Renewable Eng. Share Discussion Threads

[florenceorbis] 08/6/2020 10:05

Vestas secures turbine supply orders for two wind farms in China

PowerWindOnshore

By NS Energy Staff Writer 05 Jun 2020

One of the orders is from CTG Renewables, a subsidiary of China Three Gorges and includes the supply of V155-3.3 MW turbines
wind-farm-1747331_640 (1)

Vestas has now secured more than 300MW of order for its V155-3.3 MW turbines in China. (Credit: Pixabay/Free-Photos)

Vestas, the Denmark-based wind turbine-maker, has received two orders in China to supply 29 turbines for two wind farms in China, totaling 100MW in generating capacity.

The first order was placed by China Three Gorge Renewables (CTG Renewables), a new customer for Vestas. The second order was placed by an undisclosed customer for a wind farm with 50MW of capacity.

For CTG Renewables, Vestas has agreed to supply 15 of its V155-3.3 MW turbines with 142m towers, which will be installed at the 50 MW Juye I project. The wind farm will be located in Heze, Shandong province in China.

As part of the order, the Danish company will also provide 5 -year Active Output Management 5000 (AOM 5000) services for the wind farm.

China Three Gorge Renewables general manager Guoqing Zhao said: “We are glad to enter the partnership with Vestas, who is known as an international leading renewable energy solution provider.

“With Vestas’ latest 4 MW platform variant and high tower solution, we hope to make the Juye project, located in a low-wind area, a successful case for CGT Renewables.”

The wind turbines are expected to be delivered in the fourth quarter of this year and the commissioning is planned to take place during the same period.
Vestas has over 300MW orders for V155-3.3 MW turbine model in China

With the order, Vestas has now secured more than 300MW of order for its V155-3.3 MW turbines in the country.

Vestas China president Thomas Keller said: “We’re excited to collaborate with CTG Renewables who has a strong track record in renewable energy development and operation.

“I’m particularly glad that this partnership benefits from our latest 4 MW platform variant, the V155-3.3 MW, which once again proves its applicability for the Chinese market.”

For the second order, Vestas has not disclosed the details about the project and customer.

The company has agreed to supply 14 of its V136-3.45 MW wind turbines in 3.6MW power optimised mode. The order also includes 5-year service agreement.

It will deliver the turbines in the fourth quarter of this year and the commissioning is planned in the same quarter.

[florenceorbis] 08/6/2020 09:47

Iberdrola starts operations of 111MW Cavar wind power complex in Spain

PowerWindProject

By NS Energy Staff Writer 05 Jun 2020

The Cavar wind facility is claimed to be the company's largest wind farm built in the country since 2012
ignacio_s__gal_n__1_

Ignacio Galán, CEO of Iberdrola. (Credit: Iberdrola, S.A.)

Spanish electric utility company, Iberdrola has commenced operations at the 111MW Cavar wind power complex located in Navarre, Spain.

Located in the municipalities of Cadreita and Valtierra, the wind farm is claimed to be the company’s largest wind farm built in the country since 2012 and is the first major project commissioned since the health crisis.

The project, which was developed jointly by Iberdrola and Caja Rural de Navarra, features 32 Siemens Gamesa 3.4-132 wind turbines.

Iberdrola group chairman and CEO Ignacio Galán said that “this complex, which is already pumping clean energy into the grid, is a great example of our potential to create jobs and drive prosperity if we pursue a low-carbon economy and steer our investments towards promising sectors, such as renewables, smart grids and energy storage.”
Cavar wind power complex consists of four wind farms

The Cavar wind power complex consists of four wind farms that would generate enough power to supply electricity to 45,000 households while offsetting 84,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually.

The construction and commissioning of the project involved an investment of more than €100m ($112.6m) that includes €50m ($56.3m) green finance from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Iberdrola said: “Constructing the Cavar complex, which took 12 months to complete, has generated over €80 million worth procurement from suppliers, many of which are based in the nearby towns and surrounding area.

“Practically all of the civil work and the components used to build the wind turbines (towers, blades, nacelles, generators and multipliers) were manufactured in Navarre, Asturias, Cantabria, Soria and Burgos, all in northern Spain.”

The firm has over 6GW of installed wind capacity and more than 16.5GW of renewables as a whole in Spain.

Recently, Iberdrola has announced its plans to invest €3bn-4bn in France in the coming four years to sustain its growth in the renewables sector in the country.

[florenceorbis] 08/6/2020 09:36

Vattenfall takes FID on 1.5GW Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm

PowerWindProject

By NS Energy Staff Writer 05 Jun 2020

The wind farm is expected to largest of its kind worldwide and the power generated will be equivalent to the annual consumption of over two million Dutch households
sea-4060902_640

The Hollandse Kust Zuid consists of two projects. (Credit: Pixabay/doskey12)

Swedish electric utility company, Vattenfall has taken a final investment decision (FID) for the 1.5GW Hollandse Kust Zuid 1-4 offshore wind farm in the North Sea.

The firm has secured permits to build the wind project following two subsidy-free tender rounds in 2018 and 2019.

The Hollandse Kust Zuid consists of two projects that have been combined into one single wind farm to optimise the process.

Once operational in 2023, the wind farm is expected to largest of its kind worldwide and the power generated will be equivalent to the annual consumption of over two million Dutch households.
Siemens Gamesa will supply 11MW turbines for the project

Vattenfall Business Area Wind head and senior vice-president Gunnar Groebler said: “Hollandse Kust Zuid will not only provide fossil free and affordable electricity to our private and business customers.

“It’s also a large infrastructure investment that creates significant economic activity and employment in times of economic uncertainty.”

The firm has selected Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy to manufacture and partially install the 140 units of 11-MW turbines for the project.

Dutch companies Sif and TKF will be in charge of foundation manufacturing and inter-array cable systems manufacturing, respectively.

Additionally, Italian manufacturing company, Prysmian will produce the inter-array cable systems, while Subsea 7 will be responsible for the foundation and inter-array cable systems installation and Swire Blue Ocean will install the turbine.

Vattenfall CEO Magnus Hall said: “The Hollandse Kust Zuid project underlines our commitment to supply the Netherlands and Europe with fossil free electricity.

“In addition, the investment decision shows that our determination to deliver on our goal to enable fossil free living within one generation remains firm despite the COVID19 pandemic.”

The construction on the wind project will commence offshore in 2021.

Vattenfall will operate and maintain the new facility from its new service facility in the Port of IJmuiden.

It will be connected to two offshore substations operated by Dutch TSO TenneT.

Recently, the firm has inaugurated the Berlin-Marzahn combined heat and power (CHP) plant located in in Marzahn, Berlin.

[florenceorbis] 08/6/2020 09:34

Mainstream begins foundation work on 158W Tchamma wind project

PowerWindTurbine

By NS Energy Staff Writer 05 Jun 2020

The output generated by the wind project will be enough to supply electricity to 186,937 Chilean homes while offsetting 177,996 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually
tchamma_side

Concrete pouring operation took 11 hours to complete. (Credit: Mainstream Renewable Power.)

Ireland-based renewable energy developer, Mainstream Renewable Power (MRP) has commenced work on the foundations for its 157.5W Tchamma wind project in Chile.

Spanish contractor Sacyr is in charge of the civil works and its team has already completed the first of 35 turbine bases at the wind farm.

Once operational in 2021, the power generated by the wind project will be enough to supply electricity to 186,937 Chilean homes while offsetting 177,996 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

Mainstream Renewable Power said: “The reinforced structure, which took 11 hours to pour, will eventually support a 454-tonne tower that soars 90 metres over this northern desert region of Antofagasta.”

Tchamma wind farm is a part of the 571MW Condor portfolio

The Tchamma wind farm is a part of the 571MW Condor portfolio, which includes the 86MW Alena and the 185MW Cerro Tigre wind parks that are currently being constructed.

The Condor portfolio also includes the 145MW Rio Escondido solar power plant in Atacama.

The four projects together form the first phase of the 1.3GW Andes Renovables platform, which is wholly owned and fully contracted by Mainstream.

Mainstream added: “In April, the country became the first in Latin America to propose new CO2 cuts to meet the climate action goals of the Paris Agreement, pledging to peak CO2 emissions in 2025 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.”

Recently, the firm has started construction on the transmission lines for the second phase of its 1.3GW Andes Renovables wind and solar power generation platform in Chile.

The company has signed agreements with Siemens, Transelec, Inprolec and Isotron for the construction of 126.8km of transmission lines, which will link its Huemul portfolio of five wind and solar projects to Chile’s national grid.

[sarkasm] 06/6/2020 17:40

Analysis by Rystad Energy demonstrates that expenditure on offshore wind is overtaking spending on upstream oil and gas

North Sea offshore wind spend to exceed oil and gas by 2022
05 Jun 2020by David Foxwell

Fast growth in offshore wind, delayed oil and gas developments in western Europe, postponed final investment decisions and reduced investment in offshore oil and gas projects will see expenditure in the two markets reach parity as soon as 2021.


According to analysis from Rystad Energy, capital expenditure on offshore wind will surpass upstream oil and gas spending in Europe in 2022.

Offshore wind capex in Europe exceeded US$10Bn in 2015 and has since hovered in the range of US$10Bn to US$15Bn per year. Annual capex levels are expected to rise from around US$11.1Bn in 2019 to around US$13.8Bn in 2020, US$18.2Bn in 2021 and more than US$22Bn in 2022.

Rystad Energy said abundant oil supply and reduced demand have taken their toll on the oil price, and annual capex dedicated to upstream offshore oil and gas in Europe is expected to decline from more than US$25Bn in 2019 to less than US$17Bn in 2022.

“Offshore wind development in Europe is expected to flourish as countries strive to reach their ambitious 2030 targets. Large investments will be required,” said Rystad Energy project manager for offshore wind Alexander Flotre.

“Commissioning activity will increase and projects expected to be operational in 2023-2025 are already driving up capital expenditure in 2020. This trend will continue.”

From an installed base of 21.9 GW in 2019, European offshore wind capacity is expected to increase to more than 53 GW by 2025, an annual growth rate of 16%. Ambitious plans for 2030 will require new tender rounds in the coming years.

“Many service companies have already transitioned to concentrating more on offshore wind,” Mr Flotre said. “For these players, growth in the offshore wind market provides a well-timed cushion that softens the blow of declining investments in the traditional oilfield services sector.”

[waldron] 03/6/2020 16:58

Total to Buy 51% Stake in Offshore Wind Project in Scotland
Print
Alert

By Jessica Sier


Total SA said Wednesday that it will buy a 51% stake in SSE Renewables offshore wind-farm project for a total of 130 million pounds ($162.9 million).

The French multinational said it will pay GBP70 million up front at the closing of the deal, and then earn-outs of GBP60 million subject to performance. It added that it has secured close to 70% of external financing for its 51% stake.

The 1,140 megawatts wind-farm project, known as Seagreen1, aims to cover the energy needs of 1 million homes. Once completed, it will be Scotland's largest offshore wind-farm project, attracting global investment worth around $3.7 billion, Total said.

"Total builds up a strong position in the world's largest offshore wind market, as it becomes a majority stakeholder in the Seagreen 1 project, one of the largest offshore wind farms in the U.K. North Sea," Total Chairman and Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne said.

Total's investment will unlock GBP3 billion of low carbon investment and aid the U.K.'s green recovery from coronavirus, SSE Renewables Chief Executive Alistair Phillips-Davies.



Write to Jessica Sier at [e-mail]



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 03, 2020 11:26 ET (15:26 GMT)

[grupo guitarlumber] 30/5/2020 09:01

Wpd, Orange Polska sign wind PPA
Image by: Wpd Windmanager GmbH & Co KG.

May 29 (Renewables Now) - German renewables developer Wpd AG today announced a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Polish unit of French telecom group Orange SA (EPA:ORA) for 15 MW of wind projects.

The 5-MW Jarocin Wschod wind farm and the 10-MW Krotoszyn park, both to be built in the central Wielkopolskie Voivodeship, will start delivering electricity to Orange Polska in 2021. The volume agreed amounts to 500 GWh over a period of 10 years.

This is Wpd’s first deal with Orange and also its first offsite corporate PPA with physical delivery in Poland. It supports the telecom’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

The Jarocin Wschod wind farm will comprise two GE 2.5-120 turbines near the city of Jarocin. The other park, to be built near the city of Krotoszyn, will have four turbines of the same model. The hub height of the General Electric (NYSE:GE) turbines will be 120 m.

[waldron] 19/5/2020 16:13

Details released of a huge offshore wind turbine that can power 18,000 homes per year

Published Tue, May 19 20209:44 AM EDT

Anmar Frangoul

Key Points

As technology has developed over the last few years, the size of wind turbines has increased.
The SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbine will boast blades that are more than 100 meters long.

[maywillow] 19/4/2020 10:54

ENGIE North America secures tax equity funding for 2GW renewable assets

PowerSolarPlant

By NS Energy Staff Writer 13 Apr 2020

The 2GW renewable assets include 1.5GW of onshore wind projects and 0.5GW of utility-scale solar PV projects in 11 farms
renewable-1989416_640

ENGIE North America secures tax equity funding for 2GW renewable assets in US. (Credit: Pixabay/seagul)

US-based electric utility ENGIE North America has secured financing of about $1.6bn in tax equity commitments for its 2GW portfolio of renewable assets in the US.

The firm, a subsidiary of French electric utility company Engie, has secured the equity financing commitments of up to $1.6bn on the projects through Bank of America and HSBC.

The renewable assets include 1.5GW of onshore wind projects and 0.5GW of utility-scale solar PV projects, which include a total of 11 farms.

The assets are located in Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland Power Pool (PJM).

The firm’s parent company has set a target to install 9GW of additional renewables capacity between 2019 and 2021 globally, of which 3GW was already installed last year.
ENGIE North America receives proceeds for two recently commissioned wind farms

ENGIE North America CEO and ENGIE executive vice-president Gwenaelle Avice-Huet said: “This is an important step in our zero-carbon energy transition in the United States, and we are excited to have the support of our strong partners, Bank of America and HSBC in this tax equity financing.

“The financing enables us to pursue our commitment to sustainable energy and increase our renewables footprint in the US with this 2.0 GW under development and construction for 2020.”

As part of the tax equity financing, the company has received proceeds for 196MW East Fork wind project in Thomas County, Kansas and for the 161MW Jumbo Hill wind project which is located in Andrews County, Texas.

Both the wind farms were commissioned earlier this month.

Recently, Engie has won a total of 235MW solar and wind projects during the latest round of tenders in France.

[waldron] 03/4/2020 11:25

Shell’s giant offshore wind-to-hydrogen plan set to survive Covid-19 crisis unscathed

'Limited to no' impact on North Sea mega-plan but oil & gas firms may delay other projects as they try to salvage core business, analysts say
3 April 2020 9:21 GMT Updated 3 April 2020 9:54 GMT
By Bernd Radowitz

[sarkasm] 23/3/2020 13:17

NS ENERGY


How French oil giant Total is increasing its clean energy portfolio

Features & AnalysisPowerWind

By James Murray 23 Mar 2020

Total’s gross low-carbon power generation capacity is currently close to 7GW
Total clean energy

Total has said it is aiming to become “the responsible energy major” (Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Laurent Vincent)

French oil giant Total has been increasing its clean energy portfolio as part of its bid to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Paris-headquartered firm is just one of several major petroleum companies that have scaled-up on renewables, as they look towards a future beyond fossil fuels.

Despite fears for oil companies around prices and demand following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Total has so far ramped up its commitment to clean energy this year.

The company said it is aiming to become “the responsible energy major”, by building a portfolio of low-carbon electricity operations that will account for 15% to 20% of its sales mix by 2040.

Total’s gross low-carbon power generation capacity is currently close to 7 gigawatts (GW), of which it claims more than 3GW is from renewable energy sources.

The firm has confirmed it is “well on track” to reach its target of obtaining 25GW of installed power generation capacity from renewables by 2025.


Total’s clean energy investments in 2020
Al Kharsaah solar project

On 20 January, Total announced that, alongside Japanese conglomerate Marubeni, it is developing the 800-megawatt (MW) Al Kharsaah solar plant.

Based 80km west of Doha, the $500m project will be Qatar’s first large-scale solar plant.

It is expected to generate affordable and clean energy to industries, services and individual consumers through the Qatari grid from 2021.

Initially, Al Kharsaah will have an output of 350MW, before being ramped up to its full capacity by 2022.

It will represent 10% of the peak electricity demand in the country and could offset 26 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 across its lifespan.


Solar projects in Spain

Total announced two agreements on 11 February to develop about 2GW of solar projects in Spain.

One of the deals is with Powertis, which develops utility-scale solar plants in Europe and South America.

As part of the agreement, Powertis will bring an 800MW portfolio of early-stage projects to the joint venture, with plans in place to develop new projects in the future.
Clir Renewables
Total announced two agreements on 11 February to develop about 2GW of solar projects in Spain (Credit: Wikimedia/US Air Force)

The second deal is to obtain all of the solar PV projects that are being developed by Spanish company Solarbay.

Its projects are taking place in the Andalusia, Aragon and Castile-La Mancha regions, with a combined capacity of about 1.2 GW.

The first site is expected to begin operations by the end of this year, while the remaining projects are planned to commence output by 2023.


France’s largest battery-based energy storage

Total announced on 11 March, it is investing €15m ($16.1m) to build what it claims to be the largest battery-based storage system for renewable energy in France.

The new lithium-ion energy storage system will have a capacity of 25 megawatt-hours (MWh) and a 25MW power output.

The battery-based storage system will feature 11 integrated 2.3MWh containers designed by French battery maker Saft.

Saft plans to design and manufacture the containers for the project at its production site in Bordeaux.

It is expected to be commissioned later this year and will provide fast reserve services to support the stability of the French power grid.


Floating offshore wind project in the UK

On 18 March, Total signed an agreement with renewable energy developer Simply Blue Energy, to acquire an 80% stake in the Erebus floating wind project in Wales, UK.

Located in the Celtic Sea, the project will have 96MW of capacity and be built in a water depth of 70 meters.

The deal allows Total a path into the world’s biggest offshore wind market, with Britain showcasing the largest portfolio of the technology.


Wind power expansion in France

Total, through its renewable energy developer and producer Total Quadran, purchased Global Wind Power (GWP) France on 20 March.

It has a 1GW portfolio of onshore wind projects, including 250MW that are scheduled to come on stream by 2025 — enhancing Total’s stake in the French wind market.

Total Quadran now operates more than 300 renewable energy plants in France, which generate 1.8 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of renewable electricity a year.

The group claims this is the equivalent of the annual consumption of nearly one million people and provides savings of about 590,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

[waldron] 19/3/2020 17:41

Total takes major stake in offshore Wales floating wind project

Total has signed an agreement with developer Simply Blue Energy to acquire an 80% stake in the floating wind project Erebus in the Celtic Sea, offshore Wales.
Mar 19th, 2020
The WindFloat floating foundation for offshore wind turbines is said to cut environmental risk and cost.
The WindFloat floating foundation for offshore wind turbines is said to cut environmental risk and cost.
(Courtesy Simply Blue Energy)

Offshore staff

PARIS – Total has signed an agreement with developer Simply Blue Energy to acquire an 80% stake in the floating wind project Erebus in the Celtic Sea, offshore Wales.

The facility, which will be installed in a water depth of 70 m (230 ft), will have a 96-MW capacity.

Total said the UK was the world’s largest offshore wind market, and that although most developments to date have been in shallow waters, based on fixed bottom technology, floating wind offshore appears set for strong growth.

This technology has the potential to open access to locations farther offshore, which have less impact on the landscape, as well as stronger wind resources.

According to Simply Blue, the WindFloat floating foundation for offshore wind turbines cuts environmental risk and cost.

This is due to its relatively simple assembly and installation requirements, with all heavy lifting operations performed in a protected environment on dry land (i.e. at the port) using onshore cranes and transportation methods such as tugboats, instead of more costly offshore installation vessels.

“Total has the appropriate skills to meet the technological and financial requirements that determine the success of future floating offshore developments,” said Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and CEO.

03/19/2020

[waldron] 19/3/2020 08:07

19/03/2020 7:56am
Dow Jones News

Total (EU:FP)
Intraday Stock Chart

Today : Thursday 19 March 2020
Click Here for more Total Charts.

Regulatory News:



Total (Paris:FP) (LSE:TTA) (NYSE:TOT) positions itself on the floating offshore wind segment in line with its strategy to develop renewable energy.



The Group has signed an agreement with the developer Simply Blue Energy to acquire 80% stake in the pioneering floating wind project Erebus located in the Celtic Sea, in Wales. The project will have a 96 megawatts capacity and will be installed in an area with water depth of 70 meters. This makes Total one of the first movers in this technology in the UK, the world's largest offshore wind market.



While offshore wind has so far mainly developed in shallow water depths based on fixed bottom technology, floating wind offshore is set for strong growth in the years to come. This emerging technology has wide potential, opening access to sites further offshore, which have less impact on the landscape, and benefit from very high wind resources.



"With its entry into floating offshore wind, Total confirms its ambition to contribute to the development of renewable energy worldwide. Floating offshore wind is an extremely promising and technical segment where Total brings its extensive expertise in offshore operations & maintenance. Total has the appropriate skills to meet the technological and financial requirements that determine the success of future floating offshore developments," said Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman & CEO of Total.



Total and Low-Carbon Electricity



Total has integrated climate change into its strategy, and is staying ahead of new energy market trends by building a portfolio of low-carbon businesses that could account for 15 to 20% of its sales by 2040. Total's gross low-carbon power generation capacity worldwide is currently close to 7 gigawatts, including 3 gigawatts from renewable energies.



About Total



Total is a major energy player that produces and markets fuels, natural gas and low-carbon electricity. Our 100,000 employees are committed to better energy that is safer, more affordable, cleaner and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, our ambition is to become the responsible energy major.

[maywillow] 14/3/2020 09:27

Four new renewable energy projects planned for Amazon’s net-zero push

PowerWind

By Andrew Fawthrop 13 Mar 2020

Solar and wind-focused renewable energy projects will generate 300MW of clean power for Amazon data centres in Australia, Europe and the US
Amazon wind farm Texas

Amazon's Texas wind farm project (Credit: Amazon)

Tech giant Amazon has accelerated its push to reach net-zero emissions by 2040 with the announcement of four new renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of 300 megawatts (MW).

The solar and wind ventures, located in Australia, Europe and the US, are expected to produce around 840,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of clean energy annually, supplying renewable electricity to the grids that serve its power-hungry data centres and office buildings.

These new schemes add to Amazon’s existing 26 utility-scale wind and solar projects that will generate more than 2.2 gigawatts (GW) of renewable capacity and deliver more than 6.2 million MWh of clean energy annually once fully operational.


Renewable energy projects part of Amazon target for net zero by 2040

Major tech companies have taken significant steps to reduce their carbon footprints by installing green energy infrastructure to power their operations, with Microsoft committing in January to be exclusively renewable power-dependent by 2025.

Earlier this year, Amazon’s billionaire chief executive Jeff Bezos – the world’s richest man – pledged $10bn to investments addressing climate change through a new initiative dubbed the Bezos Earth Fund.

The online retailer and data services company has set out a policy to reach net zero 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement’s 2050 schedule, a goal enshrined in its Climate Pledge policy launched in 2019.

Amazon’s vice president of sustainability Kara Hurst said: “These new renewable energy projects are part of our roadmap to 80% renewable energy by 2024 and 100% renewable energy by 2030.

“In addition to the environmental benefits inherently associated with running applications in the cloud, investing in renewable energy is a critical step toward addressing our carbon footprint globally.”


Wind and solar ventures planned for Australia, Europe and the US

Amazon’s latest plans include a 60MW solar project in New South Wales, Australia, which is expected to come online next year with an annual electricity generation capacity of 142,000 MWh.

Two of the new renewable ventures will be located in Europe, serving power grids in Spain and Sweden.

A 50MW solar farm will be built in Zaragoza, expected to begin operations in 2021, while in Sweden a 122MW onshore wind project in Västernorrland will supply clean power from 2022 onwards.

Finally, a 65MW solar facility is being planned for the US in Halifax County, Virginia – marking Amazon’s eleventh renewable energy project in the state.

It is expected to produce more than 150,000 MWh of green electricity annually.

Virginia Congressman Denver Riggleman welcomed the tech firm’s commitment to renewable energy projects in the region, saying they will help to “create clean jobs” for local workers.


Data centres prime targets for clean energy switch

Vast data centres such as those used by Amazon to power its computing infrastructure and host cloud services demand huge and constant supplies of electricity to keep them running smoothly and securely.

The International Energy Agency estimates that data centres consume about 1% of the world’s entire electricity supply – and as more and more critical processes become digitised, this figure is destined only to increase.

With that in mind, large tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft are taking steps to secure renewable sources of power as they seek to keep investors happy by demonstrating a commitment to reducing their carbon emissions and tackling climate change.

[maywillow] 28/2/2020 12:05

Total to Bid for Stake in $7.4 Billion U.K. Wind Farm

William Mathis, Bloomberg News








(Bloomberg) -- French oil company Total SA is among the final bidders for a stake in an offshore wind farm that may cost more than $7 billion to develop and operate, according to people familiar with the matter.

The move is significant because it highlights growing interest from major oil companies in renewables assets. It also would be the first facility of its kind in the U.K. built without full state support, making it more risky than what’s been built to date.

The British utility SSE Plc is developing the wind farm in Scotland’s section of the North Sea. It’s seeking partners to help shoulder the costs and risks.

For Total, buying into the 1,075-megawatt Seagreen project forms a foundation for its ambition to develop offshore wind farms in Europe, putting it in competition with Royal Dutch Shell Plc to break into the growing market for offshore wind assets.

The multi-billion-dollar projects at sea have become the specialty of European energy companies looking to capitalize on the global energy transition. They’re attractive to oil companies because their scale and the skills needed to build them make them similar to offshore oil projects.

With the purchase, Total could gain expertise that would help it achieve its aim to bid in forthcoming government offshore-wind auctions.

Total is hiring in the U.K. and Denmark to prepare to compete in offshore wind auctions there. The French company has stakes in 3 gigawatts of renewable-power capacity and seeks to double that in 2020. It targets 25 gigawatts by 2025.

Total declined to comment. SSE confirmed it’s interesting in selling a stake in the project, but a spokesperson wouldn’t discuss details of that process.

The project is expected to cost 5.7 billion pounds ($7.3 billion) over its lifetime.

In September, SSE won a 15-year government contract to sell 454 megawatts of power, less than half of the wind farm’s capacity. That leaves most of the project’s output at the mercy of swings in power markets -- unless its owner can pin down a long-term power-purchase agreement.

The price SSE achieved in the government auction was 41.61 pounds per megawatt-hour in 2012 prices. With such a low price, it’s possible that the market-rate portion of the project could actually earn more. But without a government contract, the project lacks that security that’s helped bring down the cost of financing the massive green energy projects in recent years.

To contact the reporter on this story: William Mathis in London at [e-mail]

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at [e-mail], Andrew Reierson

[grupo] 08/2/2020 13:38

Saint-Gobain signs VPPA for Blooming Grove wind farm in US

PowerWindProject

By NS Energy Staff Writer 07 Feb 2020

Saint-Gobain will buy 120MW of energy from the wind farm that is scheduled to be operational in late this year
windrader-1048981_640

Saint-Gobain signs VPPA with Invenergy for Blooming Grove wind farm in US. (Credit: Pixabay/Oimheidi)

Saint-Gobain North America has signed a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with Invenergy to purchase power from 250MW Blooming Grove wind farm in Illinois.

Under the 12-year agreement, which supports the construction of the project, Saint-Gobain North America will obtain renewable energy certificates (RECs) to offset approximately 40% of the CO2 emissions associated with powering its US operations.

It is expected to result in a 41% reduction in Saint-Gobain’s overall carbon footprint in the country by 21%.
Saint-Gobain will purchase 120MW of energy from the Blooming Grove wind farm

As part of the deal, the firm will secure 120MW of energy from the wind farm that will help green the electrical grid transmitted by PJM Interconnection.

Saint-Gobain North America energy and stewardship, sustainability Director Ryan Spies said: “Though the clean energy that’s developed at Blooming Grove Wind Farm won’t be powering our facilities directly, it was important for us to support the construction of renewable energy in a place where it’s needed.

“As a large consumer of energy across the U.S., including in PJM’s grid, we recognize the tremendous positive impact we can make on addressing the climate crisis.”

Scheduled to be operational in late this year, the wind project is being developed by Invenergy, a privately held global developer and operator of sustainable energy solutions.

In January, WEC Energy Group, a Milwaukee-based energy company, agreed to acquire a 80% stake in the 250MW Blooming Grove wind farm, for a total of $345m.

Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives (IEA), an infrastructure construction company, secured a contract to construct the Blooming Grove wind project.

The scope of IEA’s work on the wind project includes construction of project roads, turbine foundations, and erection of turbines.

When operational, the wind farm is expected to pay $119m to the local community in the form of property taxes and land payments and local wages and benefits.