The EU's energy independence through the North Sea

[moinsdewatt]

Inauguration of Sandbank Wind Farm. 288 MW with 72 turbines.

Vattenfall and Stadtwerke Inaugurate 288 MW Sandbank Offshore Wind Farm

July 25, 2017 evwind

Swedish power company Vattenfall and German communal company Stadtwerke München have successfully completed the construction and officially inaugurated the 288 MW Sandbank offshore wind farm this week, making way for enough clean electricity for 400,000 German households.

This past Sunday, Vattenfall and Stadtwerke München officially inaugurated the 288 megawatt (MW) Sandbank offshore wind farm, located at 90 kilometers off the German island of Sylt. This is the second of the large Energiewende projects for Germany, after the 288 MW Tysk Dan offshore wind farm. Together, Vattenfall and Stadtwerke München now have the advantage of having offshore wind capacity, which makes them some of the largest producers of renewable electricity in the German Bight.

The Sandbank project is made up of 72 wind turbines, and is expected to provide renewable energy. 400,000 German households, avoiding 700,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually.


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https://www.evwind.es/2017/07/25/vatten ... farm/60530

[moinsdewatt]

Wind at sea: EDF sets up in the United Kingdom while waiting for France

AFP 06 / 10 / 2017

Despite the delay of the yards of its French projects, bogged down in recourse, EDF always believes to be able to find a place in the offshore wind power and builds its weapons in the United Kingdom, where it has just completed the construction of a experimental park.

The five wind turbines stand out from the seascape a stone's throw from the port of Blyth, near Newcastle, in north-east England. These sea monsters, about 200 meters high with carbon blades 190 meters long, are the most powerful wind turbines installed to date in an offshore park.

Built by the Japanese-Danish joint venture MHI-Vestas, they will produce their first megawatt hours "within ten to fifteen days", explains Matthieu Hue, CEO of EDF Energy Renewables, a joint venture between two subsidiaries of the French group, EDF Energies nouvelles and EDF Energy.

The construction started this summer and ended a few weeks ago.

If Blyth is a small park just six kilometers from the coast, it is because it was awarded to EDF EN on a site dedicated by the British government to the experimentation of new wind technologies.

In addition to the record power of 8,3 megawatts of its wind turbines, this pilot fleet tests other innovations, on the technique of laying the foundations of turbines and on the connection of the park to the network.

They aim to improve the profitability of the fleets by reducing their construction and operating costs, while the prices of wind power are falling steadily.

The electricity produced on Blyth Park, a project launched in 2013, will be sold around 145 pounds megawatt hour (about 160 euros), according to Mr Hue. In mid-September, auctions showed prices below 80 pounds / MWh for parks that will be commissioned by 2023.

EDF hopes to duplicate these innovations elsewhere, as for example on the French fleet it is developing off Fécamp (Seine-Maritime) and which will have the same type of foundations

Provided that this site, like those of the two other French projects of the group, Courseulles (Calvados) and Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique), can start.
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http://www.boursorama.com/actualites/eo ... c3dad33a77

[moinsdewatt]

EDF Energies Nouvelles is eyeing the Chinese offshore wind farm

Aurélie Barbaux Factory New the 09 / 10 / 2017

EDF Energies Nouvelles is counting on its prototype Blyth offshore wind farm in the United Kingdom to develop its expertise outside Europe.


Installation of offshore wind turbine turbines on the EDF EN Blyth demonstrator site in the United Kingdom

Its three French offshore wind projects, in Dunkirk, Saint-Nazaire, Courseulles-sur-Mer and Fécamp, are floundering in recourse. Whatever. EDF Energies Nouvelles, which already operates the C-Power park (325 MW) in Belgium, that of Teesside (62MW) in the United Kingdom, and which will connect its prototype Blyth (41MW) site to the grid before the end by 2017, sees further and bigger. "We are determined to become a major player in offshore wind energy", declared Antoine Cahuzac, CEO of EDF EN, during a visit to the Blyth wind farm in Mer-du-Nord,

Test innovations

On this demonstrator site near Newcastle (United Kingdom) won by call for tenders in 2014, EDF EN has three locations. On the first, 6 km from the shore, EDF EN is using "gravity" foundations for the first time on offshore wind turbines placed at sea. With a hollow structure of concrete and steel weighing 4500 tonnes, they are brought to their location by flotation before being submerged to a depth of 30 meters by ballasting with more than 10 tonnes of sand. EDF EN had tested the technique to install the measurement mast of the future Fécamp offshore wind farm (000 MW). "The gravity foundations of Blyth will be able to serve us on the Fécamp offshore park (498 wind turbines) because they are the same ground conditions at the bottom", specifies Antoine Cahuzac. The Blyth demonstrator is also the first to use underground 83 kV submarine cables. And, for now, the site's five 66 MW MHI Vestas V164 turbines are the most powerful installed in an offshore farm.

Valuing your expertise

But EDF EN has other assets to put forward. The EDF subsidiary is also a partner in a floating offshore wind farm project in the Mediterranean. And thanks to the acquisition last July, via its subsidiary Reetec, of the German company Off-shore Wind Solutions (OWS), EDF EN is ensuring the maintenance of a 400 MW wind farm in Germany. These European references give assurance to Antoine Cahuzac, who admits to looking insistently on the side of China. A difficult market and for the moment very Chinese-Chinese. "In China, only 2% of the turbines installed are not Chinese. But Chinese wind turbine manufacturers only achieve 1% of their turnover outside China. One would nevertheless be naive to believe that one will not see no Chinese turbines elsewhere than in China, "observes Antoine Cahuzac.

TRIDENT partners

But, the Chinese are still little present in offshore wind power. Antoine Cahuzac therefore thinks that EDF EN can make the most of its expertise there. "We are looking on the Chinese coasts and on the east coast of the United States, but we will go with partners, explains the CEO of EDF EN. Our ambition is to have projects of 500 MW to 1GW by 2025. . " By then, EDF EN's French offshore wind farms off Fécamp, Courseulles-sur-Mer and Saint-Nazaire, with a total capacity of 1428 MW, should be connected to the grid.

https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/e ... is.N597388


Gravity foundations leave dry dock on tyne river in July 2017

https://www.usinenouvelle.com/photos/en ... gravita.1#

[moinsdewatt]

Vattenfall starts work on Denmark's largest offshore wind farm. 406 MW in 49 turbines of 8.3 MW each.

Vattenfall begins building offshore wind farm in Denmark

October 22, 2017 evwind

Vattenfall said on Friday it had started construction on North Sea's largest offshore wind farm, able to power 425,000 households.

The 406 MW Horns Rev 3 wind farm will consist of 49 8.3 MW-turbines delivered by MHI Vestas, a joint venture between Vestas and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

"Horns Rev 3 is the first of three offshore farms that Vattenfall will construct in Denmark in the coming years," said head of Vattenfall's Gunnar Groebler wind division.

The construction work will take place in North Sea, 34 km off Denmark's west coast and will stretch over 88 square kilometers.

Vattenfall won the Horns Rev 3-contract in 2015 (xnumx) per megawatt hour (MWh). It won the Kriegers Flak project off Denmark's coast with a bid of 103 euros / MWh in November 121.57.

https://www.evwind.es/2017/10/22/vatten ... mark/61505

[moinsdewatt]

Commissioning of the Dudgeon English offshore wind farm

Published 22 / 11 / 2017 lemarin.fr

The Dudgeon offshore wind farm, at 40 km off Norfolk, England, officially went into service on Wednesday November 22.



Dudgeon's fleet, with an installed capacity of 402 MW, is now supplying 410 000 homes with electricity. (Photo: Jan Arne Wold - Woldcam / Statoil ASA)

http://www.lemarin.fr/secteurs-activite ... de-dudgeon

[moinsdewatt]

The Wind Farm at Race Bank is now fully operational. 91 wind turbines, 573 MW in total.
Since there was partial opening since Mai 2017 there has already been 1 TW.h production.

Orsted's Race Bank gears up to full power The 573MW offshore wind project can now produce enough electricity for half a million UK homes


02 February 2018

Danish energy giant ørsted's Race Bank Offshore wind farm spun up to full power yesterday, marking the end of the 18-month construction process.

The 91-turbine project off the Norfolk coast is now operating to its full 573MW capacity, generating enough power for up to half a million UK homes.


It's now full steam ahead at Race Bank | Credit: Orsted

The site has already generated more than one hour of electricity since the first turbines were installed and commissioned in May 2017, the company said.

"Full power and one terawatt hour of production are two fantastic milestones and have been achieved by the hard work and dedication of a significant number of people," said project director David Summers.

Race Bank is 50 per cent owned by Ørsted, with Australian bank Macquarie and Japanese business group Sumitomo Holding Corporation 37.5 per cent and 12.5 per cent stakes respectively.

https://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/3 ... full-power



https://www.renewableenergymagazine.com ... d-20180201

[moinsdewatt]

A good feedback from the 30 MW Hywind floating wind farm in Scotland, he was able to cope with hurricane Ophelie, the Caroline winter storm and waves of 8 m. Very good load factor.

Hywind Scotland achieves world class performance

February 15, 2018 evwind

Despite one hurricane, one winter storm and wave heights of up to 8,2 meters, Hywind Scotland, the world's first floating wind farm, performed better than expected in its first 3 full months in production.



The 30MW wind farm, operated by Statoil in partnership with Masdar, is located 25 Peterhead offshore kilometers in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and is powering approximately 20,000 UK households.

During the winter, when the wind is at its strongest, the typical capacity factor is 45-60%. By comparison, Hywind Scotland achieved an average of approximately 10% of November, December and January, which is the largest percentage of the world.

A capacity factor of 100 has been generated at maximum output every second of the day.

"We have tested the Hywind technology in weather conditions for many years and we know it works. Goal putting the world's first floating wind farm into production comes with some excitement. Therefore, it is very encouraging to see how the turbines have performed so far. Hywind Scotland's high availability is expected to be much higher than expected. In addition, it has delivered without any HSE incidents, "says Beate Myking, senior vice president of offshore wind operations in Statoil.

Hywind Scotland's first encounter with the weather conditions was the hurricane Ophelia in October when the speed of 125 kilometers per hour (80mph) were recorded. These wind speeds were surpassed during the time of the Caroline Storm in early December when they were in excess of 160 km / hr (100 mph) and recorded in excess of 8,2 meters.

Whilst the wind turbines shut down for safety reasons during the worst of these winds, they automatically resumed operation promptly afterwards. A pitch motion controller is integrated with the Hywind turbine's control system and will adjust the angle of the turbine blades during heavy winds which mitigates excessive motions of the structure.

https://www.evwind.es/2018/02/15/hywind ... ance/62631

[moinsdewatt]

Siemens Gamesa will supply 1386 mW wind turbines in the 8 MW format for the largest offshore park in the world (Hornsea). Operational in 2022.

Siemens Gamesa to supply 1,386 MW to Ørsted at the world's largest offshore wind farm, in the UK

February 14, 2018 evwind

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) has been granted exclusivity by Danish energy group for the supply and service of wind turbines for the Hornsea Project Two offshore wind project, being developed in British waters, where it will install its SG 8.0-167 DD turbines with total capacity of 1,386 MW.

This offshore wind farm, which will be the world's largest offshore wind farm when operational in 2022, is also the largest offshore project in Siemens Games' history, the biggest single date being Hornsea One (1,218 MW), similarly developed by Ørsted.

Located 89 miles off the east coast of England, the 462 km2 wind farm will span.

The nacelles will be produced at the new factory in Cuxhaven, Germany, while the majority of blades will be made at the factory in Hull, UK, where the pre-assembly work will also be carried out. Towers are expected to be sourced from UK suppliers.
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https://www.evwind.es/2018/02/14/siemen ... e-uk/62611

[lilian07]

And when we know that this type of large wind turbines have better performance, it is very promising to switch to units of 8 MW .... and soon 10 MW per unit. The cost of wind turbine KWh is constantly decreasing.

[moinsdewatt]

France: General Electric to develop the world's largest wind turbine

Reuters 01 / 03 / 2018

General Electric announced Thursday an investment of 400 millions of dollars (329 million euros) to develop and produce, for the most part in France, what the US group presents as the most powerful and efficient offshore wind turbine. designed to date.

This new model of 12 megawatts (MW), named Haliade-X, will produce 45% more energy than turbines currently on the market, GE said in a statement.

The group, which has taken over Alstom's energy activities from 2015 and its commitments to set up factories dedicated to the manufacture of wind turbines in France, plans to invest around 60 million dollars (49 million euros) over the next five years in the modernization of its plant in Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique), where the Haliade-X boats will be produced.

GE also plans to invest close to 100 million dollars in the LM Wind Power plant in Cherbourg (Manche) from where will come the blades of the Haliade-X, the largest manufactured to date, 107 meters long.

According to the group, this plant will eventually create more 550 direct jobs and 2.000 indirect jobs. Its opening is scheduled for this year.

Additional investments related to engineering, development, prototype manufacturing and the supply chain will be made over the next five years in France.

GE's "Renewable Energy" subsidiary plans to install the first demonstration pod in the second quarter of 2019 and start delivering the turbine by 2021.

Culminating at 260 meters high, the new Haliade-X turbine could, according to GE, produce 67 GWh of electricity a year, enough renewable energy to provide 16.000 European homes.

http://www.boursorama.com/actualites/fr ... 912a73c14b