Author: Anela Dokso

Asahi Tanker, Idemitsu Kosan, Exeno Yamamizu Corporation, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance, Tokyo Electric Power Company and Mitsubishi Corporation have established the “e5 Consortium”, with the goal of establishing new ocean shipping infrastructure services through various initiatives to develop, realize, and commercialize zero-emission electric vessels. Coastal shipping in Japan faces structural issues such as a shortage of mariners due to the aging of the seagoing workforce, and the aging of the vessels. In addition, the ocean shipping industry has urged the coastal shipping industry to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) as one of Japan’s measures…

The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest inventory of electric generators has shown that the number of solar and wind generation sites co-located with batteries has grown from 19 paired sites in 2016 to 53 paired sites in 2019. Pairing renewable energy generators with energy storage, particularly batteries, is increasingly common as the cost of energy storage continues to decrease. This trend is expected to continue: according to planned installations reported to EIA, another 56 facilities pairing renewable energy and battery storage will come online by the end of 2023. Combining energy storage with renewable technologies such as wind and solar…

The California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA) has released an eight point economic stimulus plan of action to bring the benefits of solar and storage to more consumers and support thousands of locals jobs. In a recent industry survey 92 percent of solar and storage businesses pointed to negative impacts on their operations as a result of COVID-19. Businesses reported laying off or furloughing 21 percent of employees, indicating a loss of 15,600 solar and storage jobs in California during the first six weeks of the pandemic.      At the same time, interest in a solar and storage from residential,…

Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) and the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) have appointed the leader of the new multi-technology association that will provide a unified voice for solar energy, wind energy, and energy storage in Canada. Effective July 1, 2020, the members of CanSIA and CanWEA will unite within the Canadian Renewable Energy Association under the leadership of Robert Hornung, the long-standing president of CanWEA. “The launch of the Canadian Renewable Energy Association is a major step forward toward the realization of more comprehensive energy solutions encompassing wind, solar and energy storage in Canada. It needs a leader with…

Dutch consultancy and engineering company IX Wind has opened a new office in Tokyo. IX Wind has been active in Taiwan, Korea, China and Japan for several years now. To improve the service to clients in those countries, IX opened an office in Taipei with the hiring of Paris Tzou. Now, with the welcoming of Rob van Veen to the team, a Dutch/British national living in Tokyo, IX has a local presence and which allows to work closer with clients. With this step, there is a good basis for further expanding the business in Japanese market. Earlier this year IX…

The growth of renewable energy installations is expected to resume next year, following the drop in building of wind turbines, solar plants and other installations that produce renewable electricity this year because of the impact of the Covid-19. The growth is expected to resume in 2021 as most of the delayed projects come online and assuming a continuation of supportive government policies, according to the International Energy Agency. Renewable power sources have so far showed impressive resilience despite the disruptions and changes caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with their share of the electricity mix increasing in many markets. But the…

Prysmian Group has finalized a contract for a project awarded by Vattenfall, to provide the submarine inter array cable systems for the Hollandse Kust Zuid III and IV offshore wind farm in The Netherlands. Prysmian will design, test and supply about 170 km of 66 kV XLPE-insulated inter-array cables, as well as the related accessories. The cables will be produced in Nordenham, a Prysmian centre of excellence located in Germany. Delivery is due by 2022. “We are proud to support Vattenfall in this important project, providing The Netherlands with CO2-free electricity. Our 66 kV inter-array cables system, compared to 33…

Offshore Wind Consultants (OWC) has set up an office in Tokyo to support the emerging offshore wind market in Japan. “The Japanese government has announced big ambitions when it comes to renewables in general and offshore wind specifically. We want to be part of that vision and be available for offshore wind developers here, while also contributing towards local job and value creation.”Will Cleverly, managing director, OWC. According to GWEC Market Intelligence, Japan had a total cumulative installed wind power capacity of 3,923 MW by the end of 2019, of which 66 MW is offshore wind power. For offshore alone,…

Longitude Engineering (Longitude), a LOC Group company, has provided concept and basic design services, as well as construction specification for yard engagement and procurement activities, for a new DP2 cable lay ship for Woen Jinn Harbor Engineering (Woen Jinn), in Taiwan. The DP2 oceangoing vessel design, with a focus on cable operations in Taiwan’s environmental condition, has received approval-in-principal by ABS and CR Class. The back deck was specifically designed to be suitable for export cable, array cable and cable repair work. The design concept provided was based on regular engagement with Woen Jinn as well as other stakeholders, including…

The conversion project for the Royal Boskalis’ new crane vessel Bokalift 2 has started with a steel cutting ceremony that took place at the shipyard Drydocks World in Dubai. This marks the beginning of a new phase in the modification of the vessel’s hull and deck. The conversion scope includes the fabrication and installation of 9,000 tons of steel blocks on both sides of the vessel to increase the stability of the vessel and the installation of a new work deck. A 4,000 ton crane will be installed on the vessel in 2021. This revolving crane will be capable of…