Pure Safety Group (PSG), the largest company dedicated solely to fall protection, has introduced the Checkmate TR3 Tripod, used as Personal Protective Equipment to access workers and provide fall protection in confined space environments.

The tripod features an innovative new crown and foot design that makes it stronger yet more lightweight than other tripods. The design is representative of the new advancements in height safety that are being created by the innovation team at Checkmate.

The TR3 is one of 20 new fall protection products PSG is launching in 2019 into the construction, oil and gas, energy, utilities, telecom, mining, and transportation industries. It is the first Checkmate product to be launched in North America. Checkmate is a U.K.-based company that was acquired by PSG in 2018. Checkmate products are made of superior materials and designed for companies who want the latest high-performance products for their workers at height.

The TR3 tripod legs lock in the open position automatically during use, easily disengage for folding, and are adjusted for proper height with captive pins. Detent pins secure them to the tripod using PVC-coated keeper wires. The tripod’s pivoting spiked feet and rubber soles allow for its use on soft or hard surfaces. It’s anti-splay webbing, which prevents the tripod legs from splaying under a load, can be neatly tucked into their own housing slot for storage.

When used in conjunction with other Checkmate equipment, the TR3 can be used as an anchorage for suspended work and winch operations and as a secure fall arrest point.

The tripod’s maximum single-user weight for fall arrest, with one operator, is 310 pounds (141 kilograms) When used in assisted rescue, the maximum combined capacity load for workers is 620 pounds (281kilograms) and, for carrying goods, is 550 pounds (250 kilograms). The tripod meets OSHA standards, exceeds ANSI standards, and will be CSA-certified.

More info  www.checkmateuk.com/products/tr3-tripod/

Kardie Equipment, the largest truck mounted aerial work platform vendor in North America, will be exhibiting at AWEA WINDPOWER 2019 in Houston, Texas. The conference is May 20–23. Kardie will be exhibiting at booth #3803.

In partnership with Bronto Skylift, representatives from Kardie will be at the booth to present the 230-foot XR to North America, giving attendees the opportunity to see the model up close and ask any questions. Representatives will include Kevin Darby, founder and CEO; Jason Baker, director of Sales & Marketing; and Milton Floch, who handles the company’s business development.

WINDPOWER is the largest wind-energy trade show of the year, with regular appearances by the largest players in the industry. Last year, there were 7,600 attendees representing 50 countries, and 440 companies either exhibiting or hosting a meeting room. It is organized by the American Wind Energy Association.

As the industry leader, Kardie Equipment (a TGM Wind company) is the largest North American distributor for Bronto Skylift in Finland. Since 2010, its fleet of 20 units has pioneered access and cleaning in the renewables sector for the world’s largest wind companies. On the heels of its success over the last decade, the company has expanded its capabilities to include various new products and services that will allow it to continue growing and penetrate new industries. Kardie provides the safest, most efficient and reliable AWPs across various industries up to 295 feet.

More info  www.kardieequipment.com

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has become the first wind turbine manufacturer to attain an investment grade rating.

The company obtained a BBB-long-term credit rating, with positive outlook, from Standard & Poor’s (S&P), and a Baa3 outlook stable rating from Moody’s. Siemens Gamesa has debuted in the public rating arena within investment grade.

S&P highlighted Siemens Gamesa’s leading position in the competitive and consolidating onshore and offshore wind markets with an improved scale, installed base and technology, which should help the group to increase market share and lead market consolidation. The rating agency also underlined the company’s conservative financial management and transparent financial policy, with a strong balance sheet, which enable it to preserve strong credit metrics and liquidity.

Moody’s also said the rating is primarily supported by Siemens Gamesa’s leading market position, its high revenue visibility, as evidenced in the order book, its technological edge over its competitors, as well as the related and growing service activities, good regional diversification and moderate financial leverage.

“We are very proud to have achieved an investment grade rating from two agencies of the caliber of Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s,” said David Mesonero, chief financial officer of Siemens Gamesa. “This is a significant milestone for Siemens Gamesa and a recognition of our achievements. The ratings confirm our financial and industrial strength and will enable us to continue diversifying and optimizing our funding sources.”

More info  www.siemensgamesa.com

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont recently announced that the state and its partners have reached an agreement on a harbor development plan for State Pier in New London that will enable its revitalization and put in place the needed components to establish the region as a central hub in New England for the developing offshore wind industry.

The Connecticut Port Authority, the state’s quasi-public agency responsible for marketing and coordinating the development of the state’s ports and maritime industry, and terminal operator Gateway, are partnering with Bay State Wind, a joint venture between Ørsted and Eversource, on a new deal that will redevelop State Pier into a world-class, state-of-the-art port facility through combined public-private investment of $93 million to upgrade its infrastructure and heavy-lift capability. These upgrades will allow State Pier to meet the facility requirements of the offshore wind industry and will benefit the port’s long-term growth by increasing its capability to accommodate heavy-lift cargo for years to come.

“Connecticut’s maritime economy has significant potential to drive economic growth and create jobs across the state, and redeveloping State Pier is a central component to that growth,” Lamont said. “This new public-private partnership reaffirms the unwavering commitment of the state to increase procurement of offshore wind and make the economic expansion of our maritime economy a reality. We look forward to working with our new partners to position Connecticut as a leader in the offshore wind industry and expand economic opportunity throughout the region.”

The State Pier harbor development plan calls for a two-phased effort at State Pier. First, a three-year development project will upgrade the facility infrastructure to meet the heavy-lift requirements of Ørsted and Eversource’s offshore wind components. Second, following the successful completion of the project, Ørsted and Eversource will enter into a 10-year lease agreement granting their joint venture the use of State Pier for wind-turbine generator assembly and staging.

“The Connecticut Port Authority was established to grow the state’s economy and create jobs by investing in the maritime industry,” said Scott Bates, chairman of the Connecticut Port Authority. “For over a year, we have been working toward a vision where increased port activity drives economic growth and creates jobs throughout the state. This Harbor Development Plan brings that vision to life. In the short-term, our local workforce will upgrade State Pier into a world-class port facility, and our regional manufacturing workforce will build components for our new partners in the offshore wind industry. Longer-term, the increased capacity of State Pier will continue to expand the flow of cargo into New London, which will extend our state’s economic reach even farther, benefiting workers throughout Connecticut.”

This deal aligns with the Lamont administration’s plans to expand the use of carbon-free energy sources.

“We’ve worked closely with the Connecticut Port Authority, Ørsted, and Eversource to help realize the collective vision of bringing the offshore wind industry to New London,” Philippe De Montigny and Matthew Satnick, co-CEOs of Enstructure, Gateway’s financial partner, said in a joint statement. “We believe our partnership will yield strong long-term growth for the City of New London and the State of Connecticut. As the port operator for both New Haven and New London, we will also ensure that our maritime terminal operations continue to deliver best-in-class service for our conventional cargo customers.”

“(The) announcement lays the foundation for Connecticut to play a leading role in the United States’ fast-growing offshore wind industry and supports our transition from older, dirtier fuel sources to clean, affordable, carbon-free energy,” said Lee Olivier, Eversource executive vice president for Enterprise Energy Strategy and Business Development. “Our collaboration with the State of Connecticut, the Connecticut Port Authority, the City of New London, and Gateway Terminal brings together the resources and expertise needed to redevelop the New London State Pier into a state-of-the-art offshore wind facility to help Connecticut reach its critical greenhouse gas reduction goals.”

“With this public-private partnership comes the significant opportunity for job creation, local investment, and economic benefits for southeastern Connecticut and the wider region,” said Thomas Brostrøm, Ørsted president of North America and Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind CEO. “We look forward to continue working with the state, the City of New London, and our partners: the Connecticut Port Authority and Gateway Terminal, as we drive toward a green economy, bring more sources of clean energy to Connecticut, and ultimately lower carbon emissions for our planet.”

“Southeastern Connecticut has long been a center of our region’s maritime economy, and today’s announcement represents a commitment to realize the potential of the New London State Pier — and the jobs and growth that will go along with it,” said Rep. Joe Courtney. “The positive and long-lasting effects of an investment like this — which will create new jobs and increase activity at the port — will be felt across our entire state for years to come. Not only does this investment prepare the State Pier up for future success by upgrading its infrastructure and heavy-lift capabilities, it also creates jobs in the immediate future and keeps our state on track toward expanding the use of renewable energy.”

“As New London has grown, we have formed amazing partnerships with the State of Connecticut, Gateway New London LLC, the Connecticut Port Authority and now the Ørsted and Eversource joint venture,” said Mayor Michael Passero. “Today our city is emerging as an epicenter of innovation as new businesses and supply chains have invested in our community in preparation for this new industry coming to New London. I’m thrilled about today’s announcement of the community host agreement with Ørsted and Eversource. It’s proof that they will be great partners with the city as they join our business community. Most important of all, this is a big win for New London’s taxpayers as we bring in new revenue, new jobs, and new opportunities to the city today and into the future.”

More info  orsted.com

Over the course of a two-day CanWEA Spring Forum in Banff, Alberta, many of Canada’s wind-energy leaders shared a sense of optimism about the growth of wind energy in Canada and the economic and environmental benefits it is delivering as the lowest-price, emissions-free source of new electricity for not only Alberta and Saskatchewan, but for other provinces across Canada.

They also discussed the implications of the Alberta election and subjects such as indigenous engagement, recent developments in Canada’s wind markets, new technologies, and the evolution of government electricity and climate policies.

A Day-1 highlight was a wide-ranging keynote address by Peter Tertzakian, executive director of the ARC Energy Research Institute in Calgary, who described the new energy revolution driven by competition, innovation, supply additions, and lower prices.

“Prices for wind, solar, energy storage, and fossil fuel extraction have come down rapidly,” Tertzakian said. “Alberta, with an abundance of energy sources — both renewable and non-renewable — is well-positioned to lead as an energy powerhouse in Canada.”

The Forum concluded with Chris Turner, a prominent author and journalist, who provided his insights on the challenges the wind-energy industry must address if it is to capitalize on the potential clean-energy development opportunities offered by the Alberta electricity system.

“There is a global energy transition underway, and Canada has a huge opportunity to join the front ranks of this vital project,” Turner said. “We have extraordinary renewable energy resources, conventional energy resources, and a really strong tech sector — all the tools we need to become global leaders.”

The Spring Forum attracted more than 170 attendees and a sold-out exhibitor space to the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel for the April 17-18 conference.

Much of the focus of Canada’s wind-energy industry is now on Alberta and Saskatchewan, where it is poised to grow rapidly in the next few years. Wind energy has proven attractive to the prairie provinces because it has become the low-price leader, and because it helps to de-carbonize the electricity grid. In competitive electricity-supply auctions in Alberta in 2017 and 2018, the auctions secured 1,363 MW of wind energy at average weighted prices of $37 to $39 per megawatt-hour. Saskatchewan’s most recent procurement attracted widespread interest from the wind-energy industry, with the winning bid coming in below $35 per megawatt hour. These recent prices were new lows for wind energy in Canada and make wind energy the lowest-cost option for new electricity generation in the country.

Auction results such as these explain the wind-energy industry’s optimism at the Spring Forum, not only for the prairie provinces, but for all of Canada’s provinces as they strive to deliver affordable, emissions-free, reliable and safe electricity to the benefit of all Canadians.

“The four key attributes of wind energy — low price, emission-free, reliable and flexible — underpin my optimism that wind energy can compete with, and win against, every other large-scale electricity option to meet Canada’s future needs,” said Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association. “We are the lowest-cost provider; we generate emission-free power; our product is increasingly contributing to the reliability of the grid; and we offer a flexible and scalable solution to system operators as well as decentralized grids.”

The Spring Forum began just as the Alberta election results were announced, revealing a victory by the United Conservative Party. Forum speakers emphasized that the wind industry expects to work closely with the new government and the electricity system operator to continue to build the new wind-energy projects that will deliver low-priced power, keeping electricity affordable for Albertans. New wind-energy projects will also help to diversify the economy through the investment of billions of dollars, while creating thousands of jobs that benefit Alberta’s economy and its host communities.

Enel, through its U.S. renewable subsidiary Enel Green Power North America, Inc., recently closed an agreement to purchase Kansas-based renewable developer Tradewind Energy, Inc.

Under the agreement, Enel Green Power North America purchased all of Tradewind’s development platform comprising of 13 GW of wind, solar, and storage projects throughout the U.S. Shortly after the closing of Enel’s purchase of Tradewind, the company signed a definitive agreement with the Macquarie Group’s Green Investment Group to sell Savion, LLC, a 100 percent subsidiary of Tradewind that includes a development platform including 6 GW of solar and storage pipeline projects. The closing of the transaction with Macquarie, expected mid-year, is pending regulatory approval. Through this sale, the company is able to generate immediate returns on portions of the acquired portfolio, while retaining ownership of a strategic pipeline of about 7 GW of wind projects.

This strategic acquisition will enable Enel Green Power North America to manage all aspects of the renewable value chain in North America, from greenfield development through operations. Following the transaction, the company will integrate Tradewind’s development expertise across key areas of renewable growth for the company including wind, solar, and storage.

“Through this deal, we are acquiring an experienced renewable-development company to help carry out our North American growth strategy across all technologies with even greater speed and efficiency, thereby strengthening our position in the competitive U.S. market,” said Georgios Papadimitriou, head of Enel Green Power North America. “We are further able to capitalize on our investment and secure additional value for our company through the sale of certain development assets that will deliver immediate returns.”

The Enel Group and Tradewind Energy, headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas, have been strategic development partners since 2006, supporting Enel’s growth in the U.S. wind market. Over the course of this partnership, Enel successfully constructed and began operations of about 3.9 GW of capacity developed by Tradewind. With this acquisition, Enel Green Power North America will further expand its presence in Kansas where the company is the largest wind operator with more than 1.4 GW of operational wind energy.

Enel Green Power North America, part of Enel Green Power, is a leading owner and operator of renewable energy plants in North America with projects operating and under development in 24 states and two Canadian provinces. The company operates about 100 plants with a managed capacity of about 5 GW powered by renewable hydropower, wind, geothermal and solar energy. The company is the largest wind operator in Kansas and Oklahoma.

More info  enelgreenpower.com

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) recently placed an order for 143 MW of V126-3.45 MW turbines for the Bearkat II Wind project in Texas.

Bearkat II is the second phase of the Bearkat project, following the successful 2017 commissioning of the Bearkat I project, which also featured V126-3.45 MW turbines.
Including previously purchased components, the project will have a total capacity of 162 MW.

The order includes supply and commissioning of the turbines as well as a 30-year service agreement, which also includes balance of plant operations and maintenance.

“We are pleased to continue the good collaboration with Vestas on the extension of Bearkat,” said Michael Hannibal, partner for Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. “Vestas has proven their ability to deliver optimized project performance and reliability.”

“We are thrilled to continue to build our partnership with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and to install the trusted V126-3.45 MW turbine for the Bearkat II project,” said Chris Brown, president of Vestas’ sales and service division in the United States and Canada. “It’s a partnership founded on our ability to collaborate with CIP across the value spectrum to deliver both best in class technology and best in class service, strengthened by the learnings from our 101 GW global fleet.”

Deliveries are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2019 while commissioning is planned for fourth quarter of 2019.

More info  www.vestas.com

Executives from the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), representing thousands of companies and stakeholders in the wind industry, will release the 2018 U.S. Wind Industry Annual Market Report at the Greater Houston Partnership on April 9.

WHAT: Texas is the leader for wind energy in America. Members of the media in Houston will have the opportunity to report on the latest information about wind power after remarks from industry leaders and a Q&A period.

AWEA’s U.S. Wind Industry 2018 Annual Market Report will offer a definitive look at U.S. wind-energy industry activity last year in Texas and across the country. The report reveals important industry accomplishments and data driven market trends, including job growth, quantified economic and environmental benefits, and technological innovation. Wind-project contributions to state and local taxes will be included in the report for the first time.

WHO: Leaders of the American Wind Energy Association, the national trade group for U.S. wind power, representing more than 1,000 companies including global leaders in wind power and energy development, turbine manufacturing, and service suppliers. Other participants to be announced in advance of the event.

WHEN: 9 to 9:45 a.m. Central, April 9, 2019; guests should arrive a few minutes before 9 a.m. so the program can begin promptly.

WHERE: The Greater Houston Partnership, 701 Avenida De Las Americas #900, Houston, Texas 77010.

RSVP: Members of the media, industry stakeholders, and AWEA members are invited to attend. Attendees should RSVP to Curtis Walter, cwalter@awea.org, 202-826-3828.

Note on parking: Parking for Partnership Tower is in the Avenida North parking garage with entrances on Rusk and Capitol. Please enter through the entrances marked “Public Parking.” Greater Houston Partnership visitors can park in visitor or public designated spaces on garage levels 4 through 7. After you park, take the garage elevator to the first floor lobby. Take the building lobby elevators to the ninth floor. Please bring your parking ticket with you for discounted validation. Upon leaving GHP offices, you will need to pay at one of the pay meters.

Embracing disruptive digital technologies for the collection and analysis of wind-turbine data offers the best route to reducing the costs of operations and maintenance programs.

This is according to more than half (55 percent) of the asset and operations managers attending ONYX InSight’s European Technical Symposium in March.

Disruptive technology is entering the wind-energy sector quickly and helping to improve the cost-basis for running wind-turbine maintenance programs. From micro-electro mechanical sensors (MEMS) for gathering turbine data to machine learning algorithms that improve data analysis, owners and operators of wind farms in Europe need to embrace these technologies to maintain their position in the industry.

“Operators that continue to rely on traditional O&M practices to manage their profitability and overlook the rise of disruptive digital technologies risk losing out,” said Dr. John Coultate, head of Product Development at ONYX InSight. “Failure to embrace these technologies and apply them appropriately will see them overtaken by competitors able to reliably and profitably operate wind farms at lower cost.”

MEMS sensors, which lie at the heart of the digital disruption of wind-turbine monitoring, are produced annually in the billions at significantly lower cost than the piezoelectric sensors they are replacing. Greater versatility means MEMS sensors can be used to capture much more data about turbine behavior. MEMS sensors’ digital data outputs also eliminate the need for additional costly signal conditioning, making it easier for operators to run data analysis using another disruptive technology, machine learning.

A majority of attendees recognized the need for involving specialists to implement and harness the kinds of digital technologies that could be seen as disruptive. More than half said they recognized the need for third-party expertise to support digital integration and analysis of turbine data.

“The technology is here to stay, the only barrier to adoption is access to quality data,” said Dr. Xiaoqin Ma, head of Technology at ONYX InSight. “Machine learning can make sense out of large quantities of data that human analysts might find overwhelming. With vast amounts of data being collected through hundreds of channels from every single turbine every second, ML is essential for understanding turbine condition and reducing the cost of maintenance programs.”

“Properly trained machine learning algorithms, backed up by intelligent engineering experience, can add real value to the wind-energy industry,” he said. “Without the right support for quality data inputs and guidance from experts, however, users of machine learning, disappointed by its outputs, risk overlooking a powerful tool that will drive OPEX cost reductions into the future.”

Dr. Ma and Dr. Coultate were speaking to more than 50 wind asset and operations managers from across Europe, at the ONYX InSight Technical Symposium in Manchester. Presentations and panel discussions focused on the technology trends and adoption by wind-farm operators looking to drive lifetime extension and reduce the cost of operations and maintenance.

“The symposium once again proved itself a welcoming forum for operators to share experiences, freely discuss the challenges they face and learn and understand current best practices and solutions that will help them get the best form their assets,” said Bruce Hall, CEO of ONYX InSight.

More info  www.onyxinsight.com

A trial of NRG Systems’ Bat Deterrent System at the Pilot Hill Wind Project in Illinois yielded an overall reduction in bat fatalities of 67 percent and greater reductions with species commonly affected by wind projects.

The results of the trial were announced on March 27, 2019, by EDF Renewables, the developer/owner of the Pilot Hill Wind Project, at the AWEA Wind Project Siting and Environmental Compliance Seminar in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Located in Kankakee and Iroquois counties, the 175-MW Pilot Hill Wind Project was made possible by a 20-year power purchase agreement with Microsoft Corporation and has been in commercial operation since 2015.

Testing of NRG’s ultrasonic acoustic Bat Deterrent System was conducted at Pilot Hill between August and October of 2018. Fifteen out of the facility’s 103 turbines were outfitted with Bat Deterrent Systems. A 5.0 m/second cut-in speed curtailment was simultaneously applied at the deterrent-equipped turbines.
“Our goal with this trial was to gauge the efficacy of combining curtailment with NRG’s Bat Deterrent System to reduce bat mortality at wind turbines,” said Michael Azeka, director of Environmental Strategy at EDF Renewables. “The results of this trial are very encouraging and suggest that this approach to minimizing bat impacts is a compelling one for the wind industry.”

There are several bat species present at Pilot Hill, including multiple migratory tree species. The testing revealed a significant reduction of 72 percent with silver-haired bats, 71 percent with hoary bats, and 94 percent with big brown bats. Eastern red bats proved harder to deter, with 58 percent reduction in mortality for the two treatments together.
At the moment, raising cut-in wind speed is the most widely used method for reducing bat mortality at wind turbines. While effective, many wind plants in North America experience a significant loss of energy production when this curtailment is implemented.

“The Pilot Hill trial is especially encouraging because it suggests that we can minimize bat impacts while increasing the amount of energy produced at wind plants struggling with this crucial issue,” said Brogan Morton, senior product manager at NRG Systems. “This is a win for all parties involved, including developers, conservationists, and, most importantly, the planet.”

The Pilot Hill trial was preceded by a two-year study at the Los Vientos Wind Energy Facility in Texas, which saw an overall reduction in bat fatalities of 54 percent. NRG’s Bat Deterrent System is available is North America. The company plans to hold trials of the technology in Europe in 2019.

More info  nrgsystems.com

Industrial artificial intelligence leader, Uptake, was recently named a 2019 New Energy Pioneer by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (NEF). The award recognizes ground-breaking companies fueling the transition to a lower-carbon economy and bringing new ideas for business models, technologies, market structures, and commercial opportunities.

“I’m proud of the entire Uptake team and our commitment to our energy, transportation, and industrial customers who use our artificial intelligence platform and applications in the field everyday,” said Uptake CEO Brad Keywell. “Our goal is to delight customers with impactful outcomes, and each new customer offers further proof of our belief that AI and data science should power operational decisions in major industries. Our market leadership has been fortified by our independence from any singular OEM. Further, the impact of our delivered outcomes has been magnified through our ownership of the world’s most comprehensive dataset of equipment failure patterns. Through the Uptake lens, industry productivity looks even better.”

With the massive amount of data generated by industrial machines, companies are increasingly searching for simple ways to turn this data into action that improves their bottom line. Using artificial intelligence and data science, an intelligent industrial platform turns machine data into insights, predictions, and recommendations. With insights, people can improve all aspects of industrial performance, make better-informed decisions that affect both topline and bottom line financials, and help optimize the overall business.

The winners from more than 185 applicants were assessed against three criteria:

• Potential to scale the opportunity and have global impact.
• Level of innovation of the technology or business model and the novelty it brings to the market.
• Momentum by showcasing substantive progress in the form of strong commercial partnerships, the distribution channels in place and sales growth.

Uptake’s APM software improves productivity and efficiency by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to create business value from operational data. Traditional asset management only covers routine maintenance tasks and fails to anticipate and adjust to the ways industry operates its business. Today’s asset-intensive environments require a new approach with industrial data science generating OEM-agnostic insights, predictions and recommendations for any asset.

More info: www.uptake.com/industry-solutions/energy

MSA recently announced the launch of the new V-SERIES full body harness line for fall protection: V-FLEX™, V-FIT™, and V-FORM™. Each is designed for comfort and differing needs.

With the V-SERIES, users can focus on their work instead of their harness. The exclusive racing-style buckle eliminates the need for chest straps, creating a closer, more comfortable harness. An athletic cut contours the harness to the body for increased upper torso mobility. A pull-down adjustment allows the wearer to easily and quickly make adjustments in order to get the right fit.

The V-SERIES harness line is suitable for use in multiple work-at-height applications in industries such as construction, general industry, and oil and gas.

More info: MSAsafety.com/vseriesfallprotection

Vestas has received a 224-MW order in the U.S. for V110-2.0 MW turbines.

The order includes supply and commissioning of the turbines as well as a 10-year Active Output Management 5000 (AOM 5000) service agreement.

Deliveries are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2019 while commissioning is planned for fourth quarter of 2019.

The project and customer are undisclosed at the customer’s request.

More info: www.vestas.com

Ingeteam Power Technology, an independent global supplier of electrical conversion equipment, recently announced it contracted more than 4 GW of wind-energy converters globally in 2018.

With a total of 45GW installed capacity to date, the company remains the No. 1 supplier of wind-power converters in the world.

The Ingeteam Group closed the year with a 15 percent increase in turnover compared to 2017.

Ingeteam achieved these strong results despite price pressures on the wind supply chain due to an increasing competition among OEMs, as well as the recent industry slowdown in Brazil and India, two strategic markets for Ingeteam.

“The wind industry as a whole has weathered a challenging period in India and Brazil last year. That impacted our sales a little, but the slowdown has leveled off and we expect orders to rebound strongly this year,” said Ana Goyen, director of Ingeteam Wind Energy.

Going forward, Ingeteam will benefit from the excellent growth outlook of the global wind sector, which becomes competitive with other energy sources in an increasing range of market conditions. This encouraging general environment combined with a stabilization in global prices and Ingeteam’s strong focus on innovation and client partnerships, provides an excellent foundation for the company’s future performance. For 2019, the company expects to experience steady sales growth, with major gains in all key markets.

In particular, the company’s recent investment in India in a facility equipped with state-of-the-art production technology is providing solid sales momentum. The feedback from both local and international clients is overwhelmingly positive.

“This highly efficient production center is based on a modular design, and boasts agile production lines, so we can swiftly embrace our client needs,” Goyen said. “Our customer-centric approach is really paying off there. We are happy to report that we have delivered our first units in 2018 and that our orderbook is very healthy going forward. We anticipate that about 25 percent of the total capacity we aim to deliver in 2019 will be manufactured in our Chennai factory.”

Ingeteam’s strategy to position itself as a complete solution provider for wind OEMs has proven very successful over the years.

“We can supply equipment from any of our production facilities in Europe, Asia, North and South America, applying the same standards and know-how,” Goyen said. “We can also deliver the most efficient and specialized support and service to clients from our sales and service centers strategically located all over the world.”

More info: www.ingeteam.com

With a significant proportion of the European offshore wind support vessel fleet entering the latter phases of its operational lifetime or no longer able to meet changing industry demands, there is a growing emphasis on the vessel market to refit or repurpose these boats.

In doing so, vessel owners and shipyards can seize a commercial opportunity to maximize the value of these assets and support the overall sustainability of the offshore wind sector.

That, at least, is according to Chartwell Marine, a pioneer in next-generation vessel design that has supported a number of offshore wind vessel refit projects in recent months. Chartwell Marine has substantial expertise in vessel repurposing, including re-flagging, re-coding, and complete vessel conversion – such as from crew transfer vessel (CTV) to ferry, or leisure fishing boat to workboat.

While offshore wind is a young sector, with the majority of large-scale European projects no more than 10 years old – and expected to continue operating for 25 years in total – vessel lifetimes do not match those of offshore wind turbines. Furthermore, rapidly evolving construction and operational standards mean that many of the CTVs originally commissioned to service these projects may no longer meet the requirements of offshore wind developers and operators.

This is not to say, however, that these vessels are no longer fit for purpose. Indeed, for vessel owners, there are two main options on the table: One is to repurpose these catamarans for operation in other sectors, or for different functions within offshore wind. Offshore wind CTVs have been redeployed effectively for purposes including survey, dive support and security.

The other option is to conduct refits that extend the operational lifetime of the vessels in offshore wind. This often involves upgrades to propulsion systems, increasing the number of people who can be carried onboard, and lengthening of the hull to enhance deck space and potentially seakeeping. Chartwell Marine has provided design consultancy services to shipyards and vessel owners on a number of these refit projects.

Recent contracts have included supporting shipyard Diverse Marine in full refits of CTVs Maestro and Don Quixote, both of which were acquired by Turner Iceni in early 2019. Maestro, an 18-meter catamaran, has been refitted with Volvo IPS propulsion system, while Don Quixote has been refitted with 1,400 horsepower MAN engines and Hamilton 651 waterjets, and lengthened from 20 to 23 meters. Both are set to re-enter service later this year.

“For a sector like offshore wind, which is founded on principles of sustainability, vessel support is one area where substantial efficiencies can be realized,” said Andy Page, managing director at Chartwell Marine. “With robust design support, vessels that are starting to reach the end of their utility for offshore wind operators can either be upgraded in a cost-effective manner to re-enter service or set to work in other maritime sectors.”

“This creates plenty of opportunity for U.K. shipyards to carve out a niche in vessel refits – particularly during the winter months when demand drops off a little,” he said. “Furthermore, given an overall shortfall of new builds currently in build, and demand for offshore wind crew transfer vessels ramping up considerably, these vessel refits may well help to plug a gap until the next generation of offshore wind CTVs starts to enter operation.”

More info: www.chartwellmarine.com

BladeEdge, a leading provider of big data solutions for the wind industry, recently announced the launch of EDDIE, the world’s first artificial intelligence image analysis engine designed specifically for the wind industry.

EDDIE was created to enable automated condition assessments of blade inspection images, data analytic processing, and report generation.

“EDDIE brings the future to today’s wind industry,” said Chris Shroyer, BladeEdge president. “This revolutionary technology truly has the power to transform the industry by working up to 75 percent faster, more accurately, and more scalable than traditional data analysis methods.”

BladeEdge debuted EDDIE at the AWEA Wind Project O&M and Safety Conference in Coronado, California, treating conference goers to live demonstrations of EDDIE at work. EDDIE processes wind-turbine inspection data and automatically generates easily-consumable reports.

As AI, EDDIE has the capacity to work around the clock, processing data non-stop and delivering results with 98.8 percent confidence in data accuracy. EDDIE helps maximize the useable life of each asset reviewed, and tracks changes over time. With EDDIE, blade damage is caught sooner, making decisions regarding maintenance and repair easier than ever before.

EDDIE was designed to process any type of wind-turbine inspection data — from drone or ground scope capture images to legacy data. EDDIE automatically categorizes data and identifies anomalies, delivering reports that highlight blades requiring immediate attention and provides operators with a comprehensive understanding of all reviewed assets.

Blade management processes become more efficient when backed with the power of EDDIE, freeing teams to focus on revenue generation instead of data analysis.

“The true benefit of EDDIE lies in the time savings,” Shroyer said. “When engineers can spend less time analyzing large amounts of data and more time strategizing on improving efficiencies with preventative maintenance, EDDIE’s ROI is incredibly high.”

More info: www.bladeedge.net

With the release of major climate reports depicting alarming risks to the environment and economy, an increasing number of companies are establishing environmental, social and corporate governance initiatives. Swytch, a blockchain-based clean-energy platform, recently conducted a survey of 1,000 employees in the U.S. who either currently work for or have worked for a company with more than 5,000 employees to explore their sentiments around employers’ corporate sustainability activities.

The survey results show employees of all generations seek companies that have programs set in place to be more sustainable. Gen Z and Millennials in particular are the most enthusiastic about pursuing and staying loyal to greener companies.

When choosing a company to work for, more than 70 percent of people surveyed are more likely to work for a company that has a strong green footprint. Nearly half of respondents are even willing to accept a smaller salary to work for an environmentally and socially responsible company. In fact, more than 10 percent would accept a salary decrease between $5,000 and $10,000, and more than 3 percent would even be inclined to accept a decrease of more than $10,000 per year.

Younger generations feel the most strongly about their employers taking steps to increase corporate sustainability. Over a third of both Gen Z and Millennials say it would be a deal breaker for them to work for a company that does not have a strong sustainability culture, whereas under a quarter of Gen X and only 17 percent of Baby Boomers would agree. In fact, nearly 40 percent of Millennials have accepted one job offer over another because that company was sustainable.

Beyond just attracting new talent, Swytch’s study shows that creating and circulating long-term sustainability goals will also help a business retain its employees. Nearly 70 percent of respondents say that a strong sustainability plan would affect their decision to stay with a company long term. In fact, about 30 percent have left a company due to its lack of a corporate sustainability agenda and more than 11 percent have done so more than once.

“Extreme weather events and natural disasters are serving as a wake-up call to the severe effects of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Evan Caron, co-founder and managing director of Swytch. “As a growing number of employees are eager to see corporations take a stand on environmental responsibility, employers will have to respond accordingly in order to attract and retain top talent.”

Other findings include:

● More than 35 percent of total respondents, and more than 40 percent of Millennials, have committed more time and effort to a company because they were happy with its sustainability agenda.

● Across the political spectrum, both liberals (95 percent) and conservatives (89 percent) overwhelmingly agree that companies should be rewarded for producing and/or consuming renewable energy.

● Over a third of respondents believe the national government should be primarily responsible for addressing climate change while nearly a quarter of respondents believe large corporations should be responsible.

More info  swytch.io

Using its Nooteboom triple extendable Super Wing Carriers, Collett delivered 78 turbine blades (26 turbines in total) destined for Kype Muir Wind Farm.

Collett’s teams undertook the planning and delivery of 494 components including blades, towers, nacelles, drive trains, and hubs required for the development of Kype Muir Wind Farm. The 80-meter hub height towers of the Senvion 3.4MW turbines feature 52-meter blades, and while these are not the largest the company has been appointed to handle, they necessitated the use of its Super Wing Carriers due to the problematic road restrictions and alignments en-route.

Several areas of route modifications were identified ahead of the project – including bridge restrictions – with an emphasis on the Lambhill Road and Brown’s Bridge areas on approach to the site. Excluding the loaded wind-turbine blades, each of the components would be loaded to a combination of 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-axle stepframes, modular low loaders, and clamp trailers for transportation to the site. With the planned route modifications – including removal of vegetation, road signs, and road widening – already having been completed, this did not pose challenge to navigate.

The challenge arose when it came to the transportation of the 52-meter blades, which is where Collett’s Super Wing Carriers came into effect. The use of these specialist trailers provided the ability to shorten the body and wheelbase of the trailer while loaded with the use of the bolster arrangement on the trailer deck. Using the features of these Super Wing Carriers, extendable up to 64.3 meters, meant that the proposed access route to the development site became a viable option for this size of turbine.

Proof of this flexibility was demonstrated prior to transport by Collett Consulting creating a 3D model of the loaded vehicle. This then allowed Collett to produce a detailed swept-path analysis video of the blade components, successfully negotiating restricted route sections by manipulating the trailer while loaded.

This in-depth planning allowed Collett to highlight the sections of the route where the steering angle of the Super Wing Carrier’s bogie provided extra maneuverability. The challenge was to ensure there would be no contact with any part of the blade or the trailer chassis with the road surface, bridge structures, or buildings when navigating several sections of the route. This is where capabilities of the Super Wing Carriers to raise the trailer height came into action, allowing Collett to raise the height of both the front and the rear of the trailer, resulting in each of the blades oversailing the embankments and stone parapets when crossing the bridges en-route. By employing the capabilities of these trailers, Collett was able to remove the need for further, more costly modifications, and ensure that each of the 78 52-meter blades would safely arrive.

The 18-week delivery schedule that began in July is now complete. Following an agreed timetable of 1.5 turbines per week, Collett systematically transported each of the 494 cargoes from their portside location direct to the delivery site. Working on a multi-port strategy with components arriving at the Port of Grangemouth and King George V Dock, the Collett team has undertaken all ship’s discharge and stevedoring duties, port storage, extensive planning and delivery for each complete turbine.

Deliveries to the site, three miles south of Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, are now completed and construction of the wind farm is underway. Kype Muir Wind Farm is the flagship development of Banks Renewables and is expected to be fully operational in early 2019.

More info  www.collett.co.uk

In a public signing ceremony, global wind industry leaders Envision Energy, NGC, CLCP, and AMSOIL recently became strategic partners in the world’s largest renewable energy market.

The China Wind Energy Association and other guests gathered in Beijing to witness the wind-energy leaders signing the “Powering the World’s Renewable Future” agreement. The partnership leverages proven expertise and innovation from four sectors within the industry: lubrication from AMSOIL, smart energy technology from Envision, gearboxes from NGC, and service from CLCP. Collectively, the partnership will provide a comprehensive array of wind-industry products and services to support rapid growth in an already exploding market.

“We’re excited to join NGC, CLCP, and Envision in this strategic partnership,” said AMSOIL President and CEO Alan Amatuzio. “Our organizations share the same high standards of innovation, service, and quality, and our combined leadership supports an ambitious vision for the future of renewable energy.”

“Being young, successful, and fast-growing are not the only reasons for our cooperation. Innovation and focus on customers are as well,” said Global Vice President of Envision Energy Kane Xu.

“It’s a great pleasure to witness this strategic cooperation among the leading wind companies from China and the U.S.,” said Qin Haiyan, secretary general of the China Wind Energy Association and vice president of the World Energy Association.

At a time of strained U.S.-China relations, the signing ceremony is a bright spot of collaboration between Wisconsin-based AMSOIL and three Chinese wind industry leaders. The strategic partnership is a perfect example of pioneering companies working together to address climate change while enhancing economic development, including meeting the goals of China’s Wind Energy Development 13th Five Year Plan and One Belt and One Road initiatives. The agreement advances global wind energy development, deepens international cooperation and will truly “Power the World’s Renewable Future.”

More info  www.amsoilwind.com

Wind Cluster ApS, global distributor of wind-turbine components and accessories, together with New Avionics Corp, leading maker of modern optical ice sensors for industry and aerospace, recently announced the two companies have signed a distribution agreement covering modern ice sensors for wind-turbine manufacturers, operators, and energy companies throughout Europe, China, and India.

In Europe and Asia, Wind Cluster is a one-stop shopping center for turbine manufacturers and operators, offering a wide variety of components and accessories to the global wind power industry. Wind Cluster operates through a network of offices in Denmark, China, and India.

In Florida, New Avionics has developed the Ice*Meister™ line of NASA-tested optical ice sensors for aerospace and industry, where the need is to sense hazardous ice and take corrective action. These are demonstrably the smallest, lightest, most-sensitive ice detectors for wind-power turbines, unmanned aerial vehicles, commercial refrigerators and heat pumps, HVAC cooling towers, radio and TV broadcast towers, autonomous commercial drones, vehicular bridges and overpasses, oil and gas sites, etc.

“Ice detection is a necessity for optimum power production and safety in many countries,” said Peter Nyegard Jensen, CEO of Wind Cluster. “Until now, solutions have been complex and expensive. Therefore, we are happy to introduce the products and unique expertise of New Avionics to the industry.”

“New Avionics is extremely pleased to sign this agreement with Wind Cluster for distribution of our ice sensors,” said Richard Hackmeister, CEO of New Avionics Corp. “This pact helps turbine manufacturers and operators maximize operational efficiency during icing conditions, at the lowest possible sensor cost. We look forward to a long and productive relationship with the hardest-working distributor of wind-power components and accessories.”

More info  www.newavionics.com