News Archive March 2016

Denmark: Vestas wins 45 MW order

Vestas further strengthens its leading position in Denmark with a 45 MW order placed by Hogager Vindpark K/S in Western Jutland, Denmark.

Sweden: Fortum acquires a 75-MW construction-ready windfarm project

Fortum has acquired a 75-megawatt (MW) windfarm project from the Swedish wind power developer Arise AB (publ) group.

Order for 29 units of S97-120 m hybrid tower and 5 units of S97-90 m tubular tower with rated capacity of 2.1MW each / Project to be completed in Kutch, Gujarat by April 2017 / To provide operation and maintenance service for a period of 20 years

Germany: Vestas completes acquisition of Availon Holding GmbH

Final closing of the acquisition of Availon Holding GmbH has now taken place.

Kinik wind farm located on Turkey’s west coast near city of Izmir / 17 direct drive wind turbines each with 3.2 megawatt (MW) capacity / 10-year service agreement included

James Fisher selected to provide offshore and marine services / Up to 100 new jobs created for the east coast of England / Contract value expected to exceed £25 million over next two years

Scotland: Levenmouth turbine offers unrivalled opportunity for renewable energy R&D

The ORE Catapult officially unveiled its 7MW demonstration offshore wind turbine in Levenmouth.

Deutsche Windtechnik AG has finalised an asset deal with the listed construction company Ballast Nedam N.V.

Global: AXYS Leads the Way to Commercial Acceptance of Floating LiDAR

AXYS Technologies Inc. is pleased to announce it has recently completed another two successful validation campaigns for its FLiDAR 6M wind assessment platform.

Hamnefjell Vindkraft AS, a joint venture by Finnmark Kraft AS and private investment company Ardian, has placed a 52 MW firm and unconditional order for 15 Vestas V112-3.45 MW wind turbines.

The United States continues to lead the world in wind energy production according to recently released data by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Over 31 percent of Iowa’s in-state electricity generation came from wind last year – marking another major milestone.

A broad range of lightweight solutions for a wide variety of applications in the automotive and wind power industry / Technology demonstrator for RTM hollow components wins the JEC World Innovation Award

Offshore wind opens up a sea of opportunities for UK suppliers, according to Bruce Valpy of BVG Associates. Valpy was speaking at SNS2016, an event organised by East of England Energy Group (EEGGR) today at Norfolk Showground, Norwich.

GE Study to Provide Valuable Battery Storage Insight as India Looks to Integrate 160 Gigawatts of Variable Renewable Energy by 2022 / Study Funded by U.S. Trade and Development Agency to Develop Business Plan for an Integrated Wind, Solar and Energy Storage Project

Inox Wind Limited, India’s leading wind energy solutions provider, has bagged an order for a 20 MW wind power project to be set up at Nipaniya, Mandsaur in the state of Madhya Pradesh from PTC Energy Limited (PEL), a 100% subsidiary of PTC India Limited.

Uruguay: Gamesa to build a 70-MW wind farm under a turnkey arrangement

The company will install 35 of its G114-2.0 MW turbines at the Colonia Arias wind farm and maintain them for 15 years

Netherlands: Brave Tern successfully upgraded

Brave Tern, one of Fred. Olsen Windcarrier’s two specialist jack-up vessels, has this week been successfully upgraded.

China: AHC Oberflächentechnik has new plant in China

Quality ‘made in Germany’ perfectly transferred to China

Yesterday, the Oregon state senate approved a bill that would increase Oregon’s renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) to 50 percent, while phasing coal out of the state’s electricity mix. Having already passed the house, the bill will now be sent to Gov. Kate Brown, who is expected to sign it into law.

Rostock, on 2 March, 2016 in the afternoon - a very special moment, as the heaviest monopile ever produced is leaving the production site of EEW Special Pipe Constructions GmbH in Rostock.

Netherlands: Galloper substation platform award to HFG

Heerema Fabrication Group (HFG) has been awarded from Petrofac an AFC contract for fabricating the substation platform for Galloper Wind Farm Limited (GWFL).

Netherlands: Boskalis strengthens position in growing offshore wind market

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire offshore activities from VolkerWessels.

Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, has been awarded contracts worth a total of £35 million by Scottish Hydro Electric (SHE) Transmission for the design and construction of the Bhlaraidh and Beinneun Wind Farm Connections Project near Fort Augustus, in Scotland.

World’s Largest Wind Turbine Manufacturer Unifies Systems and Processes throughout its Global Manufacturing Network with the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co., Ltd. usurped Vestas Wind Systems’ status as the top global producer of wind turbines in 2015, with 7.73 gigawatts installed / Highly-ranked companies have made their mark in the wind turbine arena by introducing innovative new turbine models, investment in international wind growth, and M&A activity, says analyst

SOWITEC announces financial close of wind farm Vientos de Pastorale. Madrid based renewable power generation company Bow Power will invest in the project, Vestas has been selected to deliver turbines for the 52.8 MW wind farm located in the southwest of Uruguay.

France: STX France to build an offshore substation for Rental

STX France-Offshore Energy signs a contract with Rentel for the engineering, supply and installation of an Offshore Substation

Northern Ireland: Financing the Ora More Wind Project

€21.5 Million Debt Facility Secured By NTR for Ora More Wind Project

As wind power ramps up, installing more new electricity generating capacity than other energy source last year, so are new opportunities for jobs and leadership positions for women in the U.S. wind energy industry.

This is the first investment by Statoil Energy Ventures: Statoil’s new USD 200 million venture capital fund dedicated to investing in attractive and ambitious growth companies in renewable energy, supporting its strategy of growth in new energy solutions.

EWEA-organised Wind Power Poland 2016 starts today

Industry stands together to make economic case for wind energy in Poland

The Crown Estate has announced agreements with offshore wind developers ScottishPower Renewables, Vattenfall and DONG Energy, which have reconfigured or identified new projects within their respective Round 3 offshore wind development zones.

The 2015 Bulletin shows that some of the world's key wind-producing areas, led by China, the United States, India, and southern Europe, experienced mildly to significantly below-normal winds in 2015.

Sweden: New 20MW wind farm to be build

EIB backs wind farm in Sweden with up to EUR 16 million

The independent service provider from Germany and the world’s leading manufacturer and provider of impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems from the Netherlands conclude contract for maintenance of 284 offshore corrosion protection systems

India: Inox Wind bags two orders of 26 MW each

The Company Awarded 52 MW Orders from Leading Public Sector Undertakings

Netherlands: TenneT publishes Annual Report 2015

Investments TenneT for tomorrow's onshore and offshore electricity grid reach all-time high

Morocco: Siemens is building a rotor blade factory

Up to 700 jobs to be created in Tangier / Total investment of more than EUR 100 million / Factory will serve the African, Middle Eastern and European wind markets

Netherlands: Geophysical Surveys start at Hollandse Kust (zuid) wind farm zone

Fugro has commenced preliminary site investigations at the Hollandse Kust (zuid) Wind Farm Zone in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.

Germany: 4-Star Hotel for DanTysk Workers

As of March 2016, the C-bed vessel Wind Solution is off to the German North Sea and the DanTysk offshore wind farm on a maintenance assignment.

UK: Hornsea Zone split into four

DONG Energy has reached an agreement with The Crown Estate to reconfigure the Hornsea zone as part of the Round 3 offshore wind development zones.

US: Third unsolicited lease request for a floating wind energy project offshore Hawaii

Unsolicited Lease Request for Floating Wind Energy Project Offshore Oahu, Hawaii

While the Democratic candidates for the presidency of the United States, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, endeavor to present their plans for climate protection and the expansion of renewable energy in public, the other side wanders into a different direction: Donald Trump's posturing against a Scottish offshore wind park shows his reactionary attitude once again.

ABB to build the HVDC converter station für Kriegers Flak

ABB wins $140 million order to boost integration of renewables in Europe / HVDC converter station to link Danish and German power grids and enhance energy security

Global: Leitwind gets Type Certification

TÜV Rheinland hands over Type Certificate to Leitwind for their 1,5 MW-turbine in accordance with international standard GL 2010.

Finland: New order for Nordex

Third call-off from frame contract for Nordex in Finland

Siemens' Nuremberg transformer plant to manufacture the transformers / The transformers, each weighing 313 tons, are to be transported to site by ship and specialized trucks

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government has awarded developer CWP Renewables’ Sapphire Wind Farm a feed-in tariff of A$89.10 per MW/h for 100MW of capacity to power nearly 50,000 homes, giving the go ahead for construction.

A team of researchers that includes two engineers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst is developing a new mooring system for floating offshore wind turbines that uses an integrated network of anchors and lines to hold dozens or even hundreds of turbines in place in the ocean in industrial-scale, offshore wind farms.

India: USD 150 million for renewable energy investments

Creation of CDPQ India, CDPQ’s new Delhi-based office and million-dollar-investment in the country

Global: Worldwide Wind Power Market Outlook Update by MAKE

Global wind power growth mounting toward new policy induced demand peak in 2018.

EGP, in consortium with Nareva Holding and Siemens Wind Power, has been pre-awarded the right to develop, design, finance, construct, operate and maintain five wind projects in Morocco for a total of 850 MW

Canada: Five wind contracts totalling 299.5 MW awarded

IESO Announces Results of Competitive Bids for Large Renewable Projects

US: AWEA CEO thanks Govenor of Oregon for upping the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard

"This is a result of a strong bipartisan effort by members of the Oregon legislature choosing to build a better future for Oregon families."

UK: Superconducting fault current limiters for Birmingham

The city's power grid is now reinforced with Nexans’ sFCLs and will future proof Birmingham’s grid to meet growing energy needs in the city

Denmark: New Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategy for Vestas

As of 1 April 2016, Rasmus Lundsgaard Nielsen will join Vestas as Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategy, M&A and Global Intelligence.

Germany: High tensile fasteners from Dokka Fasteners for Veja Mate

Dokka Fasteners are connecting the monopile and the transition piece with M72 HV fastener sets for the Veja Meta project

A meshed offshore transmission grid connecting offshore wind farms to land could provide significant financial, technical and environmental benefits to the European electricity market.

Germany: Higher gains in market share than any other manufacturer in the market for Senvion

New MAKE market study confirms growth path: Senvion recorded largest increase in market share in Europe

UK: Vattenfall starts development of Norfolk’s largest offshore wind farm

Vattenfall targets 3.6GW in southern North Sea.

EDF Renewable Energy (EDF RE) has closed on the transaction to sell a 50 percent interest in the 250 megawatt (MW) Roosevelt Wind Project and the 49.65 MW Milo Wind Project to a fund managed by BlackRock Infrastructure.

ABB to enable first digital substation in the United Kingdom / Digital substation project will improve efficiency, safety and system visibility in future-oriented power grid / It will help to integrate wind energy

ELA Container at the Offshoredays in Berlin

Hans Gatzemeier talks about Mobile Offshore Accommodation for a fluctuating number of staff

Vestas wins 31 MW order and 20-year service contract with German customer / The order for nine V112-3.45 MW turbines was placed by Windpark Jacobsdorf GmbH & Co. KG for repowering the Odervorland wind power plant in Brandenburg, Germany.

Germany: Senvion stops stock market launch

In a surprise move, Senvion decided not to pursue the IPO which was due on Friday.

Finland: First companies for the construction of Tahkoluoto offshore wind farm announced

Main contractor of marine construction and supplier of undersea cable awarded

New report confirms offshore wind costs falling fast with 12 of 13 cost indicators on or ahead of target / Industry confident of driving costs below £100/MWh on the back of long-term market certainty

The year 2015 was an extraordinarily good one for Van Oord. The company achieved a record revenue of EUR 2.579 billion (2014: EUR 2.104 billion), an increase of 23%, and a record profit of EUR 169 million (2014: EUR 119 million).

India: Spares in Motion heads to Chennai

The Spares in Motion team is pleased to announce that from March on we will locally support our Indian customers locally.

New Wind Power Agreement Enables Iron Mountain to Exchange 30 Percent of North American Electricity Use with Renewable Energy / Long-term agreement will produce enough energy to support the company’s entire mid-Atlantic region, providing rate stability and substantial utility cost savings

Denmark: A2SEA to focus on core business

A considerable number of employees in both A2SEA and CT Offshore are expected to be made redundant.

Neither snow, ice, nor a particularly challenging mast design could stop Windhunter: their experts dismantled a mast in Finland which was originally designed to be installed and dismantled by helicopter.

A new study by the University of Delaware's Special Initiative on Offshore Wind (SIOW) reports that a commitment by Massachusetts to develop offshore wind (OSW) energy at a scale of 2,000 MW, combined with ongoing technology and industry advances, will lower previously projected costs for the clean energy source by as much as 55 percent in the next decade.

Denmark: Interconnections between Denmark/UK and Denmark/Germany planned

Denmark set to make billions from electricity interconnector between the UK and Denmark and new interconnection with Germany

Small Wind World Market: Back on track again / World market for small wind turbines reaches 830 MW, a growth rate of 10,9 %, after 10,4 % in the previous year / FITs in UK and Italy boost markets, under 15kW segment adversely affected

Canada: First and oldest wind farm to be decommissioned

The end of an era: Cowley Ridge is decommissioned

Review of the Wind Energy Conference in Poland - End of an Industry?

Wind Industry in the Crosshairs

Global: Doubling Global Share of Renewable Energy by 2030 Can Save Trillions

Savings would be up to 15 times higher than costs, thanks to avoided expenditures on air pollution and climate change

Denmark: MHI Vestas Offshore intensifies co-operation with port of Esbjerg

MHI Vestas Offshore Wind doubles its presence at the Port of Esbjerg

WSB Neue Energien Group continues its international expansion. The company founded in 1996 with headquarters in Dresden, is now entering the Northern European wind energy market.

UK: Tax cut for oil and gas, tax rises for renewable generators revealed in Budget

Government announce a wave of reforms to the oil and gas sector while slowing renewables deployment and extending damaging industry uncertainty

EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN) has placed an order for nine V105-3.45 MW turbines, confirming the competitiveness of the 3 MW platform in the UK. The order is part of a new Master Supply Agreement (MSA) signed between EDF EN and Vestas.

A new battery storage solution for offshore wind energy will be piloted in the world’s first floating wind farm, the Hywind pilot park off the coast of Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Germany: First positive results for Trianel Windpark Borkum are in

First purely municipal offshore wind in operation for six months

Germany: Long-term assignment for Siem Offshore Contractors

Company awarded with W2W vessel charter contract by Ocean Breeze

GE and Deepwater mark progress on Block Island Wind Farm: Production of the main components of the wind turbines has started / First step for the US to tap potential 4,000 GW of renewable power

Germany: ABO Wind focuses on new countries

Cooperation agreements concluded with Iranian partners / Office space rented in Teheran / New department "International Business Development" assesses potential additional markets

Prysmian 66 kV cable system achieves qualification in Carbon Trust programme / State-of-the-art materials and lighter designs for more sustainable and cost-effective electrical arrays

Germany: Nordex with "good basis for further growth" in 2016

Deal with Acciona Windpower happening in April / Further sales growth to more than EUR 3.4 billion

Against the background of numerous investor inquiries, Senvion S.A. and its shareholders Centerbridge and Arpwood have decided to relaunch a private placement and listing of shares on revised terms.

WWEA releases summary of the 2016 Small Wind World Report / World market for small wind turbines reaches 830 MW, a growth rate of 10,9 %, after 10,4 % in the previous year / FITs in UK and Italy boost markets, under 15kW segment adversely affected

UK: MPI Dulcinea commences contract with Siemens

We are pleased to announce that MPI Dulcinea yesterday commenced a two-year contract with Siemens. The vessel will be working on the Teesside Wind Farm, operating from Hartlepool.

"Digitally enhanced machining solutions" – software solutions and digital technologies for more productive machining centers were the focus of this year's CHIRON Open House from March 9 to 11 in Tuttlingen. Some 1,900 guests from 470 companies, many of them from abroad, set a new record for visitors.

App-based maintenance support system from SKF accelerates and simplifies wind energy inspection activities, while smart online analysis and expert diagnostic capabilities improve performance and reliability.

‘Eyes in the sky’ technology opens the way to rapid, safe and repeatable inspections that will lead to long-term benefits for energy and marine operators seeking high levels of integrity, compliance and commercial advantage.

It is the first company in the world to provide additional wind power capacity in order to maintain the system balance by means of technical restrictions services at transmission lines / This achievement shows the level of development reached by wind power, now able to provide the grid solutions so far restricted to conventional technologies

Germany: Senvion sets final offer price at EUR 15.75 per share

Total offer volume amounts to EUR 294 million / Market capitalization of EUR 1.02 billion / Free-float expected to be approximately 28.75%

UK: VBMS awarded inter-array cabling contract for Walney Extension OWF

VBMS has been awarded a contract by DONG Energy for the installation of 87 inter-array cables for the Walney Extension offshore wind farm (OWF).

Paris climate agreement can only be implemented successfully if based on strong social mobilization / Practitioners and experts underline key role of small and community based investors for Energiewende / WWEA presents 10 elements of a global community power strategy

EHV Cable Systems specialist VolkerInfra (VI) has been announced by GE’s Grid Solutions, a division of GE Energy Connections, as the provider for the substation interconnectors and onshore export cables at the Galloper Offshore Wind Farm.

UK: Funding support for Cyberhawk for commercial wind turbine blade inspection solution

Cyberhawk is set for new heights

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has awarded two grants totalling $3.3 million to enrich the evidence-based understanding of the effects of wind farms on human health.

Netherlands: First American offshore wind farm uses Dutch knowledge and expertise

Ventolines at work for Block Island Wind Farm

They are tracking down origin of bats killed by wind turbines using chemical fingerprints / Study is first step toward understanding how to help bats impacted by wind energy development

New wind farms added more than a quarter of total new power generation capacity in the United States between 2010 and 2014, reaching 75,000 megawatts at the end of last year. No other country with the exception of China has more. But the race is on.

Netherlands: TenneT appointed grid operator in the Netherlands

World first with presentation of standardized design for offshore platform for connecting North Sea wind farms to the onshore grid

EDF Energy Renewables (EDF ER) has signed an agreement with Wind Towers Scotland for the Argyll based company to be able to supply turbine towers for all its onshore wind farm projects in the UK.

US: Rapid growth of wind energy largely benefits rural communities

Wind power pays $222 million a year to rural landowners / 226 gallons of water savings a year for every American made possible by wind energy

US: EDF Renewable Energy Leads U.S. Wind Energy in 2015

Company reports leading market share positions in megawatts developed and put in service, corporate purchaser deals and megawatts under maintenance contracts

Malawi: SgurrEnergy installs four SgurrMetMasts

SgurrEnergy returns to Malawi for wind measurement project

2015 was a record year for the offshore wind industry, doubling the capacity installed globally in 2014. Douglas-Westwood (DW) forecasts fewer additions in 2016 relative to 2015, however, the level of projects entering construction and the diversity of locations expected in 2016 bodes well for a larger global market in the years to come.

Canada: Wind-powered electricity central to Canada’s energy transition

Budget 2016 embraces a low carbon future

Mongolia: Domestic wind and solar resource potentials alone could produce up to 15,000 TWh per year

Mongolia’s Vast Renewable Energy Resources Can Power Sustainable Development

Scotland: Financing of Quixwood Moor Wind Park secured

€57 Million Debt Facility Secured By NTR plc for Quixwood Moor Wind Project

US: More than 90 percent of Apple is powered by renewable energy

Tech companies lead the way into a greener future

UK: Study concludes negative impact on energy sector in case of Brexit

Potential benefits are limited

US: Department of Energy approves largest clean energy infrastructure project in the US

Record of decision clears the way for the Plains % Eastern Clean Line, a cleaner energy future, and thousands of American jobs

Coal and gas-fired generation attracted less than half as much capacity investment as renewables last year; Renewables added more to global energy generation capacity than all other technologies combined

Bachmann Monitoring expands CMS for Offshore WEA

Wind farms Global Tech I and Trianel Borkum are fitted with CMS from Bachmann

Impax Asset Management, the London-based specialist investor, has announced that a fund managed by Impax has agreed and signed the sale of its 107.7MW wind farm portfolio located in Finland, to a fund managed by Allianz Capital Partners, the Allianz investment manager for alternative investments.

Offshore marine and engineering consultancy Aqualis Offshore has been contracted by A2SEA to perform engineering consultancy services for its offshore wind farm installation work at the Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm offshore the UK.

Netherlands: Full Power at Westermeerwind Wind Farm

This weekend Wind Farm Westermeerwind achieved an important milestone.

The Solution for Tight Spaces: New POSITAPE® Tape Extension Sensors with Integrated Pulley

ASM has enlarged its POSITAPE® tape extension sensor product line with an important feature.

Vestas wins large-scale customised service order: The 600 MW firm and unconditional service contract is a customised and flexible solution covering all Vestas wind turbines installed for long-term customer Hanas Group.

The European Investment Bank has agreed to provide GBP 500 million to support a major reinforcement of the electricity transmission network in the north of Scotland to improve connections between wind, wave and tidal renewable energy schemes and the national power network.

US: More than 2.5 Million Americans work in clean energy business

Strong federal, state clean energy policies could create even more jobs

Swiss company ABB wins order of more than $250 million to connect the world’s largest offshore wind farm to UK grid / High-voltage cable system to enable renewable energy supply from Hornsea Project One Offshore Wind Farm to around one million households

Schuldschein (promissory note) of EUR 550 million placed with terms of three to ten years / Proceeds primarily to be used to finance the acquisition of Acciona Windpower / Certification as a “green” financial instrument allowing ESG investors to subscribe

Brasil: Call for Papers for Brazil Windpower 2016 is now open

Submission Deadline: 31st May, 2016

Fragmentation and a largely singular market focus prevent Chinese turbine OEMs from moving further up the 2015 rankings despite a record year of growth in China.

Germany: WKN appoints new Chief Financial Officer

As of 1 April 2016, Gabriel J. Meurer will assume the position of Chief Financial Officer / The company’s previous CFO, Dr Jürgen Dambrowski, is to leave the company