North American Windpower

RWE has acquired three U.K. offshore wind projects from Vattenfall: Norfolk Vanguard West, Norfolk Vanguard East and Norfolk Boreas, each with a planned 1.4 GW capacity and located between 50 and 80 kilometers off the coast of Norfolk. 

Vattenfall’s Norfolk team will transfer to RWE as part of the transaction, with the objective of taking the projects forward. All three Norfolk projects are expected to be commissioned in this decade.

“Over the past 13 years, the Norfolk team has done a great job in developing the three offshore wind projects,” says Sven Utermöhlen, CEO of RWE Offshore Wind. 

“I am very happy to welcome them to our global offshore wind team and we will rely on their expertise to take forward the projects’ delivery in one of the world’s most attractive regions for offshore wind. Equally, I am looking forward to continuing the work with our supply chain partners. I’d also like to thank the Vattenfall team and The Crown Estate for their work in facilitating a smooth handover of the Norfolk projects to ensure a seamless transition.”

As a next step, the RWE Norfolk team will work on securing preferred supplier agreements for all key components and will then enter the project in a CfD auction at a later date.

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Hiab, a division of Cargotec, has received a €5 million order for loader cranes to be used in offshore wind turbines, slated for delivery this year. 

The HIAB SWP crane model was ordered, which the company says is custom-designed for the service operation of offshore wind turbines due to its nacelle installation.

“This order greatly acknowledges Hiab as a trusted global partner in the offshore wind sector. We are well-prepared and excited to support the customer in the years ahead,” says Hiab’s Artur Jaslowski. 

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Capital Power has entered into a 15-year VPPA with Saputo, supported by procurement advisor Schneider Electric, for Capital Power’s Canada-based Halkirk 2 Wind facility, still under construction.

The portion of the facility contracted by Saputo is expected to generate approximately 206,300 MWh annually. 

“As a global leader in the food industry, it is vital we demonstrate our commitment to the long-term sustainability of the dairy industry,” says Saputo’s Carl Colizza. 

“This VPPA is an important step in sourcing clean, renewable electricity to reduce the carbon footprint of our North American operations, so that we may play our part as a sustainable dairy processor and safeguard the environment for future generations.”

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Cadeler has signed a contract with an undisclosed client for its wind farm installation vessel Wind Scylla.

The company says the contract’s value ranges between $75 million and $150 million, including both firm period and potential options. 

“This contract showcases Cadeler’s commitment to providing fleet flexibility to our trusted clients, optimizing the chances of project success and completion within time and budget,” says Mikkel Gleerup, CEO of Cadeler.

“With our growing fleet of state-of-the-art wind farm installation vessels, Cadeler offers installation solutions to take on the most challenging and complex projects in offshore wind energy.”

Installation work is set to commence next year. 

The post Cadeler Signs Offshore Turbine Installation Contract for Vessel Wind Scylla appeared first on North American Windpower.

Vineyard Offshore has submitted a proposal for a 1,200 MW offshore wind project to Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island in response to the states’ solicitation for up to  6,800 MW of offshore wind capacity. 

“As the team that developed Vineyard Wind 1, the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind project, Vineyard Offshore knows how to deliver offshore wind to New England, and that’s by  earning the trust of the communities we work in,” says Vineyard Offshore CEO Alicia Barton.  

“Our project will deliver more than $2 billion in economic benefits, create opportunities for workers and local businesses, and build on partnerships with local governments, organizations, and institutions across all three states, and we have the local support to show for it.” 

The proposed facility will be located 29 miles south of Nantucket in lease area OCS-522, which is held by funds managed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, for which Vineyard Offshore serves as U.S. development partner.  

Project investments include offshore construction in Salem, Mass.; sourcing foundation components in Providence, R.I.; grid interconnection in Montville, Conn.; and O&M in New Bedford, Mass. 

The project is slated to provide up to $37.5 million in directly funded initiatives to promote a diverse and inclusive offshore wind workforce and supply chain. 

The post Vineyard Offshore Submits Proposal for Vineyard Wind 2 appeared first on North American Windpower.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) has approved the nation’s seventh commercial-scale offshore wind project under President Biden, Sunrise Wind.

The project will have a total 924 MW capacity, with its lease area located approximately 16.4 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

In response to comments, BOEM selected an alternative plan that includes fewer wind turbine generators than proposed by Sunrise Wind. 

“BOEM and our partners remain focused on implementing the Biden-Harris administration’s vision of approving 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030,” says Elizabeth Klein, BOEM’s director. 

“Through constructive, broad-based engagement, we are navigating potential conflicts and advancing the responsible growth of offshore wind. As we propel this industry forward, we eagerly anticipate further cooperation and progress with our partners.” 

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Rovco has chartered the 74-meter MV Patriot for its specialist fleet, joining the company’s existing two site characterization vessels, with the British company saying it had done so to increase its subsea capabilities. 

The company says the vessel consolidates the company’s site clearance ability, including debris and boulder removal and unexploded ordnance navigation.

“Expanding our fleet of vessels means we can support more stages in offshore wind, from survey stage right through to decommissioning,” says Brian Allen, CEO at Rovco. “By accelerating timelines and bringing down costs throughout the lifecycle of an asset, we can help change the economics of offshore wind and accelerate progress towards the U.K.’s 50 GW by 2030 target.” 

Rovco will take delivery of the vessel at the end of this month for a three-year period, with an option to extend the agreement by two years. 

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Thistle Wind Partners (TWP), a consortium involving DEME, Qair and Aspiravi, has awarded Ramboll the contract for pre-FEED (front-end engineering design) of the foundations for its 1 GW Bowdun offshore project.

The scope of Rambol’s work includes the WTG substructure design and parallel geotechnical sensitivity assessments for future development. The company will also provide offshore substation foundation concepts for the Bowdun project along with TWP’s Ayre Offshore Wind Farm.

“These contract announcements demonstrate the good progress we have made on the concept designs for both of our projects,” says Ian Taylor, TWP project director. “Further tenders for design and engineering support will be announced on our own website and on the North Sea Transition Authority’s Energy Pathfinder.”

FEED and detailed design procurement for the project is expected to commence this spring.

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Assembly and fit-out of the offshore substation platform and jacket foundation for SLPE’s 1.1 GW Inch Cape offshore wind farm have begun at the Smulders yard in Newcastle, U.K., the company announced. 

“We are delighted to witness our hard work on this project for Inch Cape materializing,” says Joseph Hilton, SLPE’s managing director. “Our OSS jacket design is set to withstand the harsh conditions of the North Sea, and we eagerly anticipate its completion and installation. I am immensely proud of everyone at SLPE for their dedication and expertise.”

A consortium of Siemens Energy and Iemants, a Smulders subsidiary, is responsible for delivering the offshore substation for the Scottish project, located 15 km off the Angus coast.

Inch Cape is owned by Inch Cape Offshore Wind Limited, a joint venture by Red Rock Power and ESB.

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Wärtsilä has signed a long-term guaranteed asset performance agreement with CSBC-DEME Wind Engineering (CDWE), a joint venture between CSBC Corp. and DEME Offshore, covering CDWE’s new 216-meter marine installation vessel (MIV). 

The MIV, dubbed “Green Jade,” was designed and built in Taiwan and booked by Wärtsilä in Q1 of this year. The company says the lifecycle agreement it provides will increase the vessel’s uptime.

“From the very first discussions it was clear that availability, maintenance flexibility and reliability were essential for this project with CDWE during project execution,” says Henrik Wilhelms, Wärtsilä Marine’s director of agreement sales.

“This vessel holds a special flag administration and classification society exemption, permitting 7.5 years drydocking intervals. This is enabled with data, AI and close collaboration between us and the ship operator.” 

The post Wartsila to Guarantee Operational Reliability of Wind Farm Installation Vessel appeared first on North American Windpower.

New York has set new records for hourly wind and solar generation, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has reported.

The not-for-profit corporation says wind power facilities generated 2,176 MW during the 1p.m. hour on March 9 and served 12% of system load. Behind-the-meter and front-of-the-meter solar resources generated 3,832 MW during the 12 p.m. hour on March 12 and served 21%  of system load.

“The contributions from wind and solar resources represent important, beneficial progress toward the state’s clean energy goals,” says Rich Dewey, president and CEO of NYISO. “As load continues to rise across the system, additional generation and transmission will be essential to serve demand and maintain grid reliability.”

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced $22 million set aside to improve the planning, siting and permitting processes for large-scale renewable energy facilities.

Six state-based projects are receiving $10 million through the Renewable Energy Siting through Technical Engagement and Planning (R-STEP) program, aimed at developing and expanding statewide initiatives that provide expertise, trainings and technical resources to local governments and communities as they plan for and evaluate large-scale renewable energy and storage projects. 

“Solar and wind energy and battery storage are on the rise throughout America. This year, we expect these to make up a record-breaking 94% of our nation’s new electric-generating capabilities,” says U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. 

“Often, the biggest barrier to deploying that clean generation is siting and permitting. The Biden-Harris Administration is helping provide local leaders with the resources needed to deploy more clean energy to their residents in a way that is tailored to their unique needs.” 

The selected collaboratives are: Indiana, led by Purdue University Extension; Iowa, led by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach; Michigan, led by Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; Mississippi, led by Mississippi Development Authority Energy & Natural Resources Division; North Carolina and South Carolina, led by the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center; and Wisconsin, led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.

Round One of the R-STEP program is administered by ENERGYWERX. This funding mechanism is made possible through the innovative Partnership Intermediary Agreement set up by the DOE Office of Technology Transitions.

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ESNA and Strategic Marine have signed an agreement to develop a surface effect ship crew transfer vessel (SES CTV) for offshore wind applications, with a focus on combining higher speed, increased operational wave height and reduced fuel oil consumption.

Construction on the first vessel is expected to begin later this year. ESNA is supplying the vessel design package and an equipment package for the main SES systems. 

“Strategic Marine was a natural choice for ESNA to team up with to further commercialize our technology and designs after having worked with them on other projects and experiencing first hand their excellent shipbuilding capabilities,” says Trygve Halvorsen Espeland, ESNA’s naval architect and co-founder.

The companies have worked together previously on AIRCAT Vessels for three SES crew boats for oil and gas, also due for completion this year. 

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The 250 MW 7SeasMed Floating Offshore Wind Project has been granted EIA approval by the Italian Ministry for Environment and Energy Security, which lead developer Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP) says is the first such approval for a floating offshore project in the country. 

The project, to be located approximately 35 km off Sicily’s coast, is owned by a consortium that also includes GreenIT, a joint venture between Plenitude and CDP Equity, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. 

“We are delighted to receive EIA approval for the 7SeasMed floating offshore wind project off the coast of Sicily,” says Michele Schiavone, COP Italy CEO and project CEO for 7SeasMed. “This represents a significant achievement in our mission to accelerate the energy transition and combat climate change. The project underscores our commitment to pioneering innovative solutions that balance energy needs with environmental stewardship.” 

The project is part of a larger 3 GW offshore wind portfolio in Italy owned by the GreenIT and CIP partnership, and of which COP serves as lead development partner. 

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Deep Wind Offshore will introduce Spoor to the Swedish and South Korean market after it completed its first full-year bird survey in Norway using the tech company’s software.

Spoor’s software enables the wind industry to measure and report on bird impact, operationalise analysis and implement mitigation measures, says the company, using a proprietary model estimates a bird’s 3D flight path. It detected and tracked birds by the Norway floating wind area, Utsira Nord, on behalf of Deep Wind Offshore. 

“After gaining valuable information from Spoor’s bird monitoring in Norway, we will now use the technology in Sweden and South Korea,” says Knut Vassbotn, CEO of Deep Wind Offshore.

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The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will initiate an environmental review of Vineyard Northeast’s proposed 2,600 MW wind project, located 29 miles offshore Nantucket, Mass., at its closest point.  

On March 25, the bureau will publish a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS for the COP submitted by Vineyard Northeast on March 25. 

“The Biden-Harris administration is steadfast in our dedication to collaborating with Tribal nations, government agencies, environmental groups, local communities and ocean stakeholders,” says Elizabeth Klein, BOEM Director. “Through collective effort, we can establish a robust, sustainable offshore wind sector that guarantees communities nationwide reap the rewards of domestically sourced clean, reliable renewable energy.”

The approximately 132,370 acre lease area would have up to 160 wind turbine generators, three electrical service platforms and one booster station in an adjacent lease area.

The publication of the NOI in the Federal Register will open a 45-day public comment period, ending on May 9. 

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Swire Renewable Energy (SRE) and Tien Li Offshore Wind Technology have signed an MoU for offshore wind turbine O&M services in Taiwan and other parts of the Asia Pacific region.

The agreement was formalized in Taipei. The companies intend to develop a large pool of local technicians with a broad skill set in blade repair, electrical and mechanical maintenance, offshore marine logistics services and wind turbine operations and maintenance.

“Swire Renewable Energy is looking forward to collaborating with a strong partner in Tien Li, particularly given our recent acquisition of blade repair specialist Altitec, and Tien Li’s blade manufacturing experience,” says Ryan Smith, CEO of Swire Renewable Energy. 

“The companies share a common mission to advance the efficiency and sustainability of offshore wind operations in Taiwan and we look forward to expanding our service coverage with this new partnership.” 

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Export Finance Norway (Eksfin) is providing €525 million in loan financing to Ørsted, based on the purchase of two transformer platforms from Norway’s Aibel for Hornsea 3. 

The transaction increases Eksfin’s total offshore wind financing to nearly EUR 3.5 bn.

Partnering with banks, Eksfin offers state-backed loans and guarantees directly to developers based on the purchase of equipment and services from Norway. This transaction increases Eksfin’s total offshore wind financing to nearly €3.5 billion.

“Our cooperation with leading offshore wind developers is vital for the Norwegian offshore wind cluster,” says Tone Lunde Bakker, Eksfin managing director. “This latest transaction strengthens the relationship between Ørsted and Norwegian exporters and helps create opportunities for future cooperation.”

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Maersk Supply Service has partnered with Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) for the construction and operation of a wind farm feeder concept designed for the company’s next-gen wind installation vessel (WIV).

The purpose-built feeder spread includes two tugs and two barges, slated for delivery in 2026. Owned and operated by ECO and constructed by Bollinger Shipyards, the feeder spread will be expected to transport wind turbine components or foundations to an installation site, while the WIV remains on location to complete successive installations.

“Maersk Supply Service’s new installation concept can make offshore wind farm installations significantly faster with estimated efficiency gains of 30%,” says Christian M. Ingerslev, CEO of Maersk Supply Service. “The partnership with ECO makes this new technology available for the U.S. offshore wind market enabling faster offshore wind installations in the U.S.” 

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Masdar has completed financing of its 49% stake in the 476 MW Baltic Eagle wind farm, located in the German Baltic Sea.

The company and Iberdrola signed a strategic agreement last July to co-invest in the project, scheduled to come into operation by the end of this year. 

This is the company’s first project with Iberdrola. Total lending amounted to €488 million, with participation from ABN AMRO, Credit Agricole CIB, ING, Santander and Siemens Bank. Santander also acted as financial advisor on the deal.

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