Wind Towers snaps up Skykon plant

The beleaguered Skykon tower manufacturing facility at Machrihanish, Campbeltown, which is currently trading in administration, may soon be under the control of a joint venture between Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and Marsh Wind Technology, a specialist in building integrated supply chains and the UK subsidiary of Marsh Global Holdings.

The joint venture, named Wind Towers, has submitted a bid for Skykon, and expects to complete the acquisition of the plant over the next few weeks. SSE shared that the JV has been granted ‘preferred bidder status’ from the administrators and will now set in train a process of due diligence prior to finalising all of the arrangements. Further details will be provided on completion of the bid.

Ian Marchant, chief executive of SSE, said that the development of a sustainable supply chain is a key priority for renewable energy developers such as SSE. According to the two companies, the Skykon plant will play an important role in building the supply chain base for the growing wind energy sector.

SSE has been busy over the last 12 months. In addition to the pending acquisition of the Skykon plant, the company formed an alliance of companies, including Siemens, to collaborate on its offshore wind programme in February, with the aim of securing substantial reductions in the cost of delivered power; it negotiated a strategic agreement last July between SSE and Mitsubishi to co-operate on low carbon energy developments; and in April 2010, SSE acquired a 15% stake in Burntisland Fabrications Ltd, the offshore energy structure fabricator.

Siemens launches new gearless wind turbine

Siemens Energy has launched a new direct drive gearless wind turbine for low to moderate wind speeds.The German energy giant unveiled its latest SWT-2.3-113 today at the EWEA 2011 wind power exhibition and conference in Brussels.

The core feature of the new 2.3MW wind turbine is an innovative drive concept with a compact permanent magnet generator. This type of generator requires no excitation power, slip rings or excitation control systems, enabling high efficiency even at low loads.

A prototype of the SWT-2.3-113, which is fitted with the new Siemens B55 Quantum Blades, was installed in the Netherlands earlier this month.  The new B55 Quantum Blade used for the wind turbine is 55 meters long and features a redesigned tip and root section.

The root section uses Siemens “flatback“ profiles to minimize root leakage and provide greater lift. The blade tip has also been redesigned to minimize loads and reduce noise levels. With a noise level of only 105 decibels (dB) the SWT-2.3-113 is one of the quietest wind turbines on the market.

“The first prototypes of our SWT-3.0-101 have been running for more than a year and fulfilling all expectations in terms of reliability and performance,” said Henrik Stiesdal, CTO of the Siemens Wind Power Business Unit. “With its proven lightweight design it’s a secure and profitable investment. Because gearless technology is low-maintenance, it maximizes our customers’ returns,” he added.

The SWT-2.3-113 is the second gearless wind turbine launched by Siemens. Like the SWT-3.0-101, the 3-MW direct drive wind turbine launched by Siemens in April 2010, the new SWT-2.3-113 features only half of the parts required for a conventional geared wind turbine and a significantly smaller number of moving parts.

Further projects with Siemens direct drive wind turbines are planned in the U.S., Denmark and Germany. In addition to these two new wind turbines with ratings of 3 MW and 2.3 MW, further turbines are already at the planning stage. “This year we’ll launch our 6-MW direct drive wind turbine, which will be particularly suitable for large offshore wind power plants,” Stiesdal stated.

AC Wind plans new  Maryland blade facility

It has been widely reported that Maryland’s first wind turbine blade manufacturing facility could be up and running within two years. 

AC Wind plans to spend upward of US$10 million retrofitting a former US Marine boat plant to begin molding fiberglass wind turbine blades, company executives told the Associated Press. The company has chosen Salisbury as the location for its venture.

“We’re not representing research and development, we’re going to be true manufacturing, creating hundreds of jobs, and made in the state of Maryland,” reportedly said John Congedo, president of AC Wind.

As far as initiatives in Maryland are concerned, Governor Martin O’Malley recently appeared before the House of Delegates’ Economic Matters Committee to testify in support of the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2011.

The Bill will require that public utilities leverage Maryland’s offshore wind resources by entering into long-term purchase agreements with wind power generation facilities off of the Mid-Atlantic coast.

The Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2011 requires development of 400- 600 MW of offshore wind capacity, approximately 10 nautical miles off of Maryland’s coast. This would require the installation of between 80 and 200 wind turbines, depending on project scope and turbine capacity. The bill seeks to diversify the terms by which energy is purchased in Maryland by requiring long-term power-purchase agreements with offshore wind generation facilities.

EWEA: Long-term emissions reduction targets needed

The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) has emphasised that the road to a low carbon economy in 2050 must begin with an immediate increase in the EU’s emissions reduction target.

The Association has stressed that moving now to 30% domestic emissions reductions by 2020 (instead of today's 20% target), together with targets for 2030 is necessary to achieve the long-term goals set out in the 2050 roadmap. EWEA believes that the existing target is too low to meet the 2050 roadmap goals of limiting the global temperature rise to 2°Celsius and reducing domestic emissions by 80% by 2050. 

EWEA has urged the European Commission to follow up the Roadmap with specific proposals for EU energy policy post 2020.

The main pillars of the EU’s energy and climate policies - emissions reductions, renewable energy and energy efficiency targets of 20% - all run out in 2020, pointed out Christian Kjaer. He added that post 2020 policies must be put in place without delay. “Without an immediate increase in the 2020 emissions reduction target, the EU is making it much more difficult to achieve its 2050 aims,” he said.

EWEA agrees that the Roadmap’s proposal for a 93-99% cut in CO2 emissions in the power sector by 2050 is essential to achieve the 80% reduction in Europe’ overall greenhouse gas emissions. But as yet the Commission, according to Kjaer, has failed to define what a low carbon energy technology actually is.

Obama urged to support US offshore wind

A group of 122 environmentalists, conservationists, and clean energy advocates have urged President Barack Obama to support the swift development of offshore wind along the Atlantic Seaboard while still ensuring strong environmental safeguards.

In a letter written to President Obama, the group wrote: “For the sake of our environment and the hope of building a truly clean energy economy in America, we must see numerous wind farms spinning off our shores within the next few years – and we need your help to make that vision a reality.”

The group has specifically has asked for clear goals to be set; coordination between federal and state officials to speed offshore wind development; rigourous environmental standards and planning strategies for offshore wind; and continued federal financial support.

The letter and signatories can be viewed here.

First London Array foundation installed

The first of 177 foundations has been installed at the London Array Offshore Wind Farm, in the Thames Estuary.

London Array is being built around 20km off the coasts of Kent and Essex. The project consortium partners have the following shareholdings: Danish energy group Dong Energy owns 50%, E.ON has 30% and Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, Masdar, has a 20% stake.  

The monopile, weighing 268 tonnes was supplied and installed by joint-venture company Per Arsleff Bilfinger Berger Ingeniurbeu, using A2SEA’s jack-up barge, Seaworker. The transition piece was then lifted into place, completing the project’s first full foundation installation.

Each foundation consists of a tubular steel monopile, driven 20-50 metres into the seabed, and a large yellow transition piece, which is fixed over the top of the monopile to provide the base for the wind turbine. The monopiles are between 33-65 metres long and weigh between 200 to 650 tonnes, while the transition pieces are between 20-28 metres high and weigh between 245-345 tonnes.

The piles were lifted off the deck of the vessel using a 60-metre crane and driven into the seabed with a 225-tonne anvil and hydraulic ram.

In the summer, the Seaworker will have been joined by the MPI Adventure, a new self-propelled jack-up vessel. Over the next nine months both vessels will continue to install the remaining 176 foundations in preparation for the installation of the two offshore substations in the summer and the start of installation of the 175 wind turbines towards the end of the year.

The wind farm will be installed on a 245km2 site and will be built in two phases. Phase One will cover 90km2 and include 175 turbines with a combined capacity of 630MW. The consortium plans to complete the first phase by the end of 2012.

Northern Ireland’s coast gears up for offshore wind

The UK’s Crown Estate has confirmed the next steps in the development of marine renewable energy in Northern Ireland waters.

Energy Minister Arlene Foster and Junior Minister Robin Newton welcomed The Crown Estate launch of the Northern Ireland Offshore Leasing Round. Discussions with potential developers on the opportunity of offshore wind and tidal energy in Northern Ireland waters will take place from 1 April.

The Crown Estate is seeking views from prospective developers about areas that are most attractive for development and how they would wish to see development rights provided by The Crown Estate. This will help shape offshore wind and tidal Leasing Rounds in September 2011, with the potential for development rights to be awarded as soon as Spring 2012.

 “The Strategic Environment Assessment of our offshore plan has shown there is strong potential for offshore wind and tidal stream projects, potentially up to 1.2GW. This would bring significant economic benefits to Northern Ireland as well as help meet our 40% target for renewable electricity by 2020,” said Newton.

Wind sector boosts German economy

Germany Trade & Invest, the foreign trade and inward investment agency of the Federal Republic of Germany, has highlighted that Germany’s wind industry supply chain is the most extensive worldwide.

With an export ratio of 75%, Germany supplies growing wind markets in Europe, Asia, and America. Germany’s foothold in this industry is attracting international investors, according to the Agency.

“Wind energy manufacturers and suppliers from all over the world look to Germany. The network of expertise here covers the entire industry spectrum, from R&D to installations and repairs,” said Anne Bräutigam, manager for the wind energy sector at Germany Trade & Invest.

In order to assert the supremacy of Germany in Europe, the Agency mentioned that with cumulative installations of 27,214 MW in December, no other European country produces more energy from wind. New installations in Germany totaled 1,551 MW in 2010, of which the largest share went to new onshore capacity.

Offshore installations and re-powering are expected to account for a growing share of the future market. In the offshore segment, wind parks Alpha Ventus and EnBW Baltic 1 are standing and new projects are underway.