This week's news round up includes the following companies: Scottish Renewables; Ex IM & Clipper Wind; REpower & Heritage Sustainable Energy; REpower, EDF & RES Canada; enXco; Nordex; RePpower, Alpha Ventus, EWE, E.ON, and Vattenfall; and Mainstream Renewable Power.

30bn required for North Sea wind

Scottish Renewables estimates that £30 billion (€33bn; $US50bn) is needed if a further 12GW of capacity is to be brought on online in the North Sea.Scotland currently hosts to two offshore wind farms, with a minimum of 13 offshore pipeline projects scheduled to be built in Scottish waters.

New offshore wind farms are earmarked for seven locations off the East Coast of Scotland, with projects proposed near the Moray Firth and the Firth of Forth as well as in Aberdeen Bay.

The existing North Sea oil and gas sector is set to benefit from the raft of new wind projects, which will produce enough green energy to cut roughly a third of Scotland’s total carbon emissions.

Scottish Renewables is calling for targeted investment in order to support infrastructure, facilities and grid, and a clear, timely and proportionate licensing framework.

Wind energy test facility wins DoE grant

The Clemson University Restoration Institute and its partners have secured a US$45 million (€30mn; £27mn) grant from the US Department of Energy, which it will match with $53 million (€35mn; £32mn), to build and operate a large-scale wind turbine drive train testing facility.

The facility will enable the US to expand development and testing of large-scale wind turbine drive-train systems domestically. It will feature power analysis equipment capable of performing highly accelerated life-testing of land-based and offshore wind turbine drive systems rated at 5-15 megawatts (MW).

Planning and construction of the facility will begin in the first quarter of 2010 with a targeted operational date in the third quarter of 2012.

The facility is to be located at the Charleston Naval Complex, a former Navy base in North Charleston, S.C. and will be a part of the Clemson University Restoration Institute campus.

Ex-Im Bank approves financing for Clipper wind turbines

The Export-Import Bank of the United States has approved a US$80.66 million (€53.5mn; £49mn) project-finance loan for wind energy technology company Clipper.

The transaction, which provides funding for 67.5 MW of Clipper Liberty 2.5 MW wind turbines, marks Ex-Im Bank’s inaugural round of project financing for wind power.

A total of 27 Liberty wind turbines will be installed at the project site in La Ventosa, within the Istmo region in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico. The project owner is Electrica del Valle de Mexico, a subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles.

The company claims that its patented 2.5 MW Liberty Wind Turbine moves beyond current wind technology reliability constraints to address the drivers of traditional unscheduled maintenance expense.

REpower lands biggest deal in company’s history

REpower has signed its largest onshore contract in history, with EDF Energies Nouvelles and RES Canada.

The deal, which will deliver of up to 954 MW for five projects in the Canadian province of Québec, is REpower’s largest onshore contract yet, according to REpower CEO Per Hornung Pedersen. The contract guarantees a minimum purchase capacity of 748 MW.

Saint-Laurent Énergies, a Montreal-based wind energy company jointly owned by EEN Canada, RES Canada and Hydroméga Services, is leading the project.

At least 60 percent of the total investment will be made in Québec, with 30 percent earmarked for the local manufacturing of components such as rotor blades, towers and electrical converters.

Last year, Saint-Laurent Énergies, with REpower as its turbine supplier, was awarded the contract tendered by Hydro-Québec Distribution for five wind farm projects across Québec, consisting of up to 477 REpower MM82/92 wind turbines to be installed between 2011 and 2015.

REpower is also responsible for commissioning the turbines.

enXco completes 106 MW Hoosier Wind Project

enXco has completed its 106 MW Hoosier Wind Project, which will deliver carbon-free electricity into Indianapolis Power & Light Company’s (IPL) generation portfolio.

IPL signed a 20-year power purchase agreement in April last year with construction commencing in April this year, bringing enXco's gross installed wind energy capacity to 965.4 MW.

The project comprises 53 REpower turbines each with a rated capacity of 2 MW. enXco will also provide operations and maintenance services.

Nordex’s sales climb in first nine months

Nordex posted a 4 percent rise in sales to €814 million (US$473mn; £285mn) in the first nine months of this year. Gross profit climbed by 12 percent to €179 million (US$269mn; £163mn).

Europe continued to account for the bulk of the group’s businesses contributing a total of 76 percent to consolidated sales.

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) contracted to €21.9 million (US$33mn; £20mn), compared to €37.3 (US$56.2mn; £34mn) for the same period last year, due to higher structure costs. The staff cost ratio widened to 9.8 percent from previous year’s 7.3 percent. Nordex continued to spend on extending and modernising its production facilities.

Order receipts remained modest in the course of 2009, rising by €199 million (US$300mn; £181mn) in the third quarter to a total of €638.3 million (US$961mn; £580mn).

For the next financial year, the company expects top-line growth in the “single digits or low teens” accompanied by a sustained improvement in profitability.

Massachusetts signs new legislation

Massachusetts has streamlined support for the Commonwealth’s green economy by making a single agency responsible for fostering the development and installation of clean energy technologies.

The development emerged as Massachusetts’ governor Deval Patrick last week signed legislation that transfers the state’s Renewable Energy Trust to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Centre (CEC). This legislation merges the work of two quasi-public state entities with complementary missions, consolidating staff and resources. 

The CEC is responsible, in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, for the development of the Wind Technology Testing Centre. This centre is charged with advancing the Massachusetts green economy through support for research and development, entrepreneurship, and workforce training, funded in part by a portion of annual Renewable Energy Trust revenues.

Alpha ventus to come online before the New Year

REpower has erected the last of a total of six REpower 5M wind turbines for the alpha ventus offshore test field.

Alpha ventus is located 45 kilometers north of the island of Borkum and was built by a consortium of companies including EWE, E.ON, and Vattenfall.

Under favourable conditions, the company is confident that the first REpower turbines of this offshore wind farm will be supplying power to the grid before the end of this year.

Each of the six turbines can supply the electricity grid with around 18 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of power per year thereby powering 50,000 homes annually.

Mainstream Renewable Power to expand its business in Chile

Mainstream Renewable Power is reportedly planning to invest US$1.6 billion (€1bn; £970mn) in coming years to extend its Chilean wind farm operations.

According to a report filed by The Santiago Times, the company is currently exploring the feasibility of building nine new wind farms across the country.

The possible farms would be sited throughout Chile between Region II (Antofagasta) and Region IX (Aruacania) and would generate up 600 MW of electricity.

The report noted that implementation of the plans under consideration is dependent on the outcome of next month’s Presidential election.

Late last year, Mainstream Renewable Power had signed a US$1 billion (€664mn; £600mn) joint venture deal with its local partner, Andes Energy, for the development of an initial pipeline of 400MW of wind energy in Chile.

REpower to supply to Heritage Sustainable Energy

REpower USA has signed a contract with US project developer, Heritage Sustainable Energy.

The deal will secure the supply of nine 2 MW-class MM92 wind turbines with a total output of 18.45 MW from REpower for the Stoney Corners II wind farm project near the city of McBain, Michigan.

Turbines, which are schedules for installation by the third quarter of 2010, will boast a hub height of 100 metres. The contract also provides an option for delivery of a further 10 REpower MM92 turbines by September 2010.

Stoney Corners II is the second contract to be signed this year between the two firms. The first contract for seven REpower MM92 turbines for the Stoney Corners I project, each with an output of 2MW and a hub height of 80 metres, was signed in March of this year.