Wind Power around the Globe

South America:

Casa dos Ventos is commissioning the wind farm complex Ventos do Araripe III

The Brazilian developer Casa dos Ventos has begun to start commissioning the gigantic wind farm Ventos do Araripe III in Brazil's north-east between the federal states of Piauí and Pernambuco. The 1.8 billion dollar project consists of a total of 14 wind farms with 156 wind turbines and an installed capacity of 359 megawatts. The turbines are now being put into operation step by step over the course of a full calendar year. At full capacity, Ventos do Araripe III will be one of the largest wind farms in South America.

"In order to gain an understanding of the size of the wind farm, we can say that the installed capacity is greater than that of all the wind farms built this year in countries such as the UK, South Africa, Mexico and Argentina. We are proud to make our contribution to the clean energy production of Brazil," said Lucas Araripe, CEO of Casa dos Ventos, about the huge project. In addition to the construction of the farms, the project manager is also responsible for the construction of a 35 km long transmission line, which connects the wind farms to the national grid.

1,500 new jobs were created, $ 5 million invested in social projects around the complex, including schools and improved access to water supplies in the region.

North America:

Texas continues to rely on wind energy

The oil state of Texas, that has developed into a pioneer in wind energy in recent years in the US, continues to rely on the power of wind. Spanish turbine manufacturer Gamesa is expected to install 74 of its G114-2.1 MW turbines in the coming year for a 155 megawatt wind farm in Texas. This turbine type is particularly suitable for low and medium wind speeds and has played a major role in the fact that Gamesa has already installed over 5000 megawatts in the US.

Texas is thus further expanding its dominance in the wind energy sector compared to the other US states: At 18,531 megawatts (as of the third quarter of 2016), the 18,000 mark was cracked for the first time and second-placed California with 5662 MW is significantly behind.

Australia:

Vestas supplies 180 MW wind farm in Mareeba with turbines

Mt Emerald Wind Farm Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of RATCH Australia Corporation (RAC), has ordered wind turbines with a capacity of 180 megawatts from Danish turbine manufacturer Vestas. The turbines are designed for a wind farm near Mareeba in the north of Queensland and enlarge the Vestas portfolio to over 2.1 GW in Australia. In addition, Vestas will service and maintain the facilities for the next 15 years.

”We are very pleased to be working with Vestas on this landmark project for RAC and Far North Queensland. In the end, the decision for us came down to the low cost of energy and proven performance of the Vestas turbines, which together with Vestas track record of wind farm project delivery in Australia gave us the necessary confidence for a project of this scope and scale”, said Anthony Yeates, RAC Executive General Manager Business Development. Furthermore, 150 new jobs will be provided in the region during the construction phase.

Asia:

Energy transition is progressing further in India

Indian wind turbine manufacturer Suzlon has secured another order of one of the leading business houses in India. The manufacturer will deliver four units of its S9X 2.1 MW platform with towers of 95 meters of height. The 50.40 MW wind farm is located in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh and is expected to be completed in March 2017. Suzlon will also take over the service of the park, which is to supply almost 27,000 households with electricity for the next 20 years.

J.P. Chalasani, CEO of Suzlon Group, said: “We continue to collaborate with all stakeholders for India’s sustainable development. We are witnessing increased traction across all customers segments like IPPs, Large Corporates and PSU’s as well as retail. Our focus is to bring down the cost of energy by investing in technologically advanced products and thereby enable renewables to make the move from alternative to mainstream energy. Suzlon’s competitive edge is the end-to-end solutions approach and we will continue to offer turnkey solutions for our customers. With our pan-India presence and technologically advanced product, Suzlon is best positioned to capitalize on the growing market opportunities in India.”

Suzlon has already installed turbines with a capacity of 15.5 gigawatts worldwide, including 9.5 GW in India, which accounts for about 36 percent of the country's wind farms.

Africa:

Half-time in South Africa

Loeriesfontein wind farm is starting to take shape: as the project managers have announced, the first 30 of 61 planned wind turbines are now on display. As long as the weather is favorable, two crane systems are used in parallel achieving an average of 2.5 installations per week.

At first two individual parts of the 100 meter high tower are being erected, while the three rotor blades with a length of 53 meters are still connected to the hub on the ground. As soon as the 82.5-ton nacelle has been hoisted and fixed, the rotor blades can be installed, as project manager Leo Quinn reports. For this complex assembly, experienced Siemens engineers were hired. They will set up another farm with the same team next year.

The Loeriesfontein wind farm is expected to provide around 563,500 MWh of clean energy for up to 120,000 South African households each year.

Europe:

Priority dispatch for renewables could be tilted

This week, the EU Energy Commission has presented its so-called 'winter package'. This is a catalog of measures to be used to regulate energy efficiency, renewable energy and the electricity markets in Europe. The package has so far been very differently taken, from harsh criticism by environmental associations, to a partial approval by the European Wind Association WindEurope.

There was only silence on this topic by the responsible EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic at WindEnergy Hamburg towards media questions. But now it is clear that the EU is indeed planning to abolish the priority dispatch for renewable energies. It seems to be the opinion that renewables have finally outgrown their children's shoes and are fully competitive.

Giles Dickson, CEO of WindEurope, is now calling for clear rules: “Priority dispatch will stay in place for existing assets but will be phased out for new projects. We need clarity and transparency on the must-run obligations for conventional power plants and clear rules on compensation when renewables get curtailed.”

Conclusion:

Progress can not be stopped. In terms of price, wind and solar power can now compete with fossil fuels, at least in Europe. But also in the rest of the world more and more green electricity is being used. The Paris Climate Agreement also shows that the knowledge of the need for a renewable energy transition has spread everywhere. It is now important to take the momentum and ensure that renewables - instead of being strangled again by people in charge for short-sighted election goals - are being supported by means of appropriate policies. It remains to be seen whether Europe can continue to be a role model and pioneer.