Today, CEOs from leading companies across the value chain, top EU decision-makers, and hundreds of stakeholders gathered at the Renewable Hydrogen Summit organized by the Renewable Hydrogen Coalition (RHC) to discuss the necessary policies to accelerate the renewable hydrogen uptake in Europe and deliver the European Commission’s (EC) REPowerEU plan to reduce the continent’s dependence on fossil imports.

The European Commission estimates that upscaling renewable hydrogen and its derivatives would accelerate decarbonization and reduce the EU’s reliance on natural gas from Russia by approximately 27 bcm.

“We have to diversify away from Russian fossil fuels,” said Energy Commissioner K. Simson. “This means speeding up the green transition. Renewable hydrogen plays a crucial role to decarbonize hard-to-electrify industry and transport. We need it for the planet; we need it for our independence and security of energy supply. With RepowerEU, we plan to roll out this solution faster, taking our EU Green Deal ambitions to the next level and giving ourselves the tools to make it happen.”

“Renewable hydrogen is a solution for today and for tomorrow,” said RHC Chairman Ignacio Galán, chairman and CEO of Iberdrola. “It can significantly replace imported fossil fuels and polluting hydrogen made out of these fossil fuels. The Renewable Hydrogen Coalition members are helping to deliver EU climate and energy ambition, making our continent cleaner and stronger thanks to home-grown renewable hydrogen produced with technologies made in Europe. We congratulate the Commission’s strong leadership in REPowerEU. This should be followed by enabling and stable policies that spur a supply and demand shock and boost investments now.”

The RHC calls on policymakers to take the following measures with no delay:

• Adopt an enabling definition of renewable hydrogen. RHC welcomes the draft Delegated Act proposed by the EC and recognizes the significant efforts made to better reflect the reality of projects: long and complex permitting procedures holding back the deployment of renewables Europe needs to meet its energy climate objectives. To meet the REPowerEU ambition, first movers should be enabled to ramp up renewable hydrogen supply and their business cases must be secured.
• Streamline permitting of renewables but also renewable hydrogen installations in the public and industry’s interest. Faster permitting is crucial to build the necessary additional capacity for renewable hydrogen production.
• Adopt the most ambitious binding targets for the uptake of renewable hydrogen and derived e-fuels in hard-to-electrify industry and transport, as proposed by the European Commission. The binding nature of the targets is essential to send a strong market signal, unlock existing demand, and drive major investments upstream in the value chain.
• Ensure fast and simplified access to support and finance instruments. Offtakers still face high costs to shift to clean technologies. If properly designed and quickly accessible, carbon contracts for the difference could have a huge impact, accelerating the uptake by industrial offtakers.

“Scaling up production capacities in line with the REPowerEU ambition will create a new European industrial champion: electrolysis,” said RHC Vice-Chairman Nils Aldag. “Building 120 GW of electrolyzers in the EU in less than eight years calls for unprecedented efforts of manufacturers and unconventional policy instruments. Industry and policy makers share a responsibility to ramp up the market with the scale and speed required. We cannot get this wrong. Now is the time for decisive actions.”

More info: renewableh2.eu

The American Clean Power Association recently released its Clean Power Market Report Q1 2022, which showed that wind, utility-scale solar, and battery storage sectors installed 6,619 MW of utility-scale clean power capacity — enough to power 1.4 million American homes.

The record capacity is largely due to gains in battery storage installation, with storage installations up 173 percent, solar installations up 11 percent, and wind installations down 3 percent, as compared to the first quarter of 2021.

While these gains contributed to a record first quarter for clean-power installations, the rate of growth slowed to 11 percent in the first quarter of 2022, compared to the 50 percent year-over-year growth rate reported between 2019 and 2021.

“The record-breaking quarter for clean power is encouraging, but the industry still faces many hurdles that are stalling growth,” said ACP CEO Heather Zichal. “Ongoing uncertainty from the Department of Commerce’s unwarranted solar tariff case, the unsettled fate of clean-energy tax credits, supply chain issues, and inflation are all making investment and planning decisions a difficult challenge. The industry needs resolution and policy clarity if we are to meet the Biden administration’s clean-power goals of reaching a net zero grid by 2035.”

Cumulatively, operating clean-power capacity in the country is now nearly 208 GW — enough to power 57 million homes in America. The 90 new projects added to the grid represent $9.3 billion in capital investments.

Storage responsible for record quarter

Growth in battery storage helped to propel the first quarter to record territory. Storage capacity additions grew 173 percent compared to the first quarter of 2021, while solar experienced more modest growth of 11 percent and wind declined 3 percent. The Q1 report shows 56 new utility-scale solar projects came online in 2021, for a total of 2,997 MW; 10 new wind projects came online, totaling 2,865 MW. Finally, the industry installed 24 new battery storage projects with a total capacity of 758 MW/2,537 MWh.

Solar project pipeline impacts from Department of Commerce inquiry

While solar installations slowed in the first quarter of 2021 due to pandemic-related challenges in the supply chain, inflation, trade risks, and lack of regulatory certainty, the industry is facing another significant obstacle as it looks beyond Q1 with the Department of Commerce’s inquiry into solar manufacturing in Southeast Asia.

This report provides an update on the Department of Commerce’s decision to initiate a review of a petition to apply anti-dumping and countervailing duties against solar module manufacturers in Southeast Asia. ACP finds the inquiry has had a chilling effect on the U.S. solar industry — both immediately and over the next two years. Prior to Commerce’s decision to initiate this inquiry, market researchers anticipated 17 GWdc of utility-scale solar capacity to be added to the grid in 2022 and nearly 20 GWdc in 2023. ACP’s market impact survey indicates at least 65 percent of the projected crystalline silicon (c-si) market across 2022-2023 is already at risk of cancellation or delay. The most common reason for delay or cancellation is lack of module availability.

Clean power pipeline slowing

While the industry currently sits on a record volume of clean-power capacity in the pipeline, the rate of growth of that pipeline is also slowing. The pipeline grew by just 4 percent during the first quarter — much lower than the 12 percent quarterly expansion experienced throughout 2021. There are almost 1,100 projects in the pipeline with a total operating capacity of 125,476 MW. This includes 40,522 MW of projects under construction and 84,953 MW in advanced development.

In total, 14.8 GW of capacity has been delayed as of the end of the quarter. At the end of 2021, 11.7 GW of clean-power projects experienced delays. Of that, 3,440 MW have since come online. However, an additional 6,576 MW of clean-power projects experienced delays during the first quarter, bringing the total delayed capacity to 14.8 GW. Based on ACP’s analysis, on average these projects have been delayed by seven months.

Solar projects are the most prone to delays, with 8.6 GW of solar projects currently delayed. Solar accounts for 58 percent of all projects delayed and 60 percent of projects delayed that were expected online this quarter. These project delays occurred before the Department of Commerce initiated their review at the end of Q1, and the inquiry is expected to affect solar deployment through 2023. Wind makes up 31 percent of total delays in the first quarter of 2022, and battery storage makes up 11 percent of delays.

Despite regulatory headwinds, solar continues to be the leading technology in the pipeline, accounting for 56 percent of all clean-power capacity in development. Land-based wind accounts for 19 percent of the pipeline; offshore wind represents 14 percent, and storage claims the remaining 12 percent.

• Texas represents nearly a fifth of the total pipeline (21,974 MW).
• California (14,114 MW).
• New York (8,750 MW).
• Virginia (6,439 MW).

The largest projects to come online in the first quarter include:

• Traverse Wind Energy Center in Oklahoma owned by AEP and developed by Invenergy (998 MW).
• Slate Solar + Storage in Kings County, California, was the largest hybrid project (300 MW of solar capacity and 140 MW/561 MWh of battery storage capacity).
• Valley Center Battery Storage Project, owned and developed by Terra-Gen, in California (140 MW battery system with 560 MWh of energy storage capacity).

Clean power procurement activity slows, while utilities increase

Power purchase agreement (PPAs) announcements saw a significant decline, down 10 percent from last quarter and 15 percent from the first quarter of 2021. For the quarter, companies announced 6,339 MW of new power purchase agreements (PPAs). Corporate buyers were among those more hesitant to sign on to new clean-power PPAs. Commercial & Industrial (C&I) offtakers announced 3,309 MW of new PPAs this quarter, a notable 46 percent decline from the first quarter of last year. According to LevelTen, PPA prices rose across all regions and technologies this quarter due to supply chain disruptions and increasing prices of commodities and labor.

Top corporate purchasers in first quarter:

• Verizon (859 MW of new PPAs).
• The Markley Group (400 MW).
• QTS Reality Trust (350 MW).

Utilities, on the other hand, increased PPA announcements by 53 percent compared to the first quarter of last year, with 2,513 MW announced. In total, 15 utilities announced PPAs this quarter.

• Salt River Project (581 MW).
• Great River Energy (400 MW).
• Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMDU) (350 MW).

Offshore targets grow and historic New York lease sale

The first quarter saw significant activity in the offshore development sector. Louisiana announced an offshore wind goal of 5 GW installed by 2035 as part of the state’s first ever Climate Action Plan. To date, nine states have set offshore wind procurement targets totaling nearly 45 GW.

In February, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held a lease sale for six commercial lease areas in the New York Bight with the potential to generate up to 7 GW of clean energy. The auction lasted three days and brought in $4.37 billion in federal revenue.

New York State broke ground on the 130-MW South Fork Wind Project as Ørsted and Eversource’s joint venture announced the approval of the final investment decision for the project, which is expected to be operational by the end of 2023.

At the end of March, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6865, the Coast Guard Authorization Act. Among many provisions, this bill would impose citizenship-based restrictions for crews on foreign-flagged vessels operating in the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. ACP is actively engaging with the Senate and White House to prevent this policy from becoming law as it would seriously impede offshore wind deployment and progress toward the U.S. goal of deploying 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030.

MORE INFO  www.cleanpower.org

EverWind Fuels LLC, a developer of green hydrogen and ammonia production, storage facilities and transportation assets, will begin production of green hydrogen in 2025 in Point Tupper, Nova Scotia.

EverWind has acquired the NuStar storage terminal in Point Tupper, and plans to expand and develop the Point Tupper site to be the location of a regional green hydrogen hub for eastern Canada, including new green hydrogen and ammonia production facilities. These facilities will create new clean energy jobs, support Nova Scotia’s carbon emissions reduction targets.

“As part of the clean energy transition, we are proud to invest in Nova Scotia and support the province in unlocking the immense opportunity presented by green hydrogen,” said Trent Vichie, CEO of EverWind Fuels.

“The development of green hydrogen is an essential tool in the fight against climate change. Expansion of the Point Tupper site will support significant economic development in the region that can attract billions of dollars in new investment, create new jobs, and help make Nova Scotia and Canada global leaders in this exciting industry,” Vichie said.

By 2030, the project could reduce domestic and international carbon emissions by more than four million tons a year through the production of green hydrogen.

The Point Tupper site is positioned to produce green hydrogen as early as 2025, supported by existing in-place infrastructure. Point Tupper has an ice-free, deep-water port with 27-meter depth and two berths that can accommodate large vessels. The port is the deepest in Nova Scotia and the surrounding region.

The site has rail loading facilities and is adjacent to pipeline networks to support domestic and regional markets. Electricity transmission is available at the site as well as 7.7 million barrels of liquids storage and abundant freshwater, which is adjacent to the site.

The site is operated by a 70-person team trained to protect the surrounding environment and deliver safe operations.

EverWind Fuels also intends to partner with offshore wind developers to expand production over time, which aligns with the joint announcement by the Canadian and Nova Scotia governments in April 2022 to expand the mandate of Nova Scotia’s offshore energy regime, to support the transition to a clean economy, and to create sustainable jobs.

“Onshore facilities, like Point Tupper, will be key to unlocking this important industry and we are excited to play our part,” said Vichie. “We are confident that this is both the right place and the right time to pursue this development,” said Vichie. “Governments across Canada are embracing green hydrogen and green ammonia as key parts of Canada’s clean energy future and, with this investment, we are excited to support the development of a regional hydrogen hub in Eastern Canada.”

EverWind Fuels is committed to engagement with Indigenous and local communities, governments and local business and planning organizations to ensure feedback is incorporated throughout the development of the project.

“We have been engaging with communities, businesses and local organizations, and governments at every level early on in this project because we know it is a critical part of the process,” said Vichie. “We are working with Indigenous-owned consulting firms to ensure our engagement with Mi’kmaq communities and organizations is done thoughtfully and in the spirit of listening. This engagement and consultation activities will increase in the coming months.”

MORE INFO  www.everwindfuels.com

A robot called BladeBUG can be deployed to inspect areas of concern on a turbine blade, about half the time it would take to deploy a human rope access technician.

Rope access techs traditionally have the job of inspection and repair on wind turbine blades. However, prep time for a team is more than an hour, and the costly teams must manage safety risks at great height and sometimes in harsh weather.

“We designed the BladeBUG to reduce costly turbine shutdowns for our wind energy clients. As the UK focuses its energy supply on renewable sources such as wind farms, it is imperative these projects operate as efficiently as possible,” said Chris Cieslak, BladeBug director and founder.

“Once our team has arrived on site, unloaded the BladeBUG and carried out our safety checks, the robot will be attached to a blade and carrying out inspections in a little over half an hour. While vacuumed onto a turbine blade the BladeBUG is able to walk around to any areas of interest,” Cieslak said.

For onshore turbines, a ground-up approach for deployment is used. The robot is attached at ground level to a rope lowered by a technician from the top of the turbine, then hoisted into place to inspect the blade. One end of the rope is attached to a power descender on the ground, then goes up to the top to a pulley and back down to the robot. A top-down approach to deployment works best for offshore turbines.

The processes required to rig and operate the BladeBUG can be managed by operations technicians with basic GWO Working at Height training. The technicians on the tag lines communicate via radios with those operating the power descender to hoist the robot to the correct part of the blade.

The latest round of testing was successfully carried out at the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth.

“It has been a privilege to be a part of the BladeBUG journey and watch Chris and the team develop such a vital piece of technology for the industry. The BladeBUG continues to go from strength to strength, and this latest test in Blyth is another tick in the box for the future of innovative wind turbine inspections,” said Andrew Stormonth-Darling of ORE Catapult.

MORE INFO  https://www.bladebug.co.uk/

Torque multipliers are essential when high torque is needed in heavy duty applications including power generation, oil and natural gas, railroad and other critical industries. Snap-on Industrial offers a wide range of reaction arms, a key component of successful torque multiplier application.

Reaction arms improve torque access for applications involving heavy duty fleet maintenance, structural bolting, flange bolting, wind turbine erection, and general maintenance.

Reaction arms direct all torque forces back to the adjacent fasteners or structure, eliminating unintentional rotation of the torque multiplier during operation.

Popular styles of reaction arms include:

• Straight reaction: 11.8-inch length; light-weight reaction; reduces tool weight
• Straight reaction with peg: 1.8-inch length, 3 offset inches; light-weight reaction; reduces tool weight
• Double-sided reaction fixture: 7.9-inch length; light-weight reaction; reduces tool weight
• Short reaction foot: 2.55-inch length, 3 offset inches; light-weight reaction; reduces tool weight
• Reaction adaptor: Light-weight reaction; reduces tool weight

Custom-built reaction arms and sets can also be designed for customers’ exact torque application.

MORE INFO  https://b2b.snapon.com/reactionarms

Collett completed the delivery of thirteen Nordex N133 turbines to Kennoxhead Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Located south of the A70, near the village of Glespin on the Douglas Estate, the site features Nordex N133 onshore wind turbines with an individual blade length of 64 meters and a tip height of no more than 180 meters.

Phase one of the Kennoxhead Wind Farm is now completed with the 133.2-meter diameter turbines featuring a 13,935 sqm rotor sweep expected to enter commercial operation later in 2022.

Phase two of the project is still in development with 14 proposed additional turbines expected to enter commercial operation in 2024.

Beginning with a test drive of the 46-mile route from King George V Dock to South Lanarkshire, the Collett team simulated the 68-meter loaded vehicle to ensure that the 64-meter blades could safely traverse the route.  Data gathered during the test drive, coupled with preliminary planning reports, allowed the team to determine the suitability of the route, identifying any modifications ahead of the commencement of deliveries.  This included the removal of street furniture at King George V Dock and required civil work on site to prevent the loaded trailers grounding on the wind farm access roads.

Using King George V Dock’s 32.6 hectares of storage, all components were imported to the Glasgow facility for onward transport. The team used specialist wind turbine trailers for deliveries, including clamp trailers for the base and middle tower sections, six-axle step-frames for the top towers, nacelle, hubs and drive trains and Faymonville quadruple extendable wing max trailers for the 64-meter blades.

MORE INFO  https://collett.co.uk/

Avangrid Renewables, LLC, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc.  announced that it has begun operations at its 200-megawatt (MW) Golden Hills wind farm in Sherman County, Oregon. The facility provides enough clean, renewable electricity to Puget Sound Energy (PSE) to power more than 60,000 homes annually.

“Delivering on this project represents an important milestone for Avangrid Renewables as we continue to build on our robust portfolio of project in the Pacific Northwest region and advance our position as a leading renewable energy developer in the U.S.,” said Jose Antonio Miranda, Avangrid Renewables’ president and CEO, Onshore. “We are pleased to work with Puget Sound Energy to help it meet its ambitious goals to reduce emissions and provide clean, reliable power to its customers.”

The project will help PSE meet its goals to reduce carbon dioxide emissions while providing additional capacity to serve customers, particularly during winter periods of high electricity demand. The project is Avangrid Renewables’ seventh wind project in Sherman County, eleventh in Oregon, and fourteenth in the Pacific Northwest.

“We are excited for this next step and what this partnership with Avangrid Renewables means as we continue to build on our history of championing renewable energy in the Pacific Northwest,” said Ron Roberts, PSE vice president of energy supply. “This new wind project will enable us to expand our efforts toward providing clean, reliable electric service to all of our customers as we work together to create a clean energy future for all.”

The addition of the Golden Hills wind project increases PSE’s owned and contracted wind fleet to over 1,150 megawatts.

The Golden Hills Wind Farm is located near the town of Wasco, Oregon. The project includes 41 Vestas V150 4.3 MW turbines and 10 GE 116 2.5 MW turbines. The farm is spread across about 28,000 acres of grazing and dry-land wheat farmland held by 37 landowners. Avangrid Renewables started construction on the project in May 2020.

The project will employ around 13 full time employees and is expected to deliver more than $220 million in landowner payments and local taxes over the lifetime of the project.

MORE INFO  www.avangridrenewables.com

Tube and pipe bending machine manufacturer Schwarze-Robitec will be presenting its high-performance technologies for the offshore industry May 2-5 at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas.

For many decades, prestigious companies from this industry have placed their faith in the “made in Germany” label. Schwarze-Robitec’s machines are designed to meet extreme demands in continuous use, producing customized tubes and pipes in a quick and precise manner.

For more than 50 years, energy professionals have met to exchange ideas and opinions at the OTC in an open format. Schwarze-Robitec will be taking part in this year’s event. The long-established Cologne-based company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of tube and pipe cold bending machines for various industries and applications. In the offshore industry, Schwarze-Robitec’s robust CNC tube and pipe cold bending machines from the Heavy Duty series are particularly able to demonstrate their benefits. They can bend tubes and pipes of various dimensions — from 0.16 to 16.5 inches (4 to 420 mm) — in complex geometries with a high degree of repeatability and precision. Schwarze-Robitec is thus enabling users to produce tubes and pipes in a time- and cost-effective manner. The tailor-made tubes and pipes offer excellent durability and dimensional stability thanks to the high-quality machine work.

Schwarze-Robitec’s experts know the complex demands of the offshore industry inside out and are on hand to provide comprehensive advice, well-founded expertise and bending solutions precisely tailored to user requirements. Schwarze-Robitec is active in North America with its service and sales team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The tube and pipe bending specialists will be stationed at exhibition booth 1258 at the OTC in Houston, where they will be available to answer all questions related to efficient and economical tube and pipe bending and look forward to speaking to industry professionals.

MORE INFO  www.schwarze-robitec.com

The 76th STLE Annual Meeting and Exhibition will be held May 15-19, 2022, in Orlando, Florida, and include daily keynote talks, Q&A opportunities, presentations, discussions, and more.

The meeting is the lubricant industry’s most respected event for technical information, professional development, and international networking opportunities. The five-day event will be held entirely in person, complete with daily keynote and plenary talks, live Q&A opportunities with academic and industry leaders, 400 technical presentations, application-based case studies, 12 industry-specific education courses, best practice reports, discussion panels on technical and market trends, in-person networking and social events, and commercial exhibits and student posters.

“We’re excited to bring back our in-person presentation of STLE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition in 2022, and we can’t think of a better place to do it than the award-winning Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort,” said Edward P. Salek, CAE, STLE executive director. “This year’s event will provide members and non-members with the long-awaited opportunity to connect, network and collaborate with other lubricant professionals face-to-face.”

Throughout the event, world-class visionaries will address key areas at the forefront of tribological science. Program features will include:

• Electric Vehicle (EV) Track.
• Biotribology at the Nanoscale Joint Session. 
• Tribology of Biomaterials Special Session. 
• Tribochemistry Joint Session. 
• 2D Materials + Superlubricity Joint Session.
• Special session on Artificial Intelligence in Tribology. 

Tribological advancements in transportation, driven by fuel efficiency, gasoline and emission requirements, evolving electric vehicle technologies, and applications performance, can lead to improved fuel efficiency, longevity, and power density. Darryl Stolarczyk, director of vehicle planning, body systems engineering and materials engineering for Nissan Technical Center North America (NTCNA) will open the meeting with a keynote address that focuses on how tribology is supporting Nissan Ambition 2030, the company’s vision for creating a cleaner, safer, and more inclusive society through initiatives that aim for zero emissions, zero fatalities, and zero inequality.

During the presentation, “Nissan — Powertrain Evolution Toward Carbon Neutrality,” Stolarczyk will discuss the integral role tribology and lubrication technologies have played in the development of more efficient internal combustion engine (ICE) powertrains and how they are helping Nissan to achieve its carbon neutrality goals — through the creation of lower-cost electric vehicle (EV) models designed to extend range and reduce charging times.

Commercial exhibits and student posters will be open to visitors from May 16-18. The exhibition will feature more than 100 booths showcasing the latest products and services of interest to lubrication professionals worldwide, representing a full range of the industry’s most prestigious corporate, government, and academic institutions.

STLE members and non-members who are unable to attend the meeting in person can purchase a collection of digital proceedings of the technical presentations after the event for a reduced fee.

MORE INFO  www.stle.org

As part of the Akita Noshiro offshore wind farm project’s construction phase off the coast of Japan, Akita Offshore Wind Corporation required 33 monopiles to be upended on the deck of the offshore installation vessel so that they could be used for construction of Japan’s first large scale commercial wind farm project.

This was the first time SPMTs had been used for this type of operation in Japan, so strong engineering support from a global team experienced in offshore wind operations would be vital to ensure a safe operation. In particular, close monitoring of tolerances was required throughout, to ensure the SPMTs were not subjected to high levels of torsional load during these highly precise maneuvers.

The operations took place around 1km offshore between Ports of Akita and Noshiro, Japan with main marshalling station in Akita. The 33 monopiles needed to be upended one by one from their horizontal orientation on the deck of the installation vessel.

The monopiles were first loaded by a crane into a cradle and the upending frame, in horizontal orientation. Next, SPMTs connected to the upending frame and the crane hook to their other end. Then the SPMTs were driven forward as the crane hoisted up until safe operational limits were reached.

As each monopile was larger than the deck of the vessel, there was a need for the upending operation to stop and have the crane slew (rotate) 180 degrees. To ensure a safe maneuver, it was necessary to minimize the risk of torsion.

The Mammoet engineer team used steering modes that are not in everyday use, allowing the trailers to be put into carousel mode; free-wheeling to follow the motion of the crane above, to which the monopile was still attached. This phase was executed safely and successfully.

During this phase, surveyors monitored the position of the crane hook to reduce the risk of the crane hook being out of level. Each time, the SPMT was driven forward while the crane was hoisted up until each monopile was free from its upending bucket.

The operations were controlled in the final stages between crane and SPMT operators so that the monopile lifted out of the frame once it was almost vertical. Each monopile was then lowered via crane only into the water for sail-off to the installation site.

Mammoet’s global network provided the client with expertise and equipment from Japan, the wider APAC region, as well as the United Kingdom. This allowed the customer to benefit from the expertise behind some of the world’s most technically challenging offshore wind projects, but also a supplier that could mobilize resources locally.

The Akita Noshiro offshore wind farm project is expected to provide more than 140MW of energy a year. Its power will be supplied to approximately 130,000 homes, with commercial operation expected to start in 2022.

MORE INFO  www.mammoet.com

Siemens Gamesa has started manufacturing of both its patented offshore Direct Drive wind turbine nacelles and IntegralBlades at its new manufacturing facility in Le Havre, France. The world’s first facility to encompass both offshore wind turbine nacelle and blade manufacturing under one roof, it is the largest industrial renewable energy project in France.

A dedicated installation hub is also under finalization on the same plot, allowing direct load out of wind turbine components to French offshore wind power plants. Locally in Le Havre, the first 500 positions out of the 750 total direct and indirect jobs to be created have been filled. The remaining 250 positions are expected to be filled between the end of calendar year 2022 and early 2023.

“Producing our first offshore wind power components in Le Havre is electrifying. This investment serves as a major driver of the economic growth story in Normandy and in the French offshore wind industry. With the world’s first offshore nacelle and blade factory under one roof, we can unlock the power of wind for our customers and the people of France. We are energized to lead the way, especially coupled with solid orders and the government’s recent French Offshore Sector Deal,” said Marc Becker, CEO of the Siemens Gamesa Offshore Business Unit.

Siemens Gamesa and local partners UIMM Le Havre, AFPI, and AFPA have created a dedicated training center for new employees and the new offshore wind specific competencies that are needed. This investment in people is the first training center in France solely dedicated to the production of wind turbine nacelles and blades.

“The first nacelles and blades headed for the Bay of Saint Brieuc and the Fecamp projects are tangible proof of the power of commitment to renewable energy in France. The French Offshore Sector Deal recently signed by the French government commits to 18 GW to be installed by 2035 and for awards growing from 2 GW per year from 2025 onwards. The growth path is crystal clear. We look very much forward to executing our strong French offshore order pipeline with components from the plant. The growing market opportunity and public commitments secure the long-term prospects for our new colleagues,” said Filippo Cimitan, managing director of Siemens Gamesa France.

Siemens Gamesa has approximately 2.5 GW of capacity announced in France. They include the firm orders for the 496 MW Bay of Saint Brieuc project, the 497 MW Fecamp project, the 448 MW Calvados (formerly Courseulles-sur-Mer) project, and the 24 MW Provence Grand Large floating offshore wind power project. Preferred supplier agreements include the 496 MW Yeu Noirmoutier project and the 496-MW Dieppe le Tréport project. The projects will in total use both Siemens Gamesa 7 MW and 8 MW offshore Direct Drive nacelles, as well as 75-meter long B75 blades and 81-meter long B81 blades.

MORE INFO  https://www.siemensgamesa.com/en-int

Leosphere, maker of the WindCube lidar suite, is now Vaisala, as it completes integration with Vaisala, who purchased the company in 2018.

From lidars, sensors, and systems to digital services and actionable intelligence, Vaisala’s enhanced range of comprehensive offerings for wind and solar energy applications provides industry-leading integration, scalability, and data quality. The WindCube suite’s accurate and reliable intelligence arms decision-makers with the insights needed to innovate, evolve practices, improve accuracy and efficiency, and meet renewable energy challenges with confidence.

“Backed by its 85-plus-year proven track record and global leadership, Vaisala is a leading wind and solar technology partner, driving the successful evolution of renewable energy for a healthier, greener, and more innovative future,” the company said in a press release.

MORE INFO  https://www.vaisala.com/en

Baltimore-based US Wind, Inc. will partner with University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) for three research projects aimed at understanding the potential effects of offshore wind development on marine mammals, fish, and birds. US Wind pledged $11 million in funding over ten years, and the research will take place in US Wind’s 80,000-acre federal lease area off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland.

“As US Wind works to develop offshore wind off Maryland’s coast, it’s imperative that we do so responsibly,” said Jeff Grybowski, US Wind CEO. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with UMCES on industry-leading environmental research that will enhance protections for marine life as we develop this clean energy resource for the region.”

“Partnering with a leading environmental research institution like UMCES is an exciting building block in our efforts to collect much-needed biological information in our lease,” said Laurie Jodziewicz, US Wind Senior Director of Environmental Affairs. “The planned work will go a long way in filling knowledge gaps that still exist about offshore wind’s effects on the marine environment. We’re excited to get started.”

US Wind’s funding will support three projects, all planned to kick off this year, to understand the potential environmental effects of offshore wind development in the Mid-Atlantic.

“We’re really pleased with this continued partnership with US Wind on important questions related to the environmental impacts of offshore wind development,” said University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science President Peter Goodwin. “We look forward to working with them along with state and federal agencies to help make the best decisions to minimize impacts to the environment.”

The three UMCES research projects are:

• Commercial and recreational fisheries monitoring: An eight-year program to evaluate the extent that black sea bass change their aggregation behaviors before, during, and after construction. Black sea bass are structure-oriented with large aggregations occurring on artificial reefs and wrecks. Turbine foundations will add three-dimensional structure within US Wind’s lease where very little exists. This research project will assess the benefits and potential fish aggregation effects. It will also test black sea bass fishing with ropeless gear, an important technology to reduce whale entanglements.

• Near real-time whale detection: This initiative will continue the deployment of a near real-time whale detection system to provide timely alerts on the presence of baleen whales (North Atlantic right whales, and humpback, fin, and sei whales) for a 12-month period from 2022 to 2023. The project is a partnership between UMCES and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution that uses quiet mooring technology, whale vocalization detection algorithms, and telecommunications to transmit frequent alerts on the presence of baleen whales. The initiative enables real-time data collection through the buoy system that was initially funded by the Maryland Energy Administration and deployed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

• Passive acoustic monitoring array: This long-term project will support passive acoustic monitoring to detect dolphins and large whales such as North Atlantic right whales to understand their presence and migration patterns in and around the lease area and the potential effects of construction. Working with Cornell University’s Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, two types of listening devices will be deployed to determine the occurrence and position of large whales and dolphins, and to detect the tonal echolocation clicks of small cetaceans including porpoises. Additionally, this project will deploy equipment to listen for passing fish, sharks, rays, and turtles that have been implanted with transponders for broader scientific research.

“The Department appreciates the coordinated research into safer equipment and marine wildlife monitoring,” said Catherine McCall, Director of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Office of Ocean and Coastal Management. “The ongoing deployment of Maryland’s whale monitoring buoy provides daily detections and helps resource managers protect sensitive species.”

These UMCES-led research projects build on the environmental baseline work US Wind is doing to better understand the environment in and around its lease area and mitigate potential effects of offshore wind development on marine life and avian species. One such initiative includes aerial digital surveys to identify birds that may be displaced or avoid the wind farm once the turbines are installed. These research and monitoring programs also inform the comprehensive analyses the federal government must do to approve the construction and operation of offshore wind projects.

“The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) is pleased that offshore wind developers are investing resources to support scientific understanding of the nexus between offshore wind development and the environment, wildlife, ecosystems, and habitats off the coast of Maryland,” said Mary Beth Tung, Ph.D., Esq., Director of MEA. “US Wind’s investment complements the research initiatives funded by MEA and administered by DNR, which total more than $15 million and have been carried out since 2014.”

Monitoring these populations is a critical step in conservation to measure changes, track threats, and evaluate the success of wildlife management. The projects were selected based on their efficacy and ability to complement existing research efforts in the scientific community. All data will be made available to government and academic researchers, and reports and information will be made publicly available to help protect these important species and ecosystems for generations to come.

MORE INFO  https://uswindinc.com/

The Department of the Interior recently announced that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed its environmental review and will hold a wind-energy auction for two lease areas offshore of the Carolinas on May 11.

The lease areas cover 110,091 acres in the Carolina Long Bay area that, if developed, could result in at least 1.3 GW of offshore wind energy, enough to power nearly 500,000 homes. The announcement is part of President Biden’s agenda to grow a clean-energy economy that harnesses offshore wind projects to strengthen U.S. energy independence, create good-paying jobs, and lower energy bills for consumers.

“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to supporting a robust clean-energy economy, and the upcoming Carolina Long Bay offshore wind-energy auction provides yet another excellent opportunity to strengthen the clean energy industry while creating good-paying union jobs,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “This is a historic time for domestic offshore wind-energy development. We will continue using every tool in our toolbox to tackle the climate crisis, reduce our emissions to reach the president’s bold goals, and advance environmental justice.”

President Biden catalyzed the offshore wind energy industry by announcing the first-ever national offshore wind energy goal, creating a clear vision for the future of this innovative industry. This goal is reinforced by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will make historic investments to build a better America with clean energy, resilient infrastructure, and strong domestic manufacturing and supply chains.

The Carolina Long Bay offshore wind-energy auction will allow offshore wind developers to bid on one or both of the lease areas within the Wilmington East Wind Energy Area (WEA), as described in BOEM’s Final Sale Notice (FSN), which is available in the Federal Register Reading Room. The two lease areas include similar acreage, distance to shore, and wind-resource potential.

The FSN includes several lease stipulations designed to promote the development of a robust domestic U.S. supply chain, advance flexibility in transmission planning, and encourage project labor agreements. Among the stipulations announced, BOEM will offer a 20 percent credit to bidders if they commit to invest in programs that will advance U.S. offshore wind-energy workforce training or supply chain development.

To advance BOEM’s communication and environmental justice goals, the leases will also require lessees to identify Tribal Nations, underserved communities, agencies, ocean users and other interested stakeholders, and report on their communication and engagement activities with these parties. These stipulations are intended to promote offshore wind-energy development in a way that coexists with other ocean uses and protects the ocean environment, while also facilitating our nation’s energy future for generations to come. These innovative stipulations were embraced in the Department’s recent lease sale for the New York Bight, which set a record as the nation’s highest-grossing competitive offshore energy lease sale in history, including oil and gas lease sales.

“BOEM is focused on ensuring that any development offshore North Carolina is done responsibly, in a way that avoids or minimizes potential impacts to the ocean and ocean users in the region,” said BOEM Director Amanda Lefton. “The milestones announced … mark significant progress in achieving this administration’s goal for deploying 30 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030, while creating jobs and strengthening a sustainable domestic supply chain.”

In November 2021, BOEM published a proposed sale notice (PSN) and requested public comments on the proposed leasing of nearly 128,000 acres in the Wilmington East WEA. Based on the bureau’s review of scientific data and extensive input from the commercial fishing industry, tribes, partnering agencies, key stakeholders, and the public, BOEM reduced the acreage available for leasing in the FSN by 14 percent from the areas proposed in the PSN to avoid conflicts with ocean users and minimize environmental impacts. BOEM will continue to engage with its partners and stakeholders as the process unfolds.

In addition, this past fall the administration announced a new leasing path forward, which identified up to seven potential lease sales by 2025, including the upcoming Carolina Long Bay lease sale and last month’s New York Bight lease sale. Lease sales offshore California and Oregon, as well as in the Central Atlantic, Gulf of Maine, and the Gulf of Mexico are expected to follow.

A recent report indicates that the United States’ growing offshore wind-energy industry presents a $109 billion revenue opportunity to businesses in the supply chain over the next decade.

MORE INFO  www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/carolina-long-bay

Megger, a manufacturer and supplier of test and measurement equipment used within the electric power, building wiring, and telecommunication industries, has enhanced its KC series of test leads used with wind turbines. The new leads can be used either in a manufacturing plant or in the field for maintenance.

KC-C test leads are lightweight, making them safe for use at extreme heights, and are designed to work with Megger’s DLRO2 low resistance hand-held ohmmeter long test lead mode to measure the resistance of the lightning protection circuit of wind turbines.

Developed in conjunction with a wind turbine manufacturer, the KC-C test leads provide a solution for supplying leads that are long enough for testing the continuity of lightning protection conductors in turbines. They eliminate the time-consuming, inconvenient and unreliable process of engineers and technicians having to fabricate their own test leads.

Available in two lengths including 328 feet and 164 feet, each testing lead comes standard on a heavy-duty cable reel that is fitted with a friction brake to avoid tangles while reeling out the cable. They are rated to 10 A. Each lead set includes two test leads fitted with a duplex handspike for probing the lightning receptors on the tips of the turbine blades.

The leads are also fitted with a Kelvin clip that is designed to offer ease of use, while providing consistent connections that are needed to ensure accurate and repeatable results.

The KC-C test leads also feature hook terminations marked with C or P to ensure the right connections are made; as well as a cable guide on the cable reel to assist with orderly rewinding. These lightweight lead sets, weighing approximately 17 pounds, use a duplex connect test lead system that allows probes or clips to be changed quickly and easily on-site. When combined with the DLRO2, they have a combined weight of less than 20 pounds.

MORE INFO  us.megger.com/

Verton and The Crosby Group are expanding Verton’s load orientation technology in North America. Crosby Group,  Verton’s master distributor for the Americas, has invested in additional units for deployment in the U.S and Canada, as well as key team members to support the growing business.

The Verton range of lifting solutions includes land-based and offshore energy, construction and infrastructure, cargo handling and towing, marine, mining, and transportation.

“Verton’s remote-controlled load orientation products provide a step-change in terms of the safety and productivity of our customers’ lifting operations. Verton’s wireless products remotely orientate suspended loads without the need for taglines, using gyroscopes and sophisticated control systems, removing the need for personnel near or under loads.  The combined strengths of Verton’s product with the rich rigging heritage of The Crosby Group has allowed us to bring these benefits to job sites across the Americas,” said Robert Desel, Crosby Group CEO.

“We are thrilled to see the investment that The Crosby Group is making in support of our partnership. Verton will have a greatly increased presence in the market to bring our products to new customers and industries and to provide an increased level of support to our existing customers,” said Verton CEO Tim Ekert.

Verton is the inventor of inventor of the remote-controlled load orientation system. The company’s range of lifting products also integrates smart technology to facilitate more precise load placement, faster task turnover, and superior analysis and oversight of operations.

MORE INFO  www.verton.com.au or www.thecrosbygroup.com

Pattern Energy Group LP (Pattern Energy) announced the grand opening of its Western Spirit Wind power facilities, comprised of four wind power projects located in Guadalupe, Lincoln, and Torrance Counties in central New Mexico, totaling more than 1,050 megawatts (MW) of clean power capacity, enough to meet the electricity needs of 900,000 Americans each year.

“This project is doing it all: creating good-paying jobs, providing clean power to New Mexico and beyond, and cutting emissions from the energy sector. New Mexico is leading the pack – nationally and globally – in the renewable energy space. At the state level, at the county level, at the city level, at the village level, New Mexico is all in on the economic and environmental benefits this industry provides,” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Western Spirit Wind will provide clean, renewable energy to California and New Mexico. The four wind power facilities that comprise Western Spirit Wind utilize a total of 377 GE wind turbines ranging from 2.3 to 2.8 MW in size. The GE turbines utilize various tower heights to optimize the wind capture at each facility.

The wind project and accompanying transmission line involved around 1,500 workers on-site during peak construction, including heavy equipment operators, electricians, laborers, and others. More than 50 workers will operate and maintain the Western Spirit Wind facilities in New Mexico.

“The Western Spirit Transmission Line literally rewrote the energy landscape in New Mexico— allowing us to build four new utility-scale wind projects in central and eastern New Mexico that make up the largest single-phase wind project in all of North America. I was proud to support this project every step of the way,” said Sen. Martin Heinrich.

“The largest wind power project in the entire country is now producing strong benefits for the state of New Mexico, including millions of dollars in tax revenue to local counties and school districts. This is just the beginning. We have committed to $6 billion in upcoming wind energy and related infrastructure projects in New Mexico over the next decade, putting thousands of people to work. Together, we are building a cleaner and more sustainable future,” said Mike Garland, Pattern Energy CEO.

“If we’re going to make this decade one of exponential climate action, we need more than just bold goals and lofty long-term promises — we need real solutions and results today,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Bringing this state-of-the-art facility online makes it our largest wind project to date — providing clean energy for hundreds of thousands of Angelenos and bringing us one major step closer to becoming a city powered without fossil fuels,” Garcetti added.

“The energy we receive from Western Spirit will power 186,000 San José homes annually with clean, pollution-free electricity for the next 15 years,” said San José Mayor Sam Liccardo. “I’m proud that San José Clean Energy is helping invest in California’s renewable energy future so we can leave a more livable planet to future generations.”

MORE INFO   patternenergynewmexico.com

Danish machining firm CNC Onsite has developed an invention for repairing wind turbine yaw rings on site. The patented system could eliminate expensive, time-consuming disassembly of the rotor and nacelle for replacement.

The yaw ring is a crucial component in securing maximum power production from a wind turbine and is complex and costly to replace. Broken and worn teeth can leave operaturs of older wind turbines with no choice except scrapping them.

“This inspired us to develop a repair method as an alternative,” said Søren Kellenberger, Sales Director, CNC Onsite.

“We can now offer a repair service for both onshore and offshore at a fraction of the cost of replacing the entire yaw ring, and that makes it viable to keep perfectly good wind turbines operating for longer,” Kellenberger said.

The CNC Onsite method employs a portable precision tool to repair any broken or worn yaw ring teeth. Operated by a specialist engineer, the tool applies the patented method, working at extremely fine tolerances, to remove and reinsert machined teeth. The patent for the system covers the milling process by which the damaged teeth are excised, and the bed created for the new part, as well as its particular insertion method.

“The process we apply when creating new yaw ring teeth for a wind turbine is similar in principle to a new dental crown that is first copied precisely then fitted by a dentist using precision tools,” Kellenberger said. “The aim is the same, and it should last for a long time.”

The tool has been designed to break down into component parts with a low weight that allows them to be transported in the tower elevator to the work area. After reassembly in the nacelle, the compact tool can be operated in the confined working space around the yaw ring.

Repairs are carried out inside the wind turbine tower so can be completed irrespective of weather conditions.

“As long as it is safe to travel to and access the wind turbine, we can carry out the repairs. So there are far fewer days when we cannot work. This is also good for both work schedules and costings,” Kellenberger said.

Mounted at the top of the wind turbine tower, the toothed yaw ring is a gear that engages with motors mounted on the nacelle to align the rotor blades with the wind. CNC Onsite estimates that turbines on some 5 to 10 percent of wind farms will experience damage to their yaw ring teeth during their service life. Typical causes include unpredictable wind events or uneven loads sustained over time.

Replacing the yaw ring requires the entire nacelle to be detached using a crane and specialist labor – a process that is expensive for onshore turbines and perhaps uneconomic for offshore. Across the lifetime of a wind turbine, maintenance can represent up to a quarter of all costs incurred, and decisions such as choosing a cost-effective yaw ring repair versus replacement are set to become an important trend.

The system developed by CNC Onsite can usually carry out yaw ring repairs within a few days. This reduces downtime, and results in significant CO2 savings.

“We’re eliminating the need for manufacturing a new yaw ring and above all the huge logistical effort required to transport a yaw ring to the site, deploy cranes, which is particularly tricky offshore, and replace it,” Kellenberger said.

“Such an operation requires a significant number of people and a lot of equipment with all the  associated CO2 emissions. With our repair method, this is no longer required,“ Kellenberg said.

The yaw ring repair service offered by CNC Onsite has already been used on a range of turbines in wind parks, both offshore and onshore, since it entered the market in 2019 following months of endurance tests.

MORE INFO  cnconsite.dk/en/

American Clean Power Organization CEO Heather Zichal praised President Joe Biden’s March 1 State of the Union mentions about clean energy and climate change.

“President Biden’s first State of the Union address was emphatic and unmistakably clear about the urgency of rapid clean energy investment. The invasion of Ukraine reminded us that bullies like Vladimir Putin can play games with energy to hold countries hostage,” Zichal said.

“This week we also heard the world’s leading climate scientists tell us that our planet is warming at an alarming rate. The way out of both of these crises is to rapidly scale affordable, reliable clean energy everywhere. We join the President in urging Congress to take action on critical investments and tax credits for the renewable energy industry that have broad, bipartisan support. Quick action will create good jobs and allow the rapid deployment of clean energy projects in all 50 states,” Zichal added.

MORE INFO  www.cleanpower.org

TGS, a global provider of energy data, data-driven solutions and intelligence, recently announced Wind AXIOM. This unique wind data analytics platform enables offshore wind-market stakeholders to assess risks and opportunities associated with impending and future offshore wind projects.

Wind AXIOM is designed to offer interactive feasibility analysis by aggregating many critical data categories in one place and subsequently enabling comprehensive benchmarking of current and future lease rounds. Combined with interactive visualization and analysis tools, Wind AXIOM provides new and easy-to-access insights for the offshore wind market.

“In the development of this easy-to-access platform, our mission was to improve the wind-assessment experience for everyone,” said Jan Schoolmeesters, EVP of Digital Energy Solutions at TGS. “TGS has leveraged 40 years of data expertise, including that from subsidiary 4C Offshore, to help customers access multiple high-quality wind-data resources in one place, screen offshore wind projects faster, and easily compare offshore wind-lease opportunities across the globe. Wind AXIOM allows wind stakeholders to assess their potential investments and future opportunities.”

Wind AXIOM integrates and homogenizes a wide variety of data. Data types include high-resolution wind resource data, energy assessment, 4C Offshore market, regulatory and policy intelligence, environmental and marine use restrictions, bathymetry data, transmission infrastructure, and other data sources. These are analyzed together, providing early insights into the costs and risks of pursuing a particular lease area. As a result, this tool improves the quality and speed of decisions by offering a tailored experience for various participants of the offshore wind market, helping assess opportunities early and more efficiently.

MORE INFO  TGS.com/wind-axiom