Leading renewable energy consultancy and service provider, Natural Power, was recently appointed by BayWa r.e. Wind LLC as Independent Engineer of Record for its 250-MW Amadeus Wind project north of Rotan, Texas, currently under construction.

“We appreciate the opportunity to serve as Independent Engineer on Amadeus in support of tax equity and construction debt financing,” said Chris Mertes, head of Advisory at Natural Power in North America. “Natural Power and BayWa r.e. take the role of Independent Engineer seriously, and the experience and results we provide will be of significant benefit to the wind project’s long-term success.”

The team undertook a full review of the project’s engineering designs, turbine technology, operating contracts, financial models, and permits prior to the start of construction. Beneficial aspects were highlighted, and areas of potential risk were flagged for further investigation and resolution. Natural Power will continue to support the project with construction monitoring through completion.

Once operational, the project will deploy GE wind turbines across nearly 25,000 acres of federal, state and privately held lands, and could generate enough clean, renewable energy to power more than 75,000 homes annually.

“BayWa r.e. selected Natural Power for this critical role based on its reputation for providing careful, actionable due diligence on wind projects, as well as the widespread acceptance of their work product by the tax equity community,” said Florian Zerhusen, CEO, BayWa r.e. Wind LLC.

Earlier this year, BayWa r.e. Wind announced it had secured a tax equity commitment from a consortium led by GE Energy Financial Services. The project has also executed a hedge agreement with Morgan Stanley and, in the most difficult market since the financial crisis of 2008, closed on a construction loan with Commerzbank. BayWa r.e. has used 5 percent safe harbor equipment to qualify the project for 100 percent PTCs.

In the past 12 months, Natural Power’s U.S.-based advisory team has provided technical due diligence on nearly 15 GW of renewable project capacity within North America, including 11.5 GW of late-stage, pre-construction wind projects, delivering work for major sponsors, and tax and equity investors.

More info: www.naturalpower.com/us

Avangrid Renewables, LLC, a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc., developer of the Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind project, recently announced the opening of a new Virginia field office to support project development and help ignite a new industry off the coast of Virginia and North Carolina.

Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind is a proposed offshore wind-energy project to be built approximately 27 miles from the Outer Banks in the Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Area (WEA), designated by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). The commercial lease for the 122,405-acre WEA was awarded to Avangrid Renewables by BOEM in 2017. Since then, the company has been studying the area in detail, most recently launching an advanced meteorological buoy in July 2020.

The new office at 249 Central Park Avenue in Virginia Beach will welcome members of the growing Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind project development team who have been working in the region to facilitate ongoing site assessment activity, local stakeholder meetings, and community outreach.

“Offshore wind will play a key role in Virginia’s clean-energy economy for decades to come,” said Bobby Dyer, mayor of Virginia Beach. “We are very excited to have Avangrid Renewables building that future here in Virginia Beach with the Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind project.”

Once complete, Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind is projected to have a generation capacity of up to 2,500 MW, or enough to power approximately 700,000 homes. The construction and operation of the project are expected to create hundreds of jobs and represent hundreds of millions of dollars of direct investment in Virginia and Hampton Roads.

MORE INFO  www.kittyhawkoffshore.com

Brüel & Kjær Vibro, one of the leading worldwide independent suppliers of condition monitoring solutions for rotating machinery, has launched the VIBROPORT 8000 (VP-8000) Portable Vibration Analyzer for rotating and reciprocating equipment.

The new VP-8000 is a specially configured and packaged version of Brüel & Kjær Vibro’s VC-8000, which is an internationally renowned machinery protection system. The VP-8000 features the same universal measurement modules (UMMs) and the rugged and field-proven design as the VC-8000, but it is optimized for portable dynamic data collection and diagnostics.

There is a wide range of applications for VP-8000 for both plant operators and service providers. It is ideal for verifying the condition of machines after a turnaround and those repaired prior to service start-up. It is also used for steady-state and transient condition monitoring (i.e. during a run up and coast down) for observation and trending of machines following an event (e.g. operational process changes or machine fault detection). VP-8000 can also be used as a mobile platform for monitoring a number of machines within the plant that are not instrumented or that only have protection. VP-8000 can be used both as a portable data collector and as an analyzer. Advanced diagnostics offered by Brüel & Kjær Vibro’s best-in-class SETPOINT® condition monitoring software (CMS) include:

• Shaft/bearing: Orbits, full spectra, shaft centerline plots, Bode plots, polar plots, etc.
• Reciprocating compressor: PV plots, rod load, rod reversal, impact monitoring, etc.
• Two-plane balancing.

The VP-8000 connects to rotating machines and captures real-time vibration and process data for immediate monitoring and diagnosis of equipment health or via the VP-8000 flight recorder for storing data for remote analysis. The VP-8000 can be connected to the buffered outputs of most machine protection systems with BNC outputs, or it can be used with temporarily mounted sensors on machines where there is no monitoring system. Data can also be exported to the OSIsoft PI data historian.

“The VC-8000 is normally permanently installed and connected to one or several rotating or reciprocating machines, but customers found that the system’s ease of use, outstanding data acquisition capability, and robustness enabled use as a portable data acquisition system,” said Albert Vontz, head of business unit industrial, Brüel & Kjær Vibro. “In its portable form, the VP-8000 user enjoys multiple methods of data acquisition. They can connect to their existing machinery protection systems to immediately view, log, and share all data needed to understand machinery behaviors. The VP-8000 can be connected to machines for hours, days, or months and all the while it will collect valuable data — even without a computer connected to the rack. The system operates equally well in standalone modes, linked to a laptop, or to an OSIsoft PI historian.”

The VP-8000’s patented intelligent waveform capture ensures critical waveforms are never missed. It can rapidly capture and trend data at 80 ms and is versatile enough to scale from 1 hour to 1000-plus hours of data capture. With 24-channels, the VP-8000 features 32 GB removable SD storage, 256 GB internal SSD storage, resolution from 400 to 12,800 spectral lines, and sampling from 16 to 1,024 samples per second.

MORE INFO  www.bkvibro.com

For 75 years now, the HARTING Technology Group has been driving technological
change and providing decisive impetus for the future.

The vision formulated in 1996 by the owner family “We want to shape the future with technologies for people” remains the guiding star of our entrepreneurial activities. September 1 marked the 75^th anniversary of the founding day of the family company.

The manufacturer of everyday products such as waffle irons and irons has evolved into a
worldwide leading supplier of industrial connection technology for the three lifelines of data, signal, and power, a global player fielding innovative products and solutions focusing on Industry 4.0 and digitization. HARTING has successfully opened up new markets with its technologies in the core business of connectivity, such as e-mobility and resource-saving power generation.

The HARTING Technology Group is a leading global supplier of industrial connection technology for the three lifelines data, signal, and power with 14 production facilities and 44 sales companies worldwide. In addition, the company also manufactures checkout zones for retail, electromagnetic actuators for automotive and industrial series production, charging equipment for electric vehicles, and hardware and software for customers and applications in automation technology, mechanical and plant engineering, robotics and transportation, and more. About 5, 300 employees generated sales of 750 million euros in 2018/19.

MORE INFO  www.harting.com

The U.S. wind industry installed more than 2,500 MW of new wind power capacity in the second quarter of 2020, bringing total American capacity to nearly 110,000 MW, according to the newly released Wind Powers America Second Quarter Report 2020.

The American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) report reveals that many U.S. wind developers managed to get their projects over the finish line during the three-month period, despite the significant challenges associated with COVID-19.

“American wind power is immensely proud of its 120,000 workers who have fought to bring additional clean, reliable electricity to American citizens, even in the initial stages of the global pandemic,” said Tom Kiernan, AWEA CEO. “This work is more important than ever during these challenging times. America’s largest source of renewable energy remains committed to building on its 50-state footprint of investment and job creation and to continue adding affordable, clean power to local communities across the country.”

Fourteen new wind projects totaling 2,546 MW became operational across nine states during the second quarter, enough to power 860,000 American homes and setting a record for second quarter additions. Texas led the country with 810 MW of new wind projects installed, followed by Kansas, Colorado, Missouri, and Nebraska. Missouri passed 1,000 MW in total capacity in the second quarter, making it the 20th state to reach the gigawatt milestone. There are now 109,919 MW of operating wind power capacity in the United States, enough for more than 33 million American homes.

Wind-power development and construction activity also remained resilient in the face of the pandemic, partially thanks to additional flexibility from the U.S. Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding tax credit qualification. Construction activity reached another new record in the second quarter, with 25,318 MW being built across the country. Another 18,310 MW are in advanced development. The combined 43,628 MW represents a four percent year-over-year increase from the second quarter of 2019.

Offshore wind also made significant strides in the second quarter. The country’s first wind project in federal waters — the 12 MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project — completed installation of its two turbines in June. The project is now undergoing testing and will start commercial operations later this year. Elsewhere, Eversource Energy and United Illuminating signed contracts for the 804 MW Park City Wind offshore project during the second quarter. As a result of this activity, offshore wind now represents 21 percent of the wind power pipeline at 9,112 MW.

New wind projects installed in the second quarter were already nearing the end of the years-long development process and had the materials and components on hand to complete construction before the COVID-19 pandemic began to create supply chain disruptions for the broader American wind industry. New federal IRS guidance provides one additional year of safe harbor tax flexibility for near-term projects, but COVID-19 continues to present significant challenges for U.S. wind development. The American wind industry is working with Congress and other renewable energy leaders to address the impacts of the pandemic and to continue adding jobs and investments to the U.S. economy during this difficult time. U.S. wind power remains focused on protecting our workers and supporting local communities as we strive to deliver clean, safe, and affordable power to our country.

MORE INFO  www.awea.org

World-leading naval architects, BAR Technologies, and Chartwell Marine, a pioneer in next-generation vessel design, have been awarded Approval in Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for the design and construction of the innovative new BAR 30-meter crew transfer vessel (CTV).

This AiP is a further stepping-stone toward an advanced, class-certified, Jones Act compliant fleet of offshore wind support vessels for the U.S. market. Following on from the AiP awarded to the Chartwell 24 vessel design earlier this year, it expands the range of complementary options available to the industry for highly efficient and capable vessel support.

Vessels servicing the expanding East Coast offshore wind development areas will increasingly need to travel farther for longer, while navigating deeper waters and greater wave heights. This must be achieved without compromising on efficiency or environmental standards, in accordance with U.S. Coast Guard guidelines surrounding emissions and Right Whale compliance.

In response to this challenge, BAR, with the support of Chartwell, has developed a 30m CTV, making use of FOSS technology (foil optimized stability system) to enhance seakeeping and maneuverability, while reducing vertical acceleration by up to 70 percent in 2.5-meter wave heights. While offering greater levels of availability in rough seas, the BAR 30-meter CTV also demonstrates up to 50 percent fuel efficiency savings at 15 knots, keeping emissions at bay in line with stringent EPA Tier 4 guidelines.

This initial vessel will be closely followed by a 50-meter variant capable of 45 knots top speed and 30 knots in a 3-meter high sea without exceeding vertical acceleration limits. The 40-passenger boat with a similar hull form and FOSS technology is focused on the replacement of helicopter transfer for workers in the Gulf of Mexico.

This new design will work in partnership with the proven vessels in the Chartwell 24 range, including the Right Whale variant. Alterations to the hull form of the latter have been made to adhere to the legislation in place that protects the migration route of the Right Whale on the East Coast, along with optimized propulsion configurations to meet EPA Tier 4 emissions standards.

Securing AiP offers the highest level of assurance that these innovative vessel designs will be built in-line with specific U.S. requirements. As part of the AiP process, the vessel designs have met stringent criteria from the ABS Rules for Building and Classing High Speed Craft 2020. This provides validation that they are well-placed to meet the demands and regulatory requirements of U.S. operations.

“This ‘rubber stamp’ from ABS paves the way for these next generation vessels to fully integrate into East Coast operations,” said Andy Page, naval architect and managing director at Chartwell Marine. “The design of these boats has capitalized on operational experience in the global market, refining the formula for offshore wind support through ongoing research and discussion with stakeholders. With the first Chartwell 24 working in the U.K. and the first U.S. Chartwell 24 in build, we are excited to work with BAR to bring a further, highly versatile option to the U.S. market.”

“Approval in Principle for the BAR 30-meter CTV is an important development that broadens the opportunities for cross-market collaboration,” said John Cooper, CEO of BAR Technologies. “As we work toward the decarbonization of the workboat sector, this latest innovation represents new gains in efficiency, which have been achieved by placing the operational profile at the forefront of vessel design. In this way, we have been able to design a CTV that combines optimal performance in challenging conditions with a significantly reduced environmental impact.”

MORE INFO  www.chartwellmarine.com

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has been awarded two new onshore wind project sites in Texas with a total installed capacity of 325 MW.

The projects include the supply of 65 SG 5.0-145 wind turbines and a multi-year service agreement.

Deliveries are expected to begin in the summer of 2021 with the two sites getting commissioned by end of that year. This win takes Siemens Gamesa’s total installed capacity close to 6 GW in Texas, strengthening its position as one of the top three OEMs in the state.

“An order of this size evidences the strong suitability and success of the SG 5.0-145 for the U.S. market,” said Shannon Sturgil, CEO of Onshore North America at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. “We are proud to contribute enough low cost, clean energy for nearly 100,000 average U.S. households to Texas, a leading state in wind energy.”

The SG 5.0-145 wind turbine from Siemens Gamesa has proven to be a very successful product in the U.S. Its new state-of-the-art control system with enhanced blade aerodynamics optimizes power generation. It has a flexible power rating that ranges between a 4.0 to 5.0 rating, thereby providing a uniquely tailored solution that fits the specific site conditions. Its modular design allows for increased mechanical capacity and optimal adaptation to logistics and construction requirements, providing greater efficiency and a reduced levelized cost of energy (LCOE).

The U.S. is a key market for Siemens Gamesa with 22 GW installed across 34 states, providing enough energy for over 6.5 million average U.S. homes. The company has a strong footprint consisting of manufacturing, service, and offices.

MORE INFO  www.siemensgamesa.com

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy recently announced it has signed 10-year service agreements with an undisclosed customer at two sites in North America featuring Senvion MM92-2.05 turbines for a total of 184 MW.

Both sites include service, maintenance, and warranty agreements with an availability guarantee.

As part of the deal, the company will provide remote monitoring, supply chain access and specialty tooling, design and engineering support, and software updates, while fully using the existing hardware and infrastructure on site to ensure the performance and reliability of the turbines throughout the product lifetime.

“We are pleased to bring our service expertise to these sites,” said Juan Gutierrez, Service CEO of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. “This contract builds on the success we’ve seen outside the Senvion acquisition scope and owning the intellectual property makes SGRE a natural choice to extend the lifetime value of those wind projects and improve the customer’s original business case.”

Since the acquisition of Senvion’s Onshore European service assets and Intellectual Property (IP) in early January 2020, the company has secured almost 1 GW of service agreements outside of the transaction perimeter in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Europe.

With nearly 72 GW under service globally, including more than 10 GW of multi-brand turbines, Siemens Gamesa is a leading service provider in the industry. In North America, Siemens Gamesa provides service and maintenance to wind projects with a total output capacity of 13 GW.

MORE INFO  www.siemensgamesa.com

Noted Icelandic wind-based renewable energy company IceWind recently announced its launch in the United States. IceWind’s groundbreaking products, the Freya, is for residential uses, while their Njord line is available for commercial applications such as powering telecommunication towers, outdoor advertising, on-site office trailers, and more.

“We are excited to bring our turbines to America,” said IceWind’s CEO Sæþór Ásgeirsson. “With a blustery midsection, gusty extremities, and an overall interest in renewable energy, we are looking forward to America embracing our unique wind turbines for both residential and commercial applications. Our recent demo event on the Texas coast over the Independence Day weekend proved that there is great interest among Americans for a robust individual solution to renewable energy.”

The U.S. operation will be based out of San Marcos, Texas, and helmed by Daryl Losaw, a modular home builder, investor, consultant, and entrepreneur.

“When I first saw the IceWind turbines in Iceland, I knew I had to bring them to market in the U.S.,” Losaw said. “They are perfectly complementary with solar, a great stand-alone solution for very windy places, and a handy answer for small-energy outdoor applications that will cut down on carbon from generators, diesel engines, and maintenance calls.”

The current residential model, the Freya, is useful as a supplementary power source, so it will cut users’ power usage and costs, but not fully power the average home. Should customers want or require a complete wind solution, two to three Freyas will power most average small-scale residential power needs excepting central air conditioning for a price comparable to installing photovoltaics (solar). Other residential applications include powering small vacation cabins, separately metered home offices, and small additional dwelling units (ADUs), and backup emergency power when needed. IceWind’s Freya is an excellent solution for residential renewable power as they are silent, aesthetically pleasing, have a 25- to 30-year lifespan, can work both on- and off-grid, require negligible operation and maintenance costs, and can generate power at wind speeds as low as 7.8 mph, a gentle breeze.

The Njord commercial models are ideal for many applications: powering telecommunication towers, electricity for outdoor advertising (lighting, mechanical features), replacing generators used at construction sites and other remote offices, and more. The beauty of IceWind’s products is how sustainable and hardy they are in challenging conditions. Unlike the diesel generators used in these applications, they never need refueling and rarely need maintenance.

IceWind’s turbines are built to withstand blizzards, dust storms, hurricanes, sleet, heavy rain, and more. IceWind’s proprietary generator seal protects foreign particles such as dust, ice, water, or dirt from entering the generator and interfering with the gearbox. The generator seal also prevents water from entering the gearbox and freezing gears, a massive problem in cold climates. The turbine is coated with a hydrophobic de-icing agent to protect against ice, preventing freezing and ice buildup. IceWind turbines use excellent material selection, including heat-treated aluminum outer blades and stainless steel inner blades that provide a long material lifetime with superb strength and stress resistance. To compare, many commercial vertical axis wind turbines and horizontal axis wind turbines are made of nylon fiber, steel, plastic, and fiberglass, significantly inferior materials than those used by IceWind.

“We are so thrilled to bring the power, beauty, and reliability of IceWind’s turbines to the U.S., and know that this will be just the start of a new pillar of renewable energy in the U.S., home installed wind power,” said IceWind’s U.S. project manager Samuel Gerbus, who spent several months in Iceland with the IceWind team last year.

MORE INFO  www.icewindusa.com

The United States has an opportunity to accelerate offshore wind energy growth and benefit from 28 new GW of clean energy and $1.7 billion in U.S. Treasury revenue by 2022, a recent study released from research group Wood Mackenzie finds.

Findings from this study confirm additional lease areas are needed to meet demand, reduce energy costs, increase competition, and ultimately generate thousands of jobs and billions in investment. Additionally, the findings offer guidance to decision-makers about new offshore wind leases, which can be a short-term solution to jump start recovery from a coronavirus pandemic-driven economic slowdown.

Commissioned by four energy industry groups, American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), New York Offshore Wind Alliance (NYOWA), and the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind (SIOW) at the University of Delaware, the study dives into the economic impact of offshore wind activities as a result of potential Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) lease auctions in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Based on existing activities and policy assumptions for future offshore wind development, 2 million acres of federal waters in the New York Bight, which includes parts of New Jersey, as well as California and the Carolinas, could be auctioned for commercial leases as early as this year into 2021. Such leasing could support 28 GW of offshore wind development and generate $1.2 billion in U.S. Treasury revenue. Other auctions for lease areas in the Gulf of Maine and areas in California could happen in 2022 and would generate an additional $500 million in U.S. Treasury revenue.

“Policymakers at the Federal and State levels right now hold the key to unlocking the full potential of the offshore wind industry that will benefit all Americans,” said Laura Morton, AWEA senior director of Offshore Wind. “We’re on the cusp of a rare opportunity, but the U.S. remains far behind other countries in harnessing offshore wind technology. It’s time for us to unleash this abundant domestic energy source that will deliver tens of thousands of new jobs, revitalize coastal ports, and expand manufacturing opportunities, to reap major economic and environmental benefits.”

Significant capital investment will be put into the U.S. economy to support offshore wind activities. Total investment in the U.S. offshore wind industry will be $17 billion by 2025, $108 billion by 2030, and $166 billion by 2035. From 2022 to 2035, capital investment of $42 billion will go to turbine manufacturers and the supply chain, $107 billion will go to the construction industry, and $8 billion will go to the transportation industry and ports. Annual capital investment for O&M activities will increase to $2.4 billion in 2035.

In addition to delivering clean energy to millions of households, the offshore wind industry will also contribute a variety of economic benefits to the U.S. economy, including supporting thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in capital investment. If the assumed BOEM auctions in 2021 and 2022 happen, total full time equivalent (FTE) job creation from the resulting offshore wind activities, including development, construction, and operation will be approximately 80,000 jobs annually from 2025 to 2035.

“American offshore wind is a generational opportunity,” said Erik Milito, NOIA president. “Infrastructure spending, energy security, and shovel-ready jobs with good wages will be unleashed. Importantly, offshore wind development will support jobs throughout the entire U.S. The same shipbuilders, heavy lift vessel operators, steel fabricators, and countless other companies who built the Gulf of Mexico oil and gas sector stand ready to lend their expertise to the American offshore wind industry.”

More info  bit.ly/33qRcf6

Class-leading offshore energy support vessel operator Seacat Services recently announced the acceptance of Seacat Weatherly, the first next-generation Chartwell 24 catamaran designed by pioneering naval architect Chartwell Marine to enter operational service.

Following her completion at the Diverse Marine shipyard in Cowes and successful sea trials, Seacat Weatherly heads straight to her first charter contract at a major U.K. offshore wind project.

Seacat Weatherly is the culmination of a long-term collaboration between South Coast businesses Seacat Services, Chartwell Marine, and shipyard Diverse Marine, and the product of an industry-wide drive to refine the formula for offshore-wind vessel support. As offshore-wind projects grow in scale, customers are placing increased emphasis on the core metrics that define effective vessel operation, including the safety and comfort of crew transfers, “time on turbine” for technicians, technical availability, and efficiency.

The first of a two-vessel order, Seacat Weatherly is designed to meet — and exceed — the operational standards expected by offshore wind project owners and contractors. She brings a number of key technical innovations to the market, including advanced engine and hull design, a large foredeck, and safety features such as step-free access, sliding handrails, and unrestricted visibility from the wheelhouse.

This has all been achieved while making use of many of the same components and equipment as her sister vessels in the 13-strong Seacat Services fleet, in order to maintain operational familiarity and ensure effective management of spares and inventory.

“Seacat Weatherly is a fine addition to the fleet, capitalizing on all of the core attributes that have defined the Seacat Services offering to date,” said Andrew Calderbank-Link, operations director at Seacat Services. “Refining vessel designs is vital to meeting the changing needs of the offshore wind sector, and Seacat Weatherly ensures that our crews can bring maximum operational value to our customers from day one.”

“It brings us great satisfaction to see Seacat Weatherly enter service, and we will be monitoring closely how she performs on site,” said Andy Page, naval architect and managing director at Chartwell Marine. “The Chartwell 24 design has been formulated for the industry by the industry to meet the specific requirements of offshore wind construction and operation, both in Europe and further afield.”

Seacat Weatherly has been successfully handed over despite the challenges and pressures created by the current lockdown. Her sister vessel, Seacat Rainbow, is under construction at the Diverse Marine yard in Cowes and is scheduled for acceptance in September.

“It is testament to the resolve and versatility of our team — and the strength of our ongoing collaboration with Seacat Services and Chartwell Marine — that we’ve successfully brought this vessel build to fruition despite current supply chain disruption and working restrictions,” said Ben Colman, director at Diverse Marine. “This is a huge collective achievement and bodes well for the future of British boatbuilding and naval architecture as we set a new standard for the global offshore wind market.”

MORE INFO  www.seacatservices.co.uk

As a leading renewable energy company, Vestas recently announced that the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) has validated the company’s greenhouse gas reduction targets and confirmed them as in line with the levels required to keep global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures — the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement.

Vestas is the first renewable energy manufacturer to have its targets validated by the SBTi as consistent with a 1.5°C scenario. The target validation follows Vestas’ announcement in January 2020 to become carbon neutral, without the use of offsets, by 2030.

“At Vestas, we are proud to reach this milestone with SBTi; becoming carbon neutral by 2030 is a key element within Vestas’ goal of becoming the global leader in sustainable energy solutions, said Henrik Andersen, CEO and president of Vestas. “With several nations and global businesses outlining intentions for a green economic recovery from COVID-19, the renewables industry is set to become a more dominant resource in the global-energy mix. As the world’s leading supplier of wind energy, Vestas is determined to ensure that the industry continues to minimize environmental impacts as it scales.”

“Vestas’ science-based targets put the company on a pathway to reach zero emissions faster than what science tells us is needed,” said Cynthia Cummis, director of Private Sector Climate Mitigation at World Resources Institute, one of the Science Based Targets initiative partners. “By setting targets that are grounded in climate science, Vestas is positioning themselves as leaders in their sector and setting themselves up for success in the transition to a net-zero economy.”

The 1.5°C target classification is the most ambitious designation available through the SBTi validation process and covers Vestas’ targets to reduce emissions from direct operations (scope 1 and 2 emissions) by 100 percent by 2030 from a 2019 base year. Separately, Vestas’ target for reducing emissions from its supply network (scope 3 emissions) by 45 percent per MWh generated by 2030 has also been validated as notably ambitious. In a recent report, the IPCC stipulates that limiting the rise in the global temperature to 1.5°C, as opposed to 2°C, will significantly reduce the risk of extreme impacts from climate change.

The 1.5°C scenario of the Paris Agreement outlines the measures required to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures. Ensuring that all direct operations are closely aligned with the 1.5°C scenario is necessary for Vestas to ensure the company can remain sustainable as it scales its position within the energy sector’s supply chain. A recent report from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) found company supply chains produce on average five times more emissions than direct operations. The research also found increasing the proportion of renewable energy within supply chains is an effective pathway to address emissions.

“Limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures cannot be achieved if all global actors work in isolation; we must adopt a collaborative approach,” said Lisa Ekstrand, head of Sustainability at Vestas. “At Vestas, we recognize that, as a global leader within the renewable industry’s value chain, we have a responsibility to be ambitious in our approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This has been the driving force behind devising our strategy for becoming carbon neutral, and for reducing emissions in our supply chain.”

Company cars are gradually being replaced across Vestas with more sustainable alternatives. Close to 100 green service vehicles are now in operation, signaling Vestas’ first step within direct operations toward its 2030 goal. Moving forward, Vestas will also be focusing on fulfilling its ambitions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions within its own supply chain, in line with its target of a 45-percent reduction. To support this goal, Vestas has already established partnerships with several suppliers, including DSV, to improve its emission reductions within transport and turbine manufacture.

More info www.vestas.com

ONYX InSight, a leading predictive analytics and engineering firm in the global wind-energy industry, is introducing advanced sensing technology and predictive maintenance solutions to the Brazilian market through a long-term monitoring deal with Rio Energy, one of the fastest growing energy producers in Brazil.

The predictive maintenance service, which will be delivered in partnership with innovative local operations partner, Filtralub, will be the first of its kind in Brazil and will enable Rio Energy to achieve savings of up to 30 percent on O&M costs by improving failure detection and optimizing operations, maintenance planning, and asset output. The deal covers predictive maintenance using both ONYX InSight’s ecoCMS technology and third-party hardware.

Installation of the advanced sensing technology began in the first quarter of 2020. ONYX InSight will provide an advanced combination of hardware, software, and monitoring services — powered by engineering expertise — and Filtralub operational and installation support to the customer.

By working with an innovative local partner in the Brazilian market, ONYX InSight has ensured smooth project delivery for Rio Energy, minimizing disruption with the support of expert local market knowledge.

The deal increases the share of Brazil’s wind-turbine fleet covered by advanced predictive maintenance. By helping to drive down the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), predictive maintenance can improve owner & operator profitability — ONYX InSight has achieved cuts in LCOE of up to 12 percent.

“Brazil’s wind industry is the one of the largest in the world and continues to grow quickly,” said Jose Morais, business development manager, Iberia and LatAm, ONYX InSight. “Within this significant installed wind-energy capacity, there is unrealized potential for efficiency savings delivered by predictive maintenance. The high capacity factor in Brazil means owners and operators cannot afford to neglect turbine health. The latest predictive maintenance technology delivering advanced data analytics and insight will help wind-farm owners and operators to protect their assets and ensure maximum energy production in a competitive market.”

Advanced predictive maintenance solutions collect data on multiple aspects of turbine operation and bring it all into one place, improving owners’ and operators’ understanding of their machinery health condition.

Research by ONYX InSight has found that combining data streams such as oil condition, SCADA, and vibration offers significant advantages for diagnostic accuracy, which translates into better decision-making support for wind farm owners and operators. The effective implementation of predictive maintenance can save 17 percent of OPEX costs, increasing profitability of fleets.

“We are proud to be at the cutting edge of wind energy in Brazil,” said Lucas Sanchez, engineering and O&M manager, Rio Energy. “ONYX InSight’s predictive maintenance service will help us to increase the reliability of our failure detection and extend lead times on component procurement and maintenance planning. ONYX InSight’s engineering-grounded solution will increase our confidence in the actionable insights drawn from our data.”

MORE INFO  www.onyxinsight.com

The United States has an opportunity to accelerate offshore wind energy growth and benefit from 28 new GW of clean energy and $1.7 billion in U.S. Treasury revenue by 2022, a recent study released from research group Wood Mackenzie finds.

Findings from this study confirm additional lease areas are needed to meet demand, reduce energy costs, increase competition, and ultimately generate thousands of jobs and billions in investment. Additionally, the findings offer guidance to decision-makers about new offshore wind leases, which can be a short-term solution to jump start recovery from a coronavirus pandemic-driven economic slowdown.

Commissioned by four energy industry groups, American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), New York Offshore Wind Alliance (NYOWA), and the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind (SIOW) at the University of Delaware, the study dives into the economic impact of offshore wind activities as a result of potential Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) lease auctions in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Based on existing activities and policy assumptions for future offshore wind development, 2 million acres of federal waters in the New York Bight, which includes parts of New Jersey, as well as California and the Carolinas, could be auctioned for commercial leases as early as this year into 2021. Such leasing could support 28 GW of offshore wind development and generate $1.2 billion in U.S. Treasury revenue. Other auctions for lease areas in the Gulf of Maine and areas in California could happen in 2022 and would generate an additional $500 million in U.S. Treasury revenue.

“Policymakers at the Federal and State levels right now hold the key to unlocking the full potential of the offshore wind industry that will benefit all Americans,” said Laura Morton, AWEA senior director of Offshore Wind. “We’re on the cusp of a rare opportunity, but the U.S. remains far behind other countries in harnessing offshore wind technology. It’s time for us to unleash this abundant domestic energy source that will deliver tens of thousands of new jobs, revitalize coastal ports, and expand manufacturing opportunities, to reap major economic and environmental benefits.”

Significant capital investment will be put into the U.S. economy to support offshore wind activities. Total investment in the U.S. offshore wind industry will be $17 billion by 2025, $108 billion by 2030, and $166 billion by 2035. From 2022 to 2035, capital investment of $42 billion will go to turbine manufacturers and the supply chain, $107 billion will go to the construction industry, and $8 billion will go to the transportation industry and ports. Annual capital investment for O&M activities will increase to $2.4 billion in 2035.

In addition to delivering clean energy to millions of households, the offshore wind industry will also contribute a variety of economic benefits to the U.S. economy, including supporting thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in capital investment. If the assumed BOEM auctions in 2021 and 2022 happen, total full time equivalent (FTE) job creation from the resulting offshore wind activities, including development, construction, and operation will be approximately 80,000 jobs annually from 2025 to 2035.

“American offshore wind is a generational opportunity,” said Erik Milito, NOIA president. “Infrastructure spending, energy security, and shovel-ready jobs with good wages will be unleashed. Importantly, offshore wind development will support jobs throughout the entire U.S. The same shipbuilders, heavy lift vessel operators, steel fabricators, and countless other companies who built the Gulf of Mexico oil and gas sector stand ready to lend their expertise to the American offshore wind industry.”

MORE INFO  bit.ly/33qRcf6

As a leading renewable energy company, Vestas recently announced that the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) has validated the company’s greenhouse gas reduction targets and confirmed them as in line with the levels required to keep global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures — the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement.

Vestas is the first renewable energy manufacturer to have its targets validated by the SBTi as consistent with a 1.5°C scenario. The target validation follows Vestas’ announcement in January 2020 to become carbon neutral, without the use of offsets, by 2030.

“At Vestas, we are proud to reach this milestone with SBTi; becoming carbon neutral by 2030 is a key element within Vestas’ goal of becoming the global leader in sustainable energy solutions, said Henrik Andersen, CEO and president of Vestas. “With several nations and global businesses outlining intentions for a green economic recovery from COVID-19, the renewables industry is set to become a more dominant resource in the global-energy mix. As the world’s leading supplier of wind energy, Vestas is determined to ensure that the industry continues to minimize environmental impacts as it scales.”

“Vestas’ science-based targets put the company on a pathway to reach zero emissions faster than what science tells us is needed,” said Cynthia Cummis, director of Private Sector Climate Mitigation at World Resources Institute, one of the Science Based Targets initiative partners. “By setting targets that are grounded in climate science, Vestas is positioning themselves as leaders in their sector and setting themselves up for success in the transition to a net-zero economy.”

The 1.5°C target classification is the most ambitious designation available through the SBTi validation process and covers Vestas’ targets to reduce emissions from direct operations (scope 1 and 2 emissions) by 100 percent by 2030 from a 2019 base year. Separately, Vestas’ target for reducing emissions from its supply network (scope 3 emissions) by 45 percent per MWh generated by 2030 has also been validated as notably ambitious. In a recent report, the IPCC stipulates that limiting the rise in the global temperature to 1.5°C, as opposed to 2°C, will significantly reduce the risk of extreme impacts from climate change.

The 1.5°C scenario of the Paris Agreement outlines the measures required to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures. Ensuring that all direct operations are closely aligned with the 1.5°C scenario is necessary for Vestas to ensure the company can remain sustainable as it scales its position within the energy sector’s supply chain. A recent report from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) found company supply chains produce on average five times more emissions than direct operations. The research also found increasing the proportion of renewable energy within supply chains is an effective pathway to address emissions.

“Limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures cannot be achieved if all global actors work in isolation; we must adopt a collaborative approach,” said Lisa Ekstrand, head of Sustainability at Vestas. “At Vestas, we recognize that, as a global leader within the renewable industry’s value chain, we have a responsibility to be ambitious in our approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This has been the driving force behind devising our strategy for becoming carbon neutral, and for reducing emissions in our supply chain.”

Company cars are gradually being replaced across Vestas with more sustainable alternatives. Close to 100 green service vehicles are now in operation, signaling Vestas’ first step within direct operations toward its 2030 goal. Moving forward, Vestas will also be focusing on fulfilling its ambitions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions within its own supply chain, in line with its target of a 45-percent reduction. To support this goal, Vestas has already established partnerships with several suppliers, including DSV, to improve its emission reductions within transport and turbine manufacture.

MORE INFO  www.vestas.com

NRG Systems, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of smart technologies for a range of wind, solar, and meteorological applications, recently announced that Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) is providing installation support for its Bat Deterrent Systems.

To date, the global supplier of wind power solutions has led system deployments in the United States and Canada.

NRG’s pioneering Bat Deterrent Systems use ultrasound to dissuade bats from entering the rotor-swept zone of a turbine. Each system features multiple ultrasound-generating units that are mounted on the nacelle of a turbine, as well as a controller unit for seamless integration into a wind plant’s SCADA system.

“We are always looking for ways to mitigate risks to wildlife,” said James Crouse, Siemens Gamesa’s Aftermarket Category Manager — Mods & Ups. “Working with NRG to bring the bat deterrent technology to our customers has been advantageous for all stakeholders. When Siemens Gamesa performs the installation, we are giving our customers peace of mind knowing the structural integrity of the wind turbine is preserved and the warranty intact.”

The first SGRE-led installation was in April 2020 at Northland Power’s 100-MW Grand Bend Wind Farm in Grand Bend, Ontario, Canada. Wind plants in Ontario are subject to some of the most stringent bat mortality regulations in the world. To mitigate risk and help conserve local bat populations, SGRE installed Bat Deterrent Systems on six of the site’s 40 Siemens Gamesa wind turbines.

“We needed to find a deterrent technology to reduce bat mortality without having a significant impact on production, and are optimistic that the NRG acoustic deterrent system will be effective,” said Jim Mulvale, Northland Power’s Senior Director, Environment. “We were pleased by how smoothly procurement, installation, and commissioning went, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19.”

In June 2020, Siemens Gamesa installed Bat Deterrent Systems on all eight of the direct drive wind turbines at Auwahi Wind, a 21-MW wind farm co-owned by AEP Energy Partners and BP Wind Energy. Auwahi is on the southeast coast of Maui, Hawaii, where conservation of the endangered Hawaiian hoary bat is particularly pressing.

“Since 2012, Auwahi Wind has worked hard to minimize potential impacts to the Hawaiian hoary bat, an important cultural resource in Hawaii,” said Greg Hall, president of AEP. “We are committed to bat conservation as we produce clean renewable energy for the state of Hawaii.”

Siemens Gamesa plans to install Bat Deterrent Systems at additional wind plants in North America in the coming months.

MORE INFO  nrgsystems.com

Global Wind Service recently finished installation at Harvest Ridge in Douglas Country, Illinois. Vestas-American Wind Technology (Vestas) has contracted wind-turbine installation and service company Global Wind Service (GWS) to deliver crane and installation for the project. The C&I scope award included unloading, pre-assembly, erection, and mechanical completion of all turbines at the site, as well as delivery of all needed cranes and machinery for the work.

The wind farm consists of 48 wind turbines: 37 V150-4.3MW and 11 V136-3.78MW. The total capacity of the wind farm is 200 MW and is enough to power about 73,000 average households in Illinois with clean energy. The project ran over the winter and faced some challenging weather conditions as well as having to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. But the project team and partners finished the project in safe manner.

The award of Harvest Ridge follows the successful completion of Bright Stalk last year. The 57-turbine project included pre-assembly, installation, and mechanical completion of V136-3.6 turbines. The project ran from July to December 2019.

“We are very pleased that Vestas has chosen Global Wind Service as a preferred partner for complete wind-turbine services once again,” said Michael Nielsen, U.S director at Global Wind Service. “This manifests the great partnership we have built with Vestas over the years.”

In 2017, GWS opened an office in Texas to support the increasing demand and amount of work overseas.

MORE INFO  www.globalwindservice.com

TÜV NORD recently certified the world’s largest offshore wind turbine. With a capacity of up to 15 MW and a rotor diameter of 222 meters, the newest turbine from Siemens Gamesa will raise the bar and be a milestone in the generation of clean energy.

Following TÜV NORD’s assignment with various predecessor models, the wind-energy experts will support the SG 14-222 DD on its way to market maturity. The order covers prototype and type certification.

“We are very proud that Siemens Gamesa is relying on our expertise for this extraordinary project,” said Silvio Konrad, TÜV NORD managing director and responsible for the energy sector. “The turbine makes it possible to use wind energy with a high efficiency and contributes significantly to the further progress of the energy transition.”

The TÜV NORD wind-energy experts are commissioned to certify the turbine in accordance with the internationally recognized IECRE scheme OD 501. In combination with OD 502, the scheme is particularly suitable for the highly complex certification of offshore projects.

“We have been operating successfully in the offshore wind sector for a long time and with this extraordinary project, we foster the worldwide expansion of offshore wind energy,” said Alexander Ohff, executive vice president of the Renewable Energy Segment at TÜV NORD.

TÜV NORD is responsible for the certification of the SG 14-222 DD’s prototype, scheduled for completion in 2021, and for the type certification prior to the series production. The focus is on the overall concept of the wind turbine. TÜV NORD experts assess the system design for the planned life time, which is 25 years for the SG 14-222 DD. They evaluate the complete turbine from the rotor blades to the nacelle and the tower base. In addition, the quality along the supply chain and a detailed test program will be evaluated. The experts also consider the extreme conditions a wind turbine is exposed to in the open sea. After all, the turbine must operate safely even in a saline environment, storm surges, and abnormal wind speeds. Accordingly, the SG 14-222 DD is going to be tested for the so-called “Typhoon class,” which is required specifically for the Japanese and Taiwanese market.

The SG 14-222 DD wind turbine is breaking records in many ways. The rated output of the Direct Drive wind turbine is 14 MW and can be increased to 15 MW by using the Power Boost function. The rotor blades measure 108 meters each, the rotor diameter is 222 meters. Thanks to its gigantic dimensions and output, the turbine will avoid around 1.4 million metric tons of CO2 emissions over 25 years compared to coal-based electricity generation. A single wind turbine of this type can supply electricity for about 18,000 average European households annually. The SG 14-222 DD turbine will be market-ready by 2024. A total of 4.34 GW of conditional orders already have been received for the product for three offshore wind projects on three continents with three customers: the 300-MW Hai Long project in Taiwan planned by Northland Power and Yushan Energy, the 1,400-MW Sofia project in the U.K. planned by innogy, and the 2,640-MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project in the U.S. planned by Dominion Energy.

MORE INFO  www.tuv-nord-group.com

Ventient Energy, one of the largest European renewable power producers, and ONYX InSight, a leading provider of predictive maintenance solutions to the wind industry, are partnering to optimize output and extend the life of a large fleet of the U.K.’s onshore turbines with new technology.

As a fast advancing company with wide operational expertise and strong merger and acquisition capability, Ventient is acquiring onshore wind assets to achieve sustainable portfolio growth and deliver greater rewards for investors. As part of a strategy to improve the reliability of its fleet, more than 300 turbines across 17 wind farms will be retrofitted with ONYX InSight’s condition monitoring system (ecoCMS) advanced sensing technology and cloud-based predictive analytics, fleetMONITOR. This will enable a transition to proactive maintenance, aiming to reduce downtime and major component refurbishment costs.

With the retrofit, the turbines will be “data-rich,” enabling predictive analytics and optimized repair planning.

“Once we get the equipment installed, we can identify bearing failures routinely six to 24 months in advance of repair,” said Dr. Evgenia Golysheva, head of engineering at ONYX InSight. “To ensure efficient installation, we’ve streamlined the process and have a strong quality assurance and control process. We have piloted on several sites already to iron out any potential technical challenges and make the scale-up easy.”

“We operate some of the oldest wind farms in the U.K., which up until now have run with no vibration monitoring of drive train components,” said Martin Vox, asset reliability engineer at Ventient. “This has led to major component failures being discovered at a late stage of damage progression, requiring unplanned work to restore to an operable condition. Some of our oldest wind farms do not have ethernet data transmission available within the nacelle, and ONYX InSight has developed a robust 4G solution to allow retrofit on these turbines.”

Where operators implement this Industry 4.0 solution, it yields better data that helps diagnose issues early and allows them to solve real-world problems from a cost reduction and power production point of view.

ONYX InSight’s advanced sensing solution has transformed the market through its use of affordable and effective micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensors and analytics that have demonstrated predictive maintenance is invaluable for the wind-energy industry.

“This technology will play a key role in the near- and long-term success of wind energy in the U.K. and around the world,” said Sven Thiesen, sales director Europe for ONYX InSight. “And in the current circumstances, when operators have restrictions on where and when to send teams on-site, insight that allows owner-operators to manage their assets and maintain revenues will be invaluable. We are pleased that ONYX InSight is proving that the return on investment calculation for adding advanced sensing on older turbines can be turned on its head.”

More info: www.onyxinsight.com

Global Wind Organisation (GWO), the industry group responsible for safety training standards for more than 90,000 of the world’s wind-energy workers, recently announced its leaders for its North America committee.

Wesley Witt, Head of Quality Management and Health, Safety and Environment for the Americas region of Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has been elected chairman of the GWO North America committee, and Simon Hayes, Head of Health, Safety and Environment for Ørsted and the offshore business in North America, has been elected vice chairman.

The GWO North America Committee is establishing standards for safety and technical training across the continent, and is encouraging training centers, community colleges, trade union, and others to deliver GWO standards for the wind-energy workforce. Seventeen GWO training sites have now opened across North America, and the committee will focus its efforts on supporting the standards’ adoption to help create a safer and more productive workforce.

“We have a solid foundation to build on going forward,” Witt said. “Simon and I will work to ensure GWO’s system of collaborating between large wind employers helps to lead the adoption of global standards for safety and technical training.”

With more than 15 years focused on safety, Witt has been in his role for nearly five years at SGRE.  Before that, he was director of quality and HSE for Wind Services at SGRE. Witt also held several positions with Siemens Energy in quality and EHS management.

He has conducted in-depth studies of human-error management, human performance and resilience engineering to design improved procedures for risk management, and to build a culture of safety that is embedded in the business.

Witt earned his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in safety, security, and emergency management from Eastern Kentucky University.

Hayes is head of HSE for Ørsted. He was previously lead project HSE manager for the company.

Hayes also gained experience at DONG Energy, the predecessor company to Ørsted, where he was team lead — site HSE, site HSE manager for the construction phase of the 582-MW GODE 01 & 02 offshore wind farms, and site HSE manager and project HSE manager for the construction phase of the 312MW Borkum Riffgrund 01 offshore wind farm. Before that, he was HSSE manager with London Array Limited where he also was involved in construction of offshore facilities.

Prior to the wind-farm industry, Hayes worked for 10 years in the offshore search-and-rescue sector as a marine engineer and safety manager.

He studied mechanical and marine engineering at Llandrillo Technical College in the U.K.

MORE INFO  www.globalwindsafety.org