An efficient North Sea grid would unlock the unconstrained exchange of energy between countries and bring energy from places with higher wind resources, said WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson during a June 6 panel discussion focused on the potential benefits of meshed offshore grids in Europe. According to Dickson, a meshed offshore grid should not be the…
New report analyzes growth of global wind-turbine gear oil market
Technavio analysts forecast the global wind-turbine gear oil market to register a CAGR of around 9% during the period 2018-2022, according to their latest market research report. However, the growth momentum of the market is expected to decelerate due to a decline in the year-over-year growth. The evolution of digital wind farms is one of the major trends…
Seeq releases second update to analytics software
Seeq Corporation has released its second update (R20) to the Seeq analytics software application, staying on plan to provide four new releases each year. The advanced analytics solution enables engineers and scientists in process-manufacturing organizations to rapidly investigate and share insights on manufacturing data. Energy is one of the company’s main target markets. Seeq also…
Mainstream completes financial close for two large-scale wind farms in South Africa
Global wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power announced the successful completion of financial close for two wind farms in South Africa that have a combined capacity of 250 MW. A consortium led by Mainstream was awarded the contracts for the wind farms by the Department of Energy in South Africa under the fourth round of…
Paris ambitions require at least 60% electrification of EU economy, study shows
Decisive action on climate change is needed to meet the goals set by the Paris agreement, and this requires a major shift to electricity in transport, buildings, and industry in the European Union (EU). This is the key finding of “Decarbonisation pathways,” a new study conducted by Eurelectric, the trade body of the European power sector, unveiled today…
REN21 releases Renewables 2018 Global Status Report
Renewable power accounted for 70% of net additions to global power generating capacity in 2017, but global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose 1.4% in 2017, after three years of holding steady, according to a new report released by REN21. The increase in carbon emissions was the result of robust global economic growth (of 3.7%), lower…
New Jersey governor signs bill that may move Fishermen’s Atlantic City wind-farm project forward
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill (S-1217) on Thursday that will require the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to reconsider an application for Offshore Renewable Energy Credits (ORECs) from the Fishermen’s Energy Atlantic City offshore wind-farm project and to make a final determination within 90 days. This will be the third…
Siemens Gamesa to supply EnBW Albatros offshore wind-power plant
Following the 497-MW order for the EnBW Hohe See offshore wind-power plant, EnBW has also awarded Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) with the installation of the neighboring 112-MW project EnBW Albatros in the German North Sea. The scope of supply includes 16 direct-drive SWT-7.0-154 wind turbines on monopile foundations and the grid connection via a…
GE’s Haliade 150-6MW nacelle arrives in U.K.
The first GE Renewable Energy offshore wind turbine nacelle to be tested in the U.K. has been delivered to Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult‘s 15-MW drive train test facility in Blyth, Northumberland. The Haliade 150-6MW nacelle reportedly will undergo advanced test and demonstration programs that accurately replicate real-world operational conditions to further enhance performance and reliability.…
Ergodyne simplifies power-tool tethering
Though still a relatively new concept in the world of industrial safety, more and more safety professionals are taking notice of the rising cost of falling objects, the cause of 255 fatalities in the American workforce in 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As efforts in dropped-objects prevention evolves, so too do the solutions…
Offshore wind — from the margins to the center ground
This article is written by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and discusses findings in its latest offshore wind report titled Nurturing Offshore Wind Markets: Good practices for International Standardisation. Offshore wind energy stands on the cusp of rapid and widespread growth. Breakthroughs in fixed bottom and floating foundations and the development of giant turbines able to power…
Canada set to join International Renewable Energy Agency
Canada is set to become a member of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Speaking on behalf of the Canadian Government, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources Kim Rudd made the announcement during the recent Clean Energy Ministerial in Copenhagen. “Canada has been working hard, both at home and abroad, to lead the transition…
Siemens Gamesa named preferred supplier for wpd’s Yunlin offshore wind project
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) is furthering its cooperation with wpd offshore in the preparation of the Yunlin offshore wind-power project in Taiwan. The project, to be located approximately 6 km from shore in the Taiwan Strait, will reach a total capacity of 640 MW. The letter of intent, which is still subject to final…
Cost cutting, consolidation needed for U.S. wind industry, report states
With the phase-out of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) approaching, trends in the North American wind market have been primarily focused around one objective: cutting costs and driving down the price of wind energy. This is according to the inaugural North American Power List, the latest – and first U.S.-focused – report published by industry intelligence service…
SkySpecs unveils new turbine management and analytics product
SkySpecs has launched a new wind-turbine analytics and management software that will support automating the analysis, creation, and execution of preventative-maintenance programs on wind farms. Horizon enables all key players in the wind-energy industry to ground their turbine-maintenance and -repair processes in a consistent, ongoing cycle of data collection, analysis, and planning to optimize repair…
DTE Energy, Consumers Energy accelerate clean-energy plans in Michigan
Consumers Energy and DTE Energy announced that they are accelerating plans to produce cleaner energy in Michigan, targeting at least a 50% Clean Energy Goal by 2030 that will be achieved through a combination of investments in at least 25% renewable energy and the remaining through energy efficiency. Throughout the past year, both companies have outlined…
Missouri utility’s ambitious wind-energy plan facing pushback
This article is written by Karen Uhlenhuth from Energy News Network A Canadian company’s plan to aggressively shift a Missouri utility to clean energy is facing opposition from state officials. Proponents of cleaner energy in coal-reliant Missouri had lofty expectations in 2016, when Algonquin Power & Utilities bought Empire District Electric Co. At the time,…
New Moody’s report: Wind power boosts local tax revenue across rural America
Editor’s note: This blog post comes from the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) Into the Wind blog. It was written by John Hensley, AWEA’s lead on industry data and analysis. Check out AWEA’s other blog postings here. By now it should come as no surprise that American wind power spurs important economic growth in all 50 states, especially in the…
Wind-operations survey predicts digital, profit-sharing future
Onshore wind participants predict more revenue-sharing, digitalization, and multi-project contracts in the operations and maintenance (O&M) sector, while service providers plan to expand spare-parts capabilities, a survey by New Energy Update shows. Ageing wind fleets, falling technology costs, and increasing competition between power-generation technologies have raised the importance of O&M. The continuing drive toward lower…
DOE announces REpowering Schools partnership to advance wind curricula
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) has announced a private-public partnership with the non-profit organization REpowering Schools to expand Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) curricula and to help students explore a career in the renewable-energy workforce. Working through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), DOE initiated the Wind for Schools project in 2005 and currently supports…