utilising hybrid power linked to innovative propulsion systems. However, the cost of adopting hybrid technology on retrofit projects and new vessels requires a viable business case to justify higher capital expenditure (CAPEX). Offshore maritime cannot afford to go ‘green’ for no reason; there simply is not… Read more »

Heading for new shores: emerging markets drive global offshore wind growth

Offshore wind is all the rage right now, competing without subsidies, floating into deeper waters with new foundation designs and bigger turbines. For all its promise, however, offshore wind remains mostly a European affair, with more than 15 gigawatts of capacity installed in European waters by the end of 2017 and less than two gigawatts… Read more »

Offshore wind: great expectations

PES once again brings you an inside preview, this time of Global Offshore Wind 2018. Don’t miss out, book your tickets and come along to the biggest offshore conference of 2018. The industry is currently on a high and there is expectancy in the air. Offshore wind has massive potential. But what are the pathways… Read more »

The next generation offshore access system

The rapid market expansion, in offshore generated wind power, requires a new approach towards offshore access for maintenance of wind generators. Two experts in access systems, Willem Prins and Marco Klitsie, developed a totally new and patented access method for which solid investors and building partners have already been found. The EAGLE-ACCESS SYSTEM will be… Read more »

Reduce costs using light weight slings

Lindø Industrial Park saves time and manpower by replacing heavy polyester slings with lightweight Dynamica SafeLift slings manufactured in Dyneema®. The industrial park on Funen has a great experience with the handling and shipping of large components for the offshore and heavy industry. The industrial zone in Odense is, amongst other things, a collection point… Read more »

Heavy lifting capacity combined with low maintenance costs

Blaaholm designed and manufactured the Davit Crane because of the increased weight of future wind turbine components, which puts greater demands on crane capacity and the demand for savings on service costs from their customers. PES sat down with Torben Blaaholm to find out more about this crane’s innovative features. The new crane offers the… Read more »

Worldwide tailor made chartering solutions

Mads Poulsen, Sales and Chartering Manager, BBC Chartering, Esbjerg, got together with PES to share his optimism on the outlook for the wind industry. He also talks about working with the bigger and bigger component sizes we are seeing today. Their worldwide offices mean they are more than well positioned to meet their customers’ needs…. Read more »

Innovative developments: increasing the reliability of power electronic modules in wind turbine applications

The search for reliability in the renewable energy sector is an ongoing one. Increasing reliability in wind turbine parts reduces downtime and costs while allowing for a constant flow of power to the grid. Also, by finding new ways to improve processes and reduce the time and effort taken to identify and replace faulty parts,… Read more »