North American Windpower

DTE Energy says it is seeking proposals for renewable projects totaling approximately 1,075 MW.

The projects would support DTE Electric’s CleanVision Integrated Resource Plan, MIGreenPower program and the state’s new renewables standard of 60% by 2030. 

To advance these efforts, DTE is issuing an RFP for new wind and solar projects, with approximately 1,075 MW of projects being requested to achieve commercial operation by March 2027.  

“DTE is committed to transforming the way we generate energy while maintaining reliability and affordability for our customers,”  says DTE’s Joseph Musallam. 

“As a result, we continue to be the state’s leading producer of and investor in utility-scale renewable energy projects. Our existing wind and solar parks are reducing Michigan’s carbon footprint while providing jobs, tax revenue and additional benefits to local communities across the state, and future developments will continue to grow our clean energy economy.”

Projects must be located in Michigan and interconnected to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator or distribution level transmission. Interested bidders should register their company information on the PowerAdvocate website.

DTE’s renewable energy portfolio currently includes 20 wind parks and 33 solar parks. 

The post DTE Energy Seeks Developers for Michigan-Based Wind, Solar Projects  appeared first on North American Windpower.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), Crowley Wind Services and the City of Salem have announced the transfer of ownership and an agreement for improvements and ongoing operations for the Salem Offshore Wind Terminal, once the site of an oil- and coal-fired power plant.

Among these transactions is the purchase by MassCEC of more than 42 acres on Salem Harbor and the transfer of a five-acre parcel to Salem, including the port’s existing deep-water berth. 

“We are very proud to align with the state’s strategic climate goals by launching our second wind energy port project in Massachusetts, with ambitious plans to bring this port to operational status as soon as possible,” says MassCEC CEO Emily Reichert. 

“We are excited to be at the forefront of establishing a burgeoning offshore wind industry in real-time. It’s a collaborative effort that requires action from both the public and private sector; local, state and federal governments, in partnership with Crowley, an experienced logistics and marine services operator who will oversee the port’s day-to-day management.” 

Crowley purchased the property in 2022 and will manage the site redevelopment and improvements, and then serve as the terminal operator. The company is entering into a lease agreement with MassCEC for the ongoing utilization of the property as an offshore wind marshaling port. 

The Salem Offshore Wind Terminal will support the construction and installation of floating offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine. Crowley’s Wind Services business unit will start construction this year, with a projected 2026 opening.

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Ørsted has signed an MoU with Incheon Metropolitan City, Korea, to cooperate on developing a regional offshore wind industry. 

Through this collaboration, Incheon City will provide administrative support, including increasing local awareness and establishing policies and infrastructure for Ørsted’s planned 1.6 GW project off the city’s coast.

“Ørsted will work closely with the City of Incheon to launch a new offshore wind industry and boost local economic development in the region,” says Ørsted’s Thomas Thune Andersen. 

“We have a strong track record working with Korean suppliers in our global portfolio over the past decade. We’ll build on this legacy of collaboration with our Incheon project, which will lead the way for a thriving offshore wind industry by generating reliable renewable energy, attracting long-term investments and creating jobs.”

Subject to the successful outcome of these processes and Ørsted taking final investment decision, the project is expected to be completed in the early 2030s.

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rPlus Energies has announced a platform-level partnership with Sandbrook Capital, in which Sandbrook will invest up to $460 million in the company alongside continued support from rPlus founding investor Gardner Group.

rPlus’ 15 GW pipeline of renewable projects will be facilitated by Sandbrook’s initial commitment, enabling the company to bring an expected 1 GW of storage online in the near term while advancing the pipeline balance.

“From the outset, it was evident that we share an execution-oriented and community-minded approach to business and project development,” says Luigi Resta, rPlus president and CEO. “The expertise, commitment and drive of the Sandbrook team, coupled with the Gardner Group’s continued leadership, will play a pivotal role in steering substantial growth as rPlus makes a strategic transition to own-and-operate for the long-term.”

Lazard Frères & Co served as financial advisor to rPlus. Foley & Lardner served as transaction counsel to rPlus. Kirkland & Ellis served as transaction counsel to Sandbrook. Parr Brown Gee & Loveless served as transaction counsel to Gardner Group.

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Oceantic Network has organized the West Coast Supplier Council, focused on the development of the region’s offshore wind sector and supply chain. 

Using the knowledge and experience of network members in the West Coast supply chain, the council will focus on supply chain perspectives and expertise, and their inclusion in state and federal planning processes covering the West Coast. 

“The West Coast is at a critical stage in its offshore wind development, and we look forward to encouraging its sustainable and intentional growth,” says John Begala, vice president of federal and state policy at Oceantic Network. 

“We are fortunate to have assembled a strong collection of companies with the experience and capabilities to get projects delivered on time and on budget. These are the businesses that will serve as the backbone of a robust offshore wind supply chain, with potential to employ countless workers at a competitive wage.” 

The West Coast Supplier Council is made up of companies that act as OEMs, EPC firms and Tier 1 suppliers. Additionally, the companies serving as founding members of the council have all delivered components to at least one full-scale offshore wind project operating globally or under construction in the U.S. 

The council will work with all major stakeholders on West Coast sector development, including project developers, labor unions, policymakers, port authorities and environmental advocates. 

Founding members of the West Coast Supplier Council include Aker Solutions, Burns & McDonnell, Crowley Wind Services, Foss Offshore Wind and Hellenic Cables.

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Stonepeak has reached an agreement with Dominion Energy to acquire a 50% interest in the latter’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project through the formation of a partnership. 

CVOW is a 2.6 GW project located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, Va., which Dominion Energy began developing in 2013 and is scheduled to begin offshore construction this spring.

Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. 

“Having previously partnered with Dominion Energy, we look forward to extending our relationship through CVOW, which is a fitting addition to our global renewables strategy given its potential to provide meaningful renewable capacity to the U.S., advanced stage of development and downside-protected fundamentals,” says Rob Kupchak, senior managing director at Stonepeak. 

“Dominion Energy’s impressive track record building and operating large-scale infrastructure projects paired with Stonepeak’s experience successfully constructing offshore wind assets gives us confidence in CVOW’s path forward and we are excited to partner with Dominion in delivering this critical renewable energy generation resource to its customers.”

Dominion Energy will continue to oversee CVOW’s day-to-day operations and construction at close.

Vinson & Elkins LLP served as legal advisor to Stonepeak. Mizuho Securities USA, through its affiliate Greenhill & Co., and Santander US Capital Markets LLC served as co-financial advisors.

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The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has approved the construction and operations plan for Equinor’s 810 MW Empire Wind project, positioning the development to begin construction in its federal lease area off the southern coast of Long Island later this year.

Already well advanced in planning and development, Empire Wind 1 could deliver first power to New Yorkers by 2026.

In addition, construction to transform the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal into a major hub for offshore wind could begin as early as this spring.

“We are ready to get to work,” says Molly Morris, president of Equinor Renewables Americas. “Today’s COP approval follows years of rigorous review and collaboration with BOEM and other federal agencies. Equinor is grateful for a shared commitment to achieving state and federal offshore wind ambitions, and Empire Wind is one step closer to delivering renewable power to hundreds of thousands of New York homes.”

First submitted in 2020, the Empire Wind COP authorizes detailed plans for offshore and onshore construction and operations based on years of environmental reviews, input from outside experts, and extensive public feedback.

BOEM’s announcement follows the November 2023 approval of Empire Wind’s federal record of decision.

Empire Wind recently received several federal approvals. Last week, it received its Clean Air Act permit from the Environmental Protection Agency. Earlier this week, it received its approval from the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service in accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act. 

Empire Wind 1 is currently bidding into New York’s fourth offshore wind solicitation.

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Massachusetts’ Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind project has delivered power from five GE Haliade-X turbines to the onshore grid, marking a major milestone for the planned 806 MW development.

Now generating 68 MW, the project – which is located 14 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard – will eventually provide electricity to more than 400,000 homes and businesses.

Currently, nine turbines have been successfully installed, and workers are in the process of installing the 10th. Preparations are under way to transport the 11th turbine to the offshore project site. Construction of the project runs through the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal, the first port facility in the nation specifically designed for offshore wind.

Additional power will be delivered to the grid sequentially, with each turbine starting production once it completes the commissioning process.

“This marks a turning point in the clean energy transition,” says Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey. “After many decades of advocacy, research, policymaking and finally construction, America’s offshore wind industry has gone from a dream to reality.”

Vineyard Wind 1 is a joint venture of Avangrid Inc. and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), through its affiliate Vineyard Offshore. Vineyard Wind began offshore construction in late 2022, achieved steel-in-the-water in June 2023, and completed the nation’s first offshore substation in July.

Photo credit: Worldview Films

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Root Energy has successfully crowdfunded approximately $15 million from residents of Suwon-ri, Hallim-eup, Jeju Island, allowing the Hallim Offshore Wind project to meet the qualifications for Korea’s government-certified resident participation program. 

The project, with 18 5.56 MW generators producing a total 100 MW, began construction in 2022 and is scheduled for completion in October.

Among different methods of renewable energy resident participation, the company decided to choose the community-based type which was evaluated to allow residents to actively express their opinions. By taking part, Suwon-ri residents will receive part of profits generated through electricity sales upon the completion of the offshore wind farm.

“As Korea pledged to triple renewable energy at COP28, for it to become more widely distributed, it has no choice but to gradually become closer to residents’ living and working areas,” says Yoon Tae-hwan, CEO of Root Energy. “Without residents both understanding the need for renewable energy and actively engaging with it, the expansion of renewable energy will reach the limit at some point.”

The post Root Energy Completes Korea’s First Offshore Wind Resident Participation Program appeared first on North American Windpower.

Avangrid’s 106 MW Henry County Midland Wind has achieved commercial operation, which the company says brings its total capacity in Illinois to more than 600 MW.

“We are proud to have achieved this milestone with Midland Wind, which is now operational and delivering power,” says Pedro Azagra, Avangrid CEO. “Our fourth completed renewable energy project in Illinois, Midland Wind, is an example of our commitment to accelerating a clean energy transition. We look forward to continuing our efforts in developing green energy solutions while supporting Illinois communities.”

The project contains 25 turbines and officially reached commercial operations in December. Midland Wind is located near three other Avangrid renewable energy projects: Providence Heights Wind, Otter Creek Wind and Streator Cayuga Ridge South..

Avangrid is a member of the group of companies controlled by Iberdrola, S.A.

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Strata Clean Energy has closed on $559 million in financing for the construction and ownership of the Scatter Wash battery storage complex, a 255 MW storage facility that broke ground last month and is expected to be operational by the middle of next year.

“The successful financing for the Scatter Wash battery storage complex marks a significant step forward in our mission to drive the transition to clean energy,” says Markus Wilhelm, CEO of Strata Clean Energy. “This opportunity to collaborate with our financing partners to bring this critical project to fruition will create a lasting, sustainable impact on a region that struggles with grid challenges and extreme heat.”

The Scatter Wash complex will store enough electricity to power 50,000 Arizona homes during peak summer conditions for 20 years, adds the company. Last May, Strata signed a 20-year tolling agreement with Arizona Public Service on the project.

J.P. Morgan and Nomura acted as coordinating lead arrangers and joint bookrunners. J.P. Morgan also fulfilled roles as administrative agent, depositary agent and collateral agent. The financing was further supported by U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance and CoBank as coordinating lead arrangers with The Korea Development Bank and Norddeutsche Landesbank as joint lead arrangers. Siemens and Regions contributed as lenders in this transformative project.  U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance was also the primary tax equity investor.

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Maine’s governor, Janet Mills, has announced that the state has selected a section of Sears Island reserved for port development as its preferred site for a facility to support floating offshore wind.

State-owned Sears Island is a 941-acre parcel off the coast of Searsport. The site selected for the project is expected to be about 100 acres. The proposed port would be a purpose-built facility for fabrication, staging, assembly, maintenance and deployment. 

“For more than two years, my administration has evaluated Sears Island and Mack Point thoroughly and with an open mind, recognizing that each site has its own set of benefits and its own set of drawbacks,” says Mills. 

“In carefully considering all of these, I believe that, on balance, Sears Island is the best choice for an offshore wind port because it is already owned by the state, designated for the purpose of port development, will cost less in the short-term and long-term, and is expected to result in less environmental harm.”

Estimated port construction cost is approximately $500 million.

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RWE Offshore Wind and Smart Wires have have entered into a MOU to explore the potential use of SmartValve within RWE’s offshore wind development projects for long HVAC or HVDC cable circuits to support offshore generation connections. 

The investigation will focus on acceleration and minimization of the need for additional onshore and offshore grid infrastructure, says RWE.

“RWE is engaged in the development, design and construction of large and complex offshore wind farms and transmission infrastructure and the use of innovative technologies, such as advanced power flow control, has the potential to offer significant benefits,” says RWE’s Dirk Döring. “Therefore we are happy to join with Smart Wires to explore the use of their SmartValve technology in real life development applications.”

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ERM has acted as a technical and environmental, social and governance advisor to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) in its acquisition of Eversource’s 50% stake in U.S. offshore projects South Fork Wind and Revolution Wind.

South Fork Wind, a 132 MW project located 35 miles east of N.Y.’s Montauk Point, is expected to enter service this year. Revolution Wind is a 715 MW project located 32 miles off Connecticut’s coast with an anticipated completion next year.

ERM’s technical due diligence services included contract assessment and geotechnical and geophysical studies, as well as analysis of the projects’ CapEx and OpEx profiles.

“ERM is proud to serve as a technical advisor to GIP in support of its investment,” says ERM’s Matthew Irvine. ”Our global transaction advisory team helps investors navigate the US market using the team’s vast experience in offshore wind transactions around the world. This significant transaction comes at a time of rapid growth in the US sector with several offshore wind farms now under construction. It also shows investors’ continued appetite for offshore wind in the US market.”

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According to the Oceantic Network’s latest annual report, U.S. offshore wind concluded last year with its first commercial-scale projects delivering power to the grid amid industry challenges.

The organization’s newest U.S. Offshore Wind Market Report found that in 2023, the federal government grew its approval for industry construction by 800%, even as developers terminated 51% of power contracts put in place prior to the year. 

However, despite setbacks, the report notes that last year also saw announcements of new manufacturing facilities, port infrastructure upgrades and offshore vessels. 

“Global economic challenges hindered our progress in 2023, bringing uncertainty to this new and growing market. However, with each step back, we’ve seen the industry press forward and are seeing a transformation in market fundamentals,” says Liz Burdock, founder and CEO of Oceantic Network. 

“New power contracts that are resistant to broader economic pressures are being executed and states like New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts remain dedicated to offshore wind development and investing in a domestic supply chain. In 2024, we are seeing the market rebound with interest rates and inflation falling along with new supply chain capacity.”

The report also made several predictions for this year, including the potential for new lease auctions by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

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Cadeler has signed a contract with Ørsted and PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna for the transport and installation of 14 MW turbines supplied by Siemens Gamesa at the Baltica 2 offshore wind farm.

The project, situated in the Polish Baltic Sea, is expected to have a 1.5 GW capacity upon scheduled completion in 2027. 

“We’re very pleased to continue to strengthen our close partnership with Ørsted and initiate a new partnership with PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna,” says Mikkel Gleerup, CEO of Cadeler. “The project marks a very important milestone for Poland as well as for Cadeler, as this underlines Cadeler’s strong entry into the Polish market.”

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The global wind industry recently passed the landmark figure of 1 TW of global installed capacity – a milestone that took 40 years to reach.

However, data from the Global Wind Energy Council indicate that with the wind industry continually gaining momentum, the next terawatt will take less than seven years to install.

To help keep pace with this growth, global renewable energy specialist Ingeteam continues to consolidate its position as a key player in the wind energy industry, covering the design and manufacture of converters and generators.

With five state-of-the-art manufacturing locations in Europe, Asia, North America and South America, Ingeteam offers its capacity to OEMs, utilities and asset owners in the wind energy sector, covering both local and global markets and providing efficient and reliable products and services. The company stands out for its flexibility in designs and R&D solutions, different business models and additional value-added services.

In the wind energy converter market, Ingeteam is the world’s number one independent supplier of power conversion equipment. The company has designed, manufactured and supplied equipment up to a cumulative total power rating of 60 GW from its plants in Spain, India and Brazil.

Ingeteam has also installed generators for a total of 78 GW installed power capacity, manufactured and supplied directly or via third parties. This is equivalent to approximately 8% of the world’s installed wind energy capacity, making Ingeteam one of the top three Western independent wind energy generator manufacturers. Ingeteam generators are built at the company’s plants in Spain and Milwaukee, recently visited by President Joe Biden.

“Our products and solutions are tailored to the requirements of our customers, and our global presence enables us to offer them the flexibility of sourcing components and building products locally, or rapidly shifting production to other locations as demand or regulations change,” says Xabier Irure, global commercial director of Ingeteam Wind Energy.

“We are a complete solutions provider, adding value at every stage, and we can help manage the full product life cycle,” Irure adds. “With our fleet-oriented products and services, we also help to improve the performance of existing wind turbines, reduce operations and maintenance costs and extend the useful lifetime of equipment.”

Technological innovation is a key factor in Ingeteam’s operations, enabling the company to compete in the international arena as a company that is always available to its customers, anytime, anywhere. It allocates approximately 5% of its annual turnover to R&D&I and carries out collaborations with technology centers and universities in R&D programs and projects covered by different official national and international programs.

The company offers a wide range of converters and generators for different topologies; electrical control cabinets; SCADA systems; Ingeteam portfolio equipment for overhaul projects; spare parts, repairs and technical support for Ingeteam products and multi-brand repair and refurbishment services.

It also prioritizes continuous improvement and regulatory compliance. The company uses advanced tools and manufacturing processes following APQP4Wind methodology. This approach enhances quality, efficiency, flexibility and time-to-market.

Ingeteam has a business unit and a technology center, called Ingeteam Research Institute, dedicated to long-term research. Additionally, the company currently has seven testing laboratories to test all new developments, including a lab dedicated to the study, design and validation of 4.0 technologies such as big data, advanced digitization, artificial intelligence and augmented reality.

Ingeteam also has a pioneering laboratory – a benchmark in the wind industry – which combines large electrical machines with converters. It performs full load tests up to 8 MW and back-to-back configuration tests up to 65 MW. It has the capacity to conduct low-voltage ride-through tests, it has a self-generated 50/60 Hz and 20 MVA network that simulates real network operating conditions, and tests of the insulation system are carried out with combined electrical and thermal factors. In addition, it has climate chambers (-30ºC to +80ºC) together with a large dust generation chamber, which allow extreme environmental conditions to be applied, and verify that the power converters are capable of operating in adverse situations.

The company continues to invest heavily in R&D and will soon begin the construction of a new, high-power laboratory to accommodate future new developments.

The company has been active in the wind energy industry for more than 27 years. It has been committed to the internationalization of its factories for 25 years to provide the best response to the demand for its power electronics and rotating machine technology throughout the world.

To meet the needs of its customers globally, the company has production centers on every continent. In addition to its facilities in Milwaukee, it has production centers in Chennai (India), Campinas (Brazil), and Spain, where it manufactures and supplies wind power converters and generators, with an annual production capacity of over 21 GW.

Since it began operations, a total of 80 GW of wind turbines have been equipped with Ingeteam technology, making the company the world’s number one independent solution provider to OEMs, utilities and asset owners in the wind energy sector.

For more information about Ingeteam, click here.

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Greenalia has announced closing on $200 million of three-year credit facilities to support the development of its U.S. renewables projects through company subsidiary, Greenalia Power U.S. Advanced II.

The facilities are the first for the company in the North American market. Proceeds are expected to finance project equipment, as well as other development and construction expenses.

“This operation represents an important milestone for the company’s U.S. expansion, where we are currently developing a 3 GW portfolio diversified through projects in three technologies: solar, wind and batteries,” says Antonio Fernández-Montells, Greenalia CFO. “We want to thank Nomura for the trust and confidence on Greenalia project and all PEI team for the exceptional support and advice.”

Nomura Securities International led the financing and acted as sole underwriter, lead arranger and bookrunner of the facilities. PEI Global Partners served as exclusive financial advisor to the company. Holland & Knight acted as borrower’s counsel. Norton Rose Fulbright acted as lenders’ counsel.

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RWE has signed PPAs to supply seven German companies with power generated from its Kaskasi offshore wind farm: DHL Group, Ensinger, Evonik, Infraserv Höchst, thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, Vodafone and the retail divisions of the Schwarz Group. 

Most of the contracts run for ten years, says RWE, with the first contract set to start in 2026, when the project is expected to be operational, followed by the remaining nine in 2027 and 2028.

RWE’s 342 MW Kaskasi wind farm is located approximately 35 km off the coast of Heligoland and powered by 38 wind turbines. Three of the turbines have rotor blades that can be recycled at the end of their life. Other innovations include steel collars for some of the foundations based on a company patent and a concrete ring that expands in the seabed.

The wind farm Kaskasi is part of the Heligoland cluster, which also includes the Amrumbank and Nordsee Ost wind farms. 

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Denmark-based NKT has joined the TAILWIND project, an academic and business collaboration launched last month, that aims at advancing station-keeping technologies to maintain the position of floating offshore wind farms. 

The company says it was invited to join the consortium due to its experience with dynamic cables, which will be included with the mooring technologies and platform designs developed by TAILWIND. 

“I am proud that NKT is part of the TAILWIND project,” says Anders Jensen, CTO of NKT. “Advancing the development of floating offshore wind is a very important next step in the green transition. It will require technological advancements from all stakeholders, including power cables. We believe our dynamic cables will play an important role here and look forward to them integrating into the other new technologies that are being developed for floating wind in this project.”

The TAILWIND consortium is composed by: NGI,  TU Delft, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, SINTEF Ocean, Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation, Nautilus Floating Solutions, Bekaert Wire Rope Industry, Subsea 7 Norway, Fondazione ICONS, Clarke Modet Y Compania S.L., NKT Cables Group, Bridon International and University of Southampton.

The project is funded by the EU’s Horizon program.

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