Author: Arnes Biogradlija

Analysts GlobalData has reported that the UK wind turbine prices could increase due to the coronavirus pandemic as quarantine measures create a supply blockage. Even tho it’s a thriving industry, the UK suffers from a lack of domestic turbine manufacturers. “Despite the manufacturing sector being exempt from the lockdown, stringent quarantine measures are likely to create a material supply bottleneck. Production rates are not expected to be high, hence to meet the expected rates, the manufacturing costs would go up. During the first quarter of 2020, the UK’s average turbine price is estimated to rise to $854/kW, from $816/kW, and…

Widespread support for offshore wind energy is coming from every demographics group across the U.S. According to the survey conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, and released by American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), over 80 percent of voters favor offshore wind energy. Wind energy is viewed as a clean, renewable, affordable power source that reduces carbon emission, while providing power to American households. “Voters are strongly in favor of offshore wind energy, regardless of ideology or party affiliation. Republicans and Democrats alike see offshore wind as playing a key role in the nation’s future energy portfolio, providing tremendous economic and environmental…

AqualisBraemar has strengthened its London marine team with Paul Martin, who will be joining as the new director of P&I. Martin specializes in accident investigation and casualty management, having been instructed in numerous cases by marine insurers, lawyers, owners, charterers and managers and bringing a total of nearly 40 years of maritime experience to the team. “Paul is a Master Mariner and former marine pilot, who joins AqualisBraemar today as part of our continued expansion. He will spearhead our growth in the P&I and expert witness service sectors of our marine consultancy business,” said Mark McGurran, group managing director of…

Wärtsilä will supply a propulsion and power package for a new 75 metres long fishing trawler. This ship will be build in Denmark at the Karstensen shipyard for Scottish owners and operators Wiseman fishing and Northbay fishing. The vessel will feature a Wärtsilä 31 main engine, two Wärtsilä 14 power generating sets, a gearbox and a controllable pitch propeller (CPP), the combination of which represents the latest engine and power generation technology. “It is always satisfying to receive repeat orders, since they are the best endorsement of customer satisfaction. We have earlier provided engines and propulsion solutions for both Karstensen and Wiseman Fishing, so it is…

The U.S. Department of Energy is giving up to $38 million in funding for a new advanced research projects agency-energy (ARPA-E) program, submarine hydrokinetic and riverine kilo-megawatt systems (SHARKS). The program seeks to design economically attractive hydrokinetic turbines (HKT) for tidal and riverine currents. Under secretary of energy Mark W. Menezes said: “America’s tidal and riverine currents remain a valuable resource for the generation of clean and reliable electricity.” Development of efficient and economically attractive hydrokinetic turbine technologies could enable the U.S. to use those resources to diversify energy generation infrastructure and increase grid resiliency. “The SHARKS program builds upon the…

The three-year Horizon 2020 funded WaveBoost project has drawn to a close with an improvement achieved to the reliability and performance of wave energy technology. Led by CorPower, the WaveBoost consortium designed and developed an advanced power take off (PTO) system allowing wave energy converters (WECs) to operate safer and more reliably in harsh ocean conditions while increasing annual electricity production by 27 percent. The system incorporates a pneumatic module that has 80% less components, thus reducing complexity and CAPEX while improving reliability, compared to previous designs. A redistribution system manages the power input from ocean waves to support grid…

Iberdrola has commissioned Europe’s largest photovoltaic plant after construction was completed last December. The Núñez de Balboa project, with 500 MW of installed power and an investment of €300 million, started operating on Monday. This project was developed in collaboration with Ecoenergías del Guadiana. It contains 1,430,000 solar panels, 115 central inverters, and two substations. The plant will generate clean energy to supply 250,000 people a year, and it will prevent the emission of 215,000 tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. Iberdrola received green financing from the European Investment Bank and Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO), Spain’s state financial agency.

Renova has selected MHI Vestas to supply turbines for the Akita Yurihonjo offshore wind project in Japan. The project is expected to have a power generating capacity of approximately 700 MW, making it one of the largest offshore wind farms in Japan. Yosuke Kiminami, founding CEO of Renova said:”The Yurihonjo project will be a pioneer in the Japanese offshore wind market, and we recognize that the reliability of the wind turbines to be used is crucial. I am sure that the wind turbines developed by MHI Vestas, which commands one of the largest shares of the global offshore wind turbine,…

ABB and Hydrogène de France (HDF) will manufacture a megawatt-scale fuel cell system capable of powering ocean-going vessels.

OWC has been contracted to develop a ground model for a US offshore wind project and its cable route. The unnamed project will be managed from OWC’s office in Boston, MA, USA. Will Cleverly, managing director of OWC, said: “Our approach to ground modeling maximizes data value through GIS integration and analysis. We follow rigorous terrain and subsurface mapping principles, which, combined with extensive practical offshore acquisition and interpretation experience, allows us to produce quality outputs that focus on the key engineering project drivers. The primary objective is to characterize the seabed and shallow soils and to identify geohazards, focusing…