BAR Technologies, a simulation-driven marine engineering consultancy, held the official launch of its first BARTech 30-crew transfer vessel (CTV) from its premises on The Camber, Portsmouth. BAR Technologies Chair Martin Whitmarsh, also chair of the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership, led his BAR Technologies colleagues to hand over the first vessel of its type to class leading OESV operator, Seacat Services.
As part of the launch, the vessel was named Seacat Columbia by Ian Baylis, founder of Seacat Services, and Martin Whitmarsh. Guests attending the ceremony were given an in-depth tour of the vessel and shown some of the key features that provide the new craft’s efficiency and handling.
As part of the launch, the vessel was named Seacat Columbia by Ian Baylis, founder of Seacat Services, and Martin Whitmarsh. (Courtesy: BAR Technologies UK)
The BARTech 30 was designed to address the two most pressing challenges of the offshore wind industry: vessel efficiency, and therefore emissions reduction, and the comfort in transfer, and subsequent effectiveness, of offshore wind engineers.
In the first instance, many of the major offshore wind developers and owners are beginning to look in earnest at the rates of fossil fuel consumption in wind-farm service vessels. Secondly, any offshore engineering personnel beset by sea-sickness in travel to a project must be returned to port, meaning that a vessel transporting up to 24 engineers must cease its transit to a project site, resulting in expensive downtime for the project owner.
With its 30-meter ProA design, and active foiling systems to correct for pitch and roll, the BARTech 30 is able to minimize vessel motion and fuel burn, leading to an average increase in stability across all sea states of up to 70 percent and a reduction in total emissions of 30 percent over a typical operational profile, making the vessel one of the first Low Emission Vehicles (LEVs) serving the U.K.’s growing fleet of offshore wind farms.
Additionally, with the vessel able to operate in more challenging conditions than the current catamaran designs, offshore wind turbines may be serviced over a greater number of sea states, ensuring wind-farm owners have more opportunities to better and more cost effectively provide turbine maintenance.
“BAR Technologies was established to leverage the highest level of engineering expertise and understanding of hydrodynamics from the fields of Formula 1 racing and the Americas Cup respectively, to take on some of the biggest challenges in vessel efficiency and maritime decarbonization,” said Martin Whitmarsh, BAR Technologies chair. “Alongside our pioneering wind propulsion technology for the shipping industry, our latest developments in crew transfer vessel design, demonstrated by the BARTech 30, are helping to significantly mitigate the ‘last mile’ of carbon emissions in offshore wind development and construction.”
“We know that the offshore wind industry has led several innovations in cost reduction since its inception,” he said. “We’re now able to take this efficiency drive one step further with a vessel design not only able to operate in wider offshore parameters and presenting new savings in servicing and maintenance, but, also combined with a significant reduction in fuel consumption.”
“Following our preview of the vessel at the Seawork maritime event in June, we’re thrilled to officially launch the BARTech 30 here at our home in The Camber in Portsmouth,” said BAR Technologies CEO John Cooper. “Having our first customer delivery is a key milestone in our development of the BARTech 30 program, and we look forward to seeing further customer orders for the vessel fulfilled in the near future.”
“In taking this pioneering design to market, we’ve been able to bring in elements of collaboration from other South Coast marine designers and consultancies, and the Isle of Wight based vessel manufacturer, helping to secure a domestic supply chain for a key part of the U.K. offshore wind industry,” he said.
The Lanfine Wind Project in Oyen’s Special Area 3 in Alberta has entered its final construction phase with the wind turbines being lifted and installed in their final locations, as well as the blades being attached to the rotors. This new facility is expected to be operational by the end of this year, after an investment of close to C$350 million.
Borea, the company in charge of the construction and installation of the 35 Vestas V150-4.2 MW wind turbines that will make up the wind farm, has required the collaboration of Sarens, a specialist in heavy lifting, engineered transport, and crane rental, for the lifting of each of the structures, as well as the lifting of the blades for their installation.
Thirty-five Vestas V150-4.2 MW wind turbines will make up the Lanfine Wind Project. (Courtesy: Pattern Energy)
For these tasks, Sarens has used a Liebherr LR1600 Crawler Crane, part of its fleet of cranes in Canada, thanks to its maximum lifting capacity of 660 U.S. tons with a main boom maximum length of 420 feet, and its great capacity to move over uneven and soft terrain, always guaranteeing the safety and viability of the operation.
The new Lanfine Wind Project, which will be operated by Pattern Energy, is considered strategic for the Alberta region’s energy grid, to which it will be able to provide 150 MW, enough to supply renewable energy to more than 25,000 homes in the region. In addition, since the project began at the end of 2020, this wind farm has created 200 construction jobs, to which must be added those corresponding to maintenance and operation work that will be created once it is operational.
This new park will also provide a boost to the local economy in the region, as it will generate landowner revenue and provide tax revenue to the local community, which will directly contribute to education, community services, roads, and first responders. As a part of this project, a community benefits program that will support local initiatives and community-based organizations, has also been created.
Sarens has a long history of developing wind projects in Canada. These include the Whitlaw Wind project, the Golden South Wind Project in Asinibola, and the Blue Hill Project in Saskatchewan, where Sarens contributed to the transport and erection of 50 wind turbines at their final destination. This facility will be responsible for generating up to 200 MW of renewable energy, enough to power up to 100,000 homes, and will bring an economic impact of more than $45 million to its community.
Offshore wind, now globally recognized as a proven and reliable source of renewable energy, is likely to maintain a high growth rate in the coming decades. This is according to the Ocean Renewable Energy Action Coalition, who says that by 2050, 1,400 GW of offshore wind could power one-tenth of global electricity demand. An integral part of this growth is the upward power rating of wind turbines; ABB forecasts them to reach an individual capacity of up to 20 MW within the next five years.
As the demand for offshore wind energy grows, it will be vital to deliver the very best infrastructure and technology at scale — but this is easier said than done, especially if demand outstrips production capacity. Achieving the desired return on investment from offshore wind farms requires faster installation and commissioning times, faster payback times, and comprehensive wind location studies. Shrinking government subsidies are adding to the pressure to reduce costs.
The ABB converters are specifically designed for larger turbines and rated to handle the high-power output. (Courtesy: ABB)
Therefore, to produce power more cost-efficiently, wind-farm owners and turbine manufacturers need to find sustainable solutions to accommodate the needs of high-power wind turbines. This particularly relates to performance, reliability, and energy efficiency. Operators must also meet regional grid code specifications and avoid costly retrofits to newly installed turbines in response to grid code changes. These challenges make it necessary to reliably test the impact of wind-power equipment on the grid under simulated conditions.
Three principal factors play a key role in maximizing the potential of high-power wind turbines:
Wind Turbine Converters
While grid codes vary between countries, they are all becoming more demanding. Wind-turbine converters play a prominent role in helping wind turbines meet these grid code requirements. The converter is designed for high efficiency and is a vital part of the electrical drivetrain. It helps a turbine to produce more power more economically. A converter’s technology can also assist turbine manufacturers with obtaining the necessary operational certification.
Selecting the right converter, either low (LV) or medium voltage (MV), is critical to achieving the maximum return on investment. In industrial power applications, it is well known that LV is most cost-efficient at low power levels, while MV is superior at high power levels. The same applies in the case of wind turbines.
Still, the choice of LV or MV converters isn’t always that simple — it depends on the specific requirements. The best choice involves considering various factors, such as the size of the turbine, power requirements, and whether it’s onshore or offshore. ABB offers both LV and MV power ratings as viable options in offshore wind applications, depending on the particular circumstances. If a wind-turbine platform is already using LV converters successfully, there is a tendency not to change them. However, as new wind-turbine platforms become bigger and more powerful, there are arguments for the transition to MV converters.
Incidentally, the maximum voltage of the latest LV converters is on the rise — from 690V to 990V. However, MV converters could offer a more cost-effective option as power increases. This results in a bigger overlap for applications between 6 to 12 MW as both options can be cost-competitive, depending on the turbine model in question. However, at 12 MW and higher, the benefits of a higher voltage converter become more prominent.
There are also material costs for cabling, the logistics, and labor to consider — it is much easier and potentially more cost-effective to install an MV converter than a LV converter and cabling for higher currents. Furthermore, since MV converters require fewer components, they have a smaller footprint, lower weight, and reduce potential points of failure, ensuring high availability.
The increasing power rating of wind turbines is driving a trend toward MV converters that can deliver the improvements in performance, reliability, and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) demanded by high-power offshore wind turbines. Due to these power rating advancements, LCOE is declining substantially, making wind turbines even more cost-efficient. Other contributing factors to lower LCOE are scale and volume, as well as finance costs.
A medium voltage converter for a 15 MW offshore wind turbine can have a footprint of just eight square meters and weigh less than 10 tons. Such a converter is based on the known, simple, and reliable three-level neutral point clamped (NPC) converter topology in combination with integrated gate-commutated thyristor (IGCT) technology. A converter for a 15 to 20 MW wind turbine is equipped with only 52 IGCTs.
Wind-turbine converters play a prominent role in helping wind turbines meet these grid code requirements. (Courtesy: ABB)
Thanks to the low number of power components and the robustness of the IGCT technology, the converter has outstanding reliability. IGCT field return analysis shows a continuously improving device failure rate over time.
Medium voltage converters are already being used in major wind-energy projects. For instance, ABB is delivering 95 MV converters to GE Renewable Energy for installation at the UK’s Dogger Bank Wind Farm. The converters will be fitted to GE’s Haliade-X 13 MW wind turbines. They will play a vital role in taking power produced by the turbines and converting it to the right voltage and frequency for the wind farm grid.
The ABB converters are specifically designed for larger turbines and rated to handle the high-power output. With the GE Haliade-X wind turbine specifically, one rotation of each 220-meter diameter rotor generates enough electricity to last a UK household two days.
Importance of Mobile Grid Simulation
Future turbine sizes, especially offshore, demand an output higher than 15 MW. However, current test facilities and procedures cannot test wind-energy equipment rated at this capacity. As a result, Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES) is developing a mobile grid simulator capable of such tests. It will use ABB’s Power Electronics Grid Simulator (PEGS) technology to create an artificial power grid on site.
The simulator will allow the testing and optimization of the grid compatibility of very large wind turbines with an output of up to 20 MW. This means entire wind farms and strings can be assessed. It has the flexibility to be applied in the field or on test benches to simulate dynamic, steady-state, and fault grid conditions. These extensive testing capabilities will also determine the energy efficiency of this equipment — a critical requirement in the drive toward a low-carbon society — and validate compliance with all standards. Its flexible and modular structure allows for almost unlimited configuration potential.
Data-driven digital solutions allow wind-turbine operators to perform remote diagnostics, analyze energy usage, and predict failures over time. (Courtesy: ABB)
Due to commence operation in 2023, the mobile simulator is the largest in the world, with a power rating of up to 28 megavolt ampere (MVA) and a short time capability of 80 MVA. For additional flexibility, it will also be able to operate as two independent units of 14 MVA. In addition to its practical testing application, it will play an essential role in research and development, particularly for various “grid-of-the-future” scenarios.
Digital Solutions
Wind turbines need to be able to produce as much electricity as possible during their lifetime of 20-plus years. Therefore, preventive and condition-based maintenance is critical to ensure optimal asset performance and an increased overall lifetime.
Data-driven digital solutions allow wind-turbine operators to perform remote diagnostics, analyze energy usage, and predict failures over time. This ensures optimal performance at all times. Sensors installed in the converters can monitor asset condition and energy usage. This brings added safety and saves time since operators don’t have to physically be on site.
As its logical conclusion, digital technology is enabling the creation of digital twins of wind-turbine systems that enable their operation to be simulated under a variety of different conditions. Connection to the industrial internet of things (IIoT) will also enable software to be updated remotely to offer new functionality.
The Future of Offshore
Offshore wind power offers tremendous potential since there’s no limit on the power rating of wind turbines from an electrical perspective. However, there are limits on a turbine’s size, weight, and rotation speed. That’s why rigorous investment and innovation are under way to make offshore wind turbines larger and therefore more powerful, while still keeping the overall structure as light and strong as possible.
There’s no doubt that high-power wind turbines are here to stay. What is certain is that MV converter technology will play a key role as wind-turbine power increases.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted a hotter than normal summer for nearly the entire contiguous U.S. The issue was compounded by a 2 percent loss of reliable hydropower from the nation’s power-producing dams and the rapid retirement of many coal power plants. Energy experts say adding more renewables into the mix will have the dual impact of cutting climate-change-inducing greenhouse gas emissions while increasing the nation’s power supply. Without renewables, there may not be enough power to meet electrical demand in the coming months — and the coming years.
Wind power is cited as the most efficient technology to produce energy in a safe and environmentally sustainable manner: It has zero emissions and is local, inexhaustible, and is cost competitive with fossil fuel-based sources of energy. S&P Global Market Intelligence anticipates U.S. wind deployments are on track to hit a new record in 2022 with an expected 27 GW of wind to come online this year. Fueling the upswing are the expansion of state-level renewable requirements, the expected extension of tax credits for the industry, and a jump in demand by corporations looking to curb emissions. Wind energy is an elegant protagonist of the energy transition.
The resulting on- and offshore wind farms are nothing short of remarkable. Their towering, majestic monoliths with stark white, slowly turning blades quietly create clean energy. Wind turbines have an excellent safety record, but given alternating stresses and the complex environment in which they operate, they are not without their issues. Although scientists are making massive breakthroughs in revolutionizing how turbines are constructed and built, they are prone to blade cracks, leading-edge erosion, blade-furniture delamination, detachment, bird strikes, and lightning strikes. Yaw misalignment and pitch bearing failure can also affect the efficacy of wind turbines. These issues will only increase as the demand to capture more wind grows.
For two decades, the wind-energy industry has succumbed to the seduction of digitalization to help reduce the costs of grid and generation applications, improve performance, and multiply environmental benefits for energy consumers. Digital technologies also affect the wind-energy supply chain, from turbine manufacturing to daily wind-farm operation and decommissioning.
Renewable energy project operators also face challenges in managing and analyzing the large volumes of data generated by their assets. (Courtesy: SparkCognition)
Wind-energy providers can further boost production, minimize downtime and risk, and improve efficiency by deploying next-generation AI technologies. AI and physics-based modeling enable optimal maintenance operations and asset protection, preventing costly and potentially dangerous downtime and asset failures. AI-based production forecasting allows operators to realize increased revenue, and the detection of underperforming assets enables energy producers to increase production. By adding advanced OT cybersecurity capabilities, online and offline assets are protected from zero-day threats, even with little to no connectivity.
Renewable energy project operators also face challenges in managing and analyzing the large volumes of data generated by their assets. Real-time monitoring collects 30,000 data points per minute per turbine within the wind industry. Manually analyzing that data takes time and resources and can result in missed opportunities to optimize operations, identify and address underperforming assets, and prevent failures and downtime. Engaging in machine learning (ML)-powered modeling capabilities removes the manual effort of processing and managing data from analysts and technicians to allow them more time to work on solutions.
Addressing 2 Physical Issues: Yaw Misalignment and Pitch Bearing Failure
Yaw misalignment is the measured difference between the wind direction and the nacelle position of the turbine, which houses the drive train and other tower-top components. When the yaw error is at zero degrees, the turbine is pointing directly into the wind. If the yaw error is anything other than zero degrees, the turbine will experience yaw misalignment, resulting in less energy being produced and increased turbine loads.
The two standard methods of identifying turbines with yaw misalignment have been with light detection and ranging (Lidar) measurement campaigns or physics-based methods applied to turbine SCADA data. While both techniques can be effective, they have significant disadvantages. Lidar measurement campaigns are very costly, and physics-based methods require data from an extended period (typically one year) where yaw misalignment is present, resulting in a large amount of lost production and time spent operating with increased loads.
A renewable energy machine learning-based solution can accurately detect yaw misalignment without an expensive Lidar campaign and a year of operating data. It builds upon the physics-based method and uses historical data to train the machine learning model to detect when yaw misalignment is present. The training model can detect yaw misalignment of 5 degrees or more with 96 percent accuracy using only two months of historical data. It notifies the analyst and provides the extent and direction of yaw misalignment so the issue can be quickly corrected, and the turbine returned to its optimal condition.
In one example, the AI platform identified the turbines with yaw misalignment and provided the operator with the magnitude and direction of each incorrect turbine position. The operator was able to update the turbine yaw offset remotely, resolving the issue without a turbine climb. The benefit to turbine-power production was confirmed, with corrected turbines producing as much as 2 percent additional Annual Energy Production (AEP), resulting in an annual revenue increase of $45,000 for the project.
Pitch bearings are also subjected to demanding operating conditions and can be costly to replace. The legacy method of diagnosing pitch bearing health is analyzing grease samples from the bearings. The varying amount and size of the wear particles in the grease can provide some insights into the health of the bearing. The flaw in this approach is the time and expense of obtaining samples. The turbine must be taken offline, and technicians must enter the hub to pull samples. Once the sample is extracted, there may be uncertainty in interpreting the grease analysis results.
Real-time monitoring collects 30,000 data points per minute per turbine within the wind industry. (Courtesy: SparkCognition)
AI for data analytics can detect pitch bearing issues remotely, using data from existing sensors on the turbine. These signals can include commanded pitch position, actual pitch position, pitch motor current and temperature (for electric pitch systems), pitch system pressures (for hydraulic pitch systems), turbine fault history, and other relevant signals.
The wind-energy-specific cloud computing platform runs 24 hours a day with no input required from analysts. The algorithms use only existing signals from the turbine, so no additional hardware is required. The data necessary for the algorithms are continually sent to the platform with no need to take the turbine offline and physically climb the turbine.
When a turbine with a faulty pitch bearing is detected, the technology automatically notifies users so the damage can be verified. Failures have been predicted with more than 90 percent accuracy up to six months in advance. Ultimately, this allows project owners to get long lead time replacement pitch bearings and creates a situation where all damaged pitch bearings can be replaced with a single crane callout. By minimizing turbine downtime and avoiding multiple crane callouts, owners can save up to $150,000 or more each time multiple pitch bearings are simultaneously repaired.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing technologies turn structured and unstructured data into predictive maintenance, production forecasting, energy optimization, parts forecasting, and data aggregation capabilities — all in a real-time platform complete with visualization and reporting. In combining the power of data analytics with physics-based digital twin technology, wind-energy operators receive the most comprehensive models with the highest accuracy and most extended possible prediction horizons. Cloud-based SaaS solutions can be deployed and generate insights within days — significantly accelerating time-to-value.
Bachmann has partnered with Cambridge, Massachusetts, company Acelerex for clean-energy technologies. The companies are offering combined products and services for turnkey solutions targeting the growing world markets for clean-energy systems.
Bachmann has been developing automation and system solutions for more than 50 years and manufactures quality power-plant controls and measurement systems. Bachmann systems are deployed around the world in more than 130,000 wind turbines.
Acelerex has developed a technology stack of a cloud-based subscription software with web-interface that has features of artificial intelligence, universal energy management system, real-time optimization and control, stacked services, grid analytics, and SCADA.
“With the recent passing of the Inflation Recovery Act in the USA, we are excited for the growth prospects of renewables and the value our combined offering will bring to the market,” said Bachmann CEO Bernhard Zangerl.
“Our software systems complement the Bachmann products for offering high-quality reliable, grid focused intelligent solutions required for optimization and real-time control of renewables and energy-storage systems,” said Terry Boston, Acelerex Board, former CEO PJM Interconnect.
ArcVera Renewables, a provider of consulting and technical services for wind, solar, and energy storage projects, has confirmed the appointment of Dan Bernadett as its new global director of Wind Engineering.
Dan Bernadett has developed advanced techniques for estimating wind-farm losses used in wind-resource assessment, techniques that ArcVera champions. (Courtesy: ArcVera )
Bernadett’s experience will be instrumental to support ArcVera as it rapidly scales in all wind-project services segments including resource assessment, technical and financial engineering, power performance testing, component failure root cause analysis, and project optimization and repowering.
Bernadett is joining ArcVera after leading UL’s renewable energy power performance testing division, following UL’s acquisition of AWS Truepower in 2016. Starting in 1993, Bernadett was one of the first engineers at AWS Truepower, a company that specialized in atmospheric science and engineering due diligence for renewable energy development. Bernadett has developed advanced techniques for estimating wind-farm losses used in wind-resource assessment, techniques that ArcVera champions.
“Dan and I started our careers in wind energy within months of each other back in 1991,” said John Bosche, ArcVera president and founding partner. “He is an esteemed industry colleague and a brilliant engineer with a long history in the wind sector in the U.S. and internationally, and with a great reputation among clients and colleagues alike. I am beyond thrilled to be able to work with Dan.”
Bernadett has also been a frequent presenter at conferences and on webinars, discussing topics such as nacelle Lidar power-curve testing, evaluation of power-curve risks in new turbine models, verification of power performance upgrades to wind turbines, and advantages of power curve testing under Edition 2 of the IEC 61400-12-1 standard.
“I am absolutely delighted to be joining John and the ArcVera Renewables team at such an important time for the industry,” Bernadett said. “ArcVera has an international track record that is second to none, providing clients with excellence in atmospheric science and engineering to ensure that its clients’ projects are technically-sound, bankable, and successful throughout their operational lifetime.”
Atlantic Wind Transfers (AWT), the first U.S. offshore wind farm support company, has ordered six Chartwell Ambitious-class Crew Transfer Vessels (CTV) designed by U.K.-based pioneers of vessel design, Chartwell Marine.
AWT’s order comprises six CTVs, and will be constructed by St. John’s Ship Building Inc. at its shipyard in Palatka, Florida. The first two vessels are expected to be delivered in Summer 2023 and January 2024 respectively, with four further builds in the pipeline. The vessels will be the first U.S.-built CTVs to be compliant with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 4 regulations, which rank among the most stringent emissions rules for marine engines in the world.
Two of six CTVs are expected to be delivered in summer 2023 and January 2024, respectively. (Courtesy: Atlantic Wind Transfers)
Through its continued partnership with Chartwell Marine, AWT demonstrates its commitment to the growth of the U.S. offshore wind market. Building U.S. Jones-Act Compliant vessels certified under U.S. Coast Guard Subchapter L, these CTVs will be able to operate on any wind farm in the United States up to 150 miles offshore, under the Safety and Inspection standards of the U.S. Coast Guard. AWT operates the only two crew transfer vessels in the U.S. under long-term contracts, servicing the Block Island Wind Farm and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Farm. AWT’s seven years of operating experience in U.S. offshore wind brings an impeccable safety track record while logging more than 6,600 TP connections and 25,000 personnel transfers.
“We’re pleased to strengthen our pioneering status in delivering another first for the U.S. offshore wind sector with these new Tier IV vessel orders,” said Charles A. Donadio Jr., founder of Atlantic Wind Transfers. “Our goal is to build the most reliable, multi-purpose Jones-Act CTV fleet in the U.S. and provide our clients with cutting edge technology while lowering our carbon footprint and meeting all Jones Act and USCG Regulations. This investment will enable us to have crew transfer vessels available for charter to support the demand over the next several years.”
“Our experience has proven our vessel model works for both the shipyard construction phase with on-time deliveries, and in-service uptime reliability for installation support and long-term O&M,” he said. “Chartwell is our go-to when it comes to CTV designs which are operating in multiple international markets. We see our partnership with both Chartwell and St. John’s Ship Building as a key cornerstone in our strategy to build the capability and capacity of AWT to support the future growth of the offshore wind industry.”
The Ambitious is Chartwell’s flagship CTV design; a 25.2-meter aluminum catamaran with capacity to transport 24 personnel to and from turbines with speed, safety, and stability.
“The U.S. offshore wind market is expanding rapidly, and AWT’s pioneering vision to support this growth aligns well with our own ambition to bring versatile, high-performance crew transfer vessels to the markets that need them most,” said Andy Page, director and naval architect at Chartwell. “With its performance and versatility, the Ambitious delivers on the needs of the growing U.S. market.”
“St. Johns Ship Building is excited to be working with Charlie Donadio and to be part of Atlantic Wind Transfers’ successful CTV operation and their extensive planned new vessel construction program,” said Jeff Bukoski, president of the shipyard. “This effort further solidifies our position as a leading supplier of Jones Act compliant CTVs for the offshore wind industry and working with highly experienced European naval architects such as Chartwell Marine. We know that our skilled workers also appreciate the additional opportunity to showcase their high quality craftmanship and will allow continued growth and opportunity.”
Pattern Energy Group LP and its affiliate in Japan, Green Power Investment Corporation (GPI), recently announced it has completed financing and begun full construction of its 112-MW Ishikari Offshore Wind project, about three kilometers from the shore of the Ishikari Bay in Hokkaido, Japan. Ishikari Wind will feature a battery storage component with 100 MW x 180 MWh of capacity.
“This historic project is Japan’s largest combined offshore wind and power storage facility and the first installation of an 8-MW offshore wind turbine in the country,” said Mike Garland, CEO of Pattern Energy. “Together with GPI, we have built an in-house team of leading experts in onshore and offshore wind and the Ishikari project is the culmination of more than 15 years of planning. The group of leading financial institutions that is backing this project demonstrates the strong demand for innovative clean-power solutions. We look forward to successfully completing construction of this project and bringing a new source of clean and renewable energy to Japan, powered by the strong winds of Ishikari Bay.”
Full construction begins on Ishikari Offshore Wind with first installation of an 8 MW offshore wind turbine in Japan. (Courtesy: Pattern Energy)
“We would like to thank Ishikari city and all the people concerned for their great cooperation in promoting this project,” said Mitsuru Sakaki, director and president of GPI. “We will proceed with construction work while being considerate of the environment, safety, and local communities. It is an honor to promote the creation of clean energy in a manner that protects the cultural values of the region and enhances critical infrastructure of the country.”
The Ishikari Offshore Wind project, and accompanying battery storage component, is expected to reach commercial operation in December of 2023. The project has a 20-year power purchase agreement with Hokkaido Electric Power Network, Inc. for 100 percent of the power output.
Ishikari Offshore Wind will use 14 Siemens Gamesa 8.0 MW wind turbines, built specifically for offshore use. The SG 8.0-167 DD offshore turbine is designed to meet local codes and standards regarding typhoons, seismic activities, 50 Hertz operation, as well as operation in high and low ambient temperatures. The turbines and its supporting structure (pile foundation, jacket, and tower) received ClassNK certification, confirming it meets the stringent technical standards required by the Japanese government to approve construction. “We look forward to working with Pattern Energy on this excellent opportunity to bring more clean, renewable power into Japan’s energy mix,” said Marc Becker, CEO of the Siemens Gamesa Offshore Business Unit. “Together with Pattern Energy and GPI, we look forward to providing the numerous economic, social, and environmental benefits of offshore wind power to everyone involved with the project.”
Siemens Gamesa has completed the sale of South European renewables development assets to SSE for a cash consideration of 613 million euros.
This sale includes a pipeline of onshore wind projects with a capacity of 3.8 GW in various stages of development in France, Greece, Italy, and Spain, with the possibility to develop up to 1.4 GW of co-located photovoltaic projects.
The 3.8 GW sale to SSE includes onshore wind projects in France, Greece, Italy, and Spain. (Courtesy: Siemens Gamesa)
A team of about 50 from Siemens Gamesa, with strong sector experience in those countries, will be integrated in SSE as part of the agreement. The mentioned adjustments remain subject to customary post-closing accounts review.
As part of the transaction, Siemens Gamesa will have the opportunity to partner with SSE Renewables on the provision of turbines and associated long-term maintenance services for a portion of the wind farms installed and operated by SSE in the next few years coming from this sale.
“We are pleased to have successfully completed the transaction with SSE before the end of our fiscal year 2022, as announced in April,” said Jochen Eickholt, CEO of Siemens Gamesa. “With this sale, Siemens Gamesa is optimizing its portfolio of assets and maximizing value.
We are confident that SSE is the right partner to develop the excellent portfolio of wind projects built over the years by our South European project development team that will now also be part of SSE. This agreement will strengthen our relationship with SSE, as it will be beneficial for both companies.”
“We are delighted to have closed this transaction ahead of schedule and really excited to welcome new colleagues to the SSE Renewables business,” said Stephen Wheeler, managing director of SSE Renewables. “There is a fantastic local team in place who will help us build a long-term presence in Southern Europe developing, building, and operating onshore wind, solar, and storage infrastructure. We look forward to continuing to work with communities and stakeholders across the region to deliver the energy transition.”
Amprion Offshore GmbH has commissioned Siemens Energy to supply the necessary technology for the converter stations of its first grid connection projects. The order value is in the high three-digit million-euro range, making it the largest offshore grid connection order Siemens Energy has received to date.
Two new power links set the course for more wind energy in the German power grid: DolWin4 and BorWin4 will transport up to 1.8 GW of green wind power from several wind farms in the German North Sea to land with low losses. As a result, the stations will be able to meet the demand of a major city like Hamburg with 1.8 million inhabitants.
“The share of renewable energies in Germany’s power supply is set to rise to 80 percent by 2030,” said Tim Holt, Siemens Energy managing board member. “Therefore, building new wind-power plants is important but ultimately pointless if the energy does not reach consumers. We also need to invest in our power grid to supply the country with sustainable energy reliably.”
Siemens Energy’s scope of supply consists of two converter platforms at sea and two associated stations on land. The platforms convert alternating current, as produced by wind turbines, into direct current. The direct current is then transferred to a high-voltage direct current transmission cable for transport. A second converter station on land then converts the electricity back into alternating current. Only in this way can the large amounts of energy cover the distance of around 215 km (DolWin4) and 280 kilometers (BorWin4) without significant losses (low-loss). The two connections will be installed in parallel and are scheduled to begin operating in 2028. BorWin4 would be connected to the grid one year earlier than originally planned.
What went into producing Electricity Transformation Canada 2022?
We’re really excited about this year’s show for a couple of reasons: Firstly, we expanded our partnership and are now very pleased that CanREA and Hannover Fairs have been joined by RE+Events to deliver this show. We think that’s going to make it even more successful going forward.
We’re also pleased to be able to envision a show that is not forced to deal with a lot of COVID-related restrictions.
Last year was our first annual event, but we still had a lot of restrictions in place. We’re hopeful that this year we’ll be back to normal and have an opportunity for more networking and engagement between participants.
What’s new at this year’s show?
At last year’s show, we released CanREA’s 2050 vision, looking at what the role of wind, solar, and energy storage would be in getting us to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This year’s show is really taking stock of where we’re at. Looking at the progress we’ve made and some of the challenges that remain, we’re going to explore a number of different themes over the course of the show. The federal government has made a commitment to put in place a clean-electricity regulation that would require a net-zero grid in Canada by 2035, and we’ll have sessions looking at what the implications are in different parts of the country. What will happen in the fossil-fuel dependent provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan? What does it mean in Ontario? What does it mean in Atlantic Canada? We’ll explore those questions. We’ll also look at the role of energy storage and how it can help across all of those different jurisdictions in terms of getting to that net-zero grid by 2035.
We will spend a bunch of time looking at where there are new opportunities and demand emerging for renewable energy. We’ll talk about efforts in Canada to expand opportunities for corporate power purchase agreements, and across the country, we’re going to be looking at green hydrogen, and what does that market look like? We’re also going to look at the use of increasing use of electricity in transportation with the ongoing shift to electric vehicles and in heavy industry as well.
We’re going to look at questions related to the workforce. In our 2050 vision, we talked about the fact that Canada will need to expand its wind and solar capacity tenfold by 2050 if we’re going to get to net-zero. Where are those workers going to come from? How do we do that? And how do we ensure that this occurs in a way that is just and inclusive as well? We’ll examine some opportunities to make this energy transformation and electricity transformation truly a win-win, helping us not only to reduce emissions, but also to provide socioeconomic benefits through society.
What might first-time attendees hope to gain by coming?
First off, this is the one-stop shop for people who are interested in renewable energy in Canada. We expect more than 1,500 attendees at the event, and more than 100 exhibitors. It’s the one time in the year where everybody from across the country comes together, and so there’s a great networking opportunity.
We’re talking about topical issues — things like the clean electricity regulation that I just mentioned, as well as new emerging opportunities in terms of green hydrogen, corporate PPA agreements, and what that means for the industry. We also have a session, which I didn’t mention earlier, where we will be providing, through the CanREA policy team, updates on the latest regulatory and legislative initiatives relevant to out technologies in each of the major regions of the country.
It’s a great opportunity to get up to speed in terms of what’s going on in Canada, who the players are, while also providing an opportunity to meet them. Now is the time really to engage in that exploration because we’re on the cusp of a significant growth spurt for our technologies in Canada. The commitment to a net-zero grid by 2035 and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the economy by 2050 has made it absolutely clear that demand for these technologies is just going to go through the roof, from this point going forward, because they’re so central to us meeting these targets. This is an opportunity to come in, understand the lay of the land, meet the key players, and get in on the ground floor as this train starts to pick up momentum as we move toward net-zero by 2050.
Are there any wind-energy events that at the show that you feel should be checked out?
It’s interesting because one of the reasons that CanREA was formed was to capture the synergies that we believe exist between wind, solar, and energy storage. We’ve actually consciously designed this event to break down the silos. We have not structured our program to include “a wind discussion,” or “a solar discussion.” In many parts of Canada, however, there’s been a lot of talk about the role wind is going to play.
For example, in green-hydrogen deployment in Canada, we’ve had recent announcements looking at using offshore and onshore wind to produce green hydrogen in the Atlantic provinces, so we’ll explore some of that.
In other jurisdictions, like Alberta and Saskatchewan, which are heavily fossil-fuel dependent, moving toward a net-zero grid will require both wind and solar, but will be leaning very heavily on wind in order to do it. We now are in an era where there are fewer and fewer companies that are specializing in one technology. Companies are now multi-technology companies because they’re trying to provide comprehensive solutions that meet the specific market needs in different parts of the country. We’ve designed the show to cater to that.
So COVID is not having an effect on this year’s show at all?
At this time, we are not required to have any specific protocols in place related to COVID.
We do, of course make a commitment to all of our attendees that we will follow whatever guidance public health authorities are providing at the time. But at this point in time, we don’t envision any requirements being in place.
What are you personally looking forward to at the show?
I guess I’ll say a couple of things: First off, it’s our first opportunity to hold a normal show. So, I’m very much looking forward to that. But as I mentioned earlier, the timing is really, really critical here. We are now in a situation where we’ve done analysis — and others have done analysis — which show that to get to a net-zero by 2050 path, we probably have to triple wind and solar capacity by 2030. That’s eight years. It’s not a lot of time.
Governments have already made commitments that have the potential to take us about half the way there, and it’s going to be the decisions that occur in the next couple years that determine whether or not we get that other half. That’s why this is a really critical moment for the industry to come together and to talk about how we can put our best foot forward in making the case for our technologies to play the central role they will need to play to help us get to net-zero going forward.
Anything else you’d like to mention about the show?
I think I would just say, in terms of programming, we will have plenary sessions. We will have some concurrent sessions that run side by side, and we’ll also have sessions running on the show floor as well. There’s going to be a lot of opportunities to participate in the education aspects of the program. But of course, one of the big elements of an event like this is just the opportunity to network, and a lot of that’s going to happen on the trade-show floor. We’ll have receptions and other things happening there as well to enable some of those connections to be made that hopefully create new business opportunities for participants going forward.
Ice buildup on wind-turbine blades not only has the potential to cause structural damage, but it can also seriously curtail a turbine’s overall power output.
A special coating developed by Phazebreak has proven to be a protective shield against blade icing while also ensuring the turbine is generating energy efficiently.
The innovative coating contains phase-changing materials that expand in cold temperatures, according to Mariza Browning, CEO of Phazebreak.
“When the temperature drops to 32 degrees, the materials start expanding,” she said. “It creates tension on the surface to help ice not anchor. It’s also very slippery, and when it cures, it cures like a shell up to four millimeters thick. It also protects from bird strikes or anything heavy that could hit it. It won’t shatter, and it’ll protect underneath. We’ve been installing it over LED tape or coatings. It’s very repellent. Even bugs don’t stick to it. It self-cleans because of what it’s made out of. Everything just kind of washes away because it repels everything.”
Although designed for cold-weather environments, the coating can even repel other unwelcome elements such as dust, according to Browning.
“It could protect from debris or in India, for example, with dust,” she said. “They have a lot of issues with the blades getting really dusty and stuff attaching to them. This coating would prevent that from happening.”
Primarily though, Phazebreak’s coating is being marketed to assets spinning in harsh, wintery environments, according to Browning.
“We want to change the conversation from ice removal to ice mitigation,” she said. “We want to be a solution for mitigating the effects of ice accumulation on renewable energy assets, as well as traditional energy sources. We want to support green industries.”
Listening to Customers
Phazebreak begins that journey, according to Browning, by listening to potential clients, learning what their issues may be, and asking questions such as: What part of the country are they in? What do their turbines do?
“Many of them have an automatic shutoff, and with the coating, if they turn the turbines off, I would tell them that with our coating, their turbines are going to come online much faster than if they didn’t have the coating, because we’ve seen that over and over again with the ones that we’ve coated over the years: They’re the first ones to come back online because they don’t have ice anchored to them,” she said. “They’re very, very quick to come back online, if that is the case.”
It’s also important for Browning to know how a client will measure the success of the coating.
“Are they going to compare it to other turbines in the same park that would give them real time differences, or are they going to compare it to the average power output from previous years and the year that they’re coated?” she said. “It’s important to know that they do have a way to measure the success of the coating, because if they just put it on, and they don’t really know what they’re gaining, they may not buy the coating in the future. But when they can measure it, it’s a big difference. I want them to have that data and be able to gauge the value.”
Phazebreak’s ground crew applying NEINICE to a blade before it is lifted for installation. (Courtesy: Phazebreak)
Browning pointed out that, even though several methods exist to compare the success of the coating, Browning’s preferred method is to compare a coated turbine that’s next to an uncoated one, rather than comparing a previous year of uncoated turbines to a current one.
“I think the best way to gauge it is when they’re right next to each other during the same ice event,” she said. “Because if you compare it on a year-to-year basis, it might be compared to a milder winter that didn’t have ice.”
Military Origins
Phazebreak’s work with the wind-energy industry has been short; however, the history behind the company’s innovative coating goes back years to when Browning and her associates were participating in a government bid to find an ice mitigation coating for a Navy issue. The original inventors who discovered the formula and applied for the patent were chemists, not marketing people, according to Browning.
“They just kind of sat on the patent, and my partner, who is in aviation and has been in aviation for 25 years, when he heard about this product, he immediately thought, ‘I want to buy the patent for aviation purposes,’ and he bought the patent,” she said.
Unfortunately for those original plans, but fortunately for the wind industry, Browning’s partner found it would be too difficult to get FAA approvals, so they sent their data to a third-party lab in Canada who were very encouraged by the ice-reduction factors measured in a wind tunnel, according to Browning.
“They introduced us to one of the largest wind-energy companies that was looking for solutions for icing on its blades,” she said. “We started to quote our first turbine in 2018, and those results were really promising. We later did another trial with the same company for a 50-50 comparison in two different states. They left 50 uncoated in each park to compare. That year, they had a 36-percent increase in revenue on the blades that had been coated vs. the uncoated blades. They went gangbusters after that, and we’ve coated 5,000 blades so far.”
NEINICE coating is usually clear, but here a customer has elected to add a blue dye for easier inspection and maintenance. (Courtesy: Phazebreak)
More Positive Results
Further validating Phazebreak’s impressive coating are results gathered from a wind farm in Oklahoma last year where severe ice storms in Texas and Oklahoma caused havoc with the energy grid, according to Browning.
“We had just coated one of their sites, and they had a 109-percent increase in revenue during that period on the coated vs. the non-coated turbines,” she said. “That’s basically how we started. We decided to go with wind, and now we’ve developed a second coating that can be used for power lines, and we’ve done our third-party testing in the lab.”
Phazebreak was also scheduled to launch that secondary coating for power lines at Wind Energy Hamburg September 27-30.
That next phase, for lack of better words, is something Browning said she is particularly proud of within the company’s short history.
“I was really hungry to help and solve that problem, because we had heard from wind-energy operators that also have power lines that, in some areas in Canada, if a power line gets too heavy with ice, it actually brings the whole thing down,” she said. “I feel like this could bring the perfect solution to those issues.”
Dropping Rates
Also, according to Browning, when Phazebreak first started in 2018, the rates being quoted to install the coating uptower were in the range of thousands and thousands of dollars; however, over time, the company has been able to form its own inhouse team that can coat turbine blades on the ground whenever there’s a repowering project or new construction planned.
“That’s been really helpful to get the coating on the blades and get the data that they are outperforming the other turbines that have not been coated,” she said. “But also, we have been working with as many maintenance companies as we can to ask them to please try to get their numbers to a more reasonable rate so they can apply our coating. We’ve been able to have the price come down to about $5,000 per turbine in general from rope access, robots, platforms, and all of the different mediums used to coat the blades. That rate is really, really inexpensive compared to what it used to be.”
The raw stats alone show Phazebreak’s technology will be a big help to the wind industry. There are 341,000 wind turbines globally with 78,800 of those in the U.S. Of those 78,800 turbines, 28,000 are in ice-affected areas, according to Browning. But Phazebreak wants to ensure ice and other factors don’t negatively affect even more industries.
“That’s why our next focus is on solar panels,” she said. “Eventually, of course, I want to go into aviation and maritime and more, but there’s so much momentum in these different aspects that we might as well keep going and try to help mitigate ice in all of these different industries.”
Looking to the future of renewables, Browning said she wants Phazebreak to be a part of all the incentives for green energy everywhere. “In Kansas City, where I live, they’re redoing our airport and they’re installing a ton of solar panels to power the airport,” she said. “We’re going to see more in innovations like that where they’re realizing this is a way to save money and create energy, and we want to be there to help them prevent ice from shutting their systems down.”
Russelectric, a manufacturer of power control systems and automatic transfer switches, has announced the availability of Switchgear Simulators designed to train personnel on automatic and manual operation of Russelectric switchgear for renewable energy facilities and microgrids.
The simulators familiarize workers on the system and its operation and diagnose utility, generator, and breaker problems. (Courtesy: Russelectric)
Customized to mimic the operation of the customer’s Russelectric® switchgear/system, Russelectric simulators familiarize workers on the system and its operation and diagnose a wide range of utility, generator, and breaker problems. The simulators can also assess the impact of changes to PLC setpoints such as kW values and time delays. Using the simulators enables operators to evaluate responses to failure scenarios and use the information to develop and validate site operating and emergency procedures.
Russelectric switchgear simulators are available in two versions: The Training Simulator allows personnel to train on the automatic operation of Russelectric Switchgear, while the Advanced Training Simulator allows personnel to train on both manual and automatic operations. With the addition of hard-wired controls and interlock circuits, the simulator PLC mimics full manual controls, enabling personnel to train in the comfort and safety of an office environment.
Russelectric provides high-integrity power control solutions for mission critical applications in the healthcare, information technology, telecommunication, water treatment, and renewable energy markets. The company maintains manufacturing facilities in Massachusetts and Oklahoma, where it designs and builds automatic transfer switches, switchgear, and controls.
The new angled-head 14.4 V MicroLithium Mini Drills from Snap-on Industrial provide precise drilling without the need for tethering to an air source.
The 14.4 V MicroLithium Mini Drills are ideal for applications within public transportation manufacturing, fleet maintenance, repair and overhaul, public safety vehicles, electronic component manufacturing and installation, HVAC and others where small holes are needed, often in hard-to-reach locations.
The 14.4 V MicroLithium Mini Drills are ideal for applications within public transportation manufacturing, fleet maintenance, repair and overhaul, and more. (Courtesy: Snap-on Industrial)
Using a cordless drill with small compact recessed heads gives technicians unhindered access, while also removing tripping hazards caused by air hoses in the shop or plant floor.
For added flexibility, the 14.4 V MicroLithium Mini Drills come in three different models: 45° angle head (CDRR200545DB), 90° angle head (CDRR2005DB), and 360° fully rotating head (CDRR2005360DB).
Features and benefits of the new 14.4 V MicroLithium Mini Drills include a compact head for great access, a variable speed trigger, low runout for precise drilling, quarter-inch threaded bits and accessories accepted, ability to run items such as reams and sealant removal cutters.
More features include a double ball bearing-supported spindle shaft for durability, spiral beveled gears for durability and smooth operations, multiple configurations, LED light to illuminate the work area, soft grip handle for positive tool control, and a battery life gauge.
International plastics processor Röchling Industrial has launched Pulcap, a product made of composites, that enhances the stability of wind-turbine rotor blades. Owing to their extremely high mechanical strength and low weight, the pultruded profiles enable an efficient and safe operation of wind turbines.
By 2030, Germany intends to generate 65 percent of its gross electricity consumption from renewable energy sources. To achieve the intended energy transition, more wind, water, and sun will be used to generate electricity. New, more powerful offshore and onshore wind turbines are being developed or existing turbines are upgraded. Within the scope of repowering, turbine parts are replaced by, for example, larger parts that generate more power. Optimized, longer and more powerful rotor blades are very important in that context.
Röchling has supplied the wind-power industry with glass fiber-reinforced materials for more than 20 years. (Courtesy: Röchling Industrial)
“With our Pulcap pultruded profiles we are contributing to improving the efficiency and performance of wind turbines,” said Franz Lübbers, CEO of Röchling Industrial. “We are very happy to launch this high-quality product to the market.”
The profiles for rotor spar caps are used as reinforcement of rotor blades in wind turbines. In conjunction with the bars, they form the skeleton of a blade and are largely responsible for stability.
Röchling has supplied the wind-power industry with glass fiber-reinforced materials for more than 20 years. The company also offers insulation materials for choke coils, transformers and generators, and inverters.
Röchling Industrial manufactures Pulcaps using the pultrusion process. As part of the continuous process, a composite of glass and carbon fibers is produced with a special resin system that ensures the superior quality of the products.
“The tensile forces during pultrusion straighten the fibres greatly reducing any material defects compared to conventional manufacturing processes,” said Uwe Kasses, who is responsible for the composite business at Röchling Industrial, which also includes the pultrusion process. This reduces any imperfections and considerably decreases the risk of errors during bonding and processing.
At the same time, Pulcaps withstand the highest loads due to their high mechanical properties, so that the profiles reliably reinforce the rotor blade chords.
“Our pultruded profiles for wind turbines comply with the highest requirements. The material is tested in advance according to specified criteria resulting in only approved materials being used,” said Michael Janssen, responsible for Composite developments at Röchling Industrial.
In particular for larger and high-performance wind turbines, aspects such as high strengths play a decisive role due to loads and long service life.
“Our product significantly increases the efficiency of modern systems,” Janssen said. “Using Pulcaps increases service life and improves performance. At the same time, error rates and maintenance times can be reduced, rendering the generation of electricity more economical and sustainable overall.”
ONYX Insight, provider of data analytics and engineering expertise to the global wind industry, has reported exponential international growth as it surpasses a plethora of milestones including 10,000 turbines monitored worldwide, completion of 70 GW of due-diligence projects, and the shipping of 7,000 of its award-winning advanced sensing technology, ecoCMS, to wind-turbine operators across the globe.
The business partners with more than 200 customers across 30 countries including eight of the top 10 wind asset owners. This increased market share sees the benefits of ONYX Insight’s combination of data analytics and engineering expertise brought to win- energy assets, supporting owner-operators as it helps to reduce operational expenditure.
ONYX Insight works with eight of the top 10 wind asset owners. (Courtesy: ONYX Insight
2021 saw the opening of three offices in Brisbane, Australia; Shanghai, China; and Madrid, Spain. In 2022, ONYX Insight opened an advanced sensing laboratory at its headquarters in Nottingham, UK.
ONYX Insight was the first company to introduce micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology for condition monitoring in the wind industry. This innovation has changed the return-on-investment model for wind-turbine monitoring and data analytics, allowing owners and operators to put in place predictive maintenance strategies.
The advanced sensing laboratory will be used for research and development into new technologies and products, enabling ONYX Insight to continue delivering solutions to support wind sector growth and facilitate the energy transition.
ONYX Insight has increased headcount by 40 percent, having built a team of 160 across its seven offices. This growth is set to continue with an immediate focus on software and data science expertise.
“ONYX Insight has seen significant global expansion in the last few years, with evidential increases in our customer-base, the volume of assets we support, and in our team and its global reach,” said Bruce Hall, ONYX Insight CEO. “By meeting these milestones, we are increasing our valuable impact on the wind industry, which the ONYX team has been dedicated to for nearly 15 years. To date, we have enabled an additional 228 GWh of energy production and saved over 11,000 (metric) tons of CO2 per year.”
“As part of our future vision, we are excited to announce an expansion to our headquarters in the U.K., increased investment into research and development, as well as the continued growth of our team and offices worldwide,” he said. “There is much more we can and will do to support the success of global wind power, and we’re excited to welcome the next phase of that journey.”
Clir Renewables, the market intelligence platform for wind and solar, has been retained as the data analysis and optimization service for the Okanagan Wind portfolio following Canadian Power’s purchase of the sites from Toronto-based InstarAGF Asset Management.
Comprised of Pennask Wind Farm and Shinish Creek Wind Farm, Okanagan Wind represents the only wind-power facilities in the Okanagan region, with a combined capacity of 30 MW – enough to power roughly 9,000 Canadian homes.
Clir Renewables, the market intelligence platform for wind and solar, has been retained as the data analysis and optimization service for the Okanagan Wind portfolio. (Courtesy: Okanagan Wind)
Prior to the 2021 sale to Canadian Power, the sites became operational in 2017. Making up two of only seven grid-scale wind farms in the province, the farms were developed in partnership with a local indigenous group who continue to benefit through community funding and access to jobs.
Clir Renewables developed its data management, software-as-a-service platform alongside the original owner as a foundational client. Work-to-date on the Okanagan Wind portfolio includes upgrade validations, met-mast configuration, and icing studies, accounting for challenging meteorological conditions attributable to the sites’ mountainous geography.
Following the sale in 2021, Clir was retained by the new owner, Canadian Power, to provide continued support with analytics, reporting, and upgrade validation. Clir software empowers owners and asset managers to analyze and optimize their assets using a suite of tools based on proprietary AI and machine learning algorithms.
These tools have been trained using the company’s extensive dataset from more than 200 GW of assets from different OEMs, technologies, regions, and ages. This allows users to quickly detect site-specific issues and understand performance in relation to the wider industry.
“Collaborating with Canadian Power from the start of their tenure at Okanagan Wind has been brilliant. After inheriting our services in the sale, we worked to help them understand the power of our offering and its benefit to the business,” said Oscar Radevsky, Clir project engineer. “It has been satisfying to see a client get increasing value from the tools we offer here at Clir. I am confident that this momentum will continue and we look forward to continuing this mutually beneficial relationship.”
“I have been consistently impressed by the value Clir Portfolio is able to add to our projects,” said Steven Gwatkin, Okanagan wind operations manager. “It gives us a crystal-clear picture of all our data in one place, allows us to dig into performance issues and makes it easy to do monthly and quarterly reporting. We look forward to working with Clir as Canadian Power continues to expand its presence in the renewable energy sector.”
Siemens Gamesa has secured its first order in India with Azure Power India Private Limited to supply 96 SG 3.6-145 wind turbines for a 346 MW project in the state of Karnataka.
The project opens a new partnership in India with Azure Power, an independent sustainable energy solutions provider and power producer in India. Azure has a pan-India portfolio of more than 7.4 GW of renewable energy assets either operational or under construction in the country, primarily in solar.
The wind-turbine supply agreement, a first for Azure, will cater to its projects under the SECI Hybrid IV, SECI XI tenders and its other energy pipelines.
When fully deployed, these wind turbines will produce enough clean energy to meet the power needs of more than 1 million Indian homes.
More wind energy is set for the German power grid. (Courtesy: Siemens Energy)
“We are delighted to begin this new partnership with Azure Power on this large-scale project using our latest India focused technology,” said Navin Dewaji, India CEO of Siemens Gamesa. “The contract provides new impetus to the wind industry at a key juncture in the country’s energy transition. Teams from both companies have worked relentlessly over the last few months to secure maximum value for the project. With this new joint approach, alongside our technological innovation, we are confident of delivering the right renewable energy solutions to the market.”
“We are pleased to partner with Siemens Gamesa in our first wind project,” said Harsh Shah, CEO, Azure Power. “Wind energy is going to be an imperative element for delivering firm, reliable and clean energy to achieve the energy transition vision of the country. This partnership will create long-term supply visibility while securing sustainable value for our stakeholders.”
Siemens Gamesa launched this new platform in 2020 during an ongoing pandemic and with this new deal takes order entry for the Siemens Gamesa 3.X platform in India past the 1.4-GW mark, helping to confirm its competitiveness in the Indian market.
Siemens Gamesa has operated in India since 2009, and the base installed by the company recently surpassed the 8-GW mark. The company has blade factories in Nellore (Andhra Pradesh), a nacelle factory in Mamandur (Chennai, Tamil Nadu), and an operations and maintenance center in Red Hills (Chennai, Tamil Nadu). The company is market leader with a 40 percent market share, according to consultancy Wood Mackenzie.
Doubly fed induction generators (DFIGs) are still the most popular generator configuration seen in the wind-energy sector. They offer higher efficiency in variable wind conditions, but an extra component is needed to accomplish this task: the slip ring assembly. This is one extra machine part that has its own maintenance issues, and, therefore, it has to be monitored like the rest of the generator, like the rest of the drive train, and other wind-turbine components.
Happy engineer feel success after good work. He standing a top of windmill and looking beautiful sunset landscape
This case study shows how early detection of slip ring defects can result in a fast, inexpensive repair. If, on the other hand, a slip ring fault is not corrected at an early stage of development, this could lead to a catastrophic failure of the generator.
DFIG Generator Slip Ring Assembly
The DFIG offers higher performance than previous generations of generators:
Higher efficiency: It is synchronized to grid with variable wind-turbine speed.
Better power factor control: Imports and exports reactive power.
Reduced converter cost: Only 25-30 percent of power passes through the convertor.
This extra performance is made possible by connecting the rotor windings to the grid via a multi-phase slip ring unit and a voltage converter. The slip ring unit consists of a set of spring-loaded brushes that ride on slip rings mounted on the rotor, for each phase, as shown in Figure 1. If the connection between the slip ring unit and the rotor circuit is defect, this will result in high levels of vibration at both ends of the generator, and could even result in a stator/rotor rub.
Figure 1: Location of the DFIG generator slip ring assembly and the vibration sensors on the generator bearing housing for monitoring the slip rings.
Condition Monitoring Strategy
Condition monitoring of wind-turbine generators is performed based on vibration data collected from accelerometers mounted in the load zone of drive end (DE) and non-drive end (NDE) bearings of the generator. A number of generator faults can be detected by these accelerometers, including faults with the slip ring assembly.
Observation and Diagnostics
A multi-MW wind turbine in a wind park was operating at full production when the condition monitoring system was temporarily disconnected for approximately two months due to customer related maintenance issues. When the monitoring system went back online, the customer immediately notified the Brüel & Kjær Vibro Surveillance and Diagnostics Service Centre and requested the initial data to be analyzed.
A detailed time waveform and frequency spectrum were looked at shortly after start-up, as shown in Figures 2-3. The increased vibration levels related to generator rotor dynamics indicated a potential problem with generator slip ring unit.
Figure 2: The time waveform showing amplitude modulation of a little less than 2.5 Hz.
An alarm report was issued immediately followed by a phone conversation with the site manager, explaining the problem. Below are some extractions from the recommendation section of the report on the assessment of maintenance needs:
Generator inspection is recommended within 1-2 weeks.
It is recommended to perform an up-tower generator test run with particular focus on the slip ring unit. Check the height of the slip ring brushes to be within the acceptable limits, inspect the condition of the cooling groves, insulation ring, and the current clamps.
Provide feedback after the maintenance work has been carried out.
Figure 2: The time waveform showing amplitude modulation of a little less than 2.5 Hz.
Results/Feedback
The customer did a site inspection one day after the report was issued.
After confirming that the slip ring unit and brushes were damaged, these were quickly replaced, and the wind turbine was put back into operation. As seen in Figure 5, the vibration on the generator bearings were lower.
Figure 4: Slip ring shown with worn out cooling groves (left), and worn out brushes (right).
Benefits/Cost Savings Estimation
There are clear benefits in detecting a slip ring fault early. The actual cost and downtime in replacing the slip ring unit is relatively small in relation to the maintenance and downtime associated with a catastrophic failure of the generator.
Slip ring unit replacement: Approximately 4,000 euros plus a few hours downtime (500-1,000 euros).
Generator replacement: Approximately 100,000 euros(includes crane) plus downtime (four weeks at 2,000 euros per day), with a total of 156,000 euros.
By avoiding a catastrophic failure of the generator, this gives a savings of 151,000 euros, which does not include labor.
Figure 4: Slip ring shown with worn out cooling groves (left), and worn out brushes (right).
Conclusion
The early fault detection and accurate diagnosis of a rotor circuit malfunction is of crucial importance in regard to applying the proper corrective measures and keeping the generator healthy. This case study shows how, in time, detection of slip ring defects could result in fast and non-expensive repairs. In this way, the total loss of the generator, which often leads to substantial costs, could be avoided.
About the author
Mike Hastings is a senior application engineer with Brüel & Kjær Vibro, where he has been working for the past 32 years. He is currently working with strategic market development, analysis and communications. He is also convener for an ISO work group for creating standards for condition monitoring and diagnostics of machines.
