Global offshore wind market could be 80 GW by 2020
December 4, 2011 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Construction, Offshore Wind, Wind Power News
A report gives an in-depth analysis of the global offshore wind power market, covering three major regions: North America (the US and Canada), Europe (the UK, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Spain and Finland) and Asia-Pacific (China and Japan). The report covers the offshore wind cumulative installed capacity, power generation from 2001 to 2020 and major turbine manufacturers who installed turbines in 2010. The report also provides the policies and regulations for wind energy for each country discussed. It gives global offshore technology analysis, cost analysis and market force analysis with drivers and restraints. From 2001 to 2010, the installed capacity of offshore wind globally grew from 54 MW to 2,862.9 MW, 55.5% annually. The growth in capacity during this period was driven by the commissioning of new offshore wind farms with installed capacities of 2,119 MW in the UK in 2010 and 749 MW in Denmark in 2007. During the forecast period 2011 to 2020 the total global offshore wind installed capacity is expected to grow at 36.8% from 4,782.9 MW to 80,044.5 MW. The sudden rise in capacity in 2020 is mainly due to a capacity addition of 13 GW expected in UK and 2,000 MW in China. A few highlights in the $3,500 report include:
UK leading the race in the offshore wind market
The UK and Denmark are leaders in terms of installed capacity with 1,341.2 MW and 853.7 MW respectively in 2010. A large number of active wind farms are operational in these countries and they have identified a number of sites along their coasts which are favorable for offshore wind power. These countries have allocated budgets and set targets to encourage use of renewable sources for energy production. China is gradually increasing its offshore wind power potential and is planning to introduce new offshore wind farms.
China to compete with European countries in offshore wind
China has introduced a number of new offshore wind farms and is planning to reach more than 11 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2020. The government of China is committed to developing the country’s massive wind resources due to its need for more power to support its growing economy. In 2010, China’s share in the global offshore wind power market was 4% which is expected to rise to 10.3% in 2015 and 14.3% in 2020.
To drive wind power development, the Chinese National Energy Administration has selected locations in provinces with the best wind resources and set targets for each of them to reach by 2020. The expected high growth in the cumulative installed capacity in China is mainly due to the planned offshore wind farms, namely Pingtan offshore wind farm in the East China Sea with a capacity of 1,500 MW, Lufeng Jiahu Bay Offshore Wind Power Plant in South China sea with a capacity of 1,250 MW, Hebei offshore wind farm in the Yellow Sea with a capacity of 1,000 MW capacity and Bohai Bay offshore wind farm with a capacity of 1,000 MW.
Wind companies’ investment plans by new technologies
Wind companies across the world are investing millions of dollars in R&D activities regarding offshore wind turbines, vessels, and others. Turbine manufacturers are developing high capacity turbines which can sustain rough weather at sea. Shipping companies are developing vessels which are suitable for the development of offshore wind turbine installations and are expecting a revolution similar to that caused by the oil and gas industry a few years ago.
Government funding (especially Europe) to boost offshore work
Various governments have announced policies to encourage organizations to establish offshore wind farms. Along with huge tax concessions, governments have introduced new tariff regulations to compensate for huge investments. The U.K. government is offering 1.5 renewable obligation certificates (ROC) per MWh of power generated by offshore wind power compared to 1 ROC/MWh produced from onshore wind power. The German government has announced a sprinter bonus to encourage the faster development of offshore wind projects in the country.
GBI Research
www.gbiresearch.com
Texas offshore projects to share $43 million
October 3, 2011 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Offshore Wind, Wind Power News, Wind Power Software
The Department of Energy recently announced $900,000 in funding for programs in Austin and College Station, as part of 41 projects across 20 states. The University of Texas is getting $500,000 to evaluate the potential effects of offshore wind energy facilities on electronic equipment, such as airborne radar and GPS operations.
The Texas Engineering Experiment Station in College Station will get $400,000 to build on existing computer models to simulate mooring dynamics of offshore wind turbines. DOE says the funding, over five years, is meant to advance turbine design tools and hardware, plus improve information about offshore wind resources.
Department of Energy
www.doe.gov
European experience valuable to U.S. offshore developers
September 21, 2011 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Offshore Wind, Wind Power News, Wind Power Projects
As players in the US offshore wind industry work to complete the nation’s first commercial offshore wind project, a look at European development suggests one possible path for American offshore wind. A few observers point to the European programs as a model for U.S. development. European experience illustrates the technical and financial, feasibility of large-scale offshore wind.
A recent report by the European Wind Energy Association documents the growth of offshore wind in European waters in the first half of 2011. The European report presents a snapshot of the state of European offshore wind as of June 30, 2011. A few details from the report include:
3,429 MW total installed capacity in operation: 1,247 offshore wind turbines are fully grid connected with a total capacity of 3,294 MW. This capacity comes from 49 wind farms in 9 countries.
2,844 MW total installed capacity under construction: 11 wind farms are under construction in European waters. Of these, the UK is responsible for most growth in the first half of 2011. Seven projects are under development in UK waters. When all complete, they will add 2,238 MW of offshore wind capacity. Germany is second in terms of the size of projects under construction, with 448.3 MW of new offshore wind capacity.
101 turbines installed and grid-connected in the last 6 months. In the first half of 2011, 101 turbines came online, amounting to 348.1 MW of new capacity. This represents a 4.5% increase in new offshore wind capacity coming online over the same period of 2010. On average, each turbine added 3.4 MW of capacity, suggesting larger turbines are becoming preferred. Average capacity per new turbine in the first half of 2010 was 2.9 MW.
Example of a recent project: a recently-completed effort is Vattenfall’s 150 MW Ormonde project off England’s northwest coast. The Ormonde project includes 30 Repower 5 MW turbines. Offshore construction began last year, with the 30 Scotland-built steel lattice foundations installed last summer. Between March 23 and August 8, 2011, Vattenfall installed all 30 turbines and a substation. The project is now complete, and Vattenfall expects to begin producing power Summer 2011.
Floating platform tests in Norway: Commercializing deepwater offshore wind resources may require turbines on floating platforms. The first half of 2011 brought a milestone in that effort, with the installation of a Sway 0.015 MW floating turbine in Bergen, Norway. While the 15-kW turbine may not be cost-effective on a commercial basis, the developer sees the pilot project as a key stage in the development of a 10 MW floating wind turbine.
States, however, continue to examine the opportunities offered by offshore wind. Illinois, for instance, has passed a law creating a council to study offshore wind potential in Illinois’ Lake Michigan waters. Illinois House Bill 1558, passed both houses of that state’s legislature in May 2011 and has been signed by the Illinois governor. The bill initiates the Lake Michigan Offshore Wind Energy Advisory Council to examine criteria for:
- The Illinois Department of Natural Resources to apply in reviewing applications for offshore wind development of Lake Michigan lakebed leases;
- Identifying areas that are favorable, acceptable, and unacceptable for offshore wind development
- A process for ensuring public engagement in lakebed leasing
- Options for how the State shall be compensated for Lake Michigan lakebed leasing.
EWEA
www.ewea.org
An offshore wind farm in our Gulf? Stranger things….
August 23, 2011 by Paul Dvorak
Filed under Offshore Wind, Wind Power News, Wind Power Projects
The map indicates two possible locations for wind farms in the Gulf.
A wind energy company proposes erecting up to 200 wind turbines off the Texas Gulf coast between Corpus Christi and Brownsville. Houston-based Baryonyx Corp. has applied for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop the offshore wind farm. One proposal would develop more than 26,000 acres off Mustang Island, just north of Padre Island near Corpus Christi. That site is being reviewed by the Pentagon for potential interference with operations at nearby Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. Baryonyx expects a Defense Department report by about September 2011, says Senior VP Mark Leyland.
If problems arise with that site, an alternate proposal would develop 45,000 acres in coastal waters off the southern third of Padre Island. The turbines and pylons could mean new fabrication and storage jobs for the Corpus Christi-area economy, says Leyland.
Patrick Paddock, deputy operations officer at nearby Naval Air Station Kingsville, said he did not think initial Baryonyx plans to erect a few test turbines would significantly affect NAS Kingsville operations.
Turbines erected in San Patricio County, north of Corpus Christi, have caused false echoes on Navy radar because they are arranged in different directions and too close together. A large number of widely spaced turbines would cause less of a problem, says Paddock.
“What we ask is all the developers come to us early and work with us and decide if there are issues,” Paddock said. He said Baryonyx is glad to work with the Navy. Leyland estimates that the wind project, developed, could generate 3 GW
Baryonyx
www.baryonyxcorp.com
Jack-up Vessels to Speed Offshore Wind Installations
July 21, 2011 by Windpower Engineering
Filed under Construction, Offshore Wind, Wind Power Projects
The future of the world’s energy supplies is being decided to no small degree by offshore projects. Wind power offers its greatest potential at offshore facilities far from shipping routes and harbors. According to the European Wind Association, installed offshore output should increase tenfold in the next six years, reaching up to 15 GW. AWEA agrees, saying the coastal waters of North America hold tremendous potential for wind development. The U.S. Department of Energy’s 20% wind scenario also estimates that 54 GW of offshore wind will be included in the 300 GW required to meet 20% of the U.S. electricity needs in 2030. This wind market segment is poised for growth. Experts say the biggest obstacle to development is a shortage of assembly capacity for this kind of offshore power plant. Working far offshore amid the strongest winds and turbulent seas requires a new type of vessel.
GL Garrard Hassan has been another player in the ship’s development. The company has provided consulting for the crane design and the jacking system, as well as finiteelement analyses. The design allows transportation, lifting, and placement with just one installation unit.
One joint venture aims to create such a ship. Hochtief has combined its construction capabilities with Beluga’s logistics to commission a jack-up vessel the companies say will assemble offshore wind turbines rapidly. “With this jack-up vessel, we will be able to significantly reduce the assembly and servicing times required for latest-generation offshore wind turbines, thus hugely increasing productivity,” explains Niels Stolberg, president and CEO of Beluga Shipping. “The installation of wind turbines at sea will become safer, more efficient, and cheaper.”
The companies say the jack-up vessel will be able to install more than 80 wind turbines each year, and on 120-m towers. The four legs jack down to the ocean floor to stabilize and support a crane in water depths to 50-m. The vessel’s most distinctive features are its high-load capacity of 8,000 tons, its high-performance 1,500-ton crane, and a powerful drive. Simulations have shown that the ship can even deploy when the sea is rough.
The ships combine a transport vessel and a jack-up platform, and also have applications in the oil and gas industries
The joint venture, Beluga Hochtief, is responsible for the ship’s development and will also operate and charter the vessel once constructed. While the vessel should go into service in 2012, Henner Mahlstedt, chairman of the executive board of Hochtief Construction says the company is already considering the construction of a second jack-up vessel.
WPE
Trends offshore
May 18, 2011 by Windpower Engineering
Filed under Construction, Offshore Wind, Wind Power Projects
The offshore wind-industry trends are just taking shape, but they seem to center around the turbines, their foundations, and the equipment and vessels needed to place them. That an offshore industry is testament to the persistence of Cape Wind developers (10 years of persistence) and finally, an accommodating administration that has opened the doors to more wind plants in U.S. waters. Building offshore presents a range of possibilities and new challenges to developers.
The location is attractive because it lets developers place turbines where NIMBY (not in my backyard) complainers should be fewer and capacity factors higher. A spokesman for a Finnish developer says capacity factors for their offshore farms average 40%, significantly better than the 30% of a well functioning land based wind farm. And for Europe’s one floating turbine, he reported a capacity factor of an enviable 60%.
Trends to keep costs down are particularly evident. The cost of erecting turbines in water is so expensive—at least twice that of land based development –that it’s most cost effective to erect the largest turbines available designed for the salt spray and stronger wind. To date, candidate machines have included 3 to 5-MW turbines for Cape Wind and others on the East Coast, and 4-MW units for the first installation in Lake Erie.
At a recent offshore technology conference, American Superconductor’s Senior Vice President John Collett suggested several conditions that must take shape if the U.S. is to compete effectively offshore. For one, the Federal government must provide long-term incentives and goals for renewable energy such as the Production Tax Credit and Renewable Electricity Standard. Collett suggests educating the masses on how offshore wind can benefit our economy and energy independence. The U.S. industry must stop focusing on the tried and true, and adopt a leapfrog mentality. The wind industry is currently fielding 5-MW turbines in small volumes, while larger turbines are required to reduce cost.
To float or not to float? That is another question for offshore developers. In relatively shallow water, less than 30-m deep, a monopole can be driven into the seabed to support turbines while tripods work better in depths from 25 to 50m. Cape Wind and projects in Lake Erie will likely use monopoles. In deeper water, a floating platform makes more sense. Several have been proposed, each with tradeoffs. However, without pilings, acoustic disturbances during installation are minimal. Also, there should be less disturbance to wildlife there because the level of biodiversity typically decreases with water depth due to lack of sunlight and nutrients.
The entire effort will call for more marine equipment, which could start a building boom along the East Coast. A news story in this issue tells of one type of jack-up barge under construction that will be useful.
Discussions of offshore construction eventually reach the issue of jobs and the Jones Act. The 1920 Merchant Marine Act calls for all goods transported on water between U.S. ports carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the U.S., owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Global Marine Energy Inc. is one emerging company in offshore cable installations. CEO Joel Whitman says the crew of one vessel requires about 60 men who have been certified for their jobs. If work in the North Sea is any indication, at season’s peak he tallied up to 40 vessels at work on one construction job.
Whitman says the company’s goal in North America is to educate developers, investors, and anyone interested in the market. That will let his company put Europe’s lessons to use here.
WPE
Trends in construction
May 13, 2011 by Windpower Engineering
Filed under Construction, Towers, Wind Power Projects
One of the most prominent trends in the wind construction sector is moving toward low-cost providers without giving up experience. Also, with the experience many companies now have, each is developing its own approach to constructing quality farms faster. It’s no surprise that specialized software assists with this task. Lastly, the greatest challenge facing the construction sector will be learning to build offshore.
Dave Hart, wind energy manager at Michels Corp., says last year his company saw the first low-cost providers winning bids. However, he explains low-cost bids can often mean higher risks, because providers don’t have adequate experience. “Some companies make it seem like they’re reducing costs through construction management, but in reality these lower costs mean higher risk. This is because the scope-of-work changes from their bid to actual execution against schedule and specification.” In other words, many companies were winning projects because of their low bids, but failed to execute the work they promised. Many low-bid companies lack experience, which could lead to longer and more expensive projects. Developers this year realize they need to find a medium between quality and cost.
The good news is that now many companies are experienced in wind-farm construction. For instance, Mortensen Construction just finished its 100th project, after 16 years in the industry. Jerry Grundtner, VP of project development, says this experience has lead companies to form their own approaches to building. “We take a continuous improvement approach, focusing on efficiency and increased productivity to reduce cost and construction time,” he says. On the other hand, Hart says his company focuses on executing all work internally against schedule and specification to minimize risk, cost increases, and schedule lag.
Another trend involves designing wind farms to satisfy a variety of constraints. “The ultimate goal is to maximize energy capture while minimizing wind loads on turbines and balance-of-plant costs. Yet, we must maintain all setback and avoidance criteria,” says Jay Haley with EAPC Wind. He says this is accomplished with wind software options such as WindPro. Another area where wind-farm designing has gone high-tech is in fluid-flow simulations and lab experiments. Researchers at Johns Hopkins and Belgium’s Leuven University used these methods to study how turbine blades distort wind, creating eddies and turbulence that can affect other turbines farther downwind. This is especially problematic as turbines and farms in general, trend larger. As a result, researchers have developed a model to calculate best turbine spacing.
Finally, as the U.S. continues with offshore development, construction methods will have to adapt. Joel Whitman, CEO of Global Marine Energy Inc., speaks from an offshore cable perspective. “Take a Cape Wind-sized project, for example,” he says. “Its total cost is about $2 billion with the cable install work about 7% of that. Double that figure for supplies as well. So about 15% of all costs are cable related,” he says. The offshore wind industry will have to face cabling issues, while having to use special vessels and work in a short weather window. But Whitman, sees these challenges as not insurmountable and says the industry is moving in the right direction.
WPE
Bearing take the load off offshore grout
May 10, 2011 by Windpower Engineering
Filed under Bearings, Mechanical Components, Offshore Wind, Turbine Design
An elastomeric spring bearing improves the stability of the 90-monopole wind turbine foundations at a wind farm off the U.K. coast. The steel and rubber bearings reduce stress on a grouted connection in the wind turbine foundation. Grout fills the gap between an inner-foundation pipe and outer-transition piece of the foundation. It must withstand the tower’s vertical weight and lateral loads. Foundations are a 50-m long, 5-m dia steel pipe piled 30m into the seabed. Below water level, a larger diameter transition piece pipe fits over the foundation for 7 to 8m and extends above water to a flange to attach the wind turbine tower.
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions
www.Trelleborg.com
Floating turbine platform ready to tap the 2 TW offshore potential
May 8, 2011 by Windpower Engineering
Filed under Community Wind Power, Construction, Editorial, Wind Power Projects
Foundations are a big part of land-based turbines and more so for those headed offshore. A solution to the tricky foundation problems is to omit them – let the turbines float. So far, only one turbine floats. It’s on a 100-m spar in Norwegian waters. Principle Power (principlepowerinc.com) has another idea in its WindFloat, a design based on concept studies in the oil and gas industry. Its several advantages, says the company, include dynamic stability that provides pitching and yawing low enough to allows selecting from the current stock of turbines. The platform can be assembled onshore and wet-towed to sites not visible from shore. The developer says its primary markets are the transitional (30 to 60m) and deep (>60m) offshore water in the U.S. and Europe, sites previously inaccessible. These have a wind potential of at least 2 terawatt.
The details provide a closer look at WindFloat. A recent agreement with Vestas will supply a 2-MW turbine to a pioneer project off the Portuguese coast. Vestas and Principle Power have agreed to a joint venture led by Energias de Portugal to supply a wind turbine to the project. It marks the start of a test for floating turbines as part of a 12-month demonstration to begin in the second half of 2011.
WindFloat is fitted with horizontal water-entrapment plates at each column’s base. These stablilize the platform with additional damping and entrained water effects, allowing use of existing wind turbines. The platform’s stability is assisted by a closed-loop active ballast that mitigates wind-induced thrust forces, restoring the system to best efficiency following changes in wind velocity and direction.
Fabricating the structure onshore allows completing qualification tests at quayside in a controlled environment. The company adds that says commissioning costs are significantly less when compared with monopole-jacket offshore support structures.
The mooring system uses conventional components such as chain and polyester lines to minimize cost and complexity. This also minimizes use of pre-laid drag embedded anchors and site preparation.
WPE
Offshore turbine designed for rough seas
April 28, 2011 by Kathleen Zipp
Filed under Turbine Design
The V 146 boasts 7.0 MW and a rotor diameter of 164 m.
Lowering the cost of energy in relation to offshore wind is essential for the industry. Some of the major stepping stones in achieving this are size and subsequent increased energy capture, which means a need for much bigger turbines that are specifically designed for the challenging offshore environment. Companies are taking steps in improving offshore models. For example, Vestas has introduced its V164-7.0 MW off shore turbine.
The turbine has a wide range of technical features and is larger in size for increased energy capture with a medium-speed drivetrain. “We actually kept all options open from the start, running two separate parallel R&D development tracks,” says Finn Strøm Madsen, president of Vestas R&D. “One focuses on direct drive and one on a geared solution. It soon became clear that if we wanted to reach lowest possible cost of energy and high business case certainty we needed a combination of innovation and proven technology, so the choice could only be to go for a medium-speed drivetrain.”
According to Anders Søe-Jensen, president of Vestas offshore, the offshore wind market is set to really take off over the coming years, but more so in some parts of the world than in others. “We expect the major part of offshore wind development to happen in the Northern part of Europe, where the conditions at sea are particularly rough,” he says. “Based on our offshore experience we have designed the 7.0-MW model to provide the highest energy capture and reliability in this rough and challenging environment. This makes our new turbine a good choice for many projects, such as UK Round 3 building.”
Based on the potential market size, the company will target Europe and primarily the Northern European markets with its new turbine. However, should market demand require so, Vestas is also prepared to take the turbine to other parts of the world. Construction of the first V164-7.0 MW prototypes is expected in Q4 2012. Serial production is set to begin in Q1 2015 provided a firm order backlog is in place to justify the substantial investment needed to pave the way for the V164-7.0 MW.
