Ireland To Develop National Industrial Strategy For Offshore Wind
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, has announced plans to develop a National Industrial Strategy for Offshore Wind which will set out how Ireland can maximise the economic opportunity arising from the production of offshore wind energy
Ireland’s current objectives for offshore wind are.
- To deliver 5 GW of offshore wind by 2030.
- A further 2 GW of floating wind to be in development by 2030.
- The target for offshore wind could rise to at least 37 GW by 2050.
- There is a target to provide 80 per cent of the country’s electricity to be from renewable sources by 2030.
The government appears to recognise collaborative approach between state and industry is needed.
Nothing is said about co-operation with Northern Ireland or the UK.
This is despite.
- UK and Irish companies like ESB, Flotation Energy, Simply Blue Group and SSE have projects in both countries.
- Irish company; ESB is developing the Malin Sea Wind wind farm in Scottish waters and landing the electricity near Derry City.
- Scottish company; SSE is building biomass power stations in Ireland.
- Some promising waters for wind power are shared between the two countries.
- There are three interconnectors between the two main islands.
I would expect that there could be some multi-purpose interconnectors across the Irish and Celtic Seas.
These would connect windfarms between the islands to both the UK and Ireland. National Grid and TenneT are building the LionLink between England and The Netherlands, which I wrote about in World’s Largest-Of-Its-Kind Power Line To Deliver Clean Power To 1.8m UK Homes And Boost Energy Security.
I very much feel, that there will be a lot of co-operation between the UK and Irish governments as if they work together, the development of Ireland’s offshore wind and that of the West Coast of the UK could be more efficient.
US Offshore Wind Pipeline Blows Past 51 GW, Report Says
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The American Clean Power Association (ACP) has released a report on the US offshore wind market, outlining a rapidly growing pipeline of projects across 32 leases totaling 51,377 MW of expected capacity which is enough to power the equivalent of more than 20 million homes.
The American wind market seems to be powering ahead.
If the pattern of offshore oil and gas from the last century, repeats itself, there’s going to be a lot of money made and jobs created.
The report talks of the following.
- 83,000 jobs by 2030.
- $25 billion of economic output.
- Thirty new ships built in domestic shipyards.
Are we geared up for proportionate numbers in the UK?
Seabed Power Grid To Link North Sea Wind Turbines
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A vast power grid on the seabed of the central North Sea is being planned as part of a £20bn project to power oil and gas platforms with green electricity.
Points in the article include.
- There could be more than 400 offshore turbines.
- If they were 15 MW turbines, that would be at least 6 GW.
- The plan could involve 10,000 jobs, many of which could be in the supply chain in Scotland.
- The plan is for three connected large sea areas in the central North Sea covering nearly 400 square miles.
- Infrastructure could be in place by 2028.
- Scotland was among the most investable countries in the world for floating wind farms.
- Partners include experienced companies like NOV, Siemens Gamesa, Siemens Energy, DEME and Worley.
- Nearly a third of the world’s current order pipeline for floating wind is destined for Scottish waters.
In Cerulean Winds Is A Different Type Of Wind Energy Company, I said, the project is privately-funded. and will need no government subsidy .
This article on offshoreWIND.biz is entitled Cerulean North Sea Renewables Grid To Power Oil & Gas Platforms With Floating Wind finishes with this paragraph.
Cerulean has agreed on an approach with its industrial partners early to de-risk the project in the same way other large-scale infrastructure developments are initiated, the company said. In total, the three wind farms could contribute over GBP 12 billion GVA to the UK’s economy.
Do you believe in magic money trees?
The Original Cerulean Press Release
This press release on the Cerulean Wind web site, gives more details.
Read it and you might get some measure of the ambition of the company.
Questions And Thoughts
In Cerulean Winds Is A Different Type Of Wind Energy Company, I answer a few questions at the end of the post, and come to this conclusion.
It looks like Cerulean Winds are a very different energy company.
If you have any more questions, put them in the comments and I’ll answer them, as best as I can in the related post.
Shell Joins VindØ Energy Island Consortium
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Global energy major Shell is joining the VindØ consortium which is aiming to take a leading role in developing and building Denmark’s first energy island.
This paragraph outlines the project.
The island will be able to connect 10 GW of offshore wind to Denmark and other neighboring countries, plus host an innovation zone with potential for large-scale Power-to-X production and energy storage. It would include accommodation and operation and maintenance services from onsite harbour facilities.
It looks spectacular in the visualisation.
Fugro To Monitor Offshore Wind Biodiversity By Using eDNA Samples
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Dutch geo-data specialist company Fugro has launched the BeWild project, aimed at measuring biodiversity at offshore wind farms.
I have a feeling that this fishing-for-DNA technique could have lots of uses, including some very unusual ones.
The article is worth a detailed read and Fugro and their partners certainly seem to be doing a full investigation.
These three paragraphs list the partners and the things they will provide or research.
Support will be provided by Wageningen University which will focus on the DNA sequencing methodology of marine eDNA, researching the governance of these new forms of automated data collection to provide guidance on the design principles for the expansion of nature-inclusive wind energy infrastructures.
Additionally, Stichting de Rijke Noordzee will explore how to integrate biodiversity monitoring with regular asset inspection; Mecal – ATS will develop an improved scour protection system with the potential to enhance biodiversity; Seekable will optimise cable burial monitoring solution; and CrossWind will provide access to an operational wind farm for testing and investigations.
The BeWild project is being developed with the Mission-driven Research, Development, and Innovation (MOOI) subsidy from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, and implemented by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
It certainly appears very comprehensive.
Ørsted Posts All-Time High Offshore Wind Earnings
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
World’s leading offshore wind developer, Ørsted, has reported DKK 6.9 billion (EUR 926 million) operating profit (EBITDA) for the first quarter of 2023, DKK 2.5 billion less compared to the same period a year earlier.
For those, who are sceptical about offshore wind, these results must surely pour cold water on your views.
The profits also appear to have in part been driven by the commissioning of the Hornsea Two wind farm.
Three Players Pursuing Floating Offshore Wind Opportunities At Barents Sea Oil Field
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Norwegian oil and gas company Vår Energi has entered into a collaboration with a consortium consisting of Odfjell Oceanwind and Source Galileo to explore opportunities for floating offshore wind through a pilot project at a field located in the Barents Sea off Norway.
The article mentions the Goliat oil field, which is located 85 kilometres (53 mi) northwest of Hammerfest.
This Google Map shows the location of Hammerfest.
Note.
- Hammerfest is marked by the red arrow.
- Hammerfest is the northernmost town in the world with more than 10,000 inhabitants.
- The furthest North, I’ve been in Europe is to Trondheim, which is in the South-West corner of the map.
- To the East of Hammerfest Norway and Russia have a common border and beyond that is the Russian port of Murmansk.
Many years ago, my first visits to Ipswich Town were courtesy of the Official Receiver for Ipswich; John Richardson, who was my parents’ next door neighbour in Felixstowe.
John was an interesting guy, who during the Second World War had been on the Arctic convoys to Murmansk and Archangel. The Wikipedia entry for Arctic Convoys Of World War Two, gives some details.
His descriptions of the weather in the area were horrendous and it makes me wonder why the Norwegians want to extract oil in those conditions. And now generate wind power.
This is the first sentence of the article.
Vår Energi disclosed the deal on Wednesday, 26 April 2023, explaining that the project, called GoliatVind, was a pilot project to demonstrate new, Norwegian offshore wind technology.
So is it all about new technology?
Oceans of Energy To Build Offshore Solar Array At Hollandse Kust Noord Offshore Wind Park
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Oceans of Energy has been awarded the contract for installing and operating offshore solar farm inside the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind park being developed by CrossWind, a joint venture between Shell and Eneco.
This is the first paragraph.
This is set to be the first offshore solar farm in the world to be connected, installed, and operated within a wind farm in high wave conditions. The offshore solar farm will be realized in 2025, while the wind park will be operational by the end of 2023, according to Oceans of Energy.
These are some other points from the article.
- It looks like the solar will be floating.
- The wind/solar farm will have offshore battery storage.
- Green hydrogen will be generated offshore.
This wind/solar farm will be all things to all men and women.
Moray West First UK Round 4 Offshore Wind Project To Reach Financial Close
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Moray West Offshore Wind Farm, owned by Ocean Winds and minority shareholder Ignitis Group, has secured GBP 2 billion of non-recourse project finance and reached financial close, the developers announced on 21 April and said this was the first project from the UK’s Contract for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 4 to reach this milestone.
This is the first paragraph.
The construction work for the wind farm has already started, with this phase of the project set to create 1,000 direct jobs in the UK. With financial close in place, the project will now move to secure the remaining elements of supply chain activity in preparation for offshore installation works later this year which will be fully completed by 2025, when the 882 MW Moray West is scheduled to be fully operational.
That sounds good for Scotland and electricity users in the UK.
But this paragraph is probably the most important.
According to its developers, the 882 MW offshore wind farm is the first in the UK to rely in majority on corporate power purchase agreements (CPPAs) for the commercialisation of its output. CPPAs were signed with long-term strategic partners, for more than 50 per cent of the project’s output, enabling the rapid progress of the project. The vital CPPAs were originated in partnership with ENGIE and represent the largest contracts of their kind implemented in the UK market to date, Ocean Winds said in a press release.
There’s not much point in making something that nobody wants to buy at the price you need for a profitable sale.
But with all those CPPAs, one of which is with Google, Moray West wind farm appears to be on his way.
Thor Offshore Wind Farm To Feature Siemens Gamesa’s Newly Launched GreenerTowers
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Siemens Gamesa has revealed its GreenerTower, a wind turbine tower made of more sustainable steel. The company already closed its first order with RWE to feature 36 of the GreenerTower units at the 1 GW Thor offshore wind project in Denmark.
This is the first paragraph.
Today, tower production accounts for more than one-third of all wind-turbine-related CO2 emissions, according to Siemens Gamesa.
Siemens Gamesa’s new GreenerTower will ensure a CO2 reduction of at least 63 per cent in the tower steel plates compared to conventional steel.
Siemens Gamesa also claim this.
If all towers installed by the company in one year were exchanged with GreenerTowers, it would be the same as removing more than 466,000 cars from the roads in Europe for a year.
The first supplier to be qualified is Salzgitter AG.
- I wrote about Salzgitter’s green steelmaking in WindH2 Hydrogen Project Commissioned In Germany.
- Only a maximum of 0.7 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions are permitted per tonne of steel while maintaining the same steel properties and quality.
- Salzgitter’s electric furnaces will be fed with green electricity produced by renewable energy sources.
- Salzgitter AG have recently signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Iberdrola.
- It looks like Salzgitter AG are going both the electric and hydrogen route to green steel.
I suspect over the next few years, we’ll be seeing more steel products made with green steel.
In this case, I suspect that Siemens Gamesa could use the same production process with very little modification, which is a great advantage.
The Anonymous Widower 