Author: Anela Dokso

A new £3.5m offshore innovation programme has launched, primarily targeting supply chain companies located in the North of Tyne area with opportunities to fund and support technology innovation in the offshore wind and subsea sectors. The Technology, Innovation and Green Growth for Offshore Renewables (TIGGOR) programme is being funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) as part of its wider Energy, Green Growth and Climate Change commitments. NTCA has partnered with the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, who will deliver the programme on their behalf. ORE Catapult will, in turn, partner with the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP)…

Kongsberg Maritime (KM) has signed a new contract with the maritime services and solutions provider MacGregor to deliver a Pile Gripper Guidance System (PGGS) for the OHT Alfa Lift. Scheduled for delivery in 2021, Alfa Lift will be the world’s largest custom-built offshore wind foundation installation vessel, equipped with a 3,000t main crane. The ship’s 10,000+ m2 ‘smart’ deck will carry up to 14 XL monopiles per voyage and will also be fully submersible to a depth of 14.66 meters. Under the terms of the contract, MacGregor will deliver a motion-compensated pile gripper frame, while KONGSBERG’s PGGS will integrate the…

Capital Power Corporation has executed a 20-year power purchase agreements with Duke Energy Carolinas for three solar development projects located in North Carolina totaling 160 megawatts (MW). The solar projects consist of Hornet Solar (75 MW), Hunter’s Cove Solar (50 MW), and Bear Branch Solar (35 MW). ž Construction of the solar projects is expected to begin in late 2021 or early 2022 with commercial operations expected in the fourth quarter of 2022. “We are delighted to provide additional renewable energy to the people of North Carolina. With the Whitla Wind 2&3 and Strathmore Solar projects in advanced development in…

Canadian Solar has closed a supply contract and long term service agreement with Goldman Sachs Renewable Power to deliver and integrate a 75 MW / 300 MWh lithium-ion battery storage solution into the 100 MWac Mustang solar plant in California. The 75 MW or 4-hour 300 MWh energy storage system is a retrofit addition to the Mustang solar plant in King’s County, California, which was originally developed by Canadian Solar’s wholly owned subsidiary Recurrent Energy. The solar plant was connected to the grid in August 2016 and the project’s equity stake was later sold to Goldman Sachs in May 2019.…

Wärtsilä has secured an order from Harvey Gulf to supply its advanced Energy Storage System (ESS) to be retrofitted on four Harvey Energy class LNG-fueled Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs). A fifth vessel in this class was earlier fitted with a Wärtsilä ESS. When the upgrade project is completed, all five vessels will be capable of full tri-fuel operation, thus providing Harvey Gulf with the most flexible, fuel efficient class of PSVs in the Gulf of Mexico. The boats will be capable of closed bus Dynamic Positioning (DP) operation running only one engine augmented by the Wärtsilä Energy Storage System. When…

Vestas has secured an 8 MW order of 4 MW platform turbine components that qualify for the 60 percent PTC value. The order was secured from an undisclosed customer. These components will enable future wind energy projects that complete construction by the end of 2024. The PTC terms set in the PATH act, passed by Congress in 2015, made the wind industry the first energy industry to agree to permanent tax reform and have resulted billions of dollars in wind energy investment in the U.S. This includes expansions in domestic manufacturing and supply chain, construction, transportation, tax revenue to local…

RWE Renewables has invested in a machine learning tool to improve offshore wind vessel to turbine transfers that could save the industry £1 million per installed GW every year. Developed by UK-based SME Cognitive.Business, the tool enables highly accurate, localized assessment of safe conditions for vessel to turbine transfers at operational offshore wind farms, supporting the management of one of the most hazardous aspects of offshore operations and helping to reduce losses estimated at £25 million per year across the industry. This product has been developed through the WAVES (Wind Accessibility Verification for Enhanced Safety) project funded by the Offshore…

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has approved nacelle based wind lidar ‘ZX TM’ from ZX Lidars. The lidar will be used to provide Power Performance Testing on Siemens Gamesa wind turbines. Prior to the approval, Siemens Gamesa tested the new technology together with ZX Lidars. Based on the positive results achieved, both on the medium range and long range measurements, Siemens Gamesa approved the use of the nacelle based continuous wave scanning lidar ‘ZX TM’. This specific lidar – ZX TM – allows the power curve of SGRE wind turbines to be measured and verified as a function of the…

Heerema’s SSCV Sleipnir has completed two jacket foundations installation for Ørsted’s Hornsea 2 wind farm. The work included the transportation and installation of two jackets that will provide the foundation for the Hornsea 2 wind farm’s RCS and OSS platforms. Ørsted’s Hornsea 2 wind farm is located approximately 89 km off the Yorkshire coast in the North Sea, and the project will consist of 165 turbines with a combined total capacity of 1.4 GW. The installation completes around two years of a close partnership between Ørsted, its fabricator SMOE in Batam, and the transportation subcontractor Biglift. Heerema will be back…

Panasonic and Service Finance Company have launches PowerOn, a new home energy storage financing program. The program is made exclusively for Panasonic EverVolt Certified Installers that enables them to offer 100% financing to homeowners who buy a complete energy storage system including EverVolt battery storage and Panasonic brand solar modules, or EverVolt battery storage. The PowerOn program offers affordable payments for homeowners and speedy payment to Installers. Homeowners will be able to use any federal tax credits and local incentives to lower their payments and pay down loans faster through refinancing. All promotional loans offered through the PowerOn program include…