Climate Change: Y Bryn Wind Farm Aids Net Zero Aim – Developer
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
A new onshore wind farm could help Wales move towards its net zero target by 2050, say developers.
These two paragraphs outline the scheme.
But some local people called the Y Bryn plan between Port Talbot and Maesteg a “blight on the landscape”.
The plan, first proposed in 2021, now includes 18 turbines up to 250m (820ft), rather than the original 26.
I feel that we need to develop renewable energy all round the UK.
This project, is obviously felt by the developers to be a serious proposition, judging by the very professional web site.
Some places like the Midlands and the South of England are a long way from large offshore wind and nuclear developments, but Port Talbot and Maesteg may be close enough to planned offshore wind farms, that this wind farm may need not to be developed.
I shall be following this development.
UK Offshore Wind Pipeline Now At 98 GW, Second Only To China – Report
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The UK’s pipeline of offshore wind projects has reached 97,944 MW, up from 91,287 MW a year ago, while the global pipeline topped 1.23 TWh, an increase of nearly 400 GW in the last year, according to RenewableUK’s latest EnergyPulse market intelligence data report.
These are the first two paragraphs.
The pipeline includes projects at every stage of development, including operational, under construction, consented, or planned.
The UK total pipeline was second globally at 98 GW, second only to China with 157 GW, followed by the USA in third place with 82 GW, Sweden is fourth with 75 MW, and Brazil fifth with 63 GW.
These is also a pie-chart saying in which part of the UK, wind energy is being developed.
- North Sea (Scotland) – 41,977 MW
- North Sea (England) – 33,845 MW
- Irish Sea – 8,659 MW
- North Atlantic Ocean – 7,435 MW
- Celtic Sea – 4,428 MW
- English Channel – 1,600 MW
As Cilla would say. “What a lorra, lorra lot of wind!”
Run Larger, Multi-Site Offshore Wind Tenders, French Energy Commission Recommends To Gov’t
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) has recommended that the government conducts larger offshore wind tenders, inviting bids for several sites. This is according to the latest update from CRE, which has now published specifications for the country’s AO5 tender for a floating wind farm in southern Brittany.
Looking at the building of large numbers of wind turbines and their fixed or floating foundations, I am drawn to the conclusion, that it might be better if all were as identical as possible.
I should also note, that we were very successful selling Artemis project management systems in France. Our manager in the country, said it was because all the country’s top managers had been to the same schools and universities and passed the best solutions around themselves.
So perhaps a standard solution appeals to the French psyche?
In the UK, BP are currently designing and planning these fixed foundation wind farms.
- Mona – 1500 MW – 35 m. depth – 30 km. offshore
- Morgan – 1500 MW – 35 m. depth – 30 km. offshore
- Morven – 2907 MW – 65-75 m. depth – 60 km. offshore
Given that Mona and Morgan are in the Irish Sea and Morven is North-East of Aberdeen, I wouldn’t be surprised to find that BP treat these three projects as two separate 3 GW projects, which could share the same turbine design and fixed foundation designs, that were very similar.
I’m sure BP would save money, if they used a similar design philosophy on all three projects.
Stackable Floating Wind Platform Gets DNV Approval
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
DNV has awarded Bassoe Technology an Approval in Principle (AiP) for a 17 MW D-Floater floating wind foundation, designed to withstand extreme 50-year typhoon conditions in the South China Sea.
I wrote about this technology in An Elegant Solution.
This visualisation shows five D-floaters being transported on a ship.
DNV Approval makes it more likely that the design will be deployed in the near future.
Close-Up: New Scour Protection Solution That Has Potential To Cut Costs By 70 Pct Inspired By Turtles
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
At the beginning of May, Balmoral presented a scour protection solution that could replace rock dumping and is set to potentially cut costs by up to 70 per cent when compared to this conventional method. In an interview with offshoreWIND.biz, the company revealed that the initial concept behind its new HexDefence system was aimed at a solution for the oil and gas industry but was further developed with the offshore wind industry in mind and that its design was inspired by – turtles.
These first two paragraphs outline HexDefence.
As reported last month, the Scotland-based engineering company introduced HexDefence saying the solution could drastically reduce scour phenomena around fixed offshore wind turbines that cause seabed erosion and a reduction in foundation strength and stiffness.
The structure provides a non-invasive approach to protecting the monopile and the immediate surrounding area and eliminates the need for rock installation which can cost up to 70 per cent more when compared to this new solution, according to Balmoral.
HexDefence has its own section of the Balmoral web site.
In my long career, I have dealt with a lot of fluid flow and I like what Balmoral are doing.
eDNA Pilot Study Completed At World’s First Floating Offshore Wind Farm
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Equinor and Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE) have completed a pilot study using environmental DNA (eDNA) to monitor the biodiversity and abundance of marine life in waters around the 30 MW Hywind Scotland floating offshore wind farm.
This is the first paragraph.
Equinor and Norwegian Research Centre (NORCE) have completed a pilot study using environmental DNA (eDNA) to monitor the biodiversity and abundance of marine life in waters around the 30 MW Hywind Scotland floating offshore wind farm.
And this paragraph outlines methodology and objectives of the study.
By analysing the eDNA content in water samples, Equinor and NORCE were able to measure the biodiversity of fish species in the water surrounding Hywind Scotland. This pilot study was conducted to learn more about the potential effects that floating offshore wind farms may have on marine habitats.
The research identified 26 fish species and a harbour porpoise in the area.
According to the article, an often used method to analyse fish species is to trawl and analyse.
Surely, just to collect the eDNA from the water, is a method, that has the least effect on the fish, any porpoises and the environment.
Industry Calls For 10 GW Of Offshore Hydrogen In German National H2 Strategy
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Offshore wind and hydrogen developers and organisations in Germany have called on the federal government to set clear targets for offshore hydrogen in the update of the country’s National Hydrogen Strategy, with an additional 10 GW of offshore electrolysis capacity to be added by 2035.
These two paragraphs add detail the story and name those who are behind it.
On 26 May, several companies and industry organisations signed an appeal sent to the German Federal Government that highlights offshore hydrogen’s advantage of adding large-scale capacities and asks that a target of an additional 10 GW of offshore hydrogen by 2035 be added to both the country’s hydrogen strategy and the area development plan.
The parties that signed the appeal include the German offshore wind-to-hydrogen initiative AquaVentus, offshore wind and hydrogen players BP, Siemens Gamesa, Gasunie, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), EnBW, Equinor, and Lhyfe, as well as industry organisations WAB and the Federal Association of Offshore Wind Farm Operators (BWO), among others.
These two paragraphs describe an area to be developed for the first offshore hydrogen production.
As reported in January, in the country’s new area development plan for offshore wind, Germany’s Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) also outlined the first offshore hydrogen area in the North Sea.
The area, SEN-1, spans over 100 square kilometres in the North Sea and will allow for an electrolysis capacity of up to 1 GW to be tested and connected with a hydrogen pipeline.
Note.
- 1 GW if electricity should create about 435 tonnes of hydrogen per day.
- That amount of hydrogen could be stored as liquid in a sphere with a radius of 11.35 metres.
BlueFloat, Renantis Ink Exclusivity Agreements For Scottish Floaters
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The BlueFloat Energy and Renantis partnership has signed exclusivity agreements with Crown Estate Scotland to develop its Sinclair and Scaraben innovation projects which will now be part of a phased delivery of the partnership’s Broadshore project
This is the first two paragraphs.
The two 99.5 MW floating offshore wind farms will now be developed as part of a phased delivery of the partnership’s Broadshore project, located 47 kilometres north of Fraserburgh.
Sinclair and Scaraben will explore innovative foundation technologies, associated fabrication works, and mooring systems with a view to maximise opportunities for the Scottish supply chain, driving local investment and job creation, said the partners.
This would seem to be very sensible for manufacturing and project management reasons.
Dutch Stop Offshore Wind Turbines To Protect Migratory Birds In ‘International First’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
The wind turbines at Borssele and Egmond aan Zee offshore wind farms were stopped for four hours on 13 May, to help migrating birds pass by safely.
These three paragraphs outline the measures taken to protect the migrating birds.
According to the Dutch Government, this is the first time such a measure has been applied and is in line with the approach of the government and participating companies to increasingly focus on ecology and biodiversity in offshore wind farms.
The wind turbines’ speed will be reduced to a maximum of two rotations per minute during the predicted night-time peak migration to give the birds a safe passage.
The shutdown was part of a pilot phase, which could become standard this autumn and will also include wind farms that are still being built or will be constructed in the future.
I wonder how this Dutch action fits with research from Vattenfall, that I wrote about in Unique Study: Birds Avoid Wind Turbine Blades.
Vattenfall: Dolphins Unfazed By Offshore Wind Construction Work
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Concerns have been raised that the installation of the monopiles of the Vesterhav North wind farm offshore Denmark could cause a small pod of dolphins to leave the area. The dolphins have, however, neither left the area nor have they changed their behaviour, Vattenfall, the owner and developer of the wind farm, said.
These are the first two paragraphs.
In 2020, wildlife and underwater photographer Lars Mikkelsen discovered a pod of seven Common Bottlenose dolphins during a sailing trip in the canal between the North Sea and the Limfjord at the Danish coastal town of Thyborøn. Since then, Mikkelsen has been closely following the dolphins that are rare guests in the seas around Denmark.
The small pod of dolphins has for the past three years established residence in the area of the Danish part of the North Sea where Vattenfall is constructing its Vesterhav offshore wind farms.
This Google Map shows the Limfjord, which stretches between the North Sea and the Kattegat.
Thyborøn, is at the Western entrance to the Limfjord, which leads into the large area of water in the South-West of the map.
From its Wikipedia entry, the Limfjord seems to be an ecologically-interesting place.
This paragraph sums up how the construction affected the dolphins.
So, when concerns were raised that the installation of the wind farm’s monopiles could cause the dolphins to leave the area, Vattenfall initiated a collaborative monitoring effort. Fortunately, it showed that the dolphins were still present and have not changed behaviour after completion of the monopile installation.
Note.
- Vattenfall did adopt measures to mitigate the noise, as is detailed in the article.
- A university also took a series of measurements.
But the exercise does show it is possible to install offshore wind farms without disturbing the inhabitants.
The Anonymous Widower 