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May 2021

Creating software-defined energy systems

With the Biden administration’s ambitious plans to ramp up offshore wind production, along with a multi-trillion-dollar plan to boost the country’s infrastructure, it becomes all the more important that essential software and computing power are accessible to help aid in the creation of new methods to build, maintain, and operate this massive undertaking.
To that end, the people behind LF Energy and The Linux Foundation are hard at work to ensure the Linux kernel is protected and available to all.

Just what is the Linux kernel? LF Energy’s Shuli Goodman explains.

“The Linux kernel is probably one of the world’s most amazing collaborative efforts,” she said. “And it is, in essence, the operating system of the planet. The Linux kernel was a hack by Linus Torvalds. He was a student in Helsinki. He was unable to afford either a Microsoft server or a Sun workstation, so he hacked the solution on commodity hardware. And that project has been built and built and built — so much so that IBM gave up its own operating system.”

To put it in even more perspective of the importance of the Linux kernel, Goodman said that, although Microsoft may have a Windows operating system, all of its business — particularly with regards to the cloud — is on Linux.

“It represents really the foundations of our digital world and what has happened in open source,” she said. “And open source really could be defined as a permissive intellectual property license that allows for collaborative investment.”

Through the Linux Foundation and LF Energy, projects that depend on the Linux kernel can be developed and nurtured to grow, which would be advantageous to the wind-energy industry. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)

Neutral Governance

At the Linux Foundation, which was founded to protect the intellectual property of the Linux kernel, they believe that, in addition to permissive IP licenses such as Apache 2.0 or an MIT, neutral governance is also a must, according to Goodman. And through the Linux Foundation and LF Energy, projects that depend on the Linux kernel can be developed and nurtured to grow.

“Anyone can contribute to a project; you do not need to be a company, you do not need to have a special membership; it is what we refer to as a duocracy,” she said. “There are probably 25 (million) or 30 million open source projects on GitHub. We are 425 projects, so these are the projects that basically run the planet and that allow industry to transform. It’s kind of like putting in a superhighway and plumbing and then all of a sudden commerce can begin to move. We’re the plumbing and the superhighway.”

This type of arrangement could be crucial to renewable energy projects, particularly wind, according to Goodman.

“In order for renewable energy to scale and stay connected or integrated into a power-system network, a power-system utility or a system operator has to be able to afford that renewable energy and continue to maintain balance in the grid,” she said. “The grid that we have now was designed to utilize inertia to balance the grid, so that’s the supply and demand. And because it’s unidirectional — or has been until very recently — it has required a monopoly entity at the center in order to be able to ensure generation, transmission, and distribution for delivery into the home, so you automatically can switch a light, and it comes on. And most of us have never thought for a moment: How did that happen? It’s very magical.”

Moving to a Distributed Model

With the use of open source software, the ability to move from a centralized model to a distributed model moves closer to reality, according to Goodman.

“You’re essentially creating a web not all that dissimilar to the internet, and so we’re moving in to a distributed model that requires distributed computing, and it requires a new way of doing things,” she said.

Economically speaking, this type of model is ideal for wind energy, according to Goodman.
“If I were the wind industry, I would be absolutely looking at how I actually ensure that the people who buy my electrons have the capacity to actually afford as many as I can offer,” she said. “And I think a big bottleneck for wind is that you have operators who actually don’t know what to do with the wind, and so on any given day, you’ll have a lot of electrons that get lost and aren’t being utilized.”

The Linux kernel is probably one of the world’s most amazing collaborative efforts. It is, in essence, the operating system of the planet. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)

Some of the claims of things that will need to happen in order to fully realize the potential of wind are things such as load shifting — being able to move loads around, according to Goodman, and it’s necessary to deal with those moving parts at a rapid pace in order to implement price-based grid coordination.

“What that will enable is the wind operator to deliver as quickly as possible their perishable commodity — that electron — to a consumer who wants to buy that electron,” she said.

Limitations of Proprietary Software

And these new market structures of managing supply and demand will be quite complex, according to Goodman, and proprietary software will not be able to keep up with the influx of projects that will be needed to accomplish a wide range of goals.

“It’s in much the same way the internet never would exist if we continued to operate with proprietary software,” she said. “So, changes in an industry require modifications of the lower levels of the stack. If I were a wind operator, I’d be stomping my feet and periodically cursing that the people I want to sell my stuff to can’t buy it because they don’t know how to use it and they don’t have systems that are enabled to use it, nor do commercial and industrial customers, for instance, have the capacity to be able to shift and shape load and demand.”

An example would be industrial customers who plan the bulk of their load by integrating it with weather forecasting where a price or a day-ahead signal can be sent to a manufacturer that may require a high concentration of energy, according to Goodman.

“The wind industry is not going to be able to do that alone; they have to do it together with the operator and with the commercial interests so they can build that supply and demand and load shifting and load shaping, and that’s the reason why wind should be very interested and paying attention to the Linux Foundation and LF Energy,” she said.

Transforming the System

LF Energy is there to provide the neutral governance as well as the legal framework for collective collaborative investment, according to Goodman.

“In order to transform the system, it requires all the stakeholders, all the actors, to engage, but at some point, it usually starts with a few leaders going, ‘OK, this is costing us; our ability to sell our perishable electrons is really costing us because the people we want to sell it to can’t consume it,’” she said. “What we provide is a legal framework. We provide a neutral governance, so that no one player can rig the system, and this creates a new playing field. Imagine you have a playing field that’s in one place. What we do is help shift the playing field, and we help you change the level in your house.

It’s like, rather than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, we move into a completely different model, and we help you change floors. We have an entire team that only does open source every single day, and so we understand what it takes to build a community; we understand what it takes to manage software supply chains. We have a community, because, for this to work, you have to integrate 5G; you have to integrate cloud; you have to integrate utilities. All of those things require a high degree of cooperation, and we provide access to all that.”

The wind industry will need to look for new and innovative ways to ensure that the people who buy power have the capacity to actually afford as much as is offered. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)

Coordination Among Industries

And that cross-industry coordination is going to be extremely important as projects move forward, according to Goodman.

“The energy transition is not just going to be utilities; we have to coordinate with 5G, and that means telcos,” she said. “The new infrastructure is not transmission towers. The new infrastructure is cloud infrastructure — distributed computing. Even if that computing is on-prem, it still requires a support of infrastructure companies in order to enable it, so when I look at a high velocity data-intense power system of the future — which is where I think we’re going — it is going to require a whole new set of actors, besides the ones that have been involved, in order to make it happen.”

Some of those actors Goodman is referring to might include blockchain or, surprisingly, automotive.

“I just got off a call where we were really talking about the future of automotive, which of course is going to be of great interest to the wind companies, because they are basically going to be generating the electrons that are going to charge your car,” she said. “Well, guess what? That is a really complex thing to make happen if you’ve got a bunch of wind farms. It requires a high degree of sensitive stakeholder engagement that is able to enable new paradigms to emerge.”

Federal Help

With the Biden administration pushing progressive goals on renewables and infrastructure, Goodman expects federal help to be a plus, but Goodman’s mission will still a be a challenging one.

“I’m in conversations with a lot of people in the administration to try and create the infrastructure that will allow this to emerge, and it’s not a straight shot, even with a new administration,” she said. “I think that the bill that passed has a lot of influence in terms of the new kinds of infrastructures that we’re creating. But it’s critical. It’s essential. I think that there’s a real commitment, but that also does not mean that it’s a done deal. We have to create the future together, and so that’s what the Linux Foundation does best.”

International Participation

Part of Goodman’s and the Linux Foundation’s mission involves global cooperation, which Goodman said is a priority of LF Energy.

“I’m working very hard,” she said. “I have a group right now that I’m running with Canada, the European Commission, and the Department of Energy, and the thing we’re looking at is electric mobility. The degree of cooperation that we can achieve in order to scale this would be extremely important. How will this happen?

Some of it will be back channel; some of it will be direct, and mine is more of a back channel, but I think that we are very much a global community, and I can say without any doubt, Europe is way ahead of us, and we have neglected our investments for a long time, and the consequences for things like what happened in Texas, where they basically chose profit over actually maintaining and managing infrastructure.”

Debilitating challenges to the system are going to continue to repeat, according to Goodman, and it’s frustrating to see that the rest of the developed industrial modern world doesn’t have the problems the U.S tends to have.

“Our problems are directly because we have starved our infrastructure in order to provide outsized profits to a few individuals, and it’s a recipe for what happened in Texas, and there are some that suggest that the loss in Texas was approximately a half a billion dollars an hour,” she said. “If we have more of these things, we are going to cripple our economy. And we will have more, because I live in California where we had our own version of it.”

Getting the U.S. on Board

Goodman stressed that her team at LF Energy has a lot of work to do to create such a massive shift to how power structures are maintained in the U.S., but around the world, many countries have become extremely receptive to the concept.

“In Europe, it is accepted; in Asia, it is accepted,” she said. “We just signed with Blockchain and Sony, so we are building our membership pool. But the United States doesn’t quite get it yet; the executives don’t quite get it that part of what the Linux Foundation does is transform markets, and that can’t happen alone. It has to happen with 5G. It has to happen with Edge. It has to happen with automotive. It has to happen with blockchain. It has to happen with supply chain security. It has to happen with cloud. All of these things require a really high degree of cooperation.”

And for a naturally progressive industry like wind energy, the Linux Foundation’s expertise and experience make it an ideal entity to push its efficiency and success, according to Goodman.

“I see wind as a really big winner,” she said. “To the degree to which you have a product that you can’t get to market, I believe LF Energy is actually your vehicle to enable that market. I want to help you get to market.”

The Crosby Group lifts wind energy with chain accessories

The Crosby Group is established as a global lifting, rigging, material handling, and mooring hardware partner to the renewable energy sector, and has one of the most extensive, global engineering teams in the industry. Its product range combines to cover the entire wind-energy supply chain, including the plate clamps, pipe hooks, and shackles used during monopile fabrication, shackles for topside and subsea lifts, and load cells used for inspection of installed equipment. One example of how The Crosby Group supports the offshore wind industry was recently demonstrated by an order for chain accessories from Crosby|Feubo. These were used for a floating offshore wind-turbine (FOWT) project from a European client.

The scope of work included the design, manufacturing, and testing of long-term mooring shackles. Driven by a project timeframe restriction from the client and given a three-month window of opportunity, the package was successfully delivered on-time and within initial budget. The Crosby Group’s experienced and skilled engineering team with more than three decades of experience with this application delivered the chain accessories, complete with extensive in-house machining and testing.

Also of note, The Crosby Group recently launched into the wind-energy market the HFL Kenter, a new high fatigue life shackle, under the Crosby|Feubo brand. The shackle showcases design improvements on the popular Crosby|Feubo NDur Link, an accessory used for temporary and mobile mooring applications such as rigging and anchoring offshore platforms or vessels. The product can connect to a variety of stud link anchor chain or other mooring accessories.

More info www.thecrosbygroup.com

Southwire to supply onshore cables for Vineyard Wind project

Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc., and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), recently announced Southwire, a U.S.-based company, will be a key supplier for the design, manufacturing, and installation of the onshore cables for Vineyard Wind 1, a project that’s slated to be the first commercial scale wind farm in the United States.

“We’re proud to partner with Southwire, a leading U.S. company that clearly sees the tremendous potential of offshore wind,” said Vineyard Wind CEO Lars T. Pedersen.

“Partnerships with U.S. companies at all levels of the supply chain and in different regions of the country will be essential to maximizing the potential of this industry here in the U.S.

Vineyard Wind 1 has already teamed up with some strong local partners, and we look forward to many more partnerships like this as we take the next step to construct the project.”

In celebration of the partnership, the two companies met via video conference for a virtual contract signing. Leadership representatives from both organizations, including each CEO and others involved in the project, were in attendance.

Southwire’s facility in Huntersville, North Carolina, will manufacture the high-voltage cable for the onshore portion of Vineyard Wind 1.

Built in 2012, the plant consists of a 250,000-square-foot facility, featuring state-of-the-art technology for producing high-voltage and extra high-voltage underground transmission cables, ranging from 69kV to 500kV.

Helping to strengthen North America’s power transmission infrastructure, these cables transfer massive amounts of electricity and renewable energy — including wind and solar — in support of the nation’s smart grid initiative.

For the Vineyard 1 project, the plant will manufacture more than 32 miles of high voltage cable. Southwire’s high-voltage field services team, working with local laborers, will install the cable with a projected onshore site completion by the first quarter of 2023.

The cable will be part of the grid system that will be ready to provide power to 400,000 households from the 62 GE turbines.

The turbines themselves are planned to start being installed in the summer of 2023.
“Although we were not able to meet in person due to the pandemic, it was important to both of our organizations to meet virtually and officially sign the paperwork for this project,” said Norman Adkins, Southwire’s EVP chief commercial officer.

“Southwire is very excited to work with Vineyard Wind and provide a comprehensive solution for their business needs.

Our company prides itself on delivering success and evolving our organization in a sustainable manner that provides unparalleled products and services, and this opportunity reflects that commitment.”

More info www.vineyardwind.com

Snap-on Industrial’s WV1700 vises perfect for most applications

With four different jaw-size widths, the new WV1700 series vises from Snap-on Industrial are a perfect addition to any work bench in the aviation, wind power, natural resources, or manufacturing industries.

The WV1700 series vises come with features that make them durable for demanding applications, including an oversized anvil that provides a larger surface designed to take a beating in forming and shaping materials.

Built from 60,000 PSI ductile iron castings, the vise is virtually indestructible and is also backed by a lifetime warranty. It comes with a fully sealed 1-piece spindle-nut assembly that keeps lubricants in and contaminants out for smooth operation. The precision-machined slide bar eliminates “side-play” movement, regardless of the opened distance.

The vise’s serrated pipe jaws are made from machined steel and come with black phosphate coating for extended life. The 360-degree swivel base has double lockdowns for easy and secure access while in use.

The WV1700 series vises comes in four sizes:

  • 4 1/2” jaw width (WV1745A); 3 1/2” maximum opening; 2 1/2” pipe capacity.
  • 5 1/2” jaw width (WV1755A); 5” maximum opening; 3” pipe capacity.
  • 6 1/2” jaw width (WV1765A); 6” maximum opening; 3 1/2” pipe capacity.
  • 8” jaw width (WV1708B); 8” maximum opening; 3 1/2” pipe capacity.

More info b2b.snapon.com

GEV Wind Power, Wind Power Lab to offer blade services

GEV Wind Power, one of the world’s leading wind-turbine blade repair and maintenance providers, has merged with Danish-based Wind Power Lab, a leader in providing intelligent technology-based blade solutions to wind-park operators. The existing management teams, led by CEOs David Fletcher and Anders Røpke, will continue to lead their respective businesses in this growth market.

There remains a continued focus on producing more energy from renewable sources to drive down global carbon emissions in the coming years. This, together with the cost of wind-energy production being comparable to the cost of producing energy from fossil fuels, means wind energy is becoming an increasingly attractive option.

The world’s first internal blade inspection using a drone, developed by Wind Power Lab. (Courtesy: Wind Power Lab)

GEV provides field blade repair and maintenance services to wind-farm manufacturers and operators in the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., operating both onshore and in challenging offshore environments. Wind-turbine blades are susceptible to erosion and weather damage, which affects aerodynamic efficiency and reduces their energy production (and can sometimes stop the turbine operating altogether).

GEV specializes in providing highly qualified technicians to repair blades, reducing downtime, and maximizing production. It has repaired more than 5,000 turbines to date and, with turbines increasing in size and rotating faster, making them more prone to damage, GEV has a vital role to play in supporting the growth and ensuring wind turbines keep spinning.

Based in Denmark, the home of wind-turbine technology, WPL provides world-class blade expertise and machine-learning-enabled services for all wind-farm park owners, irrespective of the number of turbines they operate.

Asset managers worldwide can utilize WPL services for identification of blade defects and data-driven blade-repair recommendations. By accessing WPL services, clients are able to optimize their blade-maintenance strategies and ultimately reduce costs and maximize production.

As a combined force, the organization will operate with a global footprint and be able to provide a comprehensive range of cost-effective predictive blade maintenance services. The merger will also create the only independent service provider able to provide services to the whole rotor blade value chain and introduce to a wider client base new technologies such as blade internal drone inspections.

The combined group is backed by Bridges Fund Management, a specialist private equity investor focused on the transition to a more sustainable and inclusive economy.

More info www.gevwindpower.com

Ardian deploys digital systems for post-subsidy market

Ardian, a world leading investor in renewable energy, has partnered with leading software-as-a-service firms Greenbyte and Pexapark on a major upgrade to its digital asset management systems for its 3.5-GW-plus renewable energy portfolio.

Working directly with the teams at Greenbyte — a software platform designed to optimize renewable energy production across global portfolios — and Pexapark — a business that sets out to evolve the “operating system” for post-subsidy renewable energy management — Ardian Infrastructure has set out to implement a future-proof end-to-end renewable energy monitoring online platform that will help it and the management teams of its renewable platforms to create additional value and monitor technical and market risks in tandem.

These risk management goals are growing in significance and urgency for investors and operators as the renewables sector worldwide transitions into a new phase of operation; 10 years ago, most projects benefited from long-term subsidies. Today, the removal of subsidies across many markets means asset revenues and price risk must be actively managed through power purchase agreements (PPAs) and other revenue hedging mechanisms.

“Increasing exposure to the volatility of the ‘merchant’ power market is driving a fundamental shift in the way we look at and manage our portfolio for our investors,” said Mathias Burghardt, Head of Ardian Infrastructure. “On the one hand, we need to place greater emphasis on optimizing production to extract as many megawatt hours of clean power as possible from our assets. On the other, we must build our energy sales and risk management best-in-class expertise to control and hedge our financial exposure and stay on top of market dynamics to capture the best windows of opportunity.”

As Ardian continues to expand its renewables portfolio across Europe, the U.S., and Latin America, seeking further investment opportunities in its core markets while considering their transition out of subsidies, Ardian Infrastructure with its digital and data science team has taken a pioneering approach to digitizing its operating models.

By integrating Greenbyte’s asset monitoring and management platform, the Ardian Infrastructure team aims at being able to oversee and benchmark technical performance across its portfolio, covering three markets in Europe, five markets in the U.S., and two in Latin America.

“Full transparency on asset performance is a hugely powerful tool, and Greenbyte gives Ardian and its management teams a means of creating accountability, not only with its own investors, but also with regional operations & maintenance (O&M) teams and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs),” said Jonas Corné, CEO, Greenbyte. “This data will help Ardian incentivize performance and value creation activities across the portfolio, as well as hold other parties to account during contractual negotiations.”

More info www.ardian.com

VARD wins North Star Renewables contract for three SOVs

VARD, one of the world’s major designers and shipbuilders of specialized vessels, recently announced it has secured contracts for the design and construction of three service operation vessels (SOVs) for North Star Renewables in Scotland. The state-of-the-art hybrid trio will operate on the Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the North Sea.

The SOVs were developed by VARD in close cooperation with Aberdeen-based North Star, which has secured 10-year charter contracts for the trio from Dogger Bank Wind Farm in a broad international competition. The charters include options for three one-year extensions. Dogger Bank is currently under construction by joint-venture partners SSE Renewables, Equinor, and Eni and, when completed, will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

VARD 4 19 and VARD 4 12 — Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) for North Star Renewables. (Courtesy: VARD)

“We’ve worked closely with the team at VARD for over two years on the development of our SOVs for Dogger Bank,” said North Star Renewables CEO Matthew Gordon. “I’m delighted to be able to say that the work, which went into designing the vessels to meet the optimal standards of workability, comfort, safety, and sustainability, has resulted in us securing the award of three vessels on long term charters, which is a huge step for North Star on our journey to becoming a leading player within the SOV market. It’s exciting that these designs will now move into the construction phase, and continuing that journey with VARD is a natural extension of our strong relationship. We’re confident that we have a high-quality design and build partner that will support us in bringing these advanced new vessels to the market.”

Two of Vard Design concept designers, Thomas Brathaug and Stian Ona, have intimate knowledge of the vessels having spent many man-hours turning specifications into reality. Brathaug said one will be of the VARD 4 19 design and the other two of its VARD 4 12 design.

“The VARD 4 19 design has been developed specifically to handle planned maintenance on the Dogger Bank A and B wind arrays,” Brathaug said. “It is tailored for operations in the harsh North Sea environment more than 130 kilometers off the north-east coast of England. Crew well-being is vital to ensure safe and efficient operations, so safety and comfort have been a strong focus throughout the process.”

More info www.vard.com

Siemens Energy edge transmission products

Siemens Energy extends its switchgear and transformer portfolio with EdgeformerTM and EdgegearTM, thus presenting the world’s first high-voltage devices with edge computing at Hannover Fair 2021. The new generation of digitally enabled transmission products and systems opens new possibilities for grid operators to benefit from data-driven applications by deploying them within the local substation network.

The shift to an increasingly decarbonized energy landscape poses tremendous challenges to grid operators that require a new way of managing the energy system. (Courtesy: Siemens Gamesa)

The shift to an increasingly decarbonized energy landscape poses tremendous challenges to grid operators that require a new way of managing the energy system. The digitalization of power transmission assets in the substation, the heart of any electrical power distribution system, plays an important role to manage the increased feed-ins of renewable energy and the exponential increase of complexity.

While most digital solutions for substation assets rely solely on equipment with cloud connectivity, edge-enabled transmission products such as Edgegear and Edgeformer offer new possibilities to connect equipment directly within the substation without having to forego the benefits of cloud-based solutions such as app-based data analytics. Edge computing technology enables faster computing capabilities for quicker decision-making as well as data storage and processing onsite.

With edge computing the data is kept offline in the substation without compromising a seamless, secure, and easy integration into the existing customer IT-landscape. The result is a highly cyber secure system. Siemens Energy’s edge-enabled transformers and switchgear will come with app-based data analytics and asset management.

More info www.siemens-energy.com

Nexans to be preferred supplier on Empire Wind project

Nexans has signed a preferred supplier agreement (PSA) with Empire Offshore Wind LLC to electrify the future of New York State by connecting the Empire Wind offshore projects to the onshore grid.

The turnkey projects cover the full design and manufacturing, as well as the laying and protection of more than 300 kilometers of export cables that will deliver renewable energy to more than 1 million homes.

Empire Wind is being developed by Equinor and BP through their 50/50 strategic partnership in the U.S. Empire Wind is planned for an area of 80,000 acres, in federal waters, an average of 33 kilometers south of Long Island, east of the Rockaways.

Two cable systems will connect the offshore substation for Empire Wind 1 to landfall and substation in Brooklyn, New York. In contrast, Empire Wind 2 will link to Long Island by three parallel cables.

“We are excited to be a trusted, long-term supplier on the development of the Empire Wind projects and to participate in placing New York State on the way toward reaching 70 percent of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2030,” said Christopher Guérin, CEO of Nexans.

“This partnership demonstrates the value of our unique end-to-end model and supports our investments in U.S. offshore wind and the new state of the art Aurora cable-laying vessel. Nexans is engaged in ‘Electrifying the Future’ and supporting all our stakeholders on the path to greener energy.”

More info www.nexans.com

Vineyard Wind selects DEME for turbine installation

Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), recently announced DEME Offshore US LLC will serve as its contractor for the offshore transport and installation of the wind-turbine generators for its Vineyard Wind 1 project, the first large scale offshore wind installation in the United States.

DEME Offshore US LLC is teaming up with FOSS Maritime Company LLC, a US maritime service contractor that provides union jobs for its employees. FOSS will provide the Jones Act compliant feeder vessels, a concept by which the wind turbines will be transported from the port of New Bedford to the specialized DEME Offshore US LLC installation jack-up vessel. The DEME Offshore US LLC office in Massachusetts will be the base of operations for activities for the Vineyard Wind project.

Located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Vineyard Wind 1 is slated to become the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the United States. (Courtesy: Vineyard Wind)

“We’re very excited to make this announcement … not only because it’s an important step in the development of our first project but also because of the impact it will have on the U.S. workforce,” said Vineyard Wind CEO Lars T. Pedersen. “The offshore wind industry has tremendous potential to create good paying jobs and investment opportunities while also reducing carbon pollution. By working with companies like DEME Offshore US LLC and FOSS Maritime, we can ensure that US labor is gaining from the experience of well-established operators, so that the industry can take proper root and grow a fully American workforce.”

“DEME Offshore US LLC is proud to work together with Vineyard Wind on the start of a new era in the U.S. offshore wind market,” said Jan Klaassen, Director DEME Offshore US LLC. “The partnership of DEME Offshore US and FOSS Maritime brings our expertise about offshore wind and U.S.-related activities together, which is the cornerstone of a successful solution. Our method is Jones Act compliant, driven by high-tech engineering, patented solutions, and special adaptions to both companies’ vessels for this project. The deployment of the U.S. feeder concept by the DEME Offshore US/FOSS Maritime Team will create a great opportunity for U.S. mariners to get familiar with the offshore wind industry.”

“Beginning in 1889, we have provided our fleet of highly capable tugs, deck cargo barges, marine engineering staff, experienced project managers, and highly trained mariners to work on complex marine projects in harsh environments,” said Will Roberts, president of Foss Maritime. “We appreciate the opportunity to work closely with DEME Offshore US LLC in support of the Vineyard Wind project.”

“This announcement is great news for our region and, in particular, for the hard-working men and women in the maritime trades,” said Gerard Dhooge of the Seafarers International Union and president of the Boston & New England Maritime Trades Council, AFL-CIO. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a new industry that will help middle-class families and those trying to make it to the middle class. With partners like Vineyard Wind, DEME Offshore US, and FOSS Maritime partnering with organized labor, we can and will create a more prosperous future for people in the New Bedford region and throughout Massachusetts.”

More info www.vineyardwind.com

Siemens Gamesa to deliver 100 turbines to Sofia project

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has been awarded the firm order from RWE for the 1.4 GW Sofia offshore wind power project. Sofia represents a giant leap for the company; located 195 kilometers off the U.K.’s north eastern coast on Dogger Bank in the North Sea, the project will be the first to install the company’s flagship 14-MW Direct Drive offshore wind turbine.

At 593 square kilometers, the Sofia project will also cover an area greater than that of the Isle of Man and will utilize the evolutionary technology of the SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbine commercially for the first time anywhere in the world. The development brings other milestones; the 100 turbines will be installed furthest from shore of any project yet undertaken by the company and will feature the world’s largest single-cast turbine blade at 108-meters long.

The B108 blades being used at Sofia are more than six times longer than the first offshore wind turbine blades ever installed, namely the 16-meter long blades used at Vindeby in Denmark in 1991. The 35-meter water depth, the distance from the U.K.’s coastline and the sheer scale of the turbine and its components make the stable, proven technology of Siemens Gamesa’s Direct Drive technology — where no gearbox is involved — an obvious choice for the Sofia wind-power project. The strong, reliable winds far from shore will enable the completed wind-power project to power the equivalent of 1.2 million U.K. households. Offshore construction work for the Sofia project will start in 2023 with turbine installation set for 2025.

The B108 blades take advantage of the IntegralBlade® technology, as well as the superior Siemens Gamesa PowerEdge™ solution and lightning protection system. (Courtesy: Siemens Gamesa)

“The U.K. is the world’s largest offshore wind market, so it is appropriate that it should be the first to install the world’s largest turbine in production, the SG 14-222 DD,” said Marc Becker, CEO of the Siemens Gamesa Offshore Business Unit. “We are proud to be partnering with RWE on another highly significant project and to bring our industry-leading machine to this huge development. A wind-power project of this scale is possible due to the cutting-edge use of technology in the turbines, in their manufacturing, and in installation. Rapid innovation of proven technology has made this leap in generating capacity possible — and with it a leap forward toward the goals of decarbonizing energy and achieving Net Zero.”

“As a leading player in offshore wind, we are delighted to be the first company to sign a firm order with SGRE for these state-of-the-art offshore wind turbines, and that Sofia will be the first project to install them,” said Sven Utermöhlen, chief operating officer of Wind Offshore Global for RWE Renewables. “The fact that our largest offshore wind project will utilize the most innovative and technologically advanced turbines demonstrates RWE’s continued ambition to be a trailblazer at the forefront of the offshore wind sector. We have previously partnered with SGRE on a number of our offshore wind projects, and we look forward to constructing a flagship project that will make a significant contribution both to expanding our renewables portfolio and to the U.K.’s ambition of growing offshore wind capacity to 40 GW by 2030.”

The giant leap forward in generating capacity is a critical tool in building a greener power infrastructure and a step forward to achieving Net Zero. Although the Sofia development will cover an area equivalent to the Isle of Man, the generating capacity would power households the equivalent of 14 times the Isle of Man, or four times a city the size of Hull — the center of the U.K.’s offshore wind power industry.

Siemens Gamesa’s long association with the U.K. sees Sofia as the latest step in offshore wind developments that began in 2011. Since then, the company has installed about 1,700 offshore wind turbines totaling more than 8 GW of capacity. Included in these achievements are three successive “world’s largest” wind-power projects and the creation of a hub for U.K. offshore wind expertise with the company’s manufacturing, port, and training facility in Hull. The firm order for Sofia is accompanied by a contract to undertake the service and maintenance of the 100 turbines.

More info www.siemensgamesa.com

Conversation with Francis Padula

Being able to monitor constantly changing weather patterns will be a crucial element of constructing and maintaining offshore wind farms in the U.S. To that end, GeoThinkTank LLC has developed an app that could be an important tool for the wind industry. Wind Systems recently talked with GeoThinkTank LLC’s owner and CEO Francis Padula about his company’s app, Nautical Eye, and how it is able to gather and disseminate weather data, forecasts, and more in real time.

What is GeoThinkTank LLC, and what is your role there?

I’m the owner and CEO of GeoThinkTank LLC. It’s a technology company located in Washington, D.C. We’ve been in business for over seven years, providing imaging science and geospatial consulting support to U.S. government customers that include NASA Goddard, NOAA NESDIS, and NOAA fisheries. I created the company with the mission of bringing sensors to life and Nautical Eye’s our first commercial product.

What is Nautical Eye, and what inspired this creation?

Nautical Eye is environmental intelligence. It’s a mobile app for maritime and land applications that provides users with a time-sensitive, comprehensive picture of their environment to inform and aid their decision-making.

We wanted Nautical Eye to help foster a connection to our blue planet in hope that it inspires a greater appreciation, respect, and a passion to explore, enjoy, and protect it. In short, weather is a fundamental component of our lives, and providing easy access to information enables decision-making and safety.

How does Nautical Eye work? How does it go about doing what you just said it does?

Nautical Eye delivers data on demand from our state-of-the-art environmental geospatial data services. We have a free version of the app, and then a pro version with a subscription on a monthly basis for $9.99 a month or $99 for the year.

In the app, there’s essentially four main components: There’s a products page, which gives you point weather access for both land and offshore U.S. waters and territories that provides wind, weather, wave information, tides, special weather statements, text forecasts, zone forecasts, and more. We also provide custom satellite products such as water surface temperature, ocean color, and water turbidity. All that information is dynamically changing as the satellites provide it.

Then you have observations that provide information from instruments, information collected of what’s happening now from buoys, tide stations, and weather stations to real-time weather radar and satellite imagery, which is updated every five minutes. We also have location-based satellite lightning notifications that notify users of when lightning has been observed in their area. We also have a forecast page, which gives users a graphical representation of a forecast, nautical charts, and more.

So, it’s a comprehensive suite of data that helps people make informed decisions.

Nautical Eye gives point weather access for both land and offshore U.S. waters and territories that provides wind, weather, wave information, tides, special weather statements, text forecasts, zone forecasts, and more. (Courtesy: GeoThinkTank LLC)

What makes Nautical Eye an important tool for the offshore wind industry?

Nautical Eye provides on-demand weather and environmental data that gives businesses information to support operations, planning, and the safety of their employees all in one easy-to-use app.

For whatever the application, we provide layers of information. There are no absolutes in weather forecasting, so Nautical Eye enables users to layer information to enhance their situational awareness. If you’re a diver and you want to get in the water, you understand water quality, water temperature, wind, waves, etc. Whether you’re transporting personnel or you’re on the platform, you may be interested in fog, waves, winds, and the challenges that may be ahead. Or if you’re at the port; you have information that, again, is accessible to not just the decision makers, but to everyone across your enterprise.

How do you see Nautical Eye becoming an integral part of offshore wind?

I see Nautical Eye becoming an integral part of offshore wind by companies adopting and providing their employees access to the app to help inform their business operations, planning, and keep their employees safe with our environmental intelligence.

What’s your next step in getting Nautical Eye to these types of companies?

The app is available on the Apple app store and Google Play app store. This is our first conversation with the wind sector, and we’re excited to further this discussion and see where it goes. We’re even open to tailoring to see if there are other products that will better serve the industry.

Many wind companies already rely on ways to obtain weather data, so what makes Nautical Eye unique in this respect?

It’s the access to a suite of environmental intelligence products, all in one app — it’s just access. One of the most fundamental elements of data is having easy access to it.

That is the driver. Now, one thing to note is that Nautical Eye is powered by a custom data engine that was built solely to feed the app (meaning only Nautical Eye users have access to our data engine). Essentially, we built a custom data engine to aggregate data and get it out in a timely fashion, so we can make data access on-demand at your fingertips on a mobile device.

What would be involved in getting that access?

You can access all of Nautical Eye’s products by downloading the app on the Apple app store or Google Play app store.

Are you just looking to have this application be used for offshore wind in the U.S.? Or do you see it as a global application?

Right now, we’re focused on only the U.S. as we’re mirroring the National Weather Service forecast domains. But as we grow and see interest, we do intend to explore expanding our coverage.

You talked about Nautical Eye being used for offshore wind developments, but you also mentioned the app’s ability to monitor lightning, which is often a big challenge for wind turbines. In that respect, do you see Nautical Eye being used in an onshore capacity?

Absolutely. There is a lot of information out there regarding weather, but redundancy is key when you talk operations, and introducing new products can really be the difference. For example, the U.S. just launched a series of new weather satellites in geostationary orbit. As part of that mission, there’s the geostationary lightning mapper.

We’ve integrated that data into our data engine and enabled our users to get text-based notifications of when lightning is observed by satellite based on their location and proximity to the lightning (updated every five minutes). So, the big difference here with the ground lightning systems is that you get to really understand the spatial extent of lightning, and we think that can really help keep people informed and safe with information delivered right to their mobile devices.

Anything else you’d like to mention about Nautical Eye that might be advantageous to wind that you haven’t discussed?

In terms of everyday operations, I think both on land and offshore are especially important. Like any service, it does require you to have some way to communicate with the internet. On land, it is very easy to use. As you go offshore, you’re going to need a satellite link or some other source to get your on-demand real-time information. But the important thing is that, Nautical Eye provides the opportunity for everyone to have access to the same information across your enterprise, and I think that can be really helpful for business operations, planning, and safety.

More info www.nauticaleye.com

RAD Torque Systems: Stronger, Lighter, Faster

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Practically everything in the world is put together with nuts and bolts, and wind turbines are no exception.

That’s why it’s important to have tools that are responsible for tightening those nuts and bolts to exact specifications, and RAD Torque Systems has been supplying those precision tools to a myriad of industries, including wind, for a quarter of a century.

“RAD offers a complete control bolting solution,” said Irene Tod, vice president of sales and marketing at RAD Torque. “We offer reliable, ergonomic, and accurate torque solutions for manufacturing, erection, and the maintenance of wind turbines both onshore and offshore.”
But RAD not only offers tools, it is proud to offer the expertise that goes behind it, according to Tod.

“At RAD, you’re not just getting a tool you can use, you’re getting a whole team of support behind you,” she said. “Our team is here to customize solutions for even the toughest challenges within the wind industry. From design, to engineering and manufacturing, it is all done in-house, and this gives us the ability to be flexible and responsive with our manufacturing process, which in turn gets products, accessories, everything faster to the customer.”

The E-RAD Series being used on wind turbine. (Courtesy: RAD Torque Systems)

Reliability

Tod stressed that RAD has seen a lot of success stories about the reliability of the torque wrenches the company manufactures.

“For over 25 years, we’ve produced a really robust gearbox,” she said. “We often get photos or emails from individuals who need us to service a RAD Torque wrench that’s more than 20 years old that is still going strong. Last year, we had an electronic E-RAD BLU from GE that came back for calibration and had over 2 million cycles on it.”

When Tod said a typical torque tool averages about 40,000 cycles a year, the durability of the tools RAD manufactures becomes evident.

“It was one of our first generations of E-RADs,” she said. “We’ve improved it so much over the years, but it’s validating to see them still in use.

E-RAD BLU

Although RAD Torque has the capability to custom design its tools when necessary, the company does offer a standard product line, particularly its E-RAD BLU torque wrench, according to Tod, which is the company’s electronic tool designed specifically for wind.

The E-RAD BLU Series includes multiple model wrenches, which can be used in combination with one controller; it has Bluetooth connectivity with the RAD Smart Sockets, as well as the E-RAD BLU touch control case and the recently released E-RAD BLU-S, which is equipped with a transducer.

Preventative Maintenance Capabilities

RAD Torque’s E-RAD wrenches work in tandem with preventative maintenance software to aid in data collection and send out reminders to technicians when the tools require attention, according to Tod.

“These bolts are critical,” she said. “You don’t want one of the blades falling off because of the vibration. It’s really important that it’s torqued accurately.”

As the wind industry continues to evolve, it also continues to grow, quite literally, which means RAD Torque must also work smart to keep up with the constant challenges, according to Tod. That includes listening to the customer and continuing to invest in technology to make torque wrenches more seamless and safer.

The E-RAD Offset Application has a 90-degree rotatable gearbox. (Courtesy: RAD Torque Systems)

“As the demand for data collection and having everything traceable in real-time has grown, we’ve also grown with that to keep up,” she said. “We’ve doubled our engineering capacity with a big focus on electronics. We also continue to invest in the latest CNC machines. We have over 40, and that’s to help with the larger gearboxes and the larger parts for the larger bolts that they’re going to be using it on.”

Working with the Customer

Even with a standard line of tools, it is often necessary to work with a customer to create something new to meet a changing industry, according to Tod.

“If somebody comes to us with a challenge, we actually get quite excited,” she said. “We love having that continuous feedback loop as it gives us and our team here the opportunity to come up with solutions, send a prototype to the customer fast, and hopefully solve the problem together.”

That pride in collaboration is evident in RAD’s engineering staff, according to Tod.
“We’ve got one engineer here who, I call him our innovation guy, and he can put something together in a day,” she said. “Once he’s comfortable with that, we’ll get that over to our programmer. And within four to six weeks, we can have a full-on prototype out the door. We are that responsive.”

Part of RAD’s quick response talents were recently put to the test when a turbine manufacturer was creating a tower where the bolts were fitted vertically, as opposed to horizontally, according to Tod.

“A lot of tools were not fitting because there was no clearance,” she said. “It was right up against the ground so gearboxes and the handle of a torque gun could not fit. So, they presented us with that challenge and then one of our engineers said, ‘Hey, let’s do this.’”
RAD’s engineers ended up creating a 90-degree rotatable gearbox, according to Tod.

“That way, the gearbox can go on, and there’s enough clearance, and the handle can rotate and technicians can hold the handle up at a 90-degree angle, and that solved that issue,” she said.

The B-RAD Battery Series tool being used on turbine. (Courtesy: RAD Torque Systems)

Safety and Ergonomic Goals

As turbines continue to get larger and more efficient, Tod said RAD Torque will continue its innovation in safety and ergonomics in an ongoing attempt to keep making its tools smarter. And that includes being available for the offshore business that is making its way to the U.S.

“We do some offshore in Europe, and every few months we just get an email, ‘GE is making this turbine; we need these larger tools,’” she said. “I think we’re going to do a lot more in offshore and all over the world, too. They’re starting to come here, and we already have a lot of solutions for them. It’s getting them in our distributors’ hands for trials to the customers. And last year actually, in the U.S., even with COVID and everything going on, our E-RAD sales had increased by about 25 percent in the U.S., which just shows that renewable energy and clean energy are really pushing harder in the U.S.”

The E-RAD Series being used on wind turbine. (Courtesy: RAD Torque Systems)

Humble Beginnings

That’s quite the achievement for a company that literally began life in the owner’s garage 25 years ago.

Owner Dan Provost worked in the bolting industry, and he saw opportunities to improve some of the torqueing tools that were being used at the time, according to Tod. When he was blocked by a lot of red tape, he decided to make the improvements himself.

“He started in his garage researching and designing different options; he was even welding different arms in his garage,” she said. “And RAD really grew organically year after year, and next year we’re going to be moving into our new facility. But honestly, that’s the way Dan has done it, just organically finding opportunities and getting together and making it happen.”

RAD Torque’s main goal is to design and manufacture tools to help the wind industry, and that ability, according to Tod, always circles back to RAD’s owner.

“The reason why Dan started the company was to keep improving upon products and listening to customers’ challenges,” she said. “That gives us the ability to get with the customer, have them get with our distribution, talk with our engineers directly, and in turn, manufacture something that can help make a hard job easier.”

Expanded U.S. wind-energy capacity

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Extensive research is underway to determine how to maximize the amount of electricity generated from wind power. This work is important because it will determine how optimally to expand wind-energy capacity.

In a TLT article [1], a theoretical study was conducted to predict locations in the U.S. where wind farms should be located. The authors used the Analog Ensemble Approach to predict wind speeds at specific locations using data from specific dates in the past that have the same weather at the time of forecasting.

Sara C. Pryor, professor in the department of earth and atmospheric sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., indicates there is further opportunity to expand wind-energy capacity in the U.S.

“Decarbonization of the electricity generation system is clearly needed, and the U.S. has excellent wind resources, and wind energy is now competitively priced compared to other sources,” she said.

Currently, the U.S. produces about 7 percent of its electricity from wind energy.

“The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) proposed in 2014 that 20 percent of U.S. energy be supplied from wind energy by 2030,” Pryor said. “Reaching that goal is consistent with historical trends and would contribute to energy self-sufficiency while achieving contributions toward reducing energy-related air pollution and climate forcing (greenhouse) gases.”

Currently, the U.S. produces about 7 percent of its electricity from wind energy. (Courtesy: Canstock)

Concern has arisen from recent studies that suggest adding wind-energy capacity might affect regional climate.

“A notable study used rather unrealistic assumptions and very crude models, and likely is not robust, but it received press attention,” Pryor said.

Pryor gives the following explanation for how operating wind turbines can affect surface climate: “There is a ‘wake’ after each wind turbine where the wind slows down (due to extraction of momentum by turbines to convert that mechanical energy into electrical energy), and the turbulence levels (mixing) increase due to passage of the blades through the atmosphere. As the wind flow continues downstream, the wake spread mixes with surrounding undisturbed flow, and the wind speed recovers to levels that would be present if the wind turbines were not present. The addition of turbulence by wind turbines causes the lowest portions of the atmosphere to mix more — that means at night, warmer air is mixed down toward the surface from higher in the atmosphere, and equally during the day warmer air is mixed up from the surface.”

The researchers decided that a more realistic and robust study was needed to quantify the magnitude of the effect of wind turbine wakes and assess what happens when wind-turbine capacity is quadrupled in the eastern U.S. to meet NREL’s 2030 wind-energy goals.

Sara C. Pryor, professor in the department of earth and atmospheric sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York., says there is further opportunity to expand wind-energy capacity in the U.S. A new study has shown that increasing wind-turbine capacity will not affect the efficiency of electrical power production, nor affect near surface climate properties. (Courtesy: Sara C. Pryor/Cornell University)

Re-Powering Scenarios

Pryor and her colleagues ran long-term, very high-resolution numerical simulations to determine the impact of added wind-energy capacity on the efficiency of electrical power production and surface climate. They used 2014 because this is the base year of the NREL study.

“We chose domains to cover about half of the currently installed wind turbines in the U.S.,” Pryor said. “Once we defined the domain, we then found the locations of all 18,200 wind turbines operating within the eastern U.S. in 2014, along with their turbine type. For each wind turbine in this region, we determined their physical dimensions (height), power, and thrust curves for a 10-minute operating period to compute how much power they would generate and how extensive their wake would be (both are a function of the wind speed that impinges on the turbines).”

The researchers also used re-powering scenarios to take into account that new wind-energy capacity will be added without the need for additional land by increasing the capacity of individual wind turbines.

“Not all future increase in wind-turbine-installed capacity will be achieved via re-powering, but use of re-powering scenarios avoids speculation regarding where new wind-turbine arrays will be developed, and it ensures that increases in installed capacity are placed where there are already grid connections,” Pryor said. “Thirty percent of U.S. wind farms are expected to undergo re-powering by the end of 2020, which means that this method to project how increased wind-turbine energy expansion will be realized is consistent with industry trends.”

“In our scenarios, the number of wind turbines is held constant, but older generation wind turbines are replaced by newer, higher capacity wind turbines to enable us to quadruple capacity in order to meet the NREL energy objective,” she said.

Researchers use re-powering scenarios to take into account that new wind-energy capacity will be added without the need for additional land by increasing the capacity of individual wind turbines. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)

Two sets of base years were used by the researchers in conducting the simulations.

“Wind resources vary from year-to-year as a result of natural climate variability,” Pryor said. “Our simulations are conducted for a year with relatively high wind speeds (2008) and one with lower wind speeds (2015/2016). This interannual variability of wind resources is due in part to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and, thus, provide a first estimate of the influence of internal climate variability on system efficiency and climate impacts from wind turbines.”

The change in wind-turbine system efficiency in the eastern U.S. is only limited.
“Expansion of the installed capacity has only a small impact on system-wide efficiency,” Pryor said. “A quadrupling of installed capacity will lead to electrical power production increases of over 3.6 times.”

The study also concludes that near-surface climate properties, at both the regional and local scales, does not increase with the added wind-turbine installed capacity.
“Climate impacts from wind turbines are smaller than regional changes induced by historical changes in land cover and lead to smaller global temperature perturbations than those induced by the use of coal to generate an equivalent amount of electricity,” Pryor said.

The researchers hope to improve modeling of wind farm wakes in the future. Additional information can be found in a recent study [2] or by contacting Pryor at sp2279@cornell.edu.

REFERENCES

Canter, N. (2020), “Where to locate wind farms?” TLT, 76 (2), pp. 16-17.
Pryor, S., Barthelmie, R. and Shepherd, T. (2020), “20% of US electricity from wind will have limited impacts on system efficiency and regional climate,” Scientific Reports, 10, Article Number: 541, pp. 1-14.

The United States’ far offshore wind-turbine challenge

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More than 40 percent of the U.S. population lives near the coast, and the demand for clean sustainable energy is skyrocketing. Renewable energy is important to many Americans but so is a pristine waterfront view. The clear solution is harnessing deep-water, far offshore wind, allowing for consistent 24/7 energy production with turbines so far out at sea they are barely visible to the naked eye, thereby preserving critical nearshore views.

Power companies serving coastal communities are looking to work with offshore wind developers, and one of the most efficient, lower-cost energy potentials is predicted to come from far offshore wind. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the offshore wind market will grow 19 percent annually over the next eight years, reaching a cumulative capacity of 71 GW in 2025. According to the American Clean Power Association, more than 60 percent of this offshore wind energy will serve the U.S. coastal population. The time has come for the aesthetics and cost of offshore wind energy to be addressed.

The U.S. offshore wind industry is committed to the development and deployment of larger, taller, stronger turbines in deep water, where the wind consistently blows at hundreds of feet above sea level. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)

Fixed Bottom WTGs

In 2016, the first fixed bottom, offshore wind farm in the U.S was installed off the coast of Rhode Island. Since then, an additional 13 offshore wind leases have been awarded on the East Coast and one on the West Coast. The East Coast projects will be 6-MW to 14-MW fixed bottom wind turbine generators (WTG).

Fixed bottom WTG are installed in two stages: first the installation of the fixed bottom structure, then later, the deployment of the WTG using a jack-up installation vessel. This vessel can lift itself off the seabed with four massive leg structures, providing the on-board crane the stability and capacity out of the water to assemble the WTG. These jack-up vessels are limited to 200 feet of depth, which prohibits their installation in deep-water.

Direct-Drive WTGs

The U.S. offshore wind industry is committed to the development and deployment of larger, taller, stronger turbines with 14-MW to 20-MW direct-drive wind turbine generators (DD/WTG) to be deployed far out to sea (30 miles), in deep water, where the wind consistently blows at hundreds of feet above sea level. These new, larger DD/WTG will have the ability to produce more power from a single turbine all on a single floating platform. They will offer greater efficiency in power generation than height restricted land-based platforms and include other substantial benefits that include:

  • A 722-foot diameter rotor with smart blades is covering a wider area of wind.
  • The outer tip of the blades on some large DD/WTG can be as much as 853 feet above mean sea level to reach stronger and more consistent winds.
  • The far offshore, deep-water deployment location is far away from critical near-shore fishing grounds and bird migratory routes.
  • The distant location means any noise produced is well out of ear shot of coastal residents.
  • When viewed from the shore, the slow turning blades of these new turbines will appear to be the size of a silver dollar. The curvature of the Earth will place a large portion of the turbines’ mast below the horizon, while the white or gray blades and mast will all but disappear in most atmospheric conditions.

DD/WTG will have a gross capacity factor of 63 percent. These numbers are starting to close in on the most efficient geothermal energy sites in the U.S. operating at 74 percent.

Fixed bottom WTG are installed in two stages: first the installation of the fixed bottom structure, then later, the deployment of the WTG using a jack-up installation vessel. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)

Floating Foundation Design

The large new 14-MW to 20-MW DD/WTG will be the most powerful offshore generators to date. Their large size requires a floating foundation design with a strong resistance to overturning and heave motion of the high seas. European offshore wind floating foundation developers have more than 15 systems in varying stages of development but replicating them for use in U.S projects is problematic.

The U.S. has only two in the same stages: the semi-submersible and the U.S. spar buoy. The semi-submersible floating foundation is the result of a 10-year study now being prototyped full scale by the University of Maine. The efforts are being funded by a joint venture of Diamond Offshore Wind and RWE Renewables. The U.S spar buoy floating foundation, also 10 years in development, is in an advanced stage of technical readiness by a West Coast company, AMF Concepts. Both floating foundation systems are being scaled-up to support 14-MW to 20-MW DD/WTG and now must rethink their construction and deployment.

The University of Maine’s 15-MW offshore DD/WTG on a floating semi-submersible foundation has a tow-out width of 335 feet, a height of 885 feet, and a depth of 65 feet. However, the deepest harbor in the U.S. is 52 feet. The mooring width off the quay cannot exceed more than 30 percent of the harbor’s water ways. The average bridge, if encountered, has a 220-foot clearance. Finding solutions to overcome these restrictions will be challenging and require further study.

The U.S. spar buoy construction and deployment has evolved from a system originally designed to be built vertically on an ocean-going deck barge, then in a dry dock, then on land, with the final design using a vertical slip down system at a sea-anchored construction site outside the harbor.

Floating Spar Buoy

Scaling the U.S spar buoy to accommodate large DD/WTG has resulted in a floating spar buoy with an 80-foot outside dimension and a length of 625 feet. The construction design includes an integrated method of deploying the DD/WTG without the use of a crane ship and the associated exorbitant costs. Avoiding dependence on a crane ship is incredibly important for the growth of far offshore wind technology in the U.S. since the only crane ship design for offshore wind is still being tested in Europe. A crane ship from Europe cannot be used in the U.S since the Jones Act requires the ship has to be built and crewed in the U.S.

Europe has been building offshore wind for 25 years primarily because it ran out of space to build on land. It currently has deployed more than 5,000 WTGs at sea. In the U.S., we have seven. This makes for a sad commentary for a country that prides itself on being a technological leader in so many other industries. Europe has commercialized wind, and it is selling it to America, China, Japan, etc. All of the major wind developers over the last 10 years have set up companies in the U.S. such as Equinor AS, a Norwegian oil giant; Edpr Offshore out of Spain; Aker from Norway, Ideol and Principal Power, both from France; and Orsted, a Danish company.

Most of the offshore wind developers in the U.S. are partnering with these companies to serve this U.S. market for offshore wind. For the foreseeable future, all of the WTG and foundations being erected in the U.S. will be coming from Europe, and 98 percent of their experiences is in fixed bottom construction. This provides a unique opportunity for the U.S. to take the lead in the design, construction, and development of deep water far offshore wind energy.

Far offshore wind farms will be a major contributor to green energy with no impact to critical land mass. (Courtesy: Shutterstock)

Massive Offshore Energy Potential

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates there is a potential for capturing 4,333 GW of clean energy off the U.S. coasts, with the majority of it in far offshore deep water. The Offshore Energy Market predicts the future could include 10 clusters of 50-MW DD/WTGs covering an area of 50 square miles on each coast. This idea is based on expert projections from the International Energy Agency that far offshore, deep water wind is set to become a critical pathway for the global energy transition.

Our carbon-neutral future requires clean renewable energy, and the time is now for the U.S. to develop the new generation of systems necessary to harness the sustained winds found far out at sea. The U.S. is already developing a high-strength marine concrete with a new binder and rebar for the sustainable construction of post tension turbine towers for 14-MW to 20-MW DD/WTG. This alone could be a huge new industry.

Far offshore wind farms will be a major contributor to green energy with no impact to critical land mass. With investment in the design and implementation of the floating foundations necessary to successfully deploy DD/WTG in deep water far offshore locations, the United States could lead the way toward commercializing the far offshore wind industry for the whole world.

Wind powers through pandemic

2020 was not the year most people expected as the COVID-19 pandemic swept worldwide. However, it was a banner year for U.S. wind energy, despite the pandemic’s widespread disruptions. The U.S. market saw a record year in 2020 with developers commissioning 16.9 GW, representing an 85 percent increase over 2019. These new additions can provide enough energy to power more than 5 million homes.

A combination of factors contributed to such a strong year. The phase-out schedule of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) was a motivating factor, which offered 100 percent PTC value for wind projects that began construction or major investments in 2016 and had four years to complete construction and commissioning. But the record was also a manifestation of strong demand from American consumers for clean energy, including corporate America, which is increasingly turning to clean energy to power their businesses — and, of course, technology. Turbines are improving every year while manufacturers drive down costs.

Wind-power capacity has more than tripled in the U.S. since 2010 with an 11 percent compound annual growth rate over the last decade. (Courtesy: ACP)

The wind industry is an American success story. Wind-power capacity has more than tripled in the U.S. since 2010 with an 11 percent compound annual growth rate over the last decade. As of the end of 2020, there was 122 GW of wind capacity in the U.S. with more than 65,000 wind turbines operating across 41 states and two U.S. territories. Many states source substantial proportions of their electricity from wind — especially states in the windy central corridor with consistently strong wind resources. Iowa, for example, leads the nation generating more than 54 percent of its electricity using wind, following by Kansas with 43 percent. A total of nine states generate at least 20 percent or more of their electricity using wind. Texas is just under 20 percent, but its total capacity of 33 GW dwarfs capacity in others. Iowa has the second largest capacity with 11.6 GW operating.

2021 Wind

Going forward, wind deployments in 2021 will still be strong, but they will cool off from their high point in 2020 since the PTC value for projects completed in 2021 drops to 80 percent PTC value. Despite this, the pipeline of projects under construction and in advanced development shows a robust market for the foreseeable future. Projects totaling 35 GW were under construction (17 GW) or in advanced development (17 GW) at the beginning of 2021. Not all of this has been in the works for years — nearly a fifth of these projects started construction in the fourth quarter of last year and another 500 MW entered advanced development. Texas continues to lead with 5 GW of wind in the development pipeline. Wyoming follows at 3.5 GW of wind generation capacity under construction, while seven other states have more than 1 GW of wind capacity in the pipeline as of early 2021.

The developers behind capacity added in 2020 are most of the well-known developers and project owners that have been active for years in the wind sector. The top 10 owners of 2020 represent 62 percent of the wind-power capacity brought online. NextEra leads the group after bringing 13 wind projects online totaling 2,898 MW. Xcel Energy delivered five projects in 2020 totaling 1,420 MW, including New Mexico’s largest wind farm to date. Berkshire Hathaway brought nine projects totaling 1,223 MW online in 2020.

Capacity Additions

A couple relatively newer companies to the U.S. market followed with significant capacity additions in 2020: Engie (previously GDF Suez) installed 1,108 MW, and Ørsted — better known as the world’s largest owner of offshore wind plants — brought online 676 MW of onshore capacity via its North American subsidiary. For most of these wind plants (54 percent), the traditional long term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) was the power offtake mechanism of choice, followed by a higher than usual 29 percent proportion of direct utility ownership.

Despite the strong showing and robust pipeline, developers continue to report challenges. First, raising tax equity for projects in development is much more difficult due to economic uncertainty, tighter lending standards, and more limited capital allocations. Second, lingering pandemic impacts still disrupt supply chains, slow siting and permitting processes, and hinder construction and installation schedules. Resolutions of these issues are sure to unleash further wind-power growth.

Projects totaling 35 GW were under construction (17 GW) or in advanced development (17 GW) at the beginning of 2021. (Courtesy: ACP)

Wind-Turbine Manufacturer Trends in 2020

GE Renewable Energy (GE) led 2020 wind-power capacity installations, capturing 53 percent of new turbine capacity. Vestas ranked second with 35 percent of installations, followed by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) with 10 percent. Nordex USA represented the remaining 3 percent. On a capacity basis, the majority (71 percent) of turbines installed last year are rated between 2 MW to less than 3 MW, while 28 percent are rated at more than 3 MW. There are now 13 projects using 4-plus MW class turbines totaling 2,229 MW operating in the U.S.

GE’s 2.82-127 model was the most popular turbine installed in 2020, accounting for 28 percent of capacity additions, followed by Vestas’ V120-2.2 and the GE 2.5-127. For land-based wind projects, GE and Vestas account for 82 percent of projects under construction and in advanced development that have reported an OEM. GE represents 49 percent of this market; Vestas represents 33 percent, and Nordex captures 13 percent.

Capacity rating of wind turbines continues to steadily creep up, with the average turbine nameplate rating at 2.55 MW. Hub heights have reached an average of 90 meters, and rotor diameters averaged 121 meters in 2020. Increases in rotor diameter in most cases offer more efficiency gains than increasing hub heights.

These advances in wind-turbine capacity and scale are the primary drivers behind cost reductions. Median unsubsidized levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for land-based wind fell to $40/MWh in 2020, and this is a steady march in downward cost with LCOE having decreased 70 percent since 2009. Wind is now the lowest cost source of new power generations in many parts of the country.

Offshore Finally Taking Off

Offshore wind is finally poised to take off after many years of limited progress. The nation’s first commercial offshore wind project, the 30-MW Block Island Wind Farm, came online in December 2016, and no additional capacity was built until 2020 when the two-turbine, 12-MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project finished construction in June 2020. The bigger story is there are more than a dozen much larger projects on the cusp of moving forward. States are driving strong demand for offshore wind energy and have established targets to procure a total of more than 30,000 MW of offshore wind by 2035 in the 15 lease areas issued to date; 12 projects totaling 9,070 MW have secured a buyer, primarily through state solicitations, and most of this capacity will be brought online by 2026.

Additional solicitations are planned for the coming years in unleased areas of New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, Maine, and Hawaii to help states meet their offshore wind- and renewable-energy goals.

With stable policies in place, the Department of Energy found the U.S. could develop a total of 86 GW of offshore wind projects by 2050. As the U.S. continues to develop this homegrown resource, costs will continue falling, and value to consumers will grow. Just as LCOE has plummeted for land-based wind, costs have been rapidly dropping in the offshore sector as well — largely driven by enormous upscaling of wind-turbine size, which reduces the total number of foundations. Financial advisory firm Lazard is among the firms that estimates LCOE, and it finds that average LCOE for offshore wind was $87/MWh in 2020, down from its peak of $162/MWh in 2014. Further cost decreases are expected as technology improvements allow for larger turbines farther away from the shore.

As of the end of 2020, there was 122 GW of wind capacity in the U.S. with more than 65,000 wind turbines operating across 41 states and two U.S. territories. (Courtesy: ACP)

The next generation 12-15 MW offshore turbines in varying stages of pre-commercial development stretches the imagination of what is physically possible in this sector. Two announcements of new offshore wind turbines have occurred recently: In May of 2020, Siemens Gamesa unveiled its 222-meter rotor 14-15 MW unit under advanced development. In February of this year, Vestas unveiled its V236-15.0MW unit; its model name denoting its 236-meter rotor diameter and 15 MW nameplate capacity. GE was an early contender in this technological arms race when it announced in 2019 its 12-14 MW Haliade-X unit was in advanced development — a leap from GE’s previous largest 6 MW unit. All these next generation turbines in the 12-15 MW range are critical to bringing down the cost of offshore wind by reducing the total number of turbines and capital-intensive foundations needed for an offshore wind plant.

In late March 2021, the Biden-Harris administration announced an ambitious but achievable offshore wind goal of 30 GW by 2030. As the value of offshore wind is realized by consumers, utilities, and other stakeholders, the U.S. will see new jobs and investments in manufacturing and port infrastructure to support the growing offshore sector. A recent analysis by ACP found developing 30 GW of offshore wind could support up to 83,000 jobs and deliver $25 billion annually in economic output by 2030.

New York passes renewable-energy wage standards

New York State recently took a significant step toward generating thousands of good jobs and sustainable economic opportunity in New York’s renewable energy market. In what climate and job advocates are hailing as a crucial victory for all working-class New Yorkers, the announced FY 2022 budget agreement includes new provisions for prevailing-wage standards, among other crucial job standards, for all workers on renewable energy systems of 5 MW or more.

The renewable energy job standards package was the result of steady advocacy from the New York State Building & Construction Trades Council, the organization representing more than 200,000 unionized construction workers across the state. This marks a major victory for the NYS Building Trades, who under the new leadership of Gary LaBarbera, are making a major push for important job standards in New York’s burgeoning renewable energy industry.

“This is excellent news for New York,” said Gary LaBarbera, president of the New York State Building & Construction Trades Council. “This accomplishment reinforces that good middle-class careers with benefits must be — and now will be — central to our state’s sustainable economy. We’re grateful to Governor Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Heastie, and Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins for their continued advocacy in support of our working men and women, and we look forward to continuing to work with these exceptional leaders in creating good jobs and economic opportunity as we build towards the future.”

“The NYS AFL-CIO is proud of this victory led by Gary LaBarbera, president of the New York State Building and Construction Trades Council, which secures historic labor standards on large scale renewable energy projects across the state,” said Mario Cilento, president of the New York State AFL-CIO. “The Labor Movement, along with our partners, worked in lockstep to ensure we set a high bar in New York State by including prevailing rate, labor peace, Buy American, and Buy New York any time renewable energy credits are awarded on projects with a threshold greater than 5 MW. This is a tremendous victory that provides the right foundation needed to create good jobs utilizing a highly skilled workforce as we address climate change here in New York State.”

A wide and diverse range of labor and environmental advocates echoed the NYS Building Trades’ sentiments.

“We commend Governor Cuomo, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, and Speaker Heastie for their leadership in moving this groundbreaking legislation, which will not only ensure that we’re addressing the climate crisis, but also creating good union jobs at all stages of work throughout the renewable energy system,” said Vincent Alvarez, president of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

“These basic labor standards and responsible-contracting requirements are foundational for us as we continue to push for investment in climate action and green infrastructure at the scale science demands,” said Jeff Vockrodt, executive director of Climate Jobs NY, a coalition of labor unions representing 2.6 million New Yorkers committed to taking on both climate change and inequality. “We applaud Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Heastie, and other key legislative leaders, as well as Governor Cuomo and his team for securing these standards for New York workers in the clean-energy economy.”

According to the new standards for renewable energy systems of 5 MW or more with renewable energy credit (REC) agreements with any public entity, project owners must pay construction workers prevailing wage and be subject to DOL enforcement under Article 8. The project owner may be exempt from the above requirements with project labor-type agreements with state or local trades organizations.

In addition to these prevailing wage standards, the announced budget agreement includes provisions critical to ensuring a just transition for New York’s tradesmen and tradeswomen in the renewable energy industry, including requiring renewable energy systems of 5 MW or more with a REC agreement to:

Enter into a labor peace agreement with at least one labor organization seeking to represent employees involved in the necessary operations and maintenance services.
Comply with Buy American provisions for steel and iron products in the construction phase.
The agreement also creates a process by which NYSERDA or other public entities can create a bidding process to incentivize New York State renewable energy equipment and supplies during construction.

This package of new labor standards on renewable energy systems of 5 MW or more will apply to all RFPs and solicitations beginning October 1, 2021.

More info www.nybuildingtrades.com

Global renewables investment manager expands U.S. position

Greencoat Capital recently announced funds managed by Greencoat have agreed to acquire a 55 percent cash equity stake in a 405-MW wind portfolio in Illinois from EDP Renewables.

The transaction marks the second investment in the U.S. by funds managed by Greencoat, a leading global renewables investment manager, with more than $8 billion of assets under management. Greencoat’s “secure income” investment model aims to provide investors with predictable, stable income on a long term, buy and hold basis. In January 2021, Greencoat announced an investment in an 861-MW U.S. wind portfolio in joint venture with RWE and Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

Further U.S. wind and solar investments are expected as Greencoat builds on its leading position in European renewables by expanding its activities in the U.S. Greencoat believes the fast-growing U.S. renewables market provides interesting investment opportunities, with a range of returns available from differing offtake contracting strategies. Many of the leading developers in the U.S. are parties well known to Greencoat from its existing activities in Europe.

The portfolio comprises the Bright Stalk and Harvest Ridge wind farms in Illinois. Bright Stalk entered into commercial operation in December 2019 with an installed capacity of 205 MW in the PJM power market. Harvest Ridge entered into commercial operation in July 2020 with an installed capacity of 200 MW in the MISO power market. Vestas will continue to provide turbine operation and maintenance services under 15-year agreements. EDPR will remain as minority owner with responsibility for the day-to-day management of the wind farms.

The transaction is expected to close in June 2021, with the potential to upsize to 80 percent subject to agreement between the parties.

More info www.greencoat-capital.com

US Wind begins survey in Maryland offshore lease area

Maryland-based offshore wind developer, US Wind, Inc., has launched oceanographic survey activities within its Maryland offshore lease area. A team of scientists and other experts will collect data beginning in April into July 2021 to inform project design, including foundation type, turbine location, and cable burial routes.

“These seabed surveys are an important next step in our commitment to providing Maryland with clean, renewable energy,” said Jeff Grybowski, US Wind CEO. “Data collected will ensure safe and long-term operations and performance of our offshore wind facilities.”

Rendering of the eventual view of US Wind’s planned offshore wind farm project including 32 wind turbines — the “MarWin” project — about 17 to 20 miles from the coast of Ocean City, Maryland. (Courtesy: US Wind)

The geophysical survey operations will be conducted along a tartan-pattern survey grid by U.S. marine research vessels R/V Brooks McCall and the R/V Miss Emma McCall. Operated by TDI-Brooks, Inc., both vessels are designed to execute geophysical surveys for offshore hazard and site clearance assessments, cable routing, seafloor mapping, fisheries habitat mapping, and burial assessment studies.

US Wind has already begun an extensive outreach effort to local fishermen to inform them of these survey activities. Dedicated fisheries outreach specialists from Sea Risk Solutions will also regularly provide updates on the vessels’ scheduled activities. There will be no restriction on fishing in the offshore wind lease area due to these survey activities.

US Wind is also implementing extensive efforts to minimize impacts on marine life during survey operations. Expert Protected Species Observers will be aboard each vessel to monitor for the presence of protected species, such as the North Atlantic Right Whale, and ensure appropriate measures are taken to protect these species.

US Wind was founded in 2011 and has established its position as a premier offshore wind energy development company in the United States. In 2014, US Wind obtained a federal lease for site control to develop approximately 1.5 GW of offshore wind power generation off the coast of Maryland. US Wind is majority-owned by Renexia SpA, a leader in renewable energy development in Italy and a subsidiary of Toto Holding SpA. Toto Holding SpA has more than 40 years of experience specializing in large construction and infrastructure projects, primarily in the energy, transportation, and aviation sectors.

More info uswindinc.com

President Biden sets offshore wind target of 30 GW by 2030

The Biden administration has set a U.S. target of 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and aims to complete environmental reviews of at least 16 offshore wind projects by 2025 in a major set of policies and pledges announced by the White House March 29.

The offshore wind target is more ambitious than the target of 30 GW by 2035 set by the U.S. wind industry. President Joe Biden wants to create a new clean-energy economy, and the new measures will accelerate the transition to large-scale offshore wind projects and help to create thousands of jobs on the East and West coasts.

The US is poised to build its first large-scale offshore wind arrays and projects are queueing up for approval. (Courtesy: REUTERS/Morris MacMatzen)

U.S. offshore wind capacity lags far behind Europe, but project development is booming. Congress recently agreed to a new 30-percent investment tax credit (ITC) for offshore wind farms, providing greater certainty for investors. Earlier, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) completed its final environmental impact statement (EIS) for Vineyard Wind, the U.S.’s first large-scale offshore wind project.

U.S. offshore developers have warned of a growing queue for environmental approvals at BOEM, a division of the Department of Interior (DOI). The Biden administration has already issued an executive order for faster approvals, and BOEM now plans to complete the reviews of “at least 16 construction and operations plans (COPs) by 2025, representing more than 19 GW,” the White House said.

BOEM will also “advance new lease sales” and has created a new offshore wind development area in the New York-New Jersey Bight, a shallow water area between Long Island and New Jersey, it said. Following a public consultation, BOEM will tender for leases in the Bight in “late 2021 or early 2022,” it said.

Offshore wind developers, component suppliers, and transmission builders will also gain access to $3 billion of loan guarantees to help scale up capacity, after the Department of Energy (DOE) reopened its Loan Programs Office in March, the administration said. Power industry figures have urged East Coast U.S. states to set plans for onshore and offshore grid networks to accommodate waves of offshore wind build. The Biden administration will also offer $230 million of federal funding to port authorities to support offshore wind infrastructure.

By 2030, the U.S. offshore wind industry could employ 44,000 workers directly and support 33,000 additional jobs, the White House said.

More info www.reutersevents.com