Author: Anela Dokso

Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) has contracted SeaTrepid International to deploy a turnkey PB3 PowerBuoy and oceanographic monitoring system off the coast of Chile. Using remote collaboration tools, the Louisiana-based company’s personnel are virtually training on technical procedures and installation requirements with the OPT project engineering team to advance a planned December deployment. “The global pandemic has caused us to rethink our approach to deployments in distant locations by using remote collaboration tool. Remotely managed system deployments and recoveries that leverage local contractors and dovetail with existing marine operations can reduce cost and increase flexibility for our customers. SeaTrepid’s reputation for…

Finnish developer Ilmatar Energy has placed an order with Vestas for 74 MW for the Voimamylly and Rasakangas wind projects, set to be located in Southwest and Central Finland. The contracts include supply, installation and commissioning of the wind turbines, as well as a VestasOnline Business SCADA solution, lowering turbine downtime and thus optimizing the energy output. Comprised of six V150-4.2 MW turbines from Vestas’ versatile 4 MW platform, the Voimamylly wind project will be optimized for 4.3 MW, with 135 meter towers. Combined with a 30-year Active Output Management 5000 (AOM 5000) service agreement, the customized site layout will…

Cross border connections have been strengthened as Scottish and Welsh ocean energy test centres progress the development of the UK’s test centre network. EMEC has provided on the ground operational support to the Marine Energy Test Area (META) in Pembrokeshire, Wales, following an agreement signing between Marine Energy Wales and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC). META consists of eight pre-consented test sites located in and around the Milford Haven Waterway. The centre aims to de-risk the development of marine energy projects by providing the opportunity to test scale and full-scale devices, sub-assemblies and components in sites that are accessible…

IKM Subsea Singapore has secured a contract with Solstad for ROV services onboard its Construction Support Vessel, the Normand Baltic. The contract requires IKM Subsea to provide the Merlin WR200 Work-class ROV with tooling and personnel for a wind farm installation project in Taiwan. Project mobilization will start in Q1 2021 and duration is 150 days plus options. “With the uptrend in the renewables market in the region, we have envisioned to be part of it and this contract is a great start.” Mahesh Govindan, managing director APAC & ME.

Equinor has joined the NortH2-project aimed to produce green hydrogen using renewable electricity from offshore wind off the coast of Netherlands of about 4 gigawatts by 2030, and 10+ gigawatts by 2040, kickstarting the hydrogen economy in Northwest Europe. NortH2 was launched in February 2020, with Shell, Groningen Seaports Gasunie and the province of Groningen. Equinor joins RWE as new partners to the project. “This is a groundbreaking project that Equinor is looking forward to contribute to. The project can be an important part in our efforts to build a competitive position in hydrogen, creating future value and industrial possibilities.…

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation is moving forward with the design and development of the first U.S.-flagged Jones Act compliant, inclined fallpipe vessel for subsea rock installation. The vessel represents a critical advancement in building the future of the new U.S. offshore wind industry, including establishing a U.S.-based rock supply chain network spanning eastern seaboard states with active offshore wind leases. Pending business conditions and a final investment decision, GLDD’s vessel will be U.S. owned, built and operated by American workers. The vessel is expected to help spur additional job growth and regional economic opportunities corresponding with the establishment…

The Basque Country and Scotland have teamed up for EuropeWave – a new five-year collaborative programme that will channel €20 million to the most promising wave energy concepts. The initiative is match-funded by the European Commission via its Horizon 2020 programme, and Ocean Energy Europe is on board as project partner. This collaboration is closely aligned with the decarbonization, industrial and competitiveness objectives of the European Green Deal, and will help meet the European Commission’s newly-announced targets of 100MW of ocean energy by 2025 and at least 1GW by 2030. EuropeWave will use an innovative ‘pre-commercial procurement’ approach to identify…

Deploying ocean energy at scale requires simpler, faster consenting processes that are informed by the latest environmental research, according to a new report launched by ETIP Ocean. To date, there is no evidence that ocean energy has a negative impact on the marine environment – in fact, its role in mitigating climate change is clearly a positive one. Regulatory decision-making should be designed with this in mind, and provide an easier path into the water for these innovative technologies. Authored by a sectoral advisory body, the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Ocean Energy (ETIP Ocean), the report aims to…

Marine Energy Wales (MEW) has welcomed RWE Renewables as a premium member. RWE Renewables is one of the world’s leading producers of renewable energy. RWE now stands as the world’s second largest offshore wind developer and third largest provider of renewable electricity across Europe. In the Wales, RWE Renewables is a major player, generating over a third of the nation’s renewable energy. The company now employs over 100 people across its four offices in Wales, with a diverse portfolio of onshore and offshore wind and hydro. “Wales is a special place for RWE having invested £3 billion in the past…

Total Eren has commissioned its 50.4 MW Malaspina wind project in southern Argentina. Malaspina is Total Eren’s second renewable energy project to be commissioned in the country. The Malaspina wind farm is located in the Chubut province, one of the five Patagonian provinces which lies on the Atlantic coast and where average wind speeds can exceed 10 m/s. The wind farm was co-financed by KfW IPEX-Bank and FMO in December 2018 and holds a USD-based20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with CAMMESA, the Argentinian administrator of the wholesale electricity market. It is equipped with 14 type 3.6M114NES wind turbines from the…