D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments, L.L.C. (DESRI) and Oregon Windfarms, LLC (OWF) announced the start of construction of five wind farms known as the Huntington Wind projects. The projects are located 30 miles northwest of Ontario in Baker County, Oregon, and consist of five independent 10-MW wind facilities developed by OWF. All five projects have…
Natural Power demonstrates accuracy in North American wind-energy yield predictions
Renewable energy consultancy, Natural Power, has released the results of its latest validation study — an evaluation of North American pre-construction wind energy yield predictions by comparison to operational production — demonstrating 99.1% accuracy for project analysis. Since 1996 Natural Power has regularly conducted finance-grade independent energy yield assessments and operational energy yield analyses. This analysis provides…
Major win for South Australian wind farm
South Australia has reaffirmed its position as a renewable energy powerhouse, according to the country’s The Lead news report. The 270-MW Hornsdale Wind Farm under construction about 220 km north of Adelaide has won a contract to deliver an additional 100 MW of power to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Developed by leading French company Neoen,…
Alterra Power and Starwood Energy begin operations at the Shannon Wind Project in Texas
Alterra Power and Starwood Energy Group Global have officially begun commercial operations and funding of tax equity for the 204-MW Shannon Wind Project. This project is located in Clay County, Texas and was constructed under an EPC contract with Mortenson Construction‘s Wind Energy Group. General Electric Company will provide O&M services for the turbines under a long-term contract,…
Block Island Wind Farm caps off successful first offshore construction season
The first offshore construction season is now complete for America’s first offshore wind farm, with all five steel jacket foundations fully installed at the Block Island Wind Farm site. Construction crews installed the last deck platform on November 21. All of the construction and crew vessels associated with the operation have now demobilized from the site.…
Volkswagen to buy power from La Bufa Wind Farm in Mexico
First Reserve, a global private equity and energy investment firm, has partnered with Mexico Power Group (MPG) to build the 130-MW La Bufa wind farm in Mexico. Upon completion, the wind farm will sell its generated power under a contracted off-take agreement to Volkswagen de México — helping the company meet its targeted renewable energy standards. The…
Gamesa signs 103-MW wind-power supply agreement with Enbridge
Gamesa, a global technology provider of wind energy, has achieved another company milestone by signing its first contract with Canadian-based energy company, Enbridge. The agreement is for the 103-MW New Creek wind farm being developed in the state of West Virginia. Gamesa will handle the transport, installation, and commissioning of the new facility, and will supply 45…
SgurrEnergy provides technical support at one of UK’s largest wind farms
Renewable energy consultancy, SgurrEnergy is providing technical support to one of the UK’s largest onshore wind projects under development this year. SgurrEnergy is project lender KfW IPEX-Bank’s technical advisor on the Beinnuen wind project, which is located in the Scottish Highlands. The technical team has been working on the project since early 2015 and, following…
Mortenson Construction enters energy storage market
Mortenson will be able to provide a turn-key service to our customers who need a concrete solution for their energy storage needs.
EDF Energy Renewables to develop Scotland’s biggest onshore wind farm
EDF Energy Renewables (EDF) is taking on the development of the Dorenell Wind Farm, which is one of the largest onshore wind projects planned for construction in Scotland. EDF will develop and build the project, and will work with wind development company Infinergy. The site near Dufftown in Moray was developed by Infinergy and consent for a…
New cross-functional protective gloves offer highest wearability rating
In the wind industry, protection against cuts, accidental impacts, and weather must all be considered when choosing protective gloves, since some manufacturing or construction sites present multiple hazards. Comfort is also a concern that is all too often the last consideration, but a comfortable glove could make the difference between compliance and disaster. Safety Today’s new Brass…
HELUKABEL holds ground-breaking ceremony for expansion of manufacturing plant in Germany
HELUKABEL, a global cable manufacturer, recently held a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a new expansion at its manufacturing plant in Windsbach, Germany. Once completed in the fall of 2016, the new building will offer more than 96,875-sq. ft. of additional office, laboratory, and production space. The expansion also allows HELUKABEL to combine its…
SgurrEnergy supports UK’s largest community renewable project
The UK’s largest community owned wind farm, Beinn Ghrideag on the Isle of Lewis, has successfully completed construction after technical advisory support from renewable energy consultancy, SgurrEnergy. This significant milestone has seen three 3-MW Enercon wind turbines installed onsite, with first energy production expected to be achieved in early summer. Developed by Point and Sandwick…
Deepwater Wind “breaks ground” on America’s first offshore wind farm
This week, in a watershed moment for American clean energy development, Deepwater Wind “broke ground” on America’s first offshore wind project at Block Island, Rhode Island. This 30-megawatt (MW) wind farm will produce enough electricity to power all the homes and businesses on the island, replacing the diesel generators that the islanders previously relied on,…
Oak Creek Energy completes sale of first two construction-ready phases of wind project in Mexico
Oak Creek Energy Systems, Inc., a developer of utility-scale wind energy projects, has completed the sale of the first two construction-ready stages of the Tres Mesas Wind Project, a 148.5-megawatt (MW) wind energy project in Tamaulipas, Mexico, to an affiliate of GS Infrastructure Partners (GSIP) and GBM Infraestructura (GBMI). The equity investment by GSIP and…
Congress extends PTC
Congress has included the long-sought extension of wind energy tax credits in final passage of a bill to avert the “fiscal cliff.” President Obama is expected to sign the legislation. America’s 75,000 workers in wind energy are celebrating over the continuation of policies expected to save up to 37,000 jobs and create far more over…
What’s community wind got over those mega farms?
Community wind refers to 100-kW to 100-MW projects owned in part by local community members, often land owners of the site. Though community wind represents only 4% of the overall wind market, it’s the fastest growing segment of the industry. The community-wind development model has several benefits over traditional absentee-owned mega farms. Landowners often have…
The Right Turbine and Placement Produces 10x Power Increase
The power output of a wind farm of vertical-axis designs can be increased about tenfold simply by placing the turbines so they react with each other, say researchers at the California Institute of Technology led by John Dabiri, Caltech professor of aeronautics and bioengineering. In the summer of 2010, they conducted a field study at…
Jack-up Vessels to Speed Offshore Wind Installations
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…
What is the equipment used in installing wind turbines?
Equipment can be anything used by companies to erect or maintain a wind farm. This small space will deal mostly with cranes because these have been specialized to lift heavy loads to considerable heights, mostly in response to a quest for taller towers. Other equipment, such as the road graders and bulldozers, easily transport to…