Octopus Energy Invests In Floating Offshore Wind Tech Company
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Octopus Energy’s generation arm has invested in US-headquartered Ocergy to boost the development of floating offshore wind farms globally.
These are the first three paragraphs.
According to Octopus, Ocergy has an innovative approach to designing and manufacturing floating foundations, reducing the time and cost of building them.
Ocergy is pioneering a hyper-local supply chain approach, working with local manufacturers and creating green jobs in the areas where the wind turbines are installed, said the company.
Further efficiencies are unlocked through Ocergy’s lighter and modular designs which make the turbine foundations easy to transport and assemble at their final destination, according to the press release.
This page on the Ocergy web site contains the press release, mentioned in the article.
These are some sentences from the press release.
- Ocergy, which is headquartered in the US and has operations in France, is pioneering a hyper-local supply chain approach, working with local manufacturers and creating green jobs in the areas where the turbines are installed.
- Further efficiencies are unlocked through Ocergy’s lighter and modular designs which make the turbine foundations easy to transport and assemble at their final destination.
- Floating foundations are used in areas with coastlines that are too deep for foundations that are fixed to the seabed. Around 80% of global offshore wind resources are located in deep waters, underscoring this technology’s vast untapped potential.
- It comes as governments across the globe have set ambitious targets for floating offshore wind. The UK alone is targeting 5 GW of floating offshore wind capacity by 2030.
I certainly like their approach.
believe that innovative designs and streamlined manufacturing will play a large part in installing the large amount of floating wind, that is planned by governments worldwide.
I also believe that because of the repetitive nature of the building of these floating structures, innovative project management software and systems will be developed.
I certainly have my own ideas for that!
BW Ideol Unveils Mass Production-Ready Floating Wind Foundation
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
France-based BW Ideol has unveiled its standardised floating foundation product and a blueprint for mass production that could drive costs down across projects.
This is the first paragraph.
With over 22 GW already awarded in Scotland, around 8 GW in the US, and several GW currently being awarded or in the tendering phase elsewhere in the world, the floating wind is now entering an industrialization phase, said BW Ideol.
It looks like the French have come up with a solution that’s needed.
These are previous posts about BW Ideol.
- BW Ideol And Holcim To Explore Use of Low-Carbon Concrete In Floating Offshore Wind
- BW Ideol, ABP To Explore Serial Production Of Floating Wind Foundations At Port Talbot
There is also this video of proposed serial production of BW Ideol floaters at the Port of Ardersier.
This Google Map show the area of Scotland to the North-East of Inverness Airport.
Note.
- Inverness Airport indicated by the red arrow.
- Ardersier village in the middle of the map on the bay.
- Fort George is at the North end of the bay.
The Port of Ardersier is the large slab of concrete in the North-East corner of the map, the Carse of Ardersier marked below it.
BW Ideol are claimining they can build one floater a week or one GW a year.
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.
Hyundai Heavy Sets Sights On Scottish Floating Offshore Wind
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Major South Korean shipbuilder, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with two Scottish enterprise agencies which is expected to unlock expertise in the design and manufacture of floating offshore wind substructures.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Scottish Enterprise (SE) and Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE) signed the MoU with Hyundai Heavy in Edinburgh, described as a “vote of confidence” in Scotland, committing each other to pursue opportunities for floating offshore wind projects in Scotland.
This is the South Korean company’s first agreement in Europe on floating offshore wind manufacturing.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is the world’s largest shipbuilding company and a major manufacturer of equipment such as the floating substructures that form a critical part of the multi-billion offshore wind supply chain.
To say this is a big deal, could be a massive understatement, as my history with large Korean companies could say otherwise.
Around 1980, one of the first prestigious overseas projects, that was managed by Artemis was in Saudi Arabia.
- This may have been something like the King Khaled City, but I can’t be sure.
- Most of the hard work on the project was done by labour imported by Hyundai from South Korea.
After a few years, the Korean running Hyundai’s part of the project returned to Korea and he indicated that he would help us break into the Korean market.
Our salesman; Paul, with responsibility for Korea, who sadly passed away last year, told me this tale of doing business in the country.
Our Korean friend had bought a system for Hyundai in Korea and he organised a meeting for important Korean companies, so that Paul could present the system.
Everything went well, with our friend doing the necessary pieces of translation.
When he had finished, Paul asked if there were any questions.
The most common one was “Can we see the contract?”
Contracts were given out and after a cursory read, the leaders of Korean industry, all started signing the contracts.
So Paul asked our Korean friend, what was going on.
After a brief discussion, Paul was told. “If it’s good enough for Hyundai, it’s good enough for my company!”
And that was how we broke the Korean market.
Conclusion
In UK And South Korea Help Secure Millions For World’s Largest Monopile Factory, I talked about Korean company; SeAH Wind’s new monopile factory on Teesside.
In South Korea, UK Strengthen Offshore Wind Ties, I talk about a developing partnership.
In Mersey Tidal Project And Where It Is Up To Now, I talk about Korean involvement in the Mersey Tidal Project.
The Koreans are coming and Hyundai’s endorsement will help.
SeaTwirl Partners With Local Firm To Bring Vertical-Axis Floating Wind Turbine To Japan
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Sweden-based SeaTwirl has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sumitomo Corporation Power & Mobility (SCPM) to promote its vertical-axis offshore floating wind turbine in the Japanese market.
These two paragraphs detail the responsibilities.
Under the MoU, SCPM will be responsible for identifying, marketing, negotiating, and contracting potential clients.
The Swedish company will be in charge of promoting and offering the products and services to potential clients.
Note.
- In SeaTwirl And Verlume Join Forces To Drive Decarbonisation Of Offshore Assets, I talk about their MoU with Verlume.
- In SeaTwirl, Kontiki Winds To Explore Powering Oil & Gas Assets With Floating Wind, I talk about their MoU with Kontiki Winds.
SeaTwirl either likes using Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) or their technology is very good.
The article says this about the applicability of SeaTwirl to Japanese waters.
Japan has over 4,000 islands, and according to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), it has approximately 128 GW of fixed-bottom offshore wind potential and 424 GW of floating offshore wind potential.
SeaTwirl said that its vertical-axis wind turbine is well-suited for the conditions in the Japanese offshore environment with its robust and flexible design and high serviceability.
That certainly looks to be a good match and I wonder, if this could end up as a three-way co-operation, with the inclusion of Verlume’s underwater batteries.
Will SeaTwirl and Sumitomo target other island nations or those with lots of islands like Croatia, Greece, the Caribbean, Italy, Micronesia and the Philippines?
Two Ports Advance To Next Stage Of UK Gov Funding For Floating Wind
The title of this post, is the same as this article in Ground Engineering.
This is the sub-heading.
Port Talbot in Wales and Port of Cromarty Firth in Scotland have advanced to the next stage of a government funding scheme to develop port infrastructure that will facilitate floating offshore wind.
These three paragraphs introduce the developments.
The UK Government has agreed that the port expansion projects should progress to the next stage of its floating offshore wind manufacturing investment scheme (FLOWMIS) known as the primary list phase.
Up to £160M of grant funding will be allocated to certain investments in the floating offshore wind sector under the scheme.
The money will go towards funding the basic infrastructure necessary to support the assembly of floating offshore wind turbines. This includes the construction, replacement and upgrade of port infrastructure to accommodate large components such as towers and blades, as well as steel and concrete foundations and mooring cables required for floating offshore wind.
The article also says this about Port Talbot.
The Future Port Talbot project in south Wales would see the port transformed into a major hub for the manufacturing, assembly, and integration of floating offshore wind components for projects in the Celtic Sea.
Associated British Ports (ABP), which owns and operates the port, welcomed the government’s decision.
Note.
- Port Talbot will almost certainly use locally produced steel.
- There appears to be at least 4,832 MW of floating wind to be developed in the Celtic Sea in the next few years.
Port Talbot would be ideally placed to handle both English and Welsh coasts and waters in the Celtic Sea.
The article also says this about the Port of Cromarty Firth.
The Port of Cromarty Firth (PoCF) on the east coast of the Scottish Highlands will undergo a fifth phase of expansion work. This will develop the facilities and infrastructure necessary to enable the port to support offshore wind infrastructure projects off the coast of Scotland.
Over £50M has also been earmarked for the port’s expansion.
There appears to be at least 15,216 MW of floating wind to be developed in Scotland in the next few years.
Both ports seem to have welcomed the funding.
Adding the plans for Scotland and the Celtic Sea together gives a figure of just over 20 GW of floating wind to be developed in the next few years.
Conclusion
Surely, the award of funding for floating wind, is a good way to create a new industry and jobs in these two areas and also perform some sensible levelling-up.
I also suspect that spending £160 million to enable the construction of 20 GW of floating wind farm is a good return on the investment.
SolarDuck, Green Arrow Capital And New Developments S.R.L. Sign Collaboration Agreement For A Grid-Scale Offshore Hybrid Wind-Solar Project In Italy
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from SolarDuck.
These three bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- 540 MW hybrid offshore wind-solar farm offshore Corigliano, Calabria
- Milestone project to accelerate scaling of Offshore Floating Solar Photovoltaic (OFPV)
- Strategic collaboration proves the potential of the technology in Italy and the wider
Mediterranean region
These three paragraphs outline the project.
SolarDuck, leader in OFPV technology, Green Arrow Capital, leading Italian Independent Asset
Manager in the alternative investment world, and New Developments s.r.l., one of Italy’s
most experienced developers, have agreed to collaborate on the development of a landmark
120MWp OFPV farm integrated with 420MW Floating Offshore Wind (FOW).The project will install SolarDuck’s unique elevated platform technology that allows PV panels
to be deployed in significant wave heights whilst maintaining a safe working environment for
access and maintenance and minimizing environmental impact. In addition, the collaboration
will also allow the harnessing of the complementarity of wind and solar energy resources.“With the current momentum, we believe this is a unique opportunity for the offshore
renewable energy industry to help shape a favorable regulatory framework and facilitate the
scaling of OFPV. This is not just important for Italy, but also for other countries in the
Mediterranean. Our collaboration with New Developments and Green Arrow Capital can also
serve as a catalyst for OFPV in Italy”, says SolarDuck CEO, Koen Burgers.
This Google Map shows the location of Corigliano at the foot of Italy.
Note.
- Corigliano is indicated by the red arrow.
- There is an explanatory video of their technology on SolarDuck’s web site.
Opposite Corigliano on the other side of the can be seen the Italian Naval Base of Taranto, which was the scene of the Battle of Taranto, which was one of the most significant naval battles of Second World War, if not the most significant.
- This web page has the Fleet Air Arm’s account of the battle.
- I have a book, that shows the Japanese visiting Taranto after the battle.
- Did the Japanese use what they learned to plan their successful raid on Pearl Harbor?
- Without Pearl Harbor, would the Americans have stayed out of the Second World War?
I visited Taranto in the 1980s and stood on the Dockside. Perhaps, it is time to go again?
Conclusion
I have a feeling that a hybrid offshore wind-solar farm can generate more electricity in a given area, by making better use of the space available.
It will be interesting to see how this hybrid wind farm performs.
In an area with plenty of sun and wind, it could be a better solution.
Only the mathematics will tell.
UK Can Secure Record Number Of Offshore Wind Farms In This Year’s Auction For New Projects
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from RenewableUK.
The first five paragraphs, should be read as a whole and are a good summary of, where the UK is with offshore wind.
A new report published today by RenewableUK shows that the Government has an opportunity to secure a record number of new offshore wind farms, and record amount of new capacity, in this year’s summer’s auction for contracts to generate clean power (Contracts for Difference). In a huge boost to the UK’s energy security, the Government has the potential to double the country’s offshore wind capacity in this year’s auction alone.
RenewableUK’s latest EnergyPulse Insights Offshore Wind report reveals that 14 wind farms are already eligible to bid into this year’s CfD auction (Allocation Round 6), providing nearly 10.3 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity. The previous records were set in 2022 when 8.5GW was eligible across 7 projects.
In addition to this, a further 4.7GW of new offshore wind capacity (out of 8.7GW in the planning system) could become eligible before applications open for AR6 at the end of March. If these projects were to receive consent from the Government, 14.9GW of offshore wind capacity would be eligible for this year’s auction. The report notes that being eligible does not mean that projects will choose to bid in – but they have the potential to do so.
To put this 14.9GW of potential new capacity into context, we currently have 14.7GW of fully operational offshore wind which generates 14% of the UK’s entire electricity needs. Just one gigawatt of offshore wind generates enough electricity to power over a million British homes for a year.
The report also shows that a further 5.2GW are already under construction in UK waters, and it forecasts that nearly 45GW could be fully operational by the end of 2030.
It is certainly worth reading through to the last paragraph.
The press release also lists the projects eligible to bid into AR6.
- Norfolk Vanguard West and Norfolk Vanguard East (2,760MW) – RWE
- Hornsea Four (2,600MW) – Ørsted
- Awel y Môr (1,100MW) – RWE
- East Anglia Two (900MW) – Iberdrola
- East Anglia One North (800MW) – Iberdrola
- Hornsea Three (753.1MW) – Ørsted
- Seagreen 1A (500MW) – SSE Renewables, TotalEnergies
- East Anglia Three (318MW) – Iberdrola
- Inch Cape (270MW) – Inch Cape Offshore
- Pentland (floating project) (100MW) – Highland Wind Limited
- Erebus (floating project) (100MW)
- Blyth 2 (floating project) (58MW)
- Forthwind (test and demonstration site) (8MW) – Forthwind Limited
These make a total of 10,267MW
Currently, as I write this the UK is generating 29 GW, so 45 GW with a lot of energy storage, should be enough to power the country.
World’s First Semi-Submersible Floating Offshore Wind Farm Smashes Predictions
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
WindFloat Atlantic, the world’s first semi-submersible floating offshore wind farm, has completed its third year in operation, closing in 2023 with an electricity production of 80 GWh.
These four paragraphs outline the performance of the wind farm.
Connected to the grid by the end of 2019 and fully commissioned in 2020, the floating offshore wind farm was developed by the Windplus consortium formed by Ocean Winds, a 50:50 joint venture between EDPR and ENGIE, Repsol, and Principle Power.
The pioneer wind farm consists of three platforms, each supporting one 8.4-MW Vestas turbine, which are anchored with chains to the seabed and connected to the onshore substation in the Portuguese municipality of Viana do Castelo through a 20-kilometre cable.
According to the project’s owners and operators, the 25 MW WindFloat Atlantic also closed in 2023 breaking more records with Storm Ciaran posing challenges with waves reaching a maximum height of 20 metres and wind gusts up to 139 kilometres per hour.
These conditions far surpassed the project’s previous records, demonstrating the readiness and robustness of the floating technology, even in extreme offshore conditions.
It would appear that this and the previous post; France’s First And Only Operational Floating Wind Turbine Gets Lifetime Extension, are not only indicating that floating wind power works, but that it works well in all types of conditions.
The Anonymous Widower 