SeAH Wind Goes On Recruitment Spree For UK Monopile Factory
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
South Korea’s SeAH Wind has started its large-scale drive to recruit for positions including welders, platers, roll bending machine operatives, mechanical and electrical technicians, supervisors, and general operatives for its XXL monopile manufacturing facility on Teesworks, the UK.
These are the first two paragraphs.
Applications will be accepted via the company’s dedicated recruitment website where individuals can sign up for job alerts, register their expressions of interest, and apply directly for jobs.
SeAH Wind will hold events across multiple Teesside towns, including Middlesbrough, Redcar, Cleveland, and Hartlepool over the coming months where more details will be shared about vacancies and training opportunities at the South Bank site.
These three paragraphs talk about the education and training, and the number of jobs.
As part of the recruitment drive, the South Korean firm has also joined forces with Nordic Products and Services and Middlesbrough College to create two programmes under its SeAH Wind Academy programme.
During the 24-week training and development programme, 30 people will be trained to become welders for SeAH Wind.
Once fully operational, it is expected that a total of 750 direct jobs and 1,500 further supply chain jobs are set to come from the SeAH manufacturing facility.
I suspect, this the sort of investment that Teesside needs and will welcome.
Europe Installs Record-Breaking 4.2 GW Of Offshore Wind In 2023
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Europe’s offshore wind industry brought online a record 4.2 GW of new capacity in 2023 and is expected to build around 5 GW of offshore wind annually over the next three years, according to WindEurope data. However, this is still not enough to meet the continent’s 2030 climate and energy security targets, WindEurope added.
These are the first two paragraphs.
The overall offshore wind capacity installed in 2023 was 40 per cent higher than in 2022. Of the 4.2 GW of new capacity, 3 GW was in the EU, an increase of 2.1 GW year on year, WindEurope said.
The Netherlands, France, and the UK installed the most new capacity, including the 1.5 GW Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind project in the Netherlands, according to the organisation.
But where are the Germans?
They’ve got plenty of steel and sea, Siemens make a lot of wind turbines and they certainly need the electricity.
In 2023, Germany generated their electricity as follows.
- Brown coal (17.7%)
- Hard coal (8.3%)
- Natural gas (10.5%)
- Wind (32.0%)
- Solar (12.2%)
- Biomass (9.7%)
- Nuclear (1.5%)
- Hydro (4.5%)
- Oil (0.7%)
- Other (2.9%)
By comparison the UK’s figures were.
- Coal (1%)
- Natural gas (32%)
- Wind (29.4%)
- Solar (4.9%)
- Biomass (5%)
- Nuclear (14.2%)
- Hydro (1.8%)
- Storage (1%)
- Imports (10.7%)
Note.
- The Germans use a lot of coal.
- The UK uses a lot more natural gas.
- Despite the much-criticised Drax, the Germans use twice as much biomass as we do.
- The UK uses tens times more nuclear.
The Wikipedia entries for German and UK wind power make interesting reading.
World’s First Floating Wind Farm To Undergo First Major Maintenance Campaign, Turbines To Be Towed To Norwegian Port
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The world’s first commercial-scale floating wind farm, the 30 MW Hywind Scotland, officially entered the operations and maintenance (O&M) phase in October 2017. After a little over six years of operation, the wind farm’s Siemens Gamesa wind turbines are now due for some major maintenance work.
And this is the first paragraph.
While offshore wind farms undergo turbine maintenance work more than once during their lifespans and tasks such as major component exchange are nothing uncommon, this is the first time a campaign of this kind will be done on a floating farm.
Hywind Scotland has a web site, where this is said on the home page.
The world’s first floating wind farm, the 30 MW Hywind Scotland pilot park, has been in operation since 2017, demonstrating the feasibility of floating wind farms that could be ten times larger.
Equinor and partner Masdar invested NOK 2 billion to realise Hywind Scotland, achieving a 60-70% cost reduction compared with the Hywind Demo project in Norway. Hywind Scotland started producing electricity in October 2017.
Each year since Hywind Scotland started production the floating wind farm has achieved the highest average capacity factor of all UK offshore windfarms, proving the potential of floating offshore wind farms.
This news item from Equinor is entitled Equinor Marks 5 Years Of Operations At World’s First Floating Wind Farm, says this about the capacity factor of Hywind Scotland.
Hywind Scotland, located off the coast of Peterhead, Scotland, is the world’s first floating offshore wind farm and the world’s best-performing offshore wind farm, achieving a capacity factor of 54% over its five years of operations. Importantly, Hywind Scotland has run to high safety standards, marking five years of no loss time injuries during its operation.
Any capacity factor over 50 % is excellent and is to be welcomed.
Maintaining A Floating Wind Farm
One of the supposed advantages of floating wind farms, is that the turbines can be towed into port for maintenance.
This first major maintenance of a floating wind farm, will test that theory and hopefully provide some spectacular pictures.
UK Offshore Wind In 2030
With the election coming up in the next year, I thought I’d add how much offshore wind will be available in the next few years.
In October 2023, according to this Wikipedia entry, there were offshore wind farms consisting of 2,695 turbines with a combined capacity of 14,703 megawatts.
These wind farms are due to be commissioned between now and the end of 2030.
- Dogger Bank A – 1235 MW – 2023
- Neart Na Gaoithe – 450 MW – 2024
- Dogger Bank B – 1235 MW – 2024
- Forthwind – 12 MW – 2024
- Moray West – 882 MW – 2025
- Dogger Bank C – 1218 MW – 2025
- Sofia Offshore Wind Farm – 1400 MW – 2026
- East Anglia 3 – 1372 MW – 2026
- East Anglia One North – 800 MW – 2026
- East Anglia Two – 900 MW – 2026
- Pentland – 100 MW – 2026 – Floating
- Hornsea Three – 2852 MW – 2027
- Norfolk Boreas, Phase 1 – 1380 MW – 2027
- Llŷr 1 – 100 MW – 2027 – Floating
- Llŷr 2 – 100 MW – 2027 – Floating
- Whitecross – 100 MW – 2027 – Floating
- Morecambe – 480 MW – 2028
- Bellrock – 1200 MW – 2028 – Floating
- Mona – 1500 MW – 2029
- Morgan – 1500 MW – 2029
- West of Orkney – 2000 MW – 2029
- Rampion 2 Extension – 1200 MW – 2030
- Norfolk Vanguard East – 1380 MW – 2030
- Morven – 2907 MW – 2030
- Norfolk Vanguard West – 1380 MW – 2030
- Berwick Bank – 4100 MW – 2030
- Outer Dowsing – 1500 MW – 2030
- Broadshore – 900 MW – 2028 – Floating
- Caledonia – 2000 MW – 2030
- Stromar – 1000 MW – 2028 – Floating
- N3 Project – 495 MW – 2030
- Muir Mhòr – 798 MW – 2030 – Floating
- North Falls – 504 MW – 2030
- Spiorad na Mara – 840 MW – 2031
- Bowdun – 1008 MW – 2033
- Ayre – 1008 MW – 2033 – Floating
- Buchan – 960 MW – 2033 – Floating
These can give these totals for the next few years.
- 2023 – 14.70 GW
- 2024 – 17.64 GW
- 2025 19.74 GW
- 2026 – 24.31 GW
- 2027 – 28.81 GW
- 2028 – 32.39 GW
- 2029 – 37.39 GW
- 2030 – 53.65 GW
- 2031 – 54.50 GW
- 2032 – 54.50 GW
- 2033 – 57.47 GW
Note.
- The Government’s 50 GW target of offshore wind power by 2030 has been achieved.
- A total of 7.27 GW of floating wind power has been installed.
- The Government’s target of 5 GW of floating offshore wind power by 2030 has also been achieved.
Currently, the UK is generating 37.49 GW of electricity.
Japanese Offshore Wind And Battery Storage Project Begins Commercial Operation
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
On 1 January 2024, JERA and Green Power Investment Corporation (GPI) began commercial operations at the 112 MW Ishikari Bay New Port Offshore Wind Farm in Japan, which they own through Green Power Ishikari GK, a special-purpose corporation (SPC).
The most significant thing about this wind farm, is that it has been designed from Day One to operate with a battery, which is detailed in the last paragraph.
The project also features a battery storage component with 100 MW x 180 MWh of capacity.
Note that the output of the battery is 89 % of that of the wind farm. Is that the ideal ratio between battery and wind farm capacities?
Conclusion
Because of my training, as an Electronics and Control Engineer, I belief that most renewable energy can be smoothed with the adding of a battery.
Aker Solutions To Pilot Floating-Wind Power Hub
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Aker Solutions.
This is the sub-heading.
Aker Solutions to pilot world’s first subsea power distribution system for floating offshore wind at Norway´s METCentre
These four paragraphs describe the system and explain how it works.
Note.
Aker Solutions has signed a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract with the Marine Energy Test Centre (METCentre) in Norway to pilot new subsea power system technology which has the potential to significantly reduce the costs and complexity of offshore wind farms.
The project will see Aker Solutions provide new power transmission technology, Subsea Collector, for the METCentre’s offshore wind test area which today consists of two floating offshore wind turbines located 10 kilometers off the southwestern coast of Karmøy, Norway. The test area will expand to seven floating offshore wind turbines from 2026.
Subsea Collector provides an alternative solution to connect multiple wind turbines electrically in a star configuration instead of the traditional daisy chain pattern, allowing for more flexibility in offshore wind farm architecture and construction. The design also allows for reduced cable length per turbine and park, as well as less vessel time and installation costs. Initial findings support total cost savings on a 1GW floating wind farm of up to 10 percent.
The main component parts of the Subsea Collector comprise a 66kV wet mate connection system provided by Benestad and subsea switchgear with supervisory control and data acquisition by subsea power and automation alliance partner, ABB. Installation will be carried out by Windstaller Alliance, an alliance between Aker Solutions, DeepOcean and Solstad Offshore. Aker Solutions will also provide the static export cable to shore.
Total cost savings of ten percent on any large project are not to be sneezed at.
I also feel that this sort of architecture will be ideal for a test centre, where configurations are probably changed more often.
Offshore Wind Turbines In 2023: 16 MW Model Installed Offshore, 18 MW WTGs Selected For New Project, 22 MW Turbine Announced
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The biggest wind turbines also make for some of the biggest news on offshoreWIND.biz. In 2023, wind turbine OEMs continued making headlines with their models in development and on the path to commercialisation, and by announcing brand new wind turbine generators (WTGs) that further raise the bar in generation capacity and size. Here, we are bringing an overview of the biggest and most powerful wind turbines we reported about in 2023.
This is the first paragraph.
Some of the wind turbines from our lookback article from a year ago, which were announced or launched in 2022, have now advanced to being installed offshore and/or are already being selected for commercial offshore wind projects that are planned to be built in the not-so-distant future.
Offshore wind turbines are certainly getting larger.
- The Chinese seem to be leading the way with turbines that produce over 20 MW, but European and US manufacturers appear to be looking at 16-18 MW.
- This compares with typical farms commissioned in the last few years of about 13-14 MW, which is roughly a 26 % increase in size.
- In Crown Estate Mulls Adding 4 GW Of Capacity From Existing Offshore Wind Projects, I talk about how bigger turbine sizes could be increased in wind farms, that are being planned.
I feel the UK, could benefit from this increase in wind turbine size.
The Invisible £20 Billion North Sea Project
I introduced Cerulean Winds in the two posts What Is INTOG? and Cerulean Winds Is A Different Type Of Wind Energy Company.
They have now expanded their page on the North Sea Renewables Grid.
It is well worth a look!
World’s Tallest Wooden Wind Turbine Starts Turning
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
What is made from the same wood as a Christmas tree, held together by glue and manufactured in a Swedish factory for assembly later?
These three paragraphs outline the design of a revolutionary wind turbine tower.
If that calls to mind flat-pack furniture and meatballs, you’re wrong.
If you answered “a wooden wind turbine”, you could be a visionary.
According to Modvion, the Swedish start-up that has just built the world’s tallest wooden turbine tower, using wood for wind power is the future.
I feel that it is not as revolutionary as some people might think.
Forty years ago, I built an extension on my house that included a swimming pool and a barn. The swimming pool roof was based on laminated wood beams and the barn was constructed using traditional wooden beams, that were bolted together.
But surely the most amazing wooden structure of the last century is the DH 98 Mosquito.
This paragraph introduces the Wikipedia entry for this amazing aeroplane.
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British twin-engined, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the Second World War. Unusual in that its airframe was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the “Wooden Wonder”, or “Mossie”. Lord Beaverbrook, Minister of Aircraft Production, nicknamed it “Freeman’s Folly”, alluding to Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman, who defended Geoffrey de Havilland and his design concept against orders to scrap the project. In 1941, it was one of the fastest operational aircraft in the world.
One of my friends from the twentieth century, had been an RAF Mosquito pilot in the 1950s and felt it was an unequalled design of aircraft.
The airframe of the Mosquito was built using similar materials and methods as Modvion’s turbine tower.
I have just found out, that the de Havilland Aircraft Museum, where the prototype Mosquito is displayed, is open at least until the 7th of January.
I shall be going by public transport and if anybody would like to accompany me, use the Contact Page to get in touch.
BP And EnBW To Run Suction Bucket Trials At UK Offshore Wind Farm Sites
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
On 30 December, the vessel North Sea Giant is expected to start suction bucket trials within the array areas of the Mona and Morgan offshore wind farm sites, located off North West England and North Wales.
These are the first three paragraphs.
The trials will run for an estimated 32 days, during which time the vessel will be lifting a suction bucket and setting it down on the seabed, and using subsea pumps to drive the suction bucket into the seabed and back out.
The campaign is expected to consist of around 20 suction bucket trials, subject to weather conditions.
In their environmental impact assessment (EIA) scoping reports, issued last year, BP and EnBW state that a number of foundation types are being considered for the two proposed offshore wind farms and that the type(s) to be used will not be confirmed until the final design, after the projects are granted consent.
It sounds sensible to try out different types of foundations, but what is a suction bucket?
This page on the Ørsted web site is entitled Our Experience With Suction Bucket Jackets, explains how they work and are installed.
This is the first paragraph.
Monopiles (MPs) are currently the most commonly used foundation solution for offshore wind turbines with 81% of offshore wind turbines in European waters founded on MPs at the end of 2019 (Wind Europe, 2020). Where site conditions do not allow for an efficient or practical MP design, a number of alternative foundation solutions are available, including the suction bucket jacket (SBJ), piled jacket, gravity base or even a floating solution.
These two paragraphs, indicate when Ørsted has used SBJs.
Ørsted installed the world’s first SBJ for an offshore WTG at the Borkum Riffgrund 1 offshore windfarm in Germany in 2014.
Since the installation of the Borkum Riffgrund 1 SBJ, Ørsted has been involved in the design and installation of SBJs at the Borkum Riffgrund 2 and the design for Hornsea 1 offshore wind farms. At Hornsea 1, overall project timeline considerations and limitations of serial production capacities precluded the use of SBJs, and therefore the project chose an alternative foundation type.
It will be interesting to see how BP and EnBW’s trial gets on.
The Anonymous Widower 