Denmark Launches Massive Offshore Wind Auction
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Denmark has opened a new offshore wind tender, the country’s largest ever, offering a minimum of 6 GW of new capacity spread over six wind farms, with the overplanting option allowing for 10 GW or more of new capacity to be added.
These are two paragraphs from the article.
The offshore wind farms must deliver at least 6 GW, and as a new element, there will be freedom to establish as much offshore wind as possible on the tendered areas, with the exemption of Hesselø with a maximum capacity of 1.2 GW.
If the market utilizes this freedom to optimize the usage of the areas, it could result in the construction of 10 GW offshore wind or more, the agency said.
Recently, some wind farms in the UK have been increased in size after the auction.
In Crown Estate Mulls Adding 4 GW Of Capacity From Existing Offshore Wind Projects, I note how 4 GW of overplanting could be employed to raise the total capacity from 4.6 GW to 8.6 GW.
So have the Danes decided to build expansion into the tender?
One of the wind farms in the auction is called Nordsøen I.
- It will be about 50 km. from the West Coast of Denmark.
- It appears it will have a capacity of at least 1 GW.
- It could connect to the shore, not far from where the Viking Link between Lincolnshire and Denmark connects to the Danish grid.
- There is a 700 MW interconnector between the area and Eemshaven in The Netherlands.
- There is 1.5 GW of overland transmission lines to Germany.
All these connections, increase energy security for Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.
Could the Danes be building the Nordsøen I, so it could work with the all the connections in Southern Jutland and improve energy security?
New National Grid Substation Fully Operational, Transmitting Clean Power To 1.5 Million Homes
he title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from National Grid.
These three bullet points act as sub-headings.
- National Grid’s new Littlebrook 400kV substation in Dartford, Kent is now fully energised.
- The facility enables the transmission of 2GW of low carbon and renewable energy from interconnectors and offshore wind farms off the coast of Kent to power around 1.5 million homes.
- New technology deployed to reduce emissions at the site.
This is the first three paragraphs, which outline the project.
National Grid has successfully commissioned a new, state-of-the-art substation, in Dartford, Kent, enabling 2 gigawatts (GW) of low carbon and renewable energy to power around 1.5 million homes.
National Grid and its contractors Balfour Beatty and GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions have been working since June 2019 to build a replacement for Littlebrook 400kV substation.
The new facility will help to reduce the use of sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆), a gas commonly used in the electrical industry to prevent short circuits and to keep the network safe and reliable.
These two paragraphs explain how the new substation fits in with National Grid’s SF₆ policy.
Engineers are using GE Vernova Grid Solutions’ innovative g3 gas-insulated busbar equipment which is SF6- free. A total of 5.6 tonnes of SF₆ gas has been saved, forming part of National Grid’s ambition to reduce its SF₆ emissions by 50% by 2030 and removing all SF₆ gas from electrical assets by 2050.
Teams have also deployed net zero construction methods throughout the project to reduce the environmental impact of the works, including steel manufactured in Britain, solar powered electrics, electric vehicle charging points, biodiversity net gain plan for the local area and an onsite biodigester to manage wastewater, all saving 5229 tonnes of CO₂ emissions during construction.
National Grid have this page on their web site, which is entitled What Is SF6? Sulphur Hexafluoride Explained, where this is the first paragraph.
Sulphur hexafluoride – also known as SF6 – is a ‘greenhouse gas’ that has long played a part in global warming, similar to that of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Hence the need for its removal.
Conclusion
Removal of sulphur hexafluoride from the world’s electricity substations and switchgear will be a very large task.
BW Ideol And Holcim To Explore Use of Low-Carbon Concrete In Floating Offshore Wind
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
BW Ideol and Holcim have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a feasibility study on supplying beneficial low-carbon concrete for the floating offshore wind industry, with particular reference to Scotland.
These are the first three paragraphs.
BW Ideol and Holcim aim to collaborate on optimising the supply of the innovative concrete needed for the intended mass production of BW Ideol’s floaters in the Port of Ardersier.
Low-carbon concrete’s advantages as a building material for offshore wind farms include its durability in marine environments, its local availability and its comparatively lower carbon emissions, the companies said.
The collaboration includes developing specific durable maritime low-carbon concrete mixes with enhanced mechanical performance perfectly suited to slipform application.
This is surely a good development.
Europe’s First Commercial-Scale Floating Offshore Wind Farm Secures All Planning Approvals
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Flotation Energy and Vårgrønn, a joint venture between Plenitude (Eni) and HitecVision, have obtained the offshore planning approval for the Green Volt floating wind farm offshore Scotland.
This is the first paragraph.
With onshore consent announced earlier this month, Green Volt has now received all its planning approvals and remains on track to be the first commercial-scale floating offshore wind farm in Europe.
Note.
- This is the Green Volt web site.
- Capacity will be between 300 and 560 MW.
- It should be fully operational by 2029.
- It is an INTOG wind farm designed to decarbonise offshore oil and gas fields.
It will also have the side effect of bringing more gas ashore in the UK, instead of burning it to power the platforms.
The Anonymous Widower 