Group items tagged

"Nine European countries have today signed a major agreement to develop the world's first large-scale offshore wind energy grid in the North and Irish seas, providing a boost to the continent's fast-expanding offshore wind industry.

UK energy minister Lord Hunt joined with ministers from Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden and Ireland to sign the agreement on the sidelines of today's European Council meeting in Brussels."

US-based energy technologies company American Superconductor Corp. (AMSC) said on 9 September it has set up a subsidiary in India (AMSC India) to serve the subcontinent's rapidly growing wind energy and power grid markets with AMSC's power electronics and superconductor-based solutions. AMSC India will have its regional head office in Delhi and a service office in Pune, and will provide local applications engineering, sales, business development, and field service support.

Siemens is expanding its global manufacturing network for wind turbine plants and is building a new production facility in Lingang New City in Shanghai. By establishing this new rotor blade and nacelle plant, the company is further strengthening its environmental portfolio. This new facility is scheduled to take up operation in the second half of 2010, initially with 400 employees. The wind turbine plants produced in Shanghai will be for the Chinese market and for export.

It is clear that the economic and financial downturn have begun to take a serious toll on new wind development.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Deal making and development in the wind arena continue even as the economy slows down, with the federal government moving ahead to grant leases for the U.S.'s first offshore wind projects in history and other state-based projects moving to the front burner.

Comments on federal rules to govern a host of alternative energy projects proposed in federal waters off the coast of the U.S. drew about 225 responses by Monday's deadline, as the U.S. Mineral Management Service, or MMS, moves ahead with plans to lease the outer continental shelf to several companies.

U.S. wind industry has raced past the 20,000-megawatt (MW) installed capacity milestone, achieving in two years what had previously taken more than two decades, according to new figures. The 10,000-MW mark was reached in 2006.

Wind now provides 20,152 MW of electricity generating capacity in the U.S., producing enough electricity to serve 5.3 million American homes or power a fleet of more than 1 million plug-in hybrid vehicle, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

"Wind energy installations are well ahead of the curve for contributing 20% of the U.S. electric power supply by 2030 as envisioned by the U.S. Department of Energy," said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. "However, the looming expiration of the federal renewable energy production tax credit (PTC) less than four months from now threatens this spectacular progress. The PTC has been a critical factor in wind's very rapid growth as a part of the nation's power portfolio."

The PTC is currently set to expire at the end of 2008.

According to a new technical market research report from BCC Research, the domestic market for wind turbine components and systems will be worth $60.9 billion in 2013. This represents an increase from the 2007 market value of $7.9 billion and the estimated 2008 market value of $11.2 billion. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2008 and 2013 is expected to be 40.0%. \n\nThe market is analyzed by state and includes the top ten spenders on wind turbine technology: Texas, California, Iowa, Minnesota, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, New York, Kansas and Illinois. Texas has the largest statewide expenditure, exceeding $2.4 billion in 2007 and an estimated $3.0 billion in 2008. This should grow at a CAGR of 38.0% to reach $15.2 billion in 2013. \n

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, September 2, 2008. The Danish Ministry for Climate and Energy says a new 400 MW offshore wind farm will be built by 2012.
The wind farm comes in addition to the 200 MW Rødsand II (online from 2011) and 200 MW Horns Rev II (online from 2009), and will be built between Anholt and Djursland in the Kattegat Sea between Denmark and Sweden.
The location was chosen due to the possibility of connecting the wind farm more or less directly to the existing grid, which means the windmills can be put up quicker. Depending on the capacity of the windmills that will be chosen, the wind farm will have 100-175 wind mills.

Czech utility, CEZ Group (CEZ.BE), is investing 1.1 billion euros in a Romanian wind farm with a projected capacity of 600 megawatts (MW), which--when completed--will be the largest onshore wind farm in Europe.

CEZ bought the development rights for two projects from Continental Wind Partners LLC (CWP), which will manage the construction, set to begin next month. The project will combine adjacent Fantanele and Cogealac wind farms. Together, the two projects will be about twice the size of the next largest fully permitted onshore wind farm in Europe, and triple the size of the largest operational wind farm in Europe.

The project, which is located about 17 kilometers from the Black Sea, will be completed in two stages. The first stage of 347.5 MW is expected to be completed by the end of 2009. It will comprise 139 GE wind turbines.

China will begin subsidizing the production of wind power turbines, according to an announcement made last Friday.

The subsidy will only be available to Chinese majority-owned turbine manufacturers, who will be eligible to receive $88 per kilowatt for the first 50 units capable of generating at least 1.5 megawatts of power. In addition, the subsidy can only be used for research and development.

This is the first Chinese subsidy specifically focusing on the wind power industry and it is meant to make Chinese companies more competitive with turbine makers like GE (NYSE: GE) in the U.S., Vestas Wind Systems (VWS.CO) in the Netherlands and India's Suzlon (SUZL.BO).

Sierra Pacific Power and Nevada Power Company have announced that they are expanding their SolarGenerations renewable energy programs to include cash incentives for wind and hydroelectric power systems as well as solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Both Nevada utilities are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Sierra Pacific Resources.

"These projects deliver benefits on many levels: they reduce energy bills, provide learning opportunities, help the environment, and increase our energy independence by taking advantage of abundant natural energy sources right in our own backyard."

-- John Hargrove, Program Manage, Sierra Pacific & Nevada Power

The last session of the Nevada State Legislature made the SolarGenerations demonstration program permanent, doubling the total amount of installed photovoltaic energy eligible for rebates from 1,900 kilowatts (kW) to 3,760 kW, and adding the new WindGenerations and HydroGenerations programs. Together, these programs are called RenewableGenerations.

EDF Energies Nouvelles has signed an agreement with Clipper Windpower for the supply of 67.5 MW of wind turbines. Clipper Turbine Works, a subsidiary of Clipper Windpower, will supply 27 wind turbines, each with a 2.5 MW capacity, to build the first phase of the La Ventosa wind farm in Mexico.

This main report is intended for government policy makers and organisations considering installing small wind turbines at their sites, but will also interest other readers.

REpower Systems AG has successfully installed the first of six wind energy turbines for the Belgian offshore wind farm Thornton Bank. The project, located about 30 kilometers off the coast, is the first Belgian offshore wind farm. For the first of three construction phases, REpower is providing six 5-megawatt (MW) offshore turbines, adding up to a total capacity of 30 MW.

Gravity based foundations were erected and carried out to sea to form the foundation for the six wind turbines in Thornton Bank. All work at sea is performed in a water depth of approximately 25 meters using jack-up drilling platforms. The 5-MW turbine which has just been erected in Belgium is the twelfth of the model installed by REpower.