News Archive December 2018

The first offshore wind farm on the south coast of the UK has been officially inaugurated. The wind farm consits of 116 turbines and will provide 1,400 gigawatt hours of green power each year, equal to the amount used per year by about 350,000 UK homes.

European Joy for Siemens Gamesa

The turbine manufacturer SGRE has secured contracts for the supply of wind turbines in Sweden, Norway, Germany and Turkey.

Large Wind Cluster in Sweden to Be Equipped with Nordex DELTA4000 Technology

German turbine manufacturer Nordex has received its largest ever turnkey order with 475 MW in Sweden

The new plan, announced for the start of the COP24 in Katowice, significantly boosts support for adaptation and resilience, recognizing mounting climate change impacts on lives and livelihoods, especially in the world’s poorest countries.

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel will not attend the 24th World Climate Conference in Katowice (Poland). Instead, the German delegates under Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze and Federal Development Minister Dr. Gerd Müller have annouced to double the contribution to the Green Climate Fund.

The financial think tank has carried out the first global analysis of the profitability of coal power stations which shows that it makes economic sense to close plants in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.

Siemens Gamesa received the order for two offshore wind farms in Belgium: The SeaMade Project consists of the wind farms previously known as Mermaid (235 MW) and Seastar (252 MW)

Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) have announced a joint framework for aligning their activities with the goals of the Paris Agreement to reinforce their commitment to combat climate change.

PNE Group Continues Scale Up Strategy

The PNE Group acquires MEB Safety Services to expand their range of services

Report: How to Make the Western Balkans More Sustainable

Among the 10 most polluting coal power plants in Europe, seven are in the Western Balkans, making the inhabitants suffer from high levels of air pollution

Wet Feet for Trianel Offshore Wind Farm Borkum II

All 32 foundations for the German Trianel Offshore Wind Farm Borkum II have been installed in the North Sea. This clears the way for the next construction phase.

Global Data's newest report deals with the slow development of Australia's renewable energes. The country needs to decommission their coal-fired power plants first in order to push renewables.

International Success for ABO Wind

The German company has just sold project rights for wind farms in Spain and Argentina and won a solar tender in Greece

Nordex Celebrates Another Swedish Contract

Only two days after the company has annouced the contract for the Nysäter Wind Cluster, German turbine manufacturer celebrates another success in Sweden.

WFW Advises Banks on Project Financing of Swedish Thor Wind Farm

The Watson Farley & Williams Hamburg Banking & Finance team advised the HSH Nordbank and Rabobank on the domestic law aspects of the transaction.

New Wind Wildlife Research Fund for the U.S.

More than two dozen wind industry companies in the U.S. have signed up to back a new wildlife research fund to come up with innovative solutions related to wind and wildlife.

GWS Enters Installation Team for Trianel Windpark Borkum II

Jan De Nul Group has awarded Global Wind Service (GWS) with the installation and completion scope for the offshore wind farm Trianel Windpark Borkum Phase II in Germany.

Xcel Energy has announced plans to reduce its carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2030. The announcement also includes a goal of zero carbon emissions across the company's footprint by 2050.

Update for Bladt's Order Book

Bladt Industries adds another 24 transition pieces for Borssele 1&2 offshore windfarm project to their order books.

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has inaugurated its new centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. This centre is one of the three major R&D hubs for SGRE globally, with the other centres located in Spain and Denmark.

Greece Stays True to its Roots

Greece still loves to stick to its roots. Vestas, pioneering the Greece market in 1986, has won the order to supply 106 MW for various wind farms.

At this year’s SPS IPC Drives, Moog launched also its new MSC III controller, a multi-purpose industrial motion controller for hydraulic, electric and motion control systems, and analog or digital interfaced motion control applications.

ALE Designs New Transport Solution for Transition Pieces

ALE Heavylift aims to bring down the costs for offshore wind energy by designing a new transport solution for ports to handle heavy offshore components

U.S. President Donald Trump has already made various attempts during his term of office to save the American coal industry from insignificance - but without success. Most recently, he said the government was considering subsidizing coal-fired power plants in the name of national security. Resistance, however, comes from the U.S. military.

Swiss Farm Runs with ANTARIS Turbine

BRAUN Windturbinen GmbH has installed another small wind turbine in Switzerland

Weaver Wind Farm: Partnership Announced

Fengate and Longroad Energy Partners have announced their partnership to co-develop and finance the Maine wind project

The Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD is slated to run a new underwater laboratory in the Baltic Sea for researching and developing underwater technology for an array of undersea scenarios.

Siemens to Build Largest Offshore Grid Connection System in the UK to Date

Siemens has been awarded the order to connect the Moray East Offshore Wind Farm to the grid

100 Turbines from MHI Vestas for Moray East

MHI Vestas will install 100 V164-9.5 MW turbines for the 950 MW project in Scotland’s Moray Firth, marking the order as the largest MW project to date in the company’s history

Ireland's Love for Wind Energy Grows

A new poll from the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) shows more than 80% of the Irish inhabitants love wind energy - and the number continues to grow.

Senegal Constructs West Africa’s First Utility Scale Wind Farm

Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye celebrates groundbreaking ceremony

Vestas has been awarded a contract by renewable energy projects developer Andali Energia S.r.l. to supply and install 10 V136-3.6 MW turbines for the 36 MW Andali wind farm located in the Calabria Region in Italy.

Lincoln Gap, Part 2: Senvion Gets Firm Order for Australian Wind Farm

In a follow-up order, Senvion will provide the Lincoln Gap Wind Farm in Australia with wind turbines.

Australia’s Stockyard Hill Wind Farm Gets Complete Collector Cable Service

Nexans and Marais Laying Technologies Australia unite their forces for this 12 million euros job.

Green Lights for the Vientos Patagónicos Wind Farm in Southern Chile

Spanish company Elecnor will install the 10 MW Vientos Patagónicos wind farm

Most countries are missing the political will to change something / Only a few countries have started to implement strategies to limit global warming well below 2 or even 1.5°C yet / Time is running out

Only a few weeks after the takeover of Overdick, Tractebel acquires a stake in Deutsche Offshore Consult through its subsidiary Lahmeyer International and further expands its expertise in the offshore wind sector.

Three innovative 20 meter long rotor blades from the SmartBlades2 project will be assessed under natural weather and wind conditions in Boulder, Colorado (USA), over the next four months.

More Money for Rovco Reaserch

ROV and hydrographic survey company, Rovco, has been awarded further funding to develop the next stage of its integrated live 3D vision and artificial intelligence (AI) survey technology.

Siemens Gamesa has signed its first contract to supply 60 units of its SG 4.5-145 wind turbines with a flexible power rating of 4.2 MW to Enel Green Power’s Parque Amistad III and IV wind farms in Coahuila, Mexico.

10-Year Outlook: More than 680GW of New Wind Power Will Go Live

According to new research by Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables, especially the offshore wind industry will contribute to these numbers

Eneco Will Purchase All Power Generated by SeaMade

Dutch utility Eneco has announced to buy all the power generated by Belgian offshore wind farms Seastar and Mermaid (= SeaMade), once construction has finished

Success for Senvion's 3.XM series in European core markets

The turbine manufacturer has signed various orders in Europe in the fourth quarter

Kick off for Construction in Mexico

The Enel Group has started construction of the 244 MW Dolores Wind Farm in Mexico. The wind farm is located in China and marks the first project in the state of Nuevo León.

National Ocean Industries Association Calls for Offshore Wind for Territories Act in the U.S.

U.S. territories need the Offshore Wind for Territories Act

Busy Times at Hornsea One

Hornsea One which will be the biggest offshore wind farm in the world celebrates a major construction milestone as th longest ever AC offshore wind export cable system is now installed.

Report: How Will Europe's Electricity Market Look Like in 2030 and Beyond?

A new report by CERRE analyses the design of the European electricity market depending on the level of renewable energy in the upcoming years.

Windy November Shattering Records in Scotland

The November wind output has broken all records in Scotland: On 20 out of 30 days the wind production outstripped total demand.

Seaway Offshore Cables (SOC) Wins First U.S. Offshore Wind Project

SOC, in combination with Subsea 7, has been awarded the turnkey cable supply and cable installation contract for Dominion Energy.

Swelling Order Books for Vestas

Danish turbine manufacturer Vestas has received new orders from Jordan and India

Study Shows Feasibility of European Energy Transition to 100% Renewables

100% Renewable Energy across Europe is more cost effective than the current energy system

Senvion Gets New CEO

Yves Rannou takes over Manav Sharma as CEO on 1st January 2019

Mercedes-Benz Cars and Statkraft Sign PPA for CO2-Neutral Production

Mercedes-Benz Cars want to source electricity from German wind farms, whose subsidies expire after 2020 so they will live on

EIB Invests EUR 3.8 billion to Fight Climate Change

EIB approves EUR 3.8 billion of financing for transport, energy, business and water supply

SeaTwirls Joins OESA Alliance

The innovative turbine manufacturer from Sweden has joined the Ocean Energy Scale-Up Alliance (OESA) that has been granted funding from the Interreg North Sea Region.

Enel Green Power Starts Operation of Its First Wind Farm in Illinois

The 185 MW HillTopper wind farm will sell its power to Bloomberg LP, General Motors and Constellation, an Exelon company

Shell, Siemens and TenneT want to push ahead with the development of hydrogen production in Germany and are proposing additional tenders for offshore wind capacities linked to hydrogen production as a measure.

High level political negotiations are ongoing at COP24 in Katowice, with countries struggling to reach agreement on the key elements of the Paris Agreement like the so-called ‘rulebook’ and the level of ambition to be deployed by EU Member States in the effort to combat climate change.

GE's New Technology Improves Management of Grid Reliability and Increases Efficiency

Stedin and GE implement the Transmission Forecast (T-Forecast) software from GE’s Grid Solutions for the first time in Europe.

Russia's First Steps into Wind Energy

A wind of change is blowing in Russia. The country starts to make its first steps into the wind industry with the help of some well-known companies.

Danish offshore developer publishes principles that underpin their efforts to protect the natural environment in the areas where they develop, construct and operate offshore wind farms.

Enel Green Power Steps Out of Uruguay Market

EGP closed the sale of a 50 MW wind farm to Atlantica Yield of Enel Green Power Uruguay S.A., 100% owner of the Melowind plant

Acciona to Equip its Ninth Wind Farm in the U.S.

The company has invested €176 million to build the Palmas Altas Wind Farm in Texas.

Even though the U.S. have only just started operating one offshore wind farm, a real hype has developed over the last few months about energy generation out at sea. Now, for the eighth time, areas have been auctioned off on which wind farms are soon to be built.

UK Installs Record-Breaking Amount of Offshore Wind Energy in 2018

Eight new offshore wind farms with a capacity of more than 2 GW went online in the UK

Wales Need to Harvest Offshore Wind to Meet Renewables Target

A new report by the Carbon Trust outlines offshore wind opportunities in Wales

enercity Chooses Vestas Turbines for Expansion of German Wind Farm

The Danish wind turbine manufacturer will supply ten V117-3.3 MW turbines for the Klettwitz III B.A. 2.2 project.

Follow-Up Order for Nordex in Argentina

Nordex receives another order from its customer AES Generación S.A.

Second Greek Renewables Auction Brings New Lows

The average price level is even lower than in the last French and German onshore auctions.

The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) commends the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) and the Government of Alberta for its continuing success in attracting some of the lowest prices ever seen for wind energy generation in Canada.

World’s First Global Offshore Wind Organization Launches

The World Forum Offshore Wind (WFO) wants to promote offshore wind energy worldwide while representing the entire offshore wind value chain

ACCIONA Launches GREENCHAIN Project

ACCIONA wants to extend its blockchain traceability

GWU-Umwelttechnik GmbH now with Strengthened Partner Leosphere

In October 2018 the acquisition of the France based worldwide leading manufacturer of Doppler LiDAR systems Leosphere by VAISALA has been announced.

MHI Vestas Trusts ESVAGT With SOV Contract

The two companies have been working together since 2008 and now entered into another contract for the construction of a SOV to be put into work at the Moray East Offshore Wind Farm.

EDPR Is One of the Winners of the Greek Auction

EDP Renováveis from Portugal is awarded a long-term CfD of wind at the latest energy auction in Greece

Ramboll Acquires U.S. Engineering and Design Consultancy OBG

The company adds 900 experts within water, energy, environment and advanced manufacturing to their own work force

Villinger R&D IPS (Ice Protection Systems) Goes CHINA

Villinger R&D from Austria with its long-term experience in Ice Protection Systems for Wind Turbines as well as for Aviation has a new cooperation partner since November 2018.

The energy transition will only work in the long term if there are sufficient storage facilities to be able to buffer the sometimes unsteady production of electricity from renewable energies. Two projects are now attracting attention.

Windfair Wishes You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We would like to thank our members and business partners for the good cooperation and look forward to further joint projects in 2019.

RISP© / Wind Turbine Ice Fall Protection by VILLINGER r&d Austria

We are happy to announce RISP© - a game changer in ice protection for wind turbines.

Senvion Signs Service Contract for Nordsee Ost Offshore Wind Farm

innogy has awarded a new contract to Senvion for service works at the German offshore wind farm

Season Greetings from BRAUN Windturbinen

The latest Antaris 5.5 kW has been installed just in time for Christmas in Hungary

Kenyan Wind Farm Kipeto Gets the Green Light

The 100 MW wind farm has reached financial close and will be the country's second largest wind farm once operational

Deutsche Windtechnik: Multi-Brand Expertise Becomes More and More Popular

Germany's Deutsche Windtechnik is gaining wider recognition with operators as well as investors, because their experts are able to work with many brands.

• In 2019 a new assembly line for wind turbines will be set up in Córdoba • A key step for providing share of local value added in this growth market • Investment to create new jobs in the region

The Taller the Better: New 202 MW order for Vestas featuring tallest turbines in US

Vestas has received an order for 56 V136-3.45 MW turbines delivered in 3.6 MW Power Optimised Mode for an undisclosed wind project in the U.S.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJ BPU) has rejected the Nautilus Offshore Wind Project, formerly known as the Fishermen’s Energy Atlantic City Windfarm in the U.S.

Vestas Received a 151 MW Order for the Folha Larga Wind Farm in Brazil

Casa dos Ventos places a firm and unconditional order for 151 MW of V150-4.2 MW turbines in Brazil

Vineyard Wind Gets the Paper Work Done

The U.S. offshore wind developer has submitted the final environmental impact report to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

fos4X Wants to Extend Turbine Life

In Germany, many turbines reach the end of their life span in the coming years. What is the best way to proceed? Munich-based company fos4X has an idea...

PNE Group Sells Barwice Wind Farm Project in Poland

The 42 MW Barwice project in the province of West Pomerania in north-western Poland has been sold to the investor Wirtgen Invest Energy GmbH.

- Repeat order from Mainstream comprises largest order for newly launched 4.2M platform - Represents one of biggest ever Chilean wind turbine contracts