Is Carbon Black Used To Make Offshore Electrical Cable?
I asked Google AI, the answer to this question and received this answer.
Yes, carbon black is extensively used to make offshore electrical cables. It serves two primary functions: providing electrical conductivity to specific components and offering UV protection to outer jacketing materials.
That seems a positive answer.
It also could be a very complementary one.
HiiROC have a process that splits any hydrocarbon gas including natural gas, chemical plant off gas and biomethane, into turquoise hydrogen and carbon black.
Two methods of bringing energy to the shore from an offshore wind farm are electricity and hydrogen, through a cable or pipe respectively.
This looks to me, that there could be a possibility to use one of Baldrick’s cunning hybrid plans to bring energy onshore using both hydrogen and electricity.
Effectively, the transmission and use of the system, would use both the hydrogen and carbon black produced by HiiROC.
First Monopile In At ‘Most Ecological Offshore Wind Farm Yet’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Van Oord, using its installation vessel Boreas, installed the first monopile at the Ecowende offshore wind farm on 3 December. The project, a joint venture between Shell, Eneco and Chubu Electric Power, is being built off the coast of the Netherlands and is said to become the most ecological offshore wind farm to date.
These four paragraphs add more details.
The offshore wind farm, located approximately 53 kilometres off the Dutch coast near IJmuiden, will have 52 monopile foundations produced by Sif and Smulders supporting 52 Vestas V236-15.0 MW wind turbines.
The offshore wind farm is dubbed “the most ecological to date” since it incorporates several technologies and methodologies that are nature-inclusive, including monopiles coming in two diameters, 8.8 metres and 9.3 metres, to support varying turbine tower heights, as research indicates that higher turbine tip heights may allow birds to fly more safely between the structures, reducing collision risks.
Some of the wind turbines will feature red blades as part of a trial to assess whether increased visibility reduces bird collisions.
Offshore construction on Ecowende (Hollandse Kust West Site VI) offshore wind farm started in September with the installation of eco-friendly scour protection.
Note.
- It looks like its a 780 MW wind farm.
- They’re certainly looking after the birds.
- Scour protection is mainly to protect the wind farm, but at least it’s eco-friendly.
But then the Dutch must know a bit about building windmills, that last a long time.
£100m ‘Global Players’ Wind Farm Deal To Create 300 Jobs
The title of this post, is the same as this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A £100m deal which will create about 300 jobs has been agreed between the developers of two Irish Sea offshore wind farms and Belfast Harbour.
These three paragraphs add more detail.
The joint developers of the Mona and Morgan offshore wind farms will lease Belfast Harbour’s D1 terminal for the assembly and preparation of wind turbine components.
Work is being carried out to get the site ready for use from 2028.
Joe O’Neill, chief executive of Belfast Harbour, described it as a “huge deal”, not just for the harbour but for Belfast and the wider region.
Joe O’Neill seems happy with the deal, if you read the full BBC article.
This Google Map shows Belfast Harbour with the D1 Terminal in the centre.
Note.
- The red arrow indicates the D1 Terminal.
- It appears to be within walking distance of Belfast City Airport.
- The harbour is not that far from the city centre.
I would expect, this could be an ideal harbour to prepare wind turbines for erection.
But Where Will The Cruise Ships Dock In Belfast, If The D1 Terminal Is Being Used To Prepare And Assemble Wind Turbines?
Google AI gave this answer to my question!
Cruise ships will dock at a new deepwater berth at Belfast Harbour’s D3 terminal starting with the 2028 cruise season. This new facility is a dual-purpose terminal being built to accommodate both the largest cruise vessels and the assembly and installation of offshore wind turbines.
Note.
- The date fits with the new site for turbine work being ready by 2028.
- The new D3 Terminal will take some of the largest cruise vessels.
- I suspect, it will be able to supply ships with suitable low-carbon fuel, as required.
- Could it also take the very large ships used to install turbines?
- It’s almost as if Belfast Harbour are making an attraction of the turbines.
Google AI gives this overview of the D3 Terminal.
The Belfast Harbour D3 cruise terminal is a new £90 million dual-purpose deepwater quay under construction, designed to accommodate the world’s largest cruise ships and support the offshore wind energy industry. Construction on the project, which is Belfast Harbour’s largest-ever investment, began in April 2025 and is expected to be operational for the 2028 cruise season. The facility will include a 340m quay and new terminal building for passengers, and will be converted for cargo handling during the cruise season.
It certainly looks like Belfast is designing a dual-purpose terminal, that will bring the maximum benefit to the city and its people.
Which Offshore Wind Projects Will Use Belfast Harbour?
Google AI gave this answer to my question!
The Mona and Morgan offshore wind farms, being developed by EnBW and JERA Nex bp, will use Belfast Harbour. The port’s D1 terminal will serve as the hub for the assembly and marshalling of wind turbine components for these projects, which are planned for the Irish Sea and are expected to be operational by 2028.
I suspect there will be others.
EDF Developing Offshore Wind-Powered Hydrogen Production Project In French EEZ
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
EDF Power Solutions has invited applications for a tender for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) services and hazard studies as part of a project to develop an offshore hydrogen production station in France’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
This is the first paragraph.
The project, dubbed HYODE (HYdrogen Offshore DunkerquE), will produce green hydrogen by coupling offshore wind farms with an offshore electrolyser near Dunkirk, France, and is planned to also include storage and transport by ship to port, forming what EDF describes as an “innovative solution” to help scale green hydrogen production.
I asked Google AI, if there are any operational offshore hydrogen electrolysers and received this answer.
Yes, there are operational offshore electrolyser projects, though large-scale, dedicated offshore hydrogen platforms are still in development. The first operational offshore production on an existing gas platform is planned for late 2024 with the PosHYdon project. Additionally, a pilot project in the UK is testing the full integration of a hydrogen electrolyser onto an existing offshore wind turbine, with another project in the Netherlands installing an offshore hydrogen production and storage platform.
But, I did get this page on page on the Ramboll web site, which is entitled The Rise Of Offshore Hydrogen Production At Scale, which has this introductory paragraph.
The stage is set for producing green hydrogen from offshore wind and desalinated seawater. Building on existing and proven technology, offshore wind farms have the potential to become future production hubs for green hydrogen production at scale to meet increasing demand.
That sounds very promising, especially, if proven technology is borrowed from the offshore oil and gas industry.
It’s
Offshore Wind Developer Gets DNV Concept Certification for Floating Foundation Design
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
BayWa r.e. has received concept certification from DNV for its BayFloat floating wind semi-submersible concrete substructure and mooring system design. The design was validated using the 22 MW generic reference turbine “IEA-22-280-RWT”
These three introductory paragraphs give a few more details.
The certification process was conducted in accordance with DNV-SE-0422:2021-09 “Certification of floating wind turbines” scheme, including DNV-ST-0119:2021-06 “Floating wind turbine structures” as the governing standard, BayWa r.e. says.
The assessment concluded that the BayFloat concrete floating substructure, including the mooring system design, is feasible for further development and qualifies for DNV concept-level certification.
BayWa r.e. collaborated with the engineering company Ramboll on the design and certification process, with Ramboll providing design services, expert insights and engineering advice.
Note.
- Certification must be a good thing.
- If you are unfamiliar with DNV, then their Wikipedia entry, is a good place to start.
- As I was doing the calculations for a floating oil platform in the 1970s, I don’t see why floating wind turbines won’t work!
- Especially, as floating wind turbines, seem to have a higher capacity factor than fixed.
- Concrete also worked for oil and gas platforms, so why won’t it work for wind?
In fact I quite like this design.
These are some other thoughts and information.
The Buchan Wind Farm
Baywa r.e. are also developing the 960MW Buchan floating wind farm about 75 km North-East of Fraserburgh.
The Buchan Wind Farm web site says this about the technology to be used.
The project has identified BW Ideol’s patented Damping Pool® floating substructure as its preferred foundation option, with BW Ideol working actively to establish a manufacturing centre at the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility being developed at the former oil and gas fabrication yard on the Moray Firth.
Perhaps, Baywa r.e. are seeing if they can do better.
The Original Article
The original article also links to several designs of floating wind float design, so it is well worth a full read.
But then, each have their advantages in materials used, ease of construction, methods of assembly, ease of tow-out and erection and most importantly; cost!
Wind Farms Generate Record Power On Cold November Evening
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
Turbines produced record high of 22.7 gigawatts of electricity at 7.30pm on Tuesday last week, accounting for 55 per cent of Britain’s electricity mix.
These two introductory paragraphs add more detail.
Britain’s wind farms generated a record 22.7 gigawatts of electricity on Tuesday evening last week, enough to power more than 22 million homes.
The National Energy System Operator (Neso) said the new high was set at 7.30pm on November 11, beating a previous record of 22.5 gigawatts on December 18, 2024.
In addition.
Yesterday, I wrote Ocean Winds Secures Third Celtic Sea Floating Wind Site, which will add 4.5 GW by 2035.
In Renewable Power By 2030 In The UK, I calculated these pessimistic offshore wind power totals for 206-2030.
- 2025 – 1,235 MW
- 2026 – 4,807 MW
- 2027 – 5,350 MW
- 2028 – 4,998 MW
- 2029 – 9,631 MW
- 2030 – 15,263 MW
This adds up to a total of 58,897 MW.
Conclusion
We shall be needing some new ways to export electricity to Europe.
UK, French, And Irish Ports Join Hands In Global Floating Wind Collaboration
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The UK’s Associated British Ports (ABP) has teamed up with France’s BrestPort and Ireland’s Shannon Foynes Port to establish the Global Floating Offshore Wind Ports Alliance (FLOW Ports Alliance) to help bring together major floating offshore wind ports across the world and unlock the technology’s full potential.
These first two paragraphs add more detail.
The FLOW Ports Alliance aims to recruit ports in Europe to collaborate on FLOW port design, standardisation, and best operational practices.
It plans to strengthen and accelerate compliant knowledge and experience exchange between ports, share best practices as they emerge through demonstration projects, and share innovations to the benefit of the global FLOW network.
Surely, a global network of ports that can handle construction, operation and maintenance of a range of floating wind platforms, is an excellent idea.
All Recyclable Blades Installed At RWE’s 1.4 GW UK Offshore Wind Farm
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
All 150 recyclable blades have been installed at the 1.4 GW Sofia offshore wind farm, with more than half of the wind turbines now in place at the UK construction site.
These three paragraphs add more details.
All 150 recyclable blades are now installed, with each turbine utilising 50 sets of three blades, marking the UK’s first large-scale use of this technology at an offshore wind farm, RWE, the developer, said.
The recyclable rotor blades used at Sofia are manufactured by Siemens Gamesa at its Hull factory and use a unique resin that enables easy separation of component materials at the end of each blade’s operational life cycle.
In addition, 62 out of 100 Siemens Gamesa 14 MW turbines have now been installed at the site located 195 kilometres off the UK’s east coast. Each turbine features 108-metre blades and a 222-metre rotor diameter. Cadeler is responsible for the installation of the wind turbines.
Note.
- The Sofia wind farm has a hundred turbines, each with the customary three blades.
- Currently the 13 MW Siemens Gamesa turbines in Dogger Bank A and Dogger Bank B are the largest turbines in British waters.
- Sofia’s at 14 MW will be larger.
- But 15 MW monsters are on their way, with RWE’s Norfolk zone appearing to favour 15 MW Vesta turbines.
At the present time, turbine size seems to be creeping up. I would expect this to happen, as turbines become more affordable.
Danish CIP To Pour USD 3 Billion Into Philippines’ Offshore Wind Push
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Denmark’s Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) will commit USD 3 billion (approximately EUR 2.6 billion) to build its first offshore wind farm in the Philippines.
This opening paragraph gives a few more details.
In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said that the company is committed to investing in the Philippines through its partner, ACEN – Renewable Energy Solutions.
It does seem that the Philippines are putting out the red carpet for Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and no wonder if you look at the first paragraph of the Danish firm’s Wikipedia entry.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S (“CIP”) is a Danish investment firm specializing in infrastructure investments, particularly wind power.[1][2] CIP is one of the world’s largest dedicated renewables investment firms with €32 billion raised and a project pipeline of 120 GW.
But, are these two articles on offshoreWind.biz hinting at delay in the approval of UK projects?
- UK Delays Permit Decision for CIP’s Morecambe Offshore Wind Farm
- Permit Decision Delayed for 1.5 GW UK Offshore Wind Farm
Although the second project, which is the Outer Dowsing Wind Farm, is not a Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners project delaying decisions surely doesn’t give confidence to investors.
So have Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners decided to test the new virgin waters of the Philippines?
Iberdrola Looking To Sell 49 Pct Stake In UK Offshore Wind Farm – Report
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Iberdrola has begun exploring the sale of 49 per cent of its East Anglia Two offshore wind farm project in the UK, according to a report by the Spanish media outlet Cinco Días citing unnamed sources.
These four paragraphs give more details.
The renewable energy developer has already engaged Bank of America and BBVA as financial advisors to assist with the potential transaction, Cinco Días writes.
Iberdrola’s interest in selling a nearly half stake in East Anglia Two mirrors previous deals in the East Anglia portfolio, where the company has brought in financial partners in two other phases, East Anglia One and East Anglia Three.
The 714 MW East Anglia One offshore wind farm is owned by Iberdrola’s UK arm ScottishPower Renewables and Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG), with Octopus Energy having acquired a 10 per cent stake from GIG this April. East Agnlia One has been in operation since 2021.
In July this year, Iberdrola and UAE clean energy company Masdar announced what the companies said was the largest offshore wind transaction of the decade as they signed an agreement to co-invest in the 1.4 GW East Anglia Three project, currently under construction.
But then being bought and sold is the way of life for an offshore wind farm.
In 2018, I wrote World’s Largest Wind Farm Attracts Huge Backing From Insurance Giant, which contains this extract from the Times says this about the funding of wind farms.
Wind farms throw off “long-term boring, stable cashflows”, Mr. Murphy said, which was perfect to match Aviva policyholders and annuitants, the ultimate backers of the project. Aviva has bought fixed-rate and inflation-linked bonds, issued by the project. While the coupon paid on the 15-year bonds, has not been disclosed, similar risk projects typically pay an interest rate of about 3 per cent pm their bonds. Projects typically are structured at about 30 per cent equity and 70 per cent debt.
Darryl Murphy is Aviva’s head of infrastructure debt. The article also says, that Aviva will have a billion pounds invested in wind farms by the end of the year.
I wonder how long it will be before individual investors can fund their pensions, with a direct investment in a wind farm?
- The wind farm would surely be a better investment if it had an integrated battery to supply power, when the wind didn’t blow.
- It would probably also be a safer investment, if it had been generating electricity for some years.
After all, at the present time, you can invest in batteries through companies like Gresham House and Gore Street.
The Anonymous Widower 