The Anonymous Widower

Offshore Wind Innovation Hub in New York Opens Third Call For Applications

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub in New York, led by Equinor in collaboration with Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon School of Engineering and National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium (NOWRDC), opened the 2025 application process on 15 January, issuing the third call for its accelerator programme since the Hub was officially launched in January 2023.

These two paragraphs describe the work of the innovation hub.

“We look forward to building on the strong foundation of the Innovation Hub and supporting the next round of entrepreneurs and emerging technologies”, said Molly Morris, President, Equinor Renewables Americas. “The solutions identified by the innovators will play a critical role in advancing the offshore energy industry, developing supply chains, and strengthening energy security for future generations of New Yorkers.”

Last year, six companies were selected to join the Hub’s accelerator programme and receive support to develop further their solutions that could help advance offshore wind in New York and the US: Boxkite Software, Claviate, Indeximate, Pliant Energy Systems, Sensatek, and Triton Anchor. Through the first call for applications in 2023, the Innovation Hub selected Benchmark Labs, Flucto, Heerema Engineering Solutions, RCAM Technologies, OSC, and VinciVR.

Note.

  1. Many countries have innovation hubs like these based on research institutions and universities.
  2. Molly Morris, with her Norwegian support, seems the sort of woman, who can keep Trumkopf under control.
  3. The Offshore Wind Innovation Innovation Hub certainly seems to spread their support around.
  4. I don’t think the Innovation Hub’s philosophy fits with Trump’s ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’

I can see Molly Morris, Equinor and The Innovation Hub really annoying Trump.

Let the battle commence!

 

January 16, 2025 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trump Preparing Executive Order To Stop Offshore Wind Buildout On US East Coast, US Congressman Claims

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

US Congressman Jefferson Van Drew said on Monday that he was working closely with US President-elect Donald Trump on drafting an executive order to stop offshore wind activities along the US East Coast. The directive is expected to be finalised within the first few months of Donald Trump’s administration, the US Congressman stated in a press release on 13 January.

But it does look that Trump himself, is blowing in the wind.

To remind, seven East Coast offshore wind projects (in operation, under construction, or yet to enter the construction phase), were granted construction permits by the Trump administration during his first presidential term.

These include the large-scale offshore wind projects that were awarded federal leases from 2017 to 2020: Kitty Hawk North (2017), Empire Wind (2017), Skipjack (2018), Beacon Wind (2019), SouthCoast Wind (2019), Vineyard Northeast (2019), and South Fork Wind (2020). The Biden administration has approved eleven further offshore wind lease permits.

How did such a technological imbecile get voted in as President of the United States?

January 16, 2025 Posted by | Energy | , , , , | 1 Comment

German Far-Right Vows To Tear Down Wind Turbines

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on oilprice.com.

These two paragraphs add detail to the story.

Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has vowed to dismantle wind parks and wind turbines should it win power in the upcoming presidential elections in February, aligning itself with similar sentiments by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. AfD asserts in its election platform that it “rejects the further expansion of wind energy” and has called for cuts to renewable subsidies.

German offshore-wind group BWO has hit back at AfD’s anti-wind policy, saying Putin would be the biggest beneficiary of such a move. AfD chairwoman Alice Weidel has also tried to walk back that position, saying her earlier anti-wind comments referred to a local matter in the state of Hesse.

This could be good for the UK.

This is the first two paragraphs of the Wikipedia entry for Wind Power in Germany.

Wind power in Germany is a growing industry. The installed capacity was 55.6 gigawatts (GW) at the end of 2017, with 5.2 GW from offshore installations. In 2020, 23.3% of the country’s total electricity was generated through wind power, up from 6.2% in 2010 and 1.6% in 2000.

More than 26,772 wind turbines were located in the German federal area by year end 2015, and the country has plans for further expansion. As of the end of 2015, Germany was the third largest producer of wind power in the world by installations, behind China and the United States. Germany also has a number of turbine manufacturers, like Enercon, Nordex and Senvion.

By the end of June 2022, Germany had a total of 30,000 installed wind turbines, with a capacity in excess of over 64 GW.

Large numbers of second-hand wind turbines to plant all over Starmer, Reeves and Miliband’s vision of the UK would go down just fine in the cash-strapped Treasury, but would the British public like them?

So as Starmer and Reeves will talk to anybody to save their skins, are they talking to the AfD?

January 14, 2025 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Will Trump Venture To Impose ‘No New (Offshore) Wind Turbines’ Policy And Bring US Industry Supporting 120,000 Jobs To Halt?

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

During his presidential campaign in 2024, Donald Trump said he would sign an executive order to stop offshore wind farms from being built in the US “on day one”. On 7 January, the US president-elect reiterated the plan which now seems to apply to wind energy on land too, saying he would look into implementing “a policy where no windmills are being built”.

He really does look to be following his “Drill, Baby, Drill” philosophy.

But the first paragraph of the article does indicate that Trump might not be having it all his own way.

The backlash is coming not only from the wind energy industry but also from government officials, as wind energy now accounts for 10 per cent of the US electricity generation, employs more than 120,000 people, and attracts tens of billions of US dollars in investments per year.

How easy is it to get rid of the President of the United States, without doing them any physical harm?

The whole article is well-worth reading, but the last paragraph is priceless.

So, will the incoming US president fulfil the promise and embark on implementing a policy that bans building new wind farms, both offshore and onshore, jeopardising jobs and billions in investments and federal lease fees?

It would certainly be a policy, that would have a profound negative effect on much of the US economy.

January 14, 2025 Posted by | Energy | , , | Leave a comment

Brazilian President Enacts Offshore Wind Law, Vetoes Fossil Energy-Related Additions

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has signed into law the bill recently passed by the Brazilian Senate that establishes regulations on allocating and permitting offshore wind development areas. The Brazilian president has vetoed provisions related to fossil fuels in the final version of the legislation which were added while the bill was in the Chamber of Deputies.

It looks like President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has just struck himself off Trumkopf’s Christmas card list.

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January 13, 2025 Posted by | Energy | , , , , | Leave a comment

UK Gov’t Says Offshore Wind Backbone Of 2030 Clean Power System, Plans To Procure 12 GW More In Next Few Allocation Rounds

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Electricity generated by renewable sources and nuclear power will be the foundation of the UK’s electricity system by 2030, according to a new action plan the UK government issued in December 2024. Offshore wind, which now accounts for some 17 per cent of the country’s electricity generation, has “a particularly important role as the backbone of the clean power system”, the government said, revealing plans to make part of the path to building offshore wind farms easier as soon as before the Contract for Difference (CfD) round planned for the summer.

These two paragraphs add a few more details to the plan.

The action plan, issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), was presented by the UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband on 13 December and is said to be a “major milestone to deliver on the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change which aims to drive economic growth and rebuild Britain with mission-driven government”.

Clean Power 2030 Action Plan is a roadmap to an (almost) fully clean power system in the UK by 2030, with clean sources making up 95 per cent of Great Britain’s electricity generation with gas being used for no more than 5 per cent of total generation.

This Wikipedia entry is a List of Operational Wind Farms in the UK.

Operational Offshore Wind Farms

In October 2023, there were offshore wind farms consisting of 2,695 turbines with a combined capacity of 14,703 megawatts. Strike price based on £/MWh at 2012 prices.

Wind Farms Under Construction

Offshore wind farms currently under construction (offshore), with a combined capacity in December 2024 of 7,792 MW. Strike price based on £/MWh at 2012 prices.

Pre-Construction Wind Farms

Wind farms that have started onshore construction and have been awarded contracts under the UK Government’s Contracts for Difference Round 3 (2019)/Round 4 (2022). Total capacity of 3,932 MW. Strike price based on £/MWh at 2012 prices. These projects re-bid some capacity in Round 6 (2024) with a higher strike price.

Proposed Wind Farms – Contracts For Difference Round 4

Wind farms proposed under the Round 4 (2022) CFD auction,[88] with a combined capacity of 1,428 MW . Strike price based on £/MWh at 2012 prices.

Proposed Wind Farms – Contracts For Difference Round 6

Wind farms proposed under the Round 6 (2024) CFD auction,[88] with a combined capacity of 3,763 MW . Strike price based on £/MWh at 2012 prices.

Proposed Wind Farms – Previously Awarded In The CfD Round 3

This wind farm was proposed under the UK Government’s Contracts for Difference Round 3 (2019), which it decided to withdraw from. It will likely bid in AR6 with a changed specification from the original submission

Proposed Wind Farms – Early Planning

Wind farms that are in an exploratory phase and have not yet secured a Contract for Difference at auction.

Total capacities: England: 18,423 MW – Wales: 700 MW – Scotland: 30,326 MW

Current Totals

  • Operational Offshore Wind Farms – 14,703 MW
  • Wind Farms Under Construction – 7,792 MW
  • Pre-Construction Wind Farms – 3,932 MW
  • Contracts For Difference Round 4 – 1,428 MW
  • Contracts For Difference Round 6 – 3,763 MW
  • Previously Awarded In The CfD Round 3 – 0 MW
  • Earlp Planning – England: 18,423 MW
  • Early Planning – Wales: 700 MW
  • Early Planning – Scotland: 30,326 MW

Adding up these totals gives 81.067 MW

As I’m typing this, the UK is generating and importing a total of 29,330 MW of electricity.

Conclusion

Another 12 GW of new offshore wind will mean that we will have 81,067 + 12,000 – 29330  MW of electricity to put in store or sell to the Germans and other Europeans.

Perhaps we should be investing in industries, that use large quantities of electricity like hydrogen steel-making or zero-carbon cement making.

 

 

 

January 11, 2025 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage, Hydrogen | , , , , | Leave a comment

Trump Calls On UK To ‘Get Rid’ of Offshore Wind Farms In Favour Of Oil & Gas; Gets Invited To Hull

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Donald Trump has urged the UK government to “get rid of windmills” in the North Sea and open it up for oil & gas, which earned the US president-elect an open invitation from Humber Marine and Renewables, a UK regional industry organisation, to visit Hull and witness the effects of offshore wind on the economy first-hand.

This paragraph sums up Trumps views on wind farms, which he incorrectly calls windmills.

According to global media, on 3 January, Donald Trump said via his social media platform Truth Social that the UK was “making a very big mistake” with wind energy and that it should “open up the North Sea”, accompanying the post with a link to news about US oil company Apache saying it would exit the North Sea, citing the windfall tax in the UK. The news on Apache’s UK exit followed the UK government’s announcement on raising the tax from 35 per cent to 38 per cent and using the profit for renewable energy.

But then he wouldn’t realise that a windmill grinds corn and a wind turbine generates electricity.

This paragraph describes the invitation of Trump to Hull.

After the incoming US president’s social media post, director of the UK industry organisation Humber Marine and Renewables, Dave Laister, said in a comment to BBC: “I’d like to invite Donald Trump, or a representative here in the UK, to come to Hull and take in Offshore Wind Connections 2025. He needs to hear what those ‘windmills’ have done for the economy, for our maritime heritage and for the region’s sense of purpose. I’d like him to understand the appetite for working in this clean, green sector from those at our schools and colleges, to sample the hunger to be part of a climate emergency solution.”

I doubt he’ll go to the city.

One problem, he’ll have getting to Hull, is that the city doesn’t have an airport, so he’ll have to go into Humberside, Leeds or Robin Hood.

If you would like to go to Offshore Wind Connections 2025, then this is the web site.

Enjoy the party!

January 6, 2025 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Areas Where Labour Wants To Build Onshore Wind Farms, Mapped

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on inews.

This is the sub-heading.

Ten onshore wind projects have been proposed to help keep UK on track to have at least 95 per cent clean power by 2030.

This is the first paragraph.

The Government is bracing for its biggest nimby battle yet as onshore wind farm companies work on a flurry of proposals after an effective ban on development was lifted in England.

I suggest you take the time to read the well-written informative article, if you are worried about onshore wind farms being parked on the hill behind your house.

The first ten are provocative and there is a map of their locations, which are mainly in Scotland and Wales, on the Pennines and in Lincolnshire.

This paragraph in the article, quotes government data on the cost of various forms of energy.

They estimate that over the entire course of a project’s life, onshore wind costs £38 per mega watt hour of energy, compared to £44 for offshore and £41 for solar. Gas, meanwhile, is £114, while nuclear is £128.

I don’t have any other real data, but it does appear that floating offshore wind farms have a higher capacity factor, which should tip the cost comparison back in its favour.

But I do suspect that Ed Miliband will use these figures to increase the amount of onshore wind in the ?UK and especially n England.

As larger turbines are being tested by the Chinese and Siemens, I suspect too, that we’ll see larger turbines installed onshore.

I also believe as a Control Engineer, that as the number of large turbines increases,  we will see more energy storage built alongside wind farms.

December 24, 2024 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage | , , , | 2 Comments

Siemens Gamesa To Soon Install 21 MW Offshore Wind Turbine Prototype At Danish Test Site — Reports

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Siemens Gamesa is transporting a nacelle from its facility in Brande, Denmark, to the Østerild wind turbine test centre, a company spokesperson confirmed to offshoreWIND.biz. The spokesperson declined to reveal any specifics about the wind turbine but Danish media writes that it is the new prototype which Bloomberg reported earlier this year to have a capacity of 21 MW.

These first two paragraphs give a few more details.

DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation) reported on 6 December that lamp-posts and traffic signs were being dismantled, and roundabouts widened last week to make room for an 11×11-metre nacelle to pass through on its way to Hvide Sande, starting last Friday. From there, the nacelle will be shipped to Hanstholm and then transported to Østerild, where it will be mounted on an already installed 170-metre tower, according to DR.

In June, Bloomberg reported sources familiar with the matter said that Siemens Energy had told customers it planned to build the largest wind turbine in the world by the end of the decade and the new offshore model would have an output of 21 MW, 40 per cent more than the company’s current largest turbine, the 14 MW platform that can reach up to 15 MW with the company’s feature called Power Boost.

I have a few thoughts.

Will Bigger Be Better?

Going back to the days of North Sea Oil and Gas, I can remember project managers saying that platform installation took off dramatically, as larger platforms, barges, cranes and equipment became available.

I can particularly remember one project manager extolling the virtues of giant 3000 tonne cranes.

Do We Need A Test Centre For Giant Turbines In The UK?

The question has to be asked, as we certainly have large open spaces of sea to put a 40 MW or larger turbine.

December 10, 2024 Posted by | Energy | , , , , | Leave a comment

The Crown Estate Awards GBP 5 Million In First Supply Chain Accelerator Round

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

The Crown Estate has awarded nearly GBP 5 million in funding to 13 organisations across England, Wales, and Scotland in the first round of its Supply Chain Accelerator.

These three paragraphs add more details.

According to The Crown Estate, the funding will help kick-start projects drawing down from a GBP 50 million fund established in May this year to accelerate and de-risk the early-stage development of UK supply chain projects that service the offshore wind sector.

The Crown Estate’s match funding will contribute to a combined development investment of over GBP 9 million, which, if the opportunities successfully conclude their respective development stages, could lead to more than GBP 400 million of capital investment, said the UK body.

Projects receiving funding include those enabling floating wind platforms, anchoring and mooring systems, operations and maintenance facilities, test facilities, and those supporting the skills

The grants have been widely spread in both the public and private sectors and appear to be supporting a variety of technologies.

What About Project Management?

When the four of us started Metier Management Systems to develop Artemis in the 1970s, we got no help from the Government or any agency.

I wonder what difference, government support of this nature would have made?

I don’t know whether any project management development is being supported, but it is my view, that each new generation of projects will bring forward new challenges.

December 10, 2024 Posted by | Energy | , , , , , | Leave a comment