Renewables
Moves on Scottish wave power
Scottish and Southern Energy and Alstom have agreed to make a major investment in wave power off the Orkney Islands.
Alstom and SSE Renewables are preparing to invest in a major new wave energy project to provide up to 200 Megawatts of generating capacity, the two companies have announced.
Together they are to develop a site 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) off the northern shore of the Orkney Islands, dubbed the Costa Head Wave Project, within the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Strategic Area designated by the UK's Crown Estate. The site lies in water depths between 60 and 75 metres (196 - 246 feet).
Source: Offshore.no
The first energy delivery from offshore wind
The first kilowatt hour from the offshore wind farm at Sheringham Shoal has been delivered to the UK grid. The wind farm will be completed next year.
Out at sea, off the coast of Norfolk, England, the contours of Statkraft and Statouil's new major initiative is rising from the sea. The first of a total of 88 wind energy turbines that will form the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm was lifted in place this summer, and the first power delivery has already been made.
For Statkraft, this marks the dawning of a new era. "Sheringham Shoal is in many ways Statkraft's first sea voyage,” says Simen Elvestad, project manager for Statkraft's stake in Sheringham Shoal. “Marine operations were something we have never had to handle before. The learning curve has been very steep. We are in the process of acquiring very valuable offshore expertise."
Source: Statkraft
British renewables investment hits £2.5 billion
Britain's Department of Energy and Climate Change has been boasting that renewable energy has already brought £2.5 billion of investment to the UK economy. As part of an ongoing campaign to convince the country about the value of renewables DECC Secretary of State Chris Huhne has published new figures which show how much money has already been invested in the renewable energy economy in the UK.
According to new research by the DECC so far this financial year, various companies have made plans for up to £2.5 bn worth of investment in UK renewable energy projects, with the potential to create up to 12,000 new jobs, says the government department.
"Renewable energy is not just helping us increase our energy security and reduce our emissions. It is supporting jobs and growth across the country, and giving traditional industrial heartlands the opportunity to thrive again," Huhne has declared.
Source: Offshore.no
Statkraft to build onshore wind farms in Sweden and Scotland
Statkraft has decided to construct Mörttjärnberget Wind Farm in Sweden and Baillie Wind Farm in Scotland, both to be completed in 2013. This strengthens Statkraft's position as the European leader in renewable energy and contributes to combating climate change. Both wind farms will be built and operated in cooperation with local partners. Statkraft's total investment is expected to amount to approximately EUR 250 million.
The wind farms will have a combined average annual generation of approximately 450 GWh. "We are very pleased with the decision to invest in these projects, delivering growth within a key strategic focus area. In addition, land-based wind power is environmentally sustainable and contributes in the transition to a low-carbon future energy supply", says Christian Rynning-Tønnesen, President and CEO of Statkraft.
Statkraft already owns and operates three wind farms in Norway, one in Sweden and one in Wales. The company has a number of wind power projects under development in Norway, Sweden and in the UK. In partnership with Statoil, Statkraft is in the process of constructing the 317 MW Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm off the English coast, and has been granted a license to develop Europe's largest offshore wind zone Dogger Bank (9 GW) as a part of the Forewind consortium.
Source: Statkraft
Statoil Sells Onshore Wind Power Projects
Statoil signed two agreements for the sale of the major part of Statoils onshore wind power activities in Norway. Statoil, through its subsidiary, signed an agreement for the sale of all of Statoil 50% of Sarepta Energi as to Trønder Energi Kraft AS. Another agreement was signed for the sale of wind power projects in Finnmark, comprising Arctic Wind AS and the three projects Hamnefjell, Båtsfjordfjellet and Snefjord, to Finnmark Kraft AS.
The sale is part of the group's strategy to aggregate investment in wind energy in offshore projects, in order to better utilize the company's core expertise in developing renewable energy. "Renewable energy is an important priority for us. We are now in a process where we want to sharpen our focus where we believe we can contribute most. Offshore wind is a market in strong growth and how Statoil can use our expertise as the world's largest offshore operator. It means that we are now working to find new owners for the group's interests in wind farms on land," says Ståle Tungesvik, senior vice president of Renewable Energy in Statoil.
Statoil has quickly built up a significant position in the market for offshore wind: Sheringham Shoal in England is under construction and will supply electricity for 220,000 British households. The project, which is a collaboration between Statoil and Statkraft will be having 88 fixed offshore wind turbines and deliver 317 MW of power. Statoil is operator for the development construction. The group is also part of the consortium Forewind, which has the rights to develop the Dogger Bank field. With a possible development of 13 GW, the Dogger Bank, the world's largest development of offshore wind.
Source: Offshore Wind
West Duddon wind confirmed
A £1.6 billion investment in a new UK offshore wind farm has been conformed by Dong Energy with ScottishPower Renewables.
West Duddon Sands is to go ahead Dong Energy confirmed today with the publication of its interim results statement which indicated that the 389 Megawatt project in the Irish Sea is to proceed on a 5050 basis with commissioning of the site expected in 2014.
Overall the investment will be £1.6 bn (DKK 14 bn), Dong confirmed today, "...including the cost to construction the offshore transmission assets, which will be sold when the wind farm goes into operation," the company said. Dong also confirmed a long-term deal with Norway's steel fabricator Bladt Industries which comprises a framework agreement for the supply of foundation structures for Dong Energy's future offshore wind farms which are to be developed across Northern Europe - principally in the North Sea. Under the deal, Dong Energy has the option to buy up to 600 foundation structure from Bladt Industries, which are to be build at Bladt's factory in Aalborg, Denmark.
Already Bladt is building turbine transition pieces for the UK's London Array offshore wind farm, and the substation for the Walney 2 UK wind farm, in the Irish Sea.
Source: Offshore247
Aquamarine Power in European funding bid
A collaborative project bringing together three of Europe's leading utilities and wave energy technologies provided by Aquamarine Power and Pelamis has been selected by the UK Government for a major European funding bid.
The Pentland Orkney Wave Energy Resource (POWER) Ltd project is the only wave energy bid being put forward by the UK Government to the European Investment Bank (EIB) for consideration in the first round of the EU's New Entrant Reserve (NER300) scheme - a fund worth around EUR4.5 billion to support carbon capture and storage (CCS) and innovative renewable projects across the European Union.
The POWER project aims to deliver the world's first large-scale grid-connected demonstration of a wave energy farm with a total generation capacity of 28 MW.
Source: Aquamarine
MTL Group awarded major offshore renewables contract
MTL Group, one of Europe's leading project manufacturing companies has been awarded a multimillion pound contract to supply 97 Boat Landing Systems to a leading European foundations manufacturer for an offshore wind farm in the North Sea.
Specialising in batch fabrications with the ability to manufacture structures up to 400 tonnes in weight, MTL Group is one of the fastest growing project manufacturing specialists in the metals sector and is the UK's leading secondary steelwork supplier of boat landing systems who also supply working platforms, plate beams and nodes.
Charles Hendry, Minister of State for Energy said: "MTL Group is a fine example of the engineering excellence that already exists here in the UK and I am delighted that our support has led to the company winning this lucrative contract. The government is committed to helping more British companies to follow MTL Group's lead."
MTL Group has worked closely with DECC to increase the UK supply of secondary steelwork for the offshore wind sector. With DECC's support MTL Group has invested in state of the art machinery that meets the requirements of this growing sector.
Source: Press Release
SeaGen passes critical milestone
Bristol-based Marine Current Turbines has passed a crucial performance test with its SeaGen tidal turbine generator which could lead to major development of tidal energy technology. After passing operational and performance tests laid down by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, MCTs 1.2 Megawatt SeaGen tidal turbine which has been operating in the narrows at Strangford Lough near Belfast in Northern Ireland since April 2008 could now qualify for further funding from the government's Low Carbon Innovation Fund.
Source: Offshore
Hywind UK study to start
An Aberdeen-based consultancy is shortly due to start the groundwork which could lead to a multi-million pound investment by Statoil in floating wind technology in the North Sea.
Xodus is due to start work on an environmental impact assessment in the next few weeks to investigate the possible deployment of Statoil's giant Hywind floating wind turbine off the north-eastern coast of Scotland, an industry source told offshore.no/International.
Although the exact location of the turbine has not yet determined, Xodus has been contracted to examine sites for a pilot park featuring up to five Hywind installations which might generate between 15 and 25 Megawatts of power.
And to offset any potential visual objections to the development, Statoil is considering locating the devices up to 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) offshore, beyond the horizon so they will be barely visible from land. Statoil has already tested Hywind - which comprises a a steel turbine mast ballasted with rock and water, with a base extending up to 80 metres (263 feet) below the water surface which is tethered with three mooring lines - for a year offshore Norway.
Source: Offshore247
Renewables chief for DOF
Norwegian-owned DOF Subsea has appointed a new head for its renewable energy operations.
Kevin Moran, who was previously strategy and business development director for Wood Group Renewable Energy, has been appointed as the vice president of renewables with responsibility for building that side of the business and growing utilisation of DOF Subsea's existing and future vessel fleet.
Currently the UK has 2,238 Megawatts of offshore wind power, a further 1,808 MW which has been consented and another 1.960 MW of projects in the planning stage, according to RenewableUK, the UK trade association for the wind and marine energy sector.
Source: Offshore.no
British government backs renewable innovation
Offshore renewable energy technology in the UK has been given a boost by a government plan to set up a new technology centre which will support low carbon energy generation.
With government backing and £150 million of funding, the UK Technology Strategy Board has announced the decision in principle to establish a Technology and Innovation Centre for the renewable energy industry supporting wind, wave and tidal technologies.
At this stage the government is looking for expressions of interest in those wishing to become involved in a renewable energy Technology Innovation Centre this summer.
Government estimates suggests that the offshore wind market will be worth a huge £170 billion per year by 2050, and that the UK economy can expect to secure 12% of that market - equal to £215 billion between 2010 and 2050.
A government statement on the proposed new TIC says it is “...likely to cover the range of technologies involved in offshore wind power development not only by transferring knowledge from the established offshore engineering industry but also in the development of turbines and blades, where links can be made with the UK's lead in aerospace and control systems.
Source: Offshore247
UK marine energy sector 'could be worth £76bn and support 68,000 jobs'
A government think tank has predicted that the British marine energy sector could be worth £76bn to the economy and support 68,000 jobs by 2050. The analysis, released this week by the Carbon Trust, comes only weeks after coalition ministers ended the industry's subsidy programme.
Britain could capture almost a quarter of the global wave and tidal power market if it builds on its existing lead, the trust forecast. The majority of the jobs would be a result of the growing export markets in countries such as Chile, Korea and the US as well as Atlantic-facing European states which benefit from powerful waves or tidal currents.
The study, the most in-depth of its kind, found that total marine energy capacity could be 27.5 gigawatts in the UK by 2050, enough to supply more than a fifth of current electricity demand.
Source: The Guardian
Northern Ireland renewable opportunities outlined
A dialogue on renewable energy policy in Northern Ireland is due to close at the end of this month which has been focussing on the offshore energy-resources of the province.
Britain's Crown Estate is due to wind up the eight-week discussion programme on 31 May after offering commercial firms the chance to put their views on how Northern Ireland's renewable energy sector should develop in the future, with regard to the leasing and development process for offshore sites.
The series has been aimed at companies active in the offshore wind and tidal stream industries and a first leasing round is due to start later this year which will effectively fire the staring gun for Northern Ireland's renewable energy sector.
Two leasing rounds running in parallel are planned - one for offshore wind and one for tidal energy projects in Northern Ireland's offshore sector with development rights due to be awarded by Spring next year.
Launch of the new leasing round will form part of a Strategic Energy Framework objective outlined by the Northern Ireland Executive - the regional government - which aims to increase the amount of electricity generated from renewable resources by 40% by 2020.
Source: Offshore
Interconnector company formed
Sweden's Vattenfall has signalled that it is forming a partnership with Nordic countries to plan and build a new electrical interconnector between the UK and Norway.
Vattenfall says it is linking up with Agder Energi, E-CO, Lyse, Scottish and Southern Energy,who together have agreed to form a new joint venture, NorthConnect, to realise the project. "NorthConnect will make an important contribution towards developing the European market for electricity with increased competition in regional markets, a secure supply of electricity and more stable energy prices for consumers," declared Harald von Heyden, Vattenfall's head of asset optimisation and trading.
Together the companies will seek to build a high voltage direct current system with capacity to carry between 1,200 and 2,000 Megawatts of electricity. And the venture aims to have the system up and running by 2020, linking Vattenfall's key market in Sweden and the UK.
Source: Offshore247
Scottish site for new wind farm firm
A new company is setting up an offshore wind farm research and development facility near Glasgow which the Scottish government says could attract up to £170 million of new investment over the next decade.
Doosan Power Systems - whose parent company Doosan heavy Industries and Construction is a major engineering procurement and construction contractor in Korea - has opted to develop a new R&D centre at its existing site at Westway, near Glasgow in Renfrewshire, Scotland, under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding signed with Scottish Enterprise and backed by the Scottish government. And under a second phase the company could establish a new wind farm assembly and manufacturing plant.
Doosan's move marks the third major investment in renewable wind technology in Scotland after Japan's Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe committed to investing up to £100 million last December in a Centre for Advanced Technology for wind turbine research in Edinburgh, and Gamesa of Spain committed to development of an offshore wind technology centre in Glasgow in January this year.
According to the Scottish government, Doosan's offshore wind farm plans will create 1,700 new jobs of which around 700 would be employed directly, and the rest via companies within the wind industry supply chain.
Source: Offshore247
New backing for North Sea super-grid
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has given his backing to plans to build a North Sea super-grid to wire up Europe's electricity networks.
Creating a huge offshore construction opportunity for the installation of subsea cables, the UK Prime Minister announced today that European energy ministers will work together on finalising plans to turn the supper-grid into reality through an inter-governmental North Sea Offshore Grid Initiative which will look at linking offshore wind farms.
Chris Huhne, Britain's Secretary of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, stated: “Europe's future lies in green energy and Britain wants to work with other countries to make the most of the clean energy potential in and around the North Sea.
"Today we're stepping up our efforts with our European partners to develop a North Sea electricity super-grid that will help secure our energy supplies in a low carbon way."
Currently the UK is leading the league table of installed wind generating capacity across Europe, with 1,341 Megawatts, followed by Denmark with 854 MW, the Netherlands with 249 MW; Belgium has 195 MW and Sweden has164 MW. Together Norway, Germany, Finland and Ireland have 145 MW, according to the EWEA.
Nine EU member states signed up to a North Sea Supergrid Initiative in December 2009 including the UK and in February 2010, Norway, also signed up to back the project which is aimed at building a high voltage direct current cabling system across the North Sea to allow power transmitted from wind farms to reach regions across Europe.
Source: Offshore
Selection for Oyster installation
UK-based marine construction group Fugro Seacore has landed a £3 million deal with renewable energy company Aquamarine Power to install foundation systems for a new wave energy device.
Edinburgh-based Aquamarine is due to install its three of its Oyster 2 wave energy devices off the Orkney Islands off north Scotland this summer and next. Fugro Seacore based down in Falmouth in the UK south-west has been selected to prepare the offshore site where devices are to be attached to the seabed.
Seacore is due to start drilling and installation of steel pile foundations for the three Oyster devices at Billia Croo near Stromness in Orkney this summer, after previously installing the foundations for the Oyster 1 prototype also at Billia Croo in 2009. One Oyster 2 device is due to go into the water this summer and two more are due for installation in 2012.
"Oyster is a very exciting new technology and we are very proud to be involved in the early stages of its development," said Seacore managing director Bob Jenkins.
Martin McAdam, chief executive Aquamarine added: "This deal shows that a thriving marine energy sector has the potential to offered skilled jobs and economic opportunity the length of the UK."
And he went on: "Fugro Seacore is an international company with the capacity to expand into marine renewables. The goal for the UK is to capitalise on our existing global lead in marine energy and deliver the first commercial arrays within the next five years. This will require support on a number of fronts but offers the promise of a world-leading, export-led green industrial sector."
Source: Offshore247
The Scottish 'gold rush' for hydro power
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park says it is encouraging the development of "appropriate" hydro schemes
Scotland is seeing a boom in small hydro schemes, with scores of streams and rivers earmarked for development. But why has this form of green energy suddenly become so popular?
There's a gold rush starting in the Scottish hills. But the rush is to find one of Scotland's most abundant resources - water - rather than a precious metal.
And specifically water that flows down steep enough slopes and ravines to allow it to generate an increasingly precious resource: energy.
In 2000, 99% of Norway's electricity generation came from its 27 million kilowatts of installed hydroelectric capacity. Norway has one of the highest rates of per-capita consumption of electricity in the world.
With over 99% of Norway's electricity supply derived from the country's abundant hydropower. Norway currently has some 850 hydroelectric plants, with total installed capacity of over 27,000 MW. Traditionally, a majority of the country's renewable energy program has focused on ways to reduce hydropower transmission line loss and to develop undersea cable technology.
Vattenfall seeks new offshore wind farm
Sweden's Vattenfall is looking to build a new North Sea offshore wind farm. According to the Reuters, the company's chief executive Oystein Loseth, construction of the new offshore wind farm would begin in 2015.
"We have this area in the North Sea where there is a possibility to build up to 7,200 Megawatts," the Vattenfall chief was quoted as saying, Reuters reported. His comments came during an upbeat discussion about the UK's offshore wind farm prospects.
Loseth also confirmed Vattenfall was looking for a new headquarters site in London so that it could be closer to the growth UK offshore wind market. His comments came after the London meeting last week of Ministers from North Sea countries which backed a plan for a new offshore electricity super-grid.
Vattenfall is already a player in the UK offshore wind market with interests in the Thanet offshore wind farm. And the company is already planning another North Sea wind development in partnership with Stadtwerke Munchen for the Dan Tysk project, a 288 Megawatt wind farm located 70 kilometres (43 miles) west of the German island of Sylt with up to 80 turbines in water depths up to 30 metres (100 feet).
Construction at Dan Tysk is due to start in 2012 and the project has a €1 Billion-plus price tag.
Source: Offshore
World wave and tidal market worth US $1.2 Billion
A new report on the offshore renewable energy market suggests spending on the wave and tidal sector could hit US $1.2 Billion worldwide in the next five years. After annual capital expenditure put a $52 million last year, the figure is set to rise to $500 million by 2015, according to new research.
"Installations in 2011 are more than double those in 2010 and a total of 150MW of wave and tidal current stream capacity is forecast to be installed between 2011-2015," the World Wave and Tidal Market Report 2011-2015 report by Canterbury, UK-based Douglas Westwood suggests.
Currently the UK is leading the world in the level of installed capacity in the wave and tidal sector, with a total of 110 Megawatts of generating capacity installed. Within the UK, the level of capital expenditure is likely to hit $900 million by 2015 while annual expenditure is forecast to hit $500 million by 2015.
"An excellent wave and tidal resource, together with encouraging levels of government funding, market mechanisms and site licensing make the country the strongest market for both wave and tidal," notes lead analyst Ian Jones. The other two biggest markets for this type of energy technology are said to be the US and Canada, the report says.
Source: Offshore
Renewables alliance forms up
Within a week of completing its merger with Acergy Subsea 7 has declared its intention to move into the green energy sector by a launching a new offshore renewables division
With the aim of transferring its proven "seabed-to-surface" expertise, capabilities and technology to the sector, Subsea 7 says it will be able to provide project management, engineering and construction services to support global offshore renewables projects from its operating base in Aberdeen.
Led by Bob Dunsmore, who has been appointed vice president of Renewables within Subsea 7, the new division has also linked up with several British-based companies which are already established in the renewables sector - Scottish and Southern Energy, Burtisland Fabrications which has been building foundation structures for UK offshore wind farms - and Siemens Transmission and Distribution plus engineering group Atkins.
The companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to drive down the cost of delivering offshore wind farms with Subsea 7 taking responsibility for marine operations and offshore construction.
Dunsmore declared: "The signing of this MOU provides a great opportunity for Subsea 7 to work with SSE to look at how we can develop offshore wind projects in the future in the most cost effective and safe manner.” He went on: “To be part of this alliance with SSE, the largest generator of electricity from renewable sources in the UK and Ireland, and the other leading players in the industry is a significant step for Subsea 7."
Source: Offshore
Mitsubishi pumps £100 million into wind research
Scotland is set to benefit from a £100 million investment by Mitsubishi which is pumping cash into a new wind research and development centre.
Scottish Development International has announced that Japanese industrial giant is to invest the £100 million into a new centre for advanced technology in Edinburgh which will aim to carry out "game-changing" R&D into offshore wind turbine technologies.
Up to 200 jobs are expected to be created at the new centre over the next five years and at Artemis Intelligence Power (MPSE) which is being acquired by Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe as part of the same expansion strategy.
Akio Fukui, chief executive of MPSE said the new centre will help Scotland and the UK become key suppliers in the offshore wind supply chain sector.
He pointed that the decision to develop the R&D centre underlines a historic technology between Japan and Scotland, after one Scotsman, Thomas Glover, helped create Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in the 1800s in Japan. "The first Japanese naval vessel was built in Aberdeen in the late 1800s in Scotland, and now the first game changing offshore wind turbine will be built here too," Fukui said.
"With a commitment from Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe to invest up to 100 million Pounds Sterling over the next five years, and the potential to develop Scotland's supply chain in this sector, this is fantastic news for Scotland's existing offshore wind businesses to benefit from a major player locating in Scotland," declared Ann MacColl, who currently acting as chief executive of Scottish Development International.
Source: Offshore
EU states exceed target
European Union states are set to exceed previously published renewable energy targets according to a new analysis of green energy performance.
According to the European Wind Energy Association the EU is set to produce more than 20% of its energy demand using renewable resources by 2020.
Wind energy will generate 14% of Europe's total electricity demand in 2020 - up b494 TWh from 213 GW installed capacity, more than any other renewable source, up from 4.2% in 2009, according to the EWEA. "Ireland will be the country with the highest wind energy penetration level at 36.4% of its total electricity demand, followed by Denmark at 31%.," the association says.
Ireland is predicted to have the highest wind energy penetration level at 36.4% of its total electricity demand, followed by Denmark at 31%.
Justin Wilkes, policy director of the EWEA, says the 27 EU member states will meet 20.7% of their 2020 energy demand from renewables.
The UK is set to meet its energy action plan target of sourcing 15% of its energy from renewables by 2020.
Source: Offshore
Ministers back North Sea super grid
European Union leaders have reportedly agreed in principle to back a North Sea super-grid for offshore wind power.
According to the European Wind Energy Association ten Ministers from all North Sea countries have agreed under Memorandum of Understanding on building an offshore electricity grid in a step towards a single European market for electricity.
"For us, Europe's wind energy industry, the Memorandum is an indispensable step to create an offshore electricity grid, critical for developing a single European market for electricity and for allowing offshore wind farms to plug into that grid," declared Christian Kjaer, chief executive officer of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).
Kjaer points out that the EU has already highlighted that 140 Gigawatts of offshore wind power capacity is being planned.
After the MoU was signed in Brussels by the ten Ministers and the European Commission, the EWEA claimed it would be the starting point for creating a new offshore grid, tearing down what it calls "...unnecessary and costly barriers to electricity trade between EU member states."
Source: Offshore
North East city most sustainable in the UK
NEWCASTLE has topped the league for the most sustainable of the UK's large cities for the second year in a row, it has been announced.
The city has started installing 580 electric vehicle charging points in the region, as part of efforts to become the UK's electric car capital, and is the centre of a budding clean technology "cluster" in the North East.
It has extended its lead over its rivals in the Sustainable Cities Index, which judges the 20 biggest cities across the UK in terms of environmental performance, quality of life and how well they are planning for the future by addressing issues such as climate change.
"Leaders like Newcastle and Leicester are developing plans to run services in smarter ways, tackle challenges like climate change and secure the jobs of the future."
Barry Rowland, chief executive of Newcastle City Council, said: "Sustainability is right at the top of our agenda, and we intend to keep it there."
Oslo best on CO2 emissions and energy
Oslo is the third "greenest major city in Europe" according to the first European Green City Index published by Siemens, but ranks highest in two out of eight categories. The study was conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit and presented by Siemens during the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen on 8 December 2009.
The study compared the environmental sustainability of 30 major cities in 30 European countries. The cities were evaluated in eight categories: CO2 emissions; energy; buildings; transportation; water; air quality; waste and land use; and environmental governance.
North East renewable sector receives a boost
North East renewables sector received a big boost this week with the announcement that three major turbine makers are to invest in new facilities.
The announcements follow the Coalition Government's confirmation of funding to development the country's ports to support the burgeoning offshore wind industry.
Siemens says it is on track to build a new £80 million wind turbine factory by 2014, which will produce its new 150 m tall, 6 MW direct-drive offshore wind turbine for offshore wind farms.
The UK's east or north east coast would be the preferred site for the facility, says Siemens, to provide the best access to the key Round 3 offshore development sites. The new facility will create 700 new jobs, says the company.
"The positive signal from the UK Government means we can push ahead with our strategy of investments in growth areas for renewable energy," says Rene Umlauft, CEO of Siemens' Renewable Energy Division.
Siemens has reportedly invested £8 million in an Energy Service training centre in Newcastle and set up a wind power technician apprenticeship scheme in conjunction with RenewableUK.
The firm is also part of the SMartwind consortium, which is developing the Hornsea site, and has stakes in the Gwynt y Môr and Lincs wind farm developments.By 2013, Siemens says it will have doubled its renewables workforce in the UK.
Meanwhile, Spanish wind developer Gamesa has simultaneously announced plans to site its worldwide centre of its offshore wind energy business in the UK.
The plans, which will mean a €150 million investment before 2014, also include an offshore technology R&D centre and a turbine blade manufacturing plant.
The manufacturing facility will produce the company 5 MW and 6-7 MW turbines, which will be used in North Sea wind developments in coming years.
Gamesa says the investment, which will start 2011, will create over 1000 jobs and a further 800 at local suppliers.
Finally, US rival General Electric (GE) has also said it will continue with its £100 million investment plan to develop an offshore manufacturing facility in the UK.
The announcements have been welcomed by Prime Minister David Cameron.
He said: "I want us to be a world leader in offshore wind energy,” he said. “The commitment shown by companies like Gamesa who want to come to the UK and invest is good news for jobs and growth and good news our clean energy future."
Next generation wind turbine on test
In the world's northernmost wind farm at Havøygavlen, in Finnmark county, Statoil is to test next generation turbine technology. The innovation is a promising gearless turbine.
The new turbine promises to achieve significant reductions in operation and maintenance costs for offshore wind power, Statoil says. One of the biggest challenges with developing offshore wind power is the major cost involved in repairs and maintenance out at sea.
"If an offshore wind turbine breaks down, there are many factors contributing to increased downtime compared with a land-based turbine," explains operations manager for wind energy in Statoil, Sverre Trollnes.
According to Trollnes, a common cause of problems with today's turbines has been lack of robust design and component selection.
Statoil's supplier Siemens has developed a gearless turbine that represents a major step forward in the simplification of the technology - and which promises to reduce maintenance by 20%.
Siemens are now manufacturing a trial series of 10 wind turbines - and one of these is earmarked for Statoil's wind farm at Havøygavlen, as part of Statoil's initiative ‘Bringing cost of offshore wind down.'
The goal of the programme is to qualify the technology for developing offshore projects, primarily the gigantic Dogger Bank wind farm in which Statoil is a partner, through the industry consortium Forewind.
"By taking part in Siemens' certification programme, we are learning more about this technology, and can eliminate teething troubles. It's also far easier to influence the design at an early stage," he explains.
The turbine will be installed starting on September 15, and after testing and commissioning has been completed, the turbine will become operational in the fourth quarter of 2010.
Electric future for region's vehicles
A PARTNERSHIP between a North East engineering businesses and Gateshead College could help to drive the future development of electric vehicles.
Sevcon, which is based on Team Valley and designs motor controls for electric and battery powered vehicles, has joined forces with the college's Skills Academy for Automotive, Manufacturing and Logistics - a close neighbour on Team Valley.
The partnership will create learning and training opportunities for college students and see the two organisations work together on a number of collaborations.
This includes a project to transform a standard road car into a ‘mule' vehicle driven by an electric motor and drive train, featuring a Sevcon motor controller, to demonstrate how the technology works.
Matt Boyle, Sevcon CEO, said: “We're delighted to be working alongside Gateshead College. It's fantastic that two organisations - literally on one another's doorstep - can pool their resources and work together.
“With their support we've been able to strip down a state-of-the-art road car to create a ‘mule' that incorporates our latest motor controller and one of the most advanced electric motors in the world.
"We anticipate using this vehicle as a technology demonstrator at a number of shows and events we'll be attending to showcase the potential of this technology. We look forward to this being the first of many joint projects."
The partnership will involve further collaborations in future with Sevcon able to utilise the skills and state-of-the-art facilities at the academy.
Students from Gateshead College will also be able to undertake work placements at Sevcon and learn first hand about the latest developments in electric vehicles.
Wind energy to power up says EU
New forecasts for the development of energy across Europe suggest wind will be the biggest growth sector.
According to a new EU energy scenario developed by the European Commission, wind energy will account for a 41% growth from 2011 to 2020 - by far the largest growth beating any other energy sector including oil, nuclear and coal and gas.
Source: Offshore.no
Next generation wind turbine on test
In the world's northernmost wind farm at Havøygavlen, in Finnmark county, Statoil is to test next generation turbine technology. The innovation is a promising gearless turbine.
The new turbine promises to achieve significant reductions in operation and maintenance costs for offshore wind power, Statoil says. One of the biggest challenges with developing offshore wind power is the major cost involved in repairs and maintenance out at sea.
According to Trollnes, a common cause of problems with today's turbines has been lack of robust design and component selection.
Statoil's supplier Siemens has developed a gearless turbine that represents a major step forward in the simplification of the technology - and which promises to reduce maintenance by 20%.
Siemens are now manufacturing a trial series of 10 wind turbines - and one of these is earmarked for Statoil's wind farm at Havøygavlen, as part of Statoil's initiative ‘Bringing cost of offshore wind down.'
The goal of the programme is to qualify the technology for developing offshore projects, primarily the gigantic Dogger Bank wind farm in which Statoil is a partner, through the industry consortium Forewind.
Source: NorwayPost
Testing the world's first floating tidal power plant
The world's first floating tidal power demonstration plant was last weekend deployed at sea near Harstad, Northern Norway, and is ready for testing.
- This is an important milestone for us. From October the tidal power plant will produce clean, renewable energy from the Gimsøystraumen tidal current at Lofoten Islands, says Eivind Nydal, Managing Director at Hydra Tidal.
The demonstration plant's capacity is 5 GWh, or 5 million kWh. Enova, owned by the Norwegian Oil and Energy Ministry, has granted 23 MNOK in subsidies for building the prototype.
- There exists lots of energy in ocean currents, coastal currents and tidal currents along Norway's long coastline. We believe it's possible to harness a significant amount of clean energy from these sources and Morild II will prove this, Nydal says.
Source: NorwayPost
Siemens secures government grant
Siemens has secured UK government grant money to develop a 6 Megawatt wind turbine for use on offshore wind farms.
The technology development cash is being confirmed by Secretary of State for Energy Chris Huhne today alongside grants to seven other firms for new energy technologies totalling £10 million designed to progress the offshore wind industry as it approaches development of Round 3 wind farms.
"Offshore wind will be very significant in the energy mix as we move to low carbon, sustainable energy supplies,” Huhne stated “The UK has a wealth of natural resource and coastlines for offshore wind. We are already world leaders in building offshore wind but we must do much, much more."
Siemens Windpower is due to receive £5 million which was applied for under a previous round of government grant funding to develop the next-generation 6 MW offshore turbine with an integrated foundation structure, which was confirmed today alongside the new cash to other firms.
Other recipients include JDR Cable Systems in Hartlepool, which is to receive £2 m for high voltage export and inter-array cables for power distribution from multi-Megawatt wind turbines, aimed at the UK's Round 3 wind farms.
Source: Offshore247
UK renewables are worth £993 Bn
By 2050 if the UK exploited three-quarters of the wind wave and tidal resources around the coast the renewable energy industry could be worth up to £993 Bn in terms of capital expenditure and generate annual revenue in the region of £164 Bn.
Also up to 145,000 new jobs could be created within offshore renewable industries for the UK the report by the Offshore Valuation Group said today.
And the figures for the potential value of the industry could be much bigger if the total natural energy resource were to be tapped, the report suggests.
Source: Offshore247
Mitsubishi hooks up with SSE
Scottish and Southern Energy has agreed to hook up with a Japanese industrial giant to work on lows carbon energy projects.
Mitsubishi - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd and Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe Ltd - has agreed to work with SSE on offshore wind power, smart electricity grids, along with carbon capture and storage plus low carbon vehicles and power generation projects.
Joint developments, venture and investments are foreseen with the new collaboration programme, building on a Centre of Excellence in Renewable Energy engineering at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow which was set up by SSE last year.
Firstly the two companies are to focus on offshore renewable energy and low carbon vehicles.
Source: Offshore247
Large interest in renewable energy
The Research Council of Norway has received 50 applications from companies and institutes that want to test research technology for renewable energy. Applicants for wind projects dominate the group.
The large number of applicants illustrate that there is great research activity within renewable energy. There are exciting projects that involve solar, wind and tidal power, says Hans Otto Haaland, coordinator for RENERGI, which is the council's program for research on renewable energy.
The council will now process the applications, and within June 10th it will decide which projects will receive research funds.
Source: Oilinfo
Think launches lithium ion version of City electric vehicle
Norwegian electric vehicle builder Think has finally launched production of the lithium-ion battery version of its City EV. The 22 kilowatt-hour battery pack is being supplied by Indiana-based Enerdel which owns an equity stake in Think. Enerdel is now in full volume production of the new battery pack which, should allow Think to ramp up vehicle production and expand into continental Europe and then the United States later this year.
The lithium ion version of the City EV has a range of about 100 miles and supports fast charging to 80 percent of capacity in 15 minutes. The Think City EV is currently being built under contract by Valmet Automotive in Finland. Valmet will also be assembling the Fisker Karma starting early next year. Think also plans to add U.S. production of the City EV sometime in 2011.
Source: Think
More renewable energy from Hydro
Norway's energy producer Hydro is planning to start work on the Holsbru hydro power project this fall. In addition, the company has delivered a concession application for two hydropower projects in Sogn.
Altogether, the three projects will increase Hydro's power production by about 300 GWh.
"We have many exciting plans for our hydropower plants in the coming years," says Ola Sæter, Hydro's head of Energy.
The goal is to increase hydropower production by up to 10 percent. The projects in Sogn are three steps in the right direction.
Source: Hydro
Aquamarine Power unveils Oyster 2 design
Wave energy developer Aquamarine Power today unveiled the design of its Oyster 2 wave energy converter which will be built in Scotland this summer.
The new 800kW device will measure 26 metres by 16 metres and will deliver 250 per cent more power than the original Oyster 1 which was successfully deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney last summer.
The new device incorporates design improvements on Oyster 1, enabling it to produce more energy, be simpler to install and easier to maintain.
Source: Aquamarine
Forewind goes for SeaZone
The Forewind consortium have selected UK consultancy SeaZone's digital marine mapping.
This will help the partners Scottish & Southern Energy, RWE npower Renewables, Statoil and Statkraft to locate a wind farm on Dogger Bank.
Forewind has purchased the HydroSpatial digital marine mapping, which will help Forwind when it assesses the maritime area. This stage of the project is planned to be completed in 2014.
The Dogger Bank zone is in the North Sea, located between 125 and 290 kilometres off the east coast of Yorkshire. It extends over approximately 8660 km2.
Source: Offshore247
UK's First Electric vehicle apprenticeship on offer
A COLLABORATION between a Tyneside college and a pioneering North East company has led to the launch of the country's first apprenticeship dedicated to electric vehicles.
The three-year course will see young people train at Smith Electric Vehicles, a leading manufacturer of electric vans and trucks, alongside studying at Gateshead College.
The scheme combines hands-on work experience at Smith's headquarters in Washington, with classroom-based theory work at the FE college.
The brand new, nationally-recognised course will see apprentices gaining the equivalent of three A-levels.
Geoff Allison, managing director of Smith Electric Vehicles, said: “If Britain is going to become a world leader in the production of electric vehicles, we have to start training the next workforce generation now.
"Smith Electric Vehicles has always invested in apprentices, but we are particularly proud to be leading the way in the development of the specialised skills our young people will need in the low-carbon economy."
Source: NEBusiness
Aberdeen named as Britain's top eco-city
Aberdeen has been named as Britain's top eco-city - as well as the 19th in the world - in a new survey. Business analysts Mercer looked at criteria including air quality and traffic congestion, with Calgary in Canada winning.
The company also ranks world cities for their quality of life, and Aberdeen came 53rd in the world.
The city was second only to London in UK terms, based on criteria such as crime and health care. London was the only UK city to have been ranked in a global top 50, reaching 39th spot. Vienna was ranked at the top of the list for the second year running.Glasgow came in behind Aberdeen at 57th.
Source: BBC
UK offshore renewables a billion boe equivalent each year
UK offshore wind, wave and tidal power could generate an amount of electricity equivalent to a billion barrels of oil per year, according to the first comprehensive valuation of the country's offshore energy resource, published today (May 19).
‘The Offshore Valuation' report by the Offshore Valuation Group, an informal collaboration of government and industry organisations, found that in order for the UK to become a net exporter of offshore renewable electricity it would need to exploit just under a third of its total offshore wind, wave and tidal resource by 2050.
In doing so it would create 145,000 new jobs, provide the Treasury with £28 billion in tax receipts and reduce carbon emissions relative to 1990 levels by 30%, according to the group, which includes the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments, The Crown Estate and eight companies across the energy sector.
The net value of Scotland's seas alone, calculated as reaching 68GW by 2050, is estimated at £14 billion in terms of electricity sales.
Source: Energy Focus
Govt outlines plan for offshore grid
Plans for a multimillion-pound offshore electricity grid, which could boost renewables and create thousands of jobs in the north and north-east, were outlined by the new UK Government last night. It is among 400 policy proposals nailed down in the coalition agreement signed by the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.
The plans for the North Sea grid will cost between £3billion and £6billion, depending on its scope .
The system would potentially link windfarms on Shetland, tidal power schemes in the Pentland Firth, and offshore windfarms in the Moray Firth and down the east coast to electricity markets in central and southern England.
Source: Press and Journal
Green energy and low carbon in Queen's
Britain's Confederation of British Industry has today welcomed the Queen's Speech today which outlines the legislative programme of the new Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government which signals how major issues in the UK economy are to be tackled including energy policy.
Support for a low carbon economy is promised as part of the legislative programme to be rolled out by the new government with Secretary of State for Climate Change Christ Huhne promising the UK's new government will be the greenest ever.
Norwegian electric-car maker Think revs up funding
Think, the Norwegian electric carmaker, said Monday that it had raised an additional $40 million in funding to finance its expansion in Europe and the United States.
The new funding would allow the company, which expects to become profitable next year, to introduce a right-hand-drive version of the City to the British market in early 2011 and to expand its electric drive train manufacturing business.
Think has raised $87 million since August.
Source: LA Times
Come and get £60 million
Companies operating in the offshore wind industry supply chain have been invited to bid for £60 million of new funding which has been unveiled by the UK's Department of Energy and Climate Change to support manufacturing.
Source: Offshore247
Scanwind AS owner to build offshore wind manufacturing plant in UK
General Electric says its £100m investment in UK wind industry will create up to 2,000 clean energy jobs.
General Electric is planning to invest €340m in Europe's wind energy industry over the next 10 years.
The construction of thousands of huge offshore turbines is a key part of government plans to meet its commitments to cut greenhouse gases, as well as ensure the continuity of energy supply over the next decade as nuclear and coal-fired stations reach the end of their life.
The company said the project will form part of a €340m (£305m) investment in Europe's wind energy industry over 10 years. In addition to the UK manufacturing site, it plans to build development centres in Norway, Sweden and Germany.
Source: Guardian
Hundreds of jobs to be created in UK wind turbine plan
Hundreds of jobs will be created through a new £80m wind turbine factory, it has been announced.
The offshore wind turbine production facility could be built on the east coast or in the north east of England.
The move by German manufacturing giant Siemens was welcomed by energy secretary Ed Miliband.
The firm said 700 jobs could be created and said new turbines could be running by 2015, aimed at meeting future demand for renewable energy in the UK.
Siemens said it was considering a number of sites in the UK to meet future demand for renewable energy sources.
Source: BBC
Plans ready for "Supergrid"
Companies from Norway and nine EU member nations have presented plans for an offshore grid which will distribute electricity generated by Norwegian wind farms to Europe, the Financial Times reports.
The plans for this "Supergrid" call for generating large amounts of wind power generated electricity in the North Sea, according to the newspaper.
Source: Norway Post
North East welcomes latest offshore wind investment
- Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe signs MOU signalling intention to invest up to £100 million in UK wind turbine R&D project
- Up to 200 highly skilled jobs to be created by 2014
- Government announces further £18.5 million grant to fund offshore wind test site at Narec in Blyth
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson and Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband today signed a non binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe Ltd (MPSE). The company intends to invest up to £100 million in an offshore wind turbine project in the UK. This will create up to 200 highly skilled jobs.
The Government is working with MPSE, and is intending to provide grants of up to £30 million to support the project. This follows on from extensive work with MPSE and discussions that the company had with Lord Mandelson and Ed Miliband at the Global Investors conference hosted by the Prime Minister in London on Monday arranged by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).
This project will be the first step towards the production of turbines for the next generation of offshore wind farms. By working closely with Mitsubishi, the UK is a strong contender to be a manufacturing base for Mitsubishi in the future, which could create up to 1,500 new jobs.
Source: One North East
Laminated wood to be used for offshore turbine blades
Steel and composites have been the favoured construction materials for offshore turbine blades. But this summer, for the first time, laminated wood components will be tested at full-scale at a tidal energy plant in Northern Norway.
The Harstad-based company Hydra Tidal will install a full-scale (1.5-MW) prototype of its tidal energy plant at Gimsøystraumen, a marine channel in Nordland County. The Morild floating power plant will be moored to the seabed and mostly submerged, with turbine wings spanning a diameter of 23 metres. However, its most unique feature is that its turbine blades are made of laminated pine.
Source: The Research Council of Norway
210 mill NOK to wind and research
Four projects based in Bergen will this week be awarded in total 201 million NOK (36 million USD) from the Norwegian Research Council.
45 million NOK will be earmarked for Christian Michelsen Research (CMR) in Bergen, who is working on developing a floating test turbine to measure and test single components in offshore wind turbines.
The equipment will lay the foundation for Norwegian technology development and industrial possibilities connected to export.
In addition to the wind power investment, six remotely controlled subsea vehicles will be supported by the research council. The vehicles will monitor the North Atlantic region, and give data for marine research, climate research and eco system research.
Source: Oilinfo
More money for offshore wind
More government money is being pumped into the UK offshore wind industry with the announcement of a new £4.8 million research and development grant plus the opening of a new training tower at an offshore development centre in the north-east.
At the same time the Offshore Wind Centre at Blyth in Northumberland saw the opening of a new training tower to help workers acquire the skills necessary for maintaining offshore wind installations.
"Research and development, and giving people the skills to build offshore wind farms will be vital to keeping the UK ahead of the world," the Minister said during a visit to the New and Renewable Energy Centre (NAREC) at Blyth.
Source: Offshore247
Norway Should Be A World Leader In Environment-Friendly Technology
Norsk Klimastiftelse, a newly established interest organisation comprising a various organisations, companies and research institutions, says that Norway should be a world leader in environment-friendly technology, but to get there requires better coordination between research, industry and the authorities.
Source: Dagbladet
Aker Clean Carbon in final stage of UK government CCS competition
The ScottishPower-led Carbon Capture and Storage Consortium, of which Aker Clean Carbon is a contracting partner, has been selected as one of the final bids in the UK Government's carbon capture and storage competition.
This announcement marks the start of a detailed 12-month design and development study of the ScottishPower-led CCS project.
Jan Roger Bjerkestrand, CEO of Aker Clean Carbon, said:"This contract takes Aker Clean Carbon's capture technology one step closer to delivering full-scale commercial CCS on a global stage. We are delighted to work with the world's leading energy companies to develop what could be the world's first full scale CCS plant."
Source: Maritime and Energy
'Milestone' for wave energy plans
Ten sites on the seabed off the north coast of Scotland have been leased out to power companies in an effort to generate wave and tidal energy.
In the first project of its kind in the world, areas in the Pentland Firth and around Orkney have been leased to seven companies by the Crown Estate.
The companies are to push forward plans to generate enough electricity to supply 750,000 homes by 2020.
Source: BBC
Government boost for low carbon sector
Business minister Ian Lucas yesterday announced £8.4m in funding for a new training centre for the region's low carbon vehicle industry.
The new centre on Wearside will train those already working in the sector, young people and adults, and students from age 14 upwards in manufacturing and maintenance for ultra low carbon vehicles.
It will give learners access to the latest technology and production methods which already play an important role in the region, with companies including Nissan, Smith Electric Vehicles and AVID Vehicles all looking to the low carbon future.
Source: One North East
Studies Show Huge Energy Potential
Studies carried out by a Norwegian economic group have pinpointed how much opportunity exists for further development of the North Sea's offshore renewable energy industry as UK moves towards a goal of 30 Gigawatts of installed capacity by 2020.
Bigger installation vessels, bigger turbines - more than 5 Megawatts - and bigger support structures will be required, as well as better installation procedures, and cheaper operations and maintenance techniques will be necessary as the North Sea becomes a major new market for offshore wind power.
Source: Offshore247
Greener homes grant scheme
Britain's government has set out a new plan to further reduce carbon emissions by introducing a grant scheme to help householders make their homes more energy efficient.
Under a "pay as you save" green financing scheme, up to seven million householders will offered grants towards green energy efficiency measures by 2020, with the aim of cutting carbon emissions in homes by 29% by 2020.
"The new strategy will help people make smarter use of energy in homes, making it easier to take action and reduce bills,” the Department of Energy and Climate Chance has stated. “Installing some technologies, such as solid wall insulation, could see energy bills cut by £380 a year."
Source: Offshore247
North East favoured for £100m wind power research unit
A major test site for offshore turbines is already planned for the North East
The north-east of England is being considered as the site for a £100m wind power research centre.
Mitsubishi said it was looking at a number of sites to carry out research into building the world's biggest turbine blades.
The government is supporting the development with grants of up to £30m.
Up to 200 skilled jobs would be created over the next few years, which Business Secretary Lord Mandelson believes could grow to 1,500.
More than £18m of government cash has also been earmarked for an existing offshore wind test site off the coast of Blyth.
Lord Mandelson and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said they had signed a deal with Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe Ltd (MPSE).
Mitsubishi Chief Executive Akio Fukui said the firm was looking at a number of locations where a factory will be built for the research to be carried out.
He said a prototype turbine would be built within three years and the first full-scale production will start after four years.
Lord Mandelson said: "Mitsubishi's investment and the creation of 200 highly skilled jobs is great news for our future plans in low carbon, high technology industries.
"I'm delighted that we are also supporting the wind test site in the North East, which further strengthens the region's position as a leader in the offshore wind farm sector."
Expansion for electric car scheme in north-east England
A scheme to provide charging points for electric vehicles across the north-east of England is to be expanded with a £2.9m government grant.
Regional development Agency One North East and car manufacturer Nissan pledged in December to provide at least 619 charging points by next year.
New funding from Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) will now see this increase to 1,300 points by 2013.
Points will be installed on streets and at supermarkets and commercial sites.
The funding is part of the Plugged-In Places scheme, which is also being run in London, and Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire.
Installation of the first phase of 40 charge points in Newcastle and Gateshead is due to be completed in the coming weeks.
Alan Clarke, chief executive of One North East, said: "We are delighted the government has chosen to support our bid and that we will help lead the national infrastructure programme.
"The roll-out of 1,300 electric vehicle charging points across our region now begins in earnest."
The agency is providing £3.8m of funding, with a further £1m coming from public and private sector partners.
Source: BBC
Work starts on Tyneside wind turbine plant
Construction work has begun on the UK's first offshore wind turbine manufacturing facility on Tyneside.
The Clipper Windpower Marine factory will produce 72m (236ft) blades, which will be among the world's largest when they are introduced in 2012.
More than 500 jobs will be created when the plant opens in the third quarter of 2010, said the US firm.
The factory is being built at the Renewable Energy Park in Walker, Newcastle.
It is being constructed on land owned by Shepherd Offshore, on the site of the former Neptune shipyard.
The blades will be used in the "Britannia Project", a 10MW offshore wind turbine prototype under development by Clipper.
Freddy Shepherd, director of Shepherd Offshore, said: "We are helping to place the River Tyne and the North East of England at the centre of this dynamic new industry, which is creating new employment for the region that will last for decades to come."
James Ramsbotham, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce, said: "We welcome this announcement which is an illustration of the strong position the North East is in, proving that we can be a leader not only in the UK but on a global stage for the future of renewables."
Source: BBC
Sway to erect 10 MW offshore wind turbine
Enova is granting NOK137 million to Sway AS to erect a 10 MW prototype offshore wind turbine in Hordaland, Norway.
Enova, set up by the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) to promote environmentally friendly restructuring of energy consumption and energy generation in Norway, says the wind turbine is to be tested onshore for two years.
The rotor diameter is 145 m and the offshore wind turbine will have a floating tower. According to Sway, the tower is a pole filled with ballast beneath the water creating low centre of gravity. It will be anchored to the seabed with a single pipe and a suction anchor.
The offshore wind turbine can tilt 5-8°, and turns around a subsea swivel with the wind.
Source: Renewable Energy Focus
Technocean and Troll windpower have agreed to join forces
The Bergen companies Technocean and Troll WindPower have agreed to join forces to provide cable laying services to the offshore wind farm sector.
Technocean and Troll WindPower have signed a cooperation agreement which strengthens their combined ability to compete in the growing market for offshore wind farm development.
Cooperation between the subsea contractor, Technocean and the international wind power expertise in Troll Wind Power, encompasses the supply and installation of electrical cables for the European market. The Companies have collective subsea and marine expertise along with innovative energy know-how to develop enhanced solutions and provide for the optimization of cable laying for the growing market sector of offshore wind farms. Technocean will provide the subsea equipment, vessel and personnel to conduct these types of projects. Between 5,000 and 10,000 fixed offshore wind turbines are currently approved for development in the North Sea over the next 5-10 years. Each of these parks will require the installation of the electrical cables to connect the wind turbines and offshore transformer stations together.
Source: Technocean
More money for marine renewables
While the UK government was backing support for a change in the UK energy market another agency has said marine energy devices are ready for full deployment with £22 million of new funding.
After the DECC supported Ofgem's statement on the need for up to £200 Bn of investment to secure Britain's future energy supplies as North Sea reserves dwindle, the UK's Carbon Trust said today that marine energy devices are ready for mass deployment and capable of creating a new offshore industry.
Six of the best marine energy devices are to supported with £22 million of new funding, the Carbon Trust has said , from a Marine Energy Providing Fund, through the Department for Energy and Climate Change.
Cash is to be given to Atlantis Resources, Aquamarine Power, Hammerfest Strom UK, Bristol-based Marine Current Turbines, to Pelamis Wave Power and Voith Hydro.
The Carbon Trust says the funding is to create greater certainty over the technical performance of each system, to trigger increased confidence in the marine energy sector.
"Generating electricity from the UK's powerful wave and tidal resource not only plays a crucial role in meeting our climate change targets but also presents a significant economic opportunity for the UK,” said Tom Delay, chief executive of the Carbon Trust. “Wave alone presents a £2 billion economic opportunity for the UK," he said, announcing the new funding.
Delay said demonstrating full scale devices at sea is "...Central to realising the full potential of marine energy and getting the first commercial projects in the water is critical to ‘de-risk' the technology and attract the necessary private sector investment. This is the start of major new industry that will generate jobs and wealth across the UK," the Carbon Trust chief said.
Lord Hunt of King's Heath, the Uk Minister of State for Energy, said: "With our excellent wave and tidal resources - the richest in Europe - and our expertise in oil and gas exploration, we are world leaders in this field."
Source: Offshore247
Hammerfest Strøm Goes To The Orkneys
Norwegian technology company Hammerfest Strøm AS has received a Kr 40m grant from the British Carbon Trust to test tidal turbines off the Orkneys. The grant has been awarded to Hammerfest Strøm UK, and will be used to build and test the HS1000 turbine, which is based on a prototype installed in Kvalsundet near Hammerfest in 2003.
Stein Atle Andersen with Hammerfest Strøm says the Carbon Trust support is much appreciated. The company aims to raise a further Kr 100m in development funding. Hammerfest Strøm UK aims to deliver tidal power units to the British and Irish energy markets. The company has entered into a cooperation with Scottish Power Renewables, which is part of Iberdrola, one of the largest companies in wind power. Hammerfest Strøm UK expects to have the Orkney's turbine operational in 2011 and will also take part in a project to develop a tidal power demonstration park in the Sound of Islay.
Source: UKTI
Major wind power contract to Statoil and Statkraft
The Crown Estate has announced that the Forewind consortium, comprising Norway's Statoil and Statkraft, as well as SSE and RWE Npower has been named as the successful bidder for the largest zone in the third licence round (Round 3) for UK offshore wind farms, Dogger Bank.
The Dogger Bank zone is located off the east coast of Yorkshire between 125 and 195 kilometres offshore. It extends over approximately 8,660 km2 with its outer limit aligned to UK continental shelf limit as defined by the UK Hydrographic Office. The water depth ranges from 18-63 metres.
As the licence holder, Forewind will now begin to carry out the extensive surveys, assessments and planning required for the consent process.
The Dogger Bank zone is large and a possible development has to be carried out stepwise with several projects.
The consortium's commitment is to secure all the necessary consents for the construction and development of Dogger Bank, up to the point of investment decisions, which is anticipated from 2014.
Forewind has agreed with The Crown Estate a target installed capacity of 9GW, though the zone has a potential for approximately 13GW, which equates to around 10 per cent of total UK electricity requirements.
The consortium combines international offshore project delivery and renewables generation experience with UK utility and wind power expertise.
Source: Norway Post
Trondheim takes centre stage in the environment-friendly energy revolution
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the R&D institute SINTEF in Trondheim, central Norway, are hosting four of eight new national Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME) and are partners in two more. The centres were established through the Research Council's FME-scheme and have secured funding from the Research Council and industry. The development of new technology and research at the centres will give Trondheim a central role in the global effort to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
The FME-scheme's overall target is to develop expertise and promote innovation through long-term research in selected areas of environment-friendly energy, transport and CO2 management in close cooperation between prominent research communities and users. Norway's national R&D strategy for the energy sector is based on the assumption that Norway has the natural resources, community of experts, and social framework to become Europe's leading energy and environment-conscious nation. Norway will achieve this by becoming a society with almost no greenhouse-gas emissions; an important supplier of environment-friendly power to Europe; and a preferred location for the world's leading energy and technology companies, especially in the fields of solar energy, offshore wind power and CO2 management.
Trondheim, as the location of NTNU and SINTEF, Scandinavia's largest research institute, will have a central role in achieving these goals. Players such as the aforementioned institutions along with, amongst others, the municipalities of Trondheim and Stjørdal, have jointly set up an inward investment agency, Access Mid-Norway, which works to attract more companies in fields such as clean technology, oil and gas to central Norway. With the establishment of the new Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME) in Trondheim, central Norway is an ideal location for companies that strive to be amongst the best when it comes to implementing and developing environment-friendly technology.
International cooperation is a critical component to meet the challenges to reduce future emissions and produce more environment-friendly energy and the centres have numerous partners outside Norway. The search for environment-friendly solutions to current challenges is well under way in Trondheim.
NTNU and SINTEF are leaders or partners in the following centres:
- Research Centre for Offshore Wind Technology.
Host organization: SINTEF Energy Research - BIGCCS Centre - International CCS Research Centre
Host organization: SINTEF Energy Research - CEDREN - Centre for Environmental Design of Renewable Energy
Host organization: SINTEF Energy Research - CenBio - Bioenergy Innovation Centre
Host organization: University of Life Sciences - UMB - ZEB - The Research Centre on Zero Emission Buildings
Host organization: NTNU - The Norwegian Research Centre for Solar Cell Technology
Host organization: IFE
Sources: The Research Council of Norway, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, SINTEF
Read more:
Elite centres for clean energy established in Trondheim
Centres for Environment-friendly Energy research (FME)
NTNU and SINTEF in new national energy research effort
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
Two wind farm schemes approved
Two wind farm schemes that can supply around 45,000 homes with electricity have been approved.
The 52.5 Megawatt (MW) Baillie wind farm near Thurso will supply almost 25,000 homes and feed electricity in to the upgraded Beauly-Denny line. The £80 million scheme will create 30 jobs during construction with permanent local operation and maintenance jobs. The applicant will make an annual contribution to the West Caithness Community Fund to support local projects and five local businesses will be supported by rental income.
An extension to the Rothes wind farm near Elgin will boost capacity by an additional 45 MW, increasing the generating capacity from 50 MW to 95 MW. The extension will be capable of supplying over 20,000 homes. Around 60 construction jobs will be created, with permanent local operation and maintenance jobs. A community benefit fund will also be established.
Source: Scot. Gov.
Vattenfall is planning a major wave power farm outside the Shetland Islands
Vattenfall is presenting its plans today for the first wave power plant outside the Shetland Islands in the eastern Atlantic. The project could achieve installed capacity up to 20 MW as early as 2014, and it can be expanded to produce many times over that capacity.
Vattenfall and Pelamis Wave Power, the Edinburgh technology developer, launched a joint-venture yester-day to develop the first wave power project off the Shetland Islands.
The launch of the joint-venture, called Aegir Wave Power Ltd, was announced last night, the same day that Vattenfall's new office in Edinburgh, and the first in Scotland, was officially opened by the First Minister, the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MP, MSP.
An information meeting on the wave power project will be held today for local representatives and the mass media on the Shetland Islands.
"The wave power plant on the Shetland Islands is one part of Vattenfall's objective to produce pure electricity that does not burden our climate or our environment. The ocean west of Shetland has very close to ideal conditions that will enable us to extract energy from the waves effectively," says Ulf Tisell who is the manager of Vattenfall Ocean Energy Program.
Source: Energy-pedia News
Tees Valley set for hydroelectric station
Water power will be used to generate electricity in the Tees Valley, officials have announced.
A hydroelectric station is to be built at Selset Reservoir, near to Barnard Castle, County Durham, now that a power partnership has been signed by Northumbrian Water and RWE npower renewables.
It will generate up to 750 kilowatts of electricity - 4,000 megawatt hours a year - sufficient to meet the average annual needs of about 1,000 households. The power generated will be fed into the national grid.
It will add to Northumbrian Water's hydro-power plant at Kielder Water, which is also operated in partnership with RWE npower renewables.
The larger Kielder scheme generates some 20,000 megawatt hours, sufficient to meet the average annual needs of about 5,000 households.
Work on the £2.5 million Selset hydroelectric project will begin early in 2010.
It will require integration with the existing water supply operations, improvement of an access road and construction of a small building, which will house the turbine and generator.
The water level of Selset reservoir, which when full holds 15,320 million litres, will be lowered to facilitate safe working conditions during construction.
Tim James, project manager at RWE npower renewables, said: "We have a number of hydroelectric projects in Wales and Scotland and this is the first we have constructed in England. It will make a useful contribution to UK renewable energy targets."
Source: Northern Echo
North Easts gets world's largest test facility
The North East's new £15m wind turbine test facility is to be world's largest.
The New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC) in Blyth, Northumberland, will be the first facility capable of testing and verifying turbine blades of up to 100 metres in length for deployment offshore.
Science and innovation minister Lord Drayson said: “We need to attract major investment for wind turbines so that we can build our own wind farms and develop the manufacturing expertise that's in demand around the world.
“I'm delighted that NaREC will be a major European centre for testing the next generation of new large turbine blades.
"This new facility will create skilled jobs in a high-value sector."
Work on the site will begin shortly and the new test hall is expected to open in mid-2011.
Existing test facilities will remain open while the new hall is under construction.
It will be available for use by all developers, manufacturers and academia and charges will be levied at a commercial rate.
Norway opens world's first osmotic power plant opened
Over a decade of research has gone into the Statkraft pilot plant for osmotic power production. Opened 24 November, the facility is undergoing thorough testing - to pave the way for commercial production of osmotic power in the near future.
Utilising the process of osmosis to generate electricity has long been a distant vision. For most, it has remained a mere pipe dream, but a group of osmotic power researchers at Statkraft has persevered since 1997. Statkraft, fully owned by the Norwegian state, is Europe's largest renewable energy company.
The key to success with osmosis is in the membrane. An osmotic power plant exploits nature's tendency to seek equilibrium: with seawater on one side of a membrane and freshwater on the other, nature attempts to restore the salt balance by diluting the seawater, i.e. transporting water molecules from the freshwater to the seawater.
Source: Forskningsradet
UK-Norway "supergrid" agreement
Norway and the UK have started talks about developing a single electricity grid which could see the world's longest subsea cable installed allowing North Sea wind farms and petroleum installations to be linked up.
Electricity transmission system operators National Grid in Britain and Norway's Statnett have signed an agreement to study connecting up the Norwegian and UK power grids with a single high voltage direct current power cable with "nodes" to allow wind farms and offshore oil and gas platforms to hook into the system - reducing the need for offshore power generation on platforms.
Source: www.offshore247.com
Hywind hails Norway's green energy future
Ten kilometers off the south-west coast of Norway, Statoil's Hywind project is putting next generation technology through its paces.
The Hywind pilot is to be tested over a two-year period. It combines technology from both the wind power and oil and gas sectors, and draws on expertise gained from Statoil's long offshore experience.
Statoil is investing around NOK 400 million in the construction and further development of the pilot, and in research and development related to the wind turbine concept. The public corporation Enova SF, whose aim is to promote the transition to environmentally friendly energy use and energy production in Norway, has granted NOK 59 million in support for the project.
The wind turbine can be placed at ocean depths of between 120 and 700 metres.
Source: www.statoil.com
Clipper to develop offshore wind turbine in North East England
Clipper Windpower Plc announced that its subsidiary, Clipper Windpower Marine Limited, was awarded £4.4million under the ETF Offshore Wind Demonstration Call previously announced by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in May.
The Grant funding will contribute towards costs associated with the development of blades for the "Britannia Project", a 10 MW offshore wind turbine prototype under development by Clipper in North East England. Scheduled for deployment in late 2011, Clipper's 10 MW wind turbine is among the world's largest under development.
Source: www.northeastengland.co.uk