Global wind turbine order intake hit new highs in 2023 with 155 GW procured for the year, an increase of 16 GW from 2022. As both China and Western markets broke records for order intake, annual investment reached an estimated $83 billion, according to Wood Mackenzie’s “Global wind turbine order analysis: Q1 2024” report. In Q4…
As wind turbines grow larger, so do risks in tornado-prone areas
Underwriting insurance for wind turbines involves a comprehensive evaluation of factors that can influence the risk and potential losses associated with these structures. Insurers consider a range of specific elements to determine the level of risk and to determine insurance premiums. Key factors involved in underwriting wind turbine insurance include the geographic location and climate…
South Fork Wind completes construction offshore of New York
New York Governor Kathy Hochul today, alongside the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and other elected officials, announced the completion of the landmark South Fork Wind project, with all 12 offshore wind turbines constructed and the wind farm successfully delivering power to Long Island and the Rockaways. Today marks a historic milestone as…
FERC approves interconnection agreement for Empire Wind 1 project
Equinor today announced that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved on March 1 the Large Generator Interconnection Agreement (LGIA) executed between the company’s Empire Wind 1 project, New York ISO (NYISO) and Consolidated Edison Company of New York. The announcement marks the first FERC approval for any offshore wind project to connect directly into…
Ørsted sells majority stake in 957-MW onshore wind portfolio
Ørsted has signed a transaction with Stonepeak, an investment firm specializing in infrastructure and real assets, divesting an equity ownership stake in a portfolio consisting of four U.S. onshore wind farms with a total capacity of 957 MW. This is Ørsted’s first partnership with Stonepeak and the second major farm-down of multiple assets in the…
Transmission issues are key hurdle for offshore wind projects in the USA
Recent news of offshore wind turbine projects in New England waters shows that there is renewed interest in this water-bound source of wind power. Although the United States has been slower to adopt offshore wind energy — the European and Asian markets already boast more than 10,000 offshore wind turbines — it is encouraging to…
Vaisala, DNV introduce guidelines for Wind Resource Assessment campaigns with dual scanning lidar
In a forward-thinking collaboration, Vaisala and DNV unveiled extensive guidelines for using scanning lidars in a dual system configuration (DSL) for offshore Wind Resource Assessment (WRA). The release of these guidelines helps improve dual scanning lidar bankability and contributes to creating the International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 52 recommended practice on using scanning lidar measurements…
The cost-efficient floating wind conundrum
Demonstrator projects show that offshore floating wind is technically proven as a feasible concept. The challenge is how to deliver it for utility-scale projects within the budgets already committed to. Finding a cost-efficient and practical solution that best meets the demands of developers — while also taking into account the perspectives of all stakeholders —…
New York approves 2 offshore wind projects totaling 1.7 GW
New York State has conditionally awarded two offshore wind projects from its fourth offshore wind solicitation – an 810-MW project, Empire Wind 1 (developed by Equinor), and Sunrise Wind, a 924-MW project (developed by Ørsted and Eversource). The projects will create more than 800 family-sustaining construction jobs and invest $2 billion in economic development statewide,…
Avangrid’s Midland Wind project starts spinning in Illinois
Avangrid, member of the Iberdrola Group, today announced Midland Wind has achieved commercial operation. The 106-MW wind farm located in Henry County is the company’s fourth wind farm in Illinois, bringing total capacity in the state to more than 600 MW. “We are proud to have achieved this milestone with Midland Wind, which is now…
Solar farm transformers reduce installation footprints and improve fire and environmental safety with FR3® natural ester dielectric fluid
As the Cargill global renewable energy leader for bioindustrial power systems, Sabine Bowers is on the forefront of the world’s energy transition. While her knowledge of sustainable energy spans all areas of renewables, she has a particular focus on the use of natural ester dielectric fluids, such as the Cargill FR3® fluid used in power…
Turbine bearing supplier Malloy completes warehouse expansion
Malloy, a wind turbine bearings supplier, has completed phase 1 of its warehouse expansion project. This investment increases Malloy’s overall warehouse capacity by 35%. “By expanding our warehouse, we’re directly addressing the needs of our customers who rely on our bearings for smooth operations and minimal downtime,” said Cory Mittleider, wind business unit Manager at…
ONYX Insight launches wind blade root monitoring solution
ONYX Insight has launched a blade root connection monitoring system following extensive field testing. The latest innovation in ONYX’s suite of predictive maintenance solutions is delivered through the organization’s proven ecoPITCH advanced sensing hardware, providing early visibility of any issues with a high degree of confidence and up to 12 months of warning before a…
Knowledge is power: Blade condition monitoring’s powerful insight with web-based visualization
The profitability of a wind farm is inextricably linked to the energy output and availability of the turbines at the site. Therefore, as every wind site manager knows all too well, turbine downtime must be prevented or significantly reduced to optimize power production throughout the year. While it’s an indisputable fact that a mechanical or…
BOEM designates offshore area with 2.4-GW wind potential off Oregon coast
In support of the Biden-Harris administration’s goals for deploying 30 GW of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030 and 15 GW of floating offshore wind energy capacity by 2035, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) designated two final Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) offshore from Oregon. The WEAs were developed following engagement and feedback from…
Amazon signs PPA for Oregon wind project undergoing repowering effort
Avangrid, member of the Iberdrola Group, announced the signing of a new power purchase agreement (PPA) with Amazon to source renewable energy from an Avangrid wind farm located in Gilliam County, Oregon. The Amazon Wind Farm Oregon – Leaning Juniper IIA will have a capacity of 98.4 MW. “We are proud to have signed this…
UMass Amherst leads university coalition supporting offshore wind development
The University of Massachusetts Amherst has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to establish and lead the Academic Center for Reliability and Resilience of Offshore Wind (ARROW), a new multimillion-dollar national center devised to accelerate reliable and equitable offshore wind energy deployment across the nation and produce a well-educated domestic offshore wind…
US company to establish offshore wind tower and steel forging plant on East Coast
US Forged Rings (USFR) today announced a $700 million investment in the U.S. offshore wind industry to construct a tower fabrication facility and a steel forging plant. The U.S. company will use these two facilities to service the growing domestic offshore wind market, filling a critical supply chain gap for offshore wind components. The company…
Essential safety tips for wind farm technicians: Protecting workers in extreme conditions
The job market for wind turbine technicians is growing rapidly. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that employment for wind farm techs will grow 45% between 2022 and 2032. Wind farm workers and turbine technicians perform vital maintenance and repairs on wind turbines, ensuring that they can continue to deliver reliable, clean energy to…
Companies use recycled wind turbine blades in sustainable concrete designs
RNWBL and Durability Engineers (DE) have received an award for the Dept. of Energy’s Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize. The award aims to address the environmental impact of wind turbine materials, specifically focusing on recycling solutions for fiber-reinforced composites and critical minerals. As the maintenance, repowering and retrofitting of existing wind turbine blades is poised…