Renewable Eng. Share Discussion Threads

[sarkasm] 01/9/2020 10:48

Total Enters Giant Korean Floating Wind Projects in Green Push
By Francois De Beaupuy
1 septembre 2020 à 10:23 UTC+2

Oil major joins with Macquarie to build more than 2 gigawatts
Partners to start construction at first of five sites in 2023



the Green Daily daily newsletter

Total SE will team up with Macquarie Group’s green bank to develop more than 2 gigawatts of floating wind farms off South Korea, the latest push by the French oil and gas giant to diversify into clean energy.

Total and European peers such as Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc have vowed to reduce their exposure to fossil fuels and trim emissions as governments, consumers and investors demand increased efforts to tackle global warming. Floating wind parks at the scale planned by Total -- dwarfing current sites -- will be key to bringing down the cost of the emerging technology.

The French major and Macquarie’s Green Investment Group will develop five floating wind farms off the eastern and southern coasts of South Korea, Total said in a statement on Tuesday. They plan to start building the first 500-megawatt project by the end of 2023. That compares with the 30 megawatts of capacity at Equinor ASA’s Hywind site off Scotland, the biggest operating floating wind project so far.


The plan is “in line with Total’s strategy to profitably develop renewable energy worldwide and contribute to our net-zero ambition,” Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne said in the statement. “Thanks to its extensive experience in offshore projects, in cooperation with many Korean shipyards, Total is particularly well positioned to contribute to the successful development of this new technology.”

Developers have recently started to test large floating wind turbines, aiming to install them in areas that lack shallow waters, where traditional offshore turbines can be anchored to the seabed. Total itself took a majority stake in a floating wind project off Wales this year, reflecting its commitment to invest in the technology while tapping its experience developing oil and gas offshore.

Total has also stepped up spending on renewable energy more broadly, with investments this year in large solar developments in India and Qatar, a giant wind farm in the North Sea, and growth in clean power in Spain and France. The company aims to have stakes in at least 25 gigawatts of renewable generation capacity in 2025, up from more than 5 gigawatts currently.

Total didn’t discuss funding of the Korean wind farms in its statement.

— With assistance by Will Mathis

[sarkasm] 01/9/2020 10:30

Siemens AG said Tuesday that its portfolio company Wind Energy Generation, also known as WG, has been incorporated into Siemens's German subsidiary Flender GmbH.

The German engineering conglomerate said the move fits into its plan to publicly list Flender in 2021.

As a result of the operation, Siemens said, Flender will be able to add electro-technical capability in the production of generators for the wind industry, while its position in the wind power sector will benefit WG, which focuses on wind generators and converters.

"We're already working together on a hybrid powertrain, which promises new growth potential in the wind area," said Flender Chief Executive Andreas Evertz.

Siemens said WG will retain its organization after the transfer to Flender, and that the integration of WG sites outside of Germany will be completed by Feb. 1.

The listing of Flender will happen via a spinoff, Siemens said, with company shareholders set to vote on the proposal at the ordinary shareholders' meeting in February.

WG and Flender have a combined revenue of about 2 billion euros ($2.39 billion), Siemens said.



Write to Cecilia Butini at [e-mail]



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 01, 2020 05:13 ET (09:13 GMT)

[waldron] 01/9/2020 08:26

01/09/2020 7:38am
Dow Jones News

Total (EU:FP)
Intraday Stock Chart


Tuesday 1 September 2020
Click Here for more Total Charts.

Regulatory News:



Total (Paris:FP) (LSE:TTA) (NYSE:TOT) and Macquarie's Green Investment Group (GIG) have concluded a 50/50 partnership to develop a portfolio of 5 large floating offshore wind projects in South Korea with a potential cumulated capacity of more than 2 gigawatts (GW).



Located off the Eastern and Southern coasts of the country (Ulsan and South Jeolla Provinces), the projects have commenced on-site comprehensive wind data collection campaign. The partners aim to launch construction of the first project of around 500 megawatts by end 2023.



With the announcement of the "Green New Deal" plan last July 14(th) , South Korea has re-affirmed its strong ambitions to develop renewable energies which shall reach at least 20% of the power mix by 2030, including 12 GW of offshore wind capacities. The country has a significant potential for the development of a floating offshore wind segment benefiting from a strong governmental support and a unique set of local competencies amongst which the extensive shipbuilding know-how and the country's ambitious R&D programs.



"Our entry in the floating offshore wind segment in South Korea is in line with Total's strategy to profitably develop renewable energy worldwide and contribute to our net zero ambition." said Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman & CEO of Total. "We strongly believe in the potential of floating offshore wind in South Korea, which will play a key role in achieving the country's renewables objectives. Thanks to its extensive experience in offshore projects, in cooperation with many Korean shipyards, Total is particularly well positioned to contribute to the successful development of this new technology in South Korea together with our partner GIG. We are indeed very keen to expand our long-term cooperation with South Korea, contribute to the diversification of its energy mix and support the emergence of a new industrial sector by maximizing Korean content within the supply chain of these projects".



Subject to regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other conditions precedent, the partnership will become effective in the autumn of 2020.



Total and Low-Carbon Electricity



Total integrates climate change into its strategy and stays ahead of new energy market trends by building a portfolio of activities in low-carbon electricity that could account for up to 40% of its sales by 2050. Today, Total's gross low-carbon power generation capacity worldwide is currently close to 9 gigawatts, including over 5 gigawatts from renewable energies. Total targets 25 GW of a renewable generation capacity in 2025 and will continue to expand its business to become a leading international player in renewable energies.



About Total



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

[florenceorbis] 12/8/2020 09:42

Renewables Overtake Coal, But Lag Far Behind Oil And Natural Gas

Tom Kirkman

[la forge] 02/8/2020 11:14

rechargenews


Oil's new green gushers, the rise of the gigafactory and why Siemens Gamesa is feeling winds of change onshore

Our weekly curation of the must-read news and analysis from the-week-that-was in the global renewable energy industry



31 July 2020 15:11 GMT Updated 31 July 2020 15:55 GMT
By Andrew Lee

Renewable energy used to merit a passing remark at most when the world’s oil & gas giants presented their quarterly financial results – but these days their CEOs can hardly stop talking about it.

Shell was understandably jubilant when the day before its latest financials, its joint venture with Eneco was declared winner of the latest Dutch zero-subsidy offshore wind tender, with a project that’s also eying green hydrogen production, batteries and floating PV.


CEO Ben van Beurden said offshore wind was set to play a “pivotal”; role in the energy transition, and the success was a high point in a sobering mixture of massive losses and the prospect of job reductions as the supermajor restructures for a clean power future.

Rival supermajor Total was also talking offshore wind, with the French group's CEO Patrick Pouyanne revealing that players from the sector are queuing up to partner with it.



There was onshore renewable action too as Recharge reported how US supermajor Chevron, so far seen as an energy transition laggard, made its biggest foray yet by linking up with wind and solar developer Algonquin.

It’s not hard to find reasons for their new-found enthusiasm – for example, the decision by Deutsche Bank to scale back financing in the oil & gas sector.

Manufacture of the lithium-ion batteries that will be used to store the clean power needed to drive the energy transition is giving rise to a massive new industrial sector in its own right, in the US and, increasingly, in Europe too.
French start-up emerges from stealth mode with plan to build huge battery gigafactory by 2023


Recharge reported how a start-up called Verkor has ambitions to build a 16GWh lithium-ion battery gigafactory in France by 2023, to help Europe meet the growing demand for electric vehicles and energy storage.

There was also news from Swedish battery group Northvolt, which has raised $1.6bn through a consortium of global financiers to support the development of lithium-ion battery gigafactories in Germany and Sweden.

No wonder Tesla boss Elon Musk recently predicted that its energy arm would end up as big as its electric vehicle operation.

Wind turbine maker Siemens Gamesa has seen something of a revolving door of top management in its short life since being created via a 2017 merger between German and Spanish OEMs.

Siemens Gamesa 'firmly believes' in onshore wind power despite loss: CEO Nauen


And now, recently-installed CEO Andreas Nauen has wasted no time in recruiting a new senior team to help lead what he's described as a turnaround at the company, which has seen big challenges in its onshore wind business, while its offshore division has gone from strength to strength.

Industry veteran Lars Bondo Krogsgaard was among a trio of top-level hirings that came soon after Siemens Gamesa announced Jorge Magalhães as the new head of technology for the onshore operation.

[adrian j boris] 24/7/2020 10:13

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy SA said Friday that it has received a 60-megawatt order to extend a wind project in Chile.

The Spanish wind-turbine maker said it would supply and install 12 units of SG 5.0-145 for the second phase of Cabo Leones 1, located on the coast of the Atacama region and operated by EDF Renewables Chile and Grupo Ibereolica Renovables.

The turbines, which will be supplied between November and January, are scheduled for commissioning by July 2021.

The contract also includes an operation and maintenance agreement for the next 12 years, the company said.



Write to Giulia Petroni at [e-mail]



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 24, 2020 04:47 ET (08:47 GMT)

[waldron] 21/7/2020 15:51

Ocean Winds is targeting floating and bottom-fixed offshore wind projects in Europe, the US and Asia

Engie and EDPR joint venture evolves into new company, Ocean Winds

21 Jul 2020by David Foxwell

Engie and EDP Renováveis (EDPR) have announced the creation of Ocean Winds (OW), a joint venture equally controlled by both companies in the floating and bottom-fixed offshore wind energy sector


Both companies believe that offshore wind energy is an essential part of the global energy transition, and that this will lead to the sector’s rapid growth and increased competitiveness.

The new company will act as the exclusive investment vehicle they use to capture offshore wind opportunities around the world. OW will, they say, become one of the top five global offshore wind operators by combining the industrial and development capacity of both parent companies.

EDPR and Engie are combining their offshore wind assets and project pipeline in OW, starting with a total of 1.5 GW under construction and 4.0 GW under development, with a target of reaching 5-7 GW of projects in operation or under construction and 5-10 GW under advanced development by 2025. OW is primarily targeting markets in Europe, the US and selected geographies in Asia.

OW chief executive Spyros Martinis said, “OW has been created with the intention of combining the experience and knowledge of two companies with a successful track record in the generation of renewable energy in a single firm, in order to take a leading position in the offshore wind sector.

“We share a vision for the key role of renewables in general, and offshore in particular, in the new energy model. The creation of a company combining the experience and resources of both will give us the chance to lead a sector in this increasingly real and necessary transition.”

Despite the initial focus on Europe, the US and Asia, OW chief operating officer Grzegorz Gorski said, “We are continuously monitoring opportunities in multiple countries. We are seeking not just to grow in the markets where we are already present, but also to explore opportunities to add value in new countries.”

OW has over 200 employees and expects to have 300 by the end of the year. The company already employs people from 15 different countries, almost a third of them women.

Riviera held a series of webinars on offshore wind in June

[waldron] 16/7/2020 16:49

BP PLC Thursday said its bp Wind Energy unit has agreed to buy the remaining 50% interest in the Fowler Ridge 1 wind asset in Indiana from its current partner, a unit of Dominion Energy Inc.

Financial terms weren't disclosed.

The U.K. oil major said Fowler Ridge 1, located in central Indiana, includes 162 wind turbines with a generating capacity of 300 megawatts.

BP said the deal, which will increase bp Wind Energy's net wind generation capacity by more than 15% to 1,076 megawatts, advances its plans to increase its investments in low- and zero-carbon energy systems.

As the oil industry faces growing investor and consumer pressure over fossil fuels, BP in February said it would aim to reduce its net carbon emissions to zero by 2050 and restructure its oil-focused businesses to better navigate a transition to other fuels.

Dominion acquired its stake in Fowler Ridge from BP in 2008.



Write to Colin Kellaher at [e-mail]



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 16, 2020 10:52 ET (14:52 GMT)

[the grumpy old men] 12/7/2020 09:20

Equinor to build the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm




Posted By: Victoria Garza 11. July 2020

Equinor plans to build the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm in South Korea with up to 100 turbines.

– We have a plan for construction start in 2023, which can give a possible start of production in 2026, confirms press spokesman Erik Haaland in Equinor to Teknisk Ukeblad (TU). It was the industry website Offshorewind that first mentioned the plans.

The Firefly project will be nine times as large as Norwegian Hywind Tampen, which will consist of eleven turbines.

“South Korea has significant potential and offers interesting opportunities in offshore wind,” says Haaland.

Hywind Tampen is estimated to cost around NOK 5 billion. Equinor does not know how much Firefly will cost.

– “It is too early to comment on cost estimates at this time,” says Haaland.

/ #Norway Today

[la forge] 24/6/2020 11:18

Energy Giants Join Offshore Wind Group
by Andreas Exarheas
|
Rigzone Staff
|
Wednesday, June 24, 2020

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Energy Giants Join Offshore Wind Group
Total, Shell and Equinor have joined Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult's UK Floating Offshore Wind Center of Excellence.

Total, Shell and Equinor have joined Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s UK Floating Offshore Wind Center of Excellence (FOWCoE), ORE Catapult has revealed.

The center focuses on all areas of floating wind activity in the UK across four “key” workstreams - comprising technology development, supply chain and operations, development and consent, and delivering net zero – according to ORE Catapult.

The aim of the group - which works closely with the government - is to reduce the cost of energy from floating wind, accelerate the build-out of floating farms, create opportunities for the UK supply chain and drive innovations in manufacturing, installation and operations and maintenance.

“Total’s ambition is to become the responsible energy major and we believe that the UK offers many opportunities that will help us fulfil that ambition,” Jean-Luc Guiziou, the managing director of Total E&P UK, said in a company statement.

“The UK already has one of the most well developed offshore wind markets in the world. Investing in the development of floating offshore wind will develop that further and as such we are delighted to join FOWCoE,” he added.

Vincent Fromont, the general manager of floating wind at Shell, said, “this type of collaboration is key if we are to deliver cleaner power from wind at commercial scale”.

“We look forward to tackling the challenge of accelerating floating technology and learning together with our new partners,” he added.

Sebastian Bringsvaerd, the head of floating wind development at Equinor, said, “we believe driving innovation within floating offshore wind is best done by fostering collaboration across the industry”.

“That more and more energy companies join forces is a testament to the potential of floating offshore wind in the UK and globally,” he added.

ORE Catapult is the UK’s leading technology innovation and research center for offshore renewable energy, according to its website. The organization launched the multi-million dollar FOWCoE in October last year “to drive forward the development of next generation offshore wind technologies”.

To contact the author, email [e-mail]

[waldron] 23/6/2020 15:51

Total’s Belgian subsidiary to buy all of Rentel’s electricity

Business & Finance

June 23, 2020, by Adnan Durakovic

Belgian electricity and gas supplier Lampiris and Otary have approved a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) for all of the electricity generated at the 309 MW Rentel offshore wind farm.

The agreement must still be submitted for approval to the Electricity and Gas Regulation Commission (CREG).

If approved, the PPA will start on 1 October and allow Lampiris to supply around 300,000 households with green electricity for a period of 15 years. Lampiris is a subsidiary of the French energy major Total.

Back in February, Rentel Offshore Energy issued a call for a competition seeking an off-taker for the wind farm’s electricity in form of a long-term PPA.

Located approximately 40 kilometers off the coast of Oostende, Rentel’s 42 Siemens Gamesa 7.35 MW wind turbines generate around 1 TWh of electricity annually on average.

The wind farm has been fully operational since January 2019.

Rentel is owned by the Otary Group consortium of eight Belgian shareholders including, Aspiravi, DEME Group, Elicio, Green Offshore, Power@Sea, Socofe, SRIW, and Z-Kracht.

[spurslegend1] 23/6/2020 06:04

Liberum is conservative about the short-term outlook for Wincanton (WIN) but says longer-term the logistics specialist is ambitious.

Analyst Gerald Khoo retained his ‘buy’ recommendation and target price of 320p on the shares

[la forge] 19/6/2020 08:10

IEA targets cleaning up energy systems in extensive Sustainable Recovery Plan

Features & AnalysisPowerEmission

By James Murray 18 Jun 2020

The IEA has pinpointed a series of actions that can be taken over the next three years to “revitalise economies and boost employment” while making energy systems “cleaner and more resilient”
Wind turbine

IEA executive director Fatih Birol believes governments have a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' to reboot their economies (Credit: Flickr/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters)

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has earmarked cleaning up the world’s energy systems as a key priority following the launch of its Sustainable Recovery Plan today (18 June).

The Paris-based organisation has pinpointed a series of actions that can be taken over the next three years to “revitalise economies and boost employment” while making energy systems “cleaner and more resilient”.

Its latest analysis, titled Special Report on Sustainable Recovery, offers an energy sector roadmap for governments to “spur economic growth, create millions of jobs and put global emissions into structural decline”.

By integrating energy policies into countries’ responses to the devastating impacts of the coronavirus crisis, the watchdog claims the plan would “accelerate the deployment of modern, reliable and clean energy technologies and infrastructure”;.


‘Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’ for governments

IEA executive director Fatih Birol believes governments have a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to reboot their economies and bring a “wave of new employment opportunities while accelerating the shift to a more resilient and cleaner energy future”.

“Policymakers are having to make hugely consequential decisions in a very short space of time as they draw up stimulus packages,” he added.

“Our Sustainable Recovery Plan provides them with rigorous analysis and clear advice on how to tackle today’s major economic, energy and climate challenges at the same time.

“The plan is not intended to tell governments what they must do. It seeks to show them what they can do.”


What could the Sustainable Recovery Plan achieve?

The IEA claims its plan, covering 2021 to 2023, could boost global economic growth by an average of 1.1 percentage points a year, while saving or creating about nine million jobs annually and reducing annual global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions by a total of 4.5 billion tonnes by the end of the term.

The watchdog said the measures would also deliver “improvements to human health and well-being”.

This would be possible through a 5% reduction in air pollution emissions by bringing clean-cooking solutions to about 420 million people in low-income countries and by enabling almost 270 million people to gain access to electricity.
Offshore wind turbine regulations
Recent analysis by the IEA has shown that global energy investment is set for an “unprecedented plunge” of 20% in 2020 (Credit: Flickr/mmatsuura)

The agency believes that, for these results to be achieved, it would require global investment of about $1tn annually over the next three years.

That sum represents about 0.7% of today’s global GDP and includes both public spending and private finance that would be mobilised by government policies, according to the report.


Coronavirus impact on energy employment

After assessing more than 30 specific energy policy measures, the Sustainable Recovery Plan considers cost-effective approaches, the circumstances of individual countries, existing pipelines of energy projects, and current market conditions – spanning across electricity, transport, industry, buildings, fuels and emerging low-carbon technologies.

The IEA’s new energy employment database shows that in 2019, the energy industry – including electricity, oil, gas, coal and biofuels – directly employed about 40 million people globally.

But the report estimates that about three million of those jobs have either been lost or are at risk due to the impacts of the pandemic, with a further three million jobs lost or at risk in related areas such as vehicles, buildings and industry.

The IEA said the largest portion of the millions of new employment opportunities created through its plan would be in “retrofitting buildings to improve energy efficiency” and in the electricity sector, “particularly in grids and renewables”.

Other areas it expects to experience enhanced job prospects include energy efficiency in industries such as manufacturing, food and textiles, low-carbon transport infrastructure, and more efficient, new energy vehicles.


What the Sustainable Recovery Plan recommends for energy investment areas

Recent analysis by the agency has shown that global energy investment is set for an “unprecedented plunge” of 20% in 2020, which raises “serious concerns for energy security and clean energy transitions”.

It claims that, as a result of the Sustainable Recovery Plan, the global energy sector would become “more resilient” — making countries “better prepared for future crises”.

Investment in enhancing electricity grids, upgrading hydropower facilities, extending the lifetimes of nuclear power plants, and increasing energy efficiency would “improve electricity security”, the report notes.

It claims this would be possible by lowering the risk of outages, boosting flexibility, reducing losses and helping integrate larger shares of variable renewables such as wind and solar PV.

The IEA describes electricity grids as the “backbone of secure and reliable power systems” and believed they would see a 40% increase in capital spending after “years of declining investment”.

It added that this would “put them on a stronger footing to withstand natural disasters, severe weather and other potential threats”.


How the Sustainable Recovery Plan aims to reduce carbon emissions

The watchdog claims its plan is “designed to avoid the kind of sharp rebound in carbon emissions” that accompanied the economic recovery from the 2008-2009 global financial crisis and instead “put them into structural decline”.

Its analysis highlights key aspects of the situation in hand that make it a “unique opportunity for government action”.
Great Britain coal-free power
The IEA said global carbon emissions flat-lined in 2019 and are set for a record decline this year (Credit: pxfuel)

Compared with the 2008-2009 crisis, the costs of leading clean energy technologies such as wind and solar PV are “far lower”, and some emerging technologies including batteries and hydrogen are “ready to scale up”, claims the IEA.

It said global carbon emissions flat-lined in 2019 and are set for a record decline this year.

But it added that while this drop, which has come as a result of economic trauma, is “nothing to celebrate”, it does provide a “base from which to put emissions into structural decline”.


The Sustainable Recovery Plan would make 2019 the ‘definitive peak in global emissions’, said Birol

Birol said the report lays out the data and analysis showing that a cleaner, fairer and more secure energy future is “within our reach”.

“The Sustainable Recovery Plan would make 2019 the definitive peak in global emissions, putting them on a path towards achieving long-term climate goals,” he added.

“The IEA is mobilising its analytical resources and global convening power to bring together a grand coalition that encompasses government ministers, top energy industry CEOs, major investors and other key players who are ready to pursue a sustainable recovery that will help steer the world onto a more resilient trajectory.”

He said that is why the Sustainable Recovery Plan will be a “key element” in informing discussions at the IEA Clean Energy Transitions Summit on 9 July.

That virtual event will gather ministers from countries representing 80% of global energy use, as well as industry CEOs, big investors and other key leaders from the public and private sectors around the world.

The IEA said the summit will review both near-term actions for sustainable recovery and “measures to accelerate clean energy technology innovation for reaching long-term decarbonisation plans”.

[waldron] 18/6/2020 15:39

Enel Starts Wind-Farm Expansion in Kansas
Print
Alert

By Jessica Sier


Enel SpA has started construction of 74 turbines at the Cimarron Bend wind farm in Kansas, the company's subsidiary, Enel Green Power SpA, said on Thursday.

The Italian energy company said the expansion project will involve investment of over $281 million, and will increase capacity at the wind farm to 599 megawatts from 400 megawatts.

The expansion is supported by a 15-year 150 megawatt power purchase agreement with Evergy Inc., a utility company, and a 30 megawatt agreement with an agency of the Missouri Public Utility Alliance.

Once completed, the Cimarron Bend wind farm, located in Clark County, Kansas, will generate more than 2.7 terawatt hours per year, which is equivalent to avoiding 1.8 million tons of CO2 emissions, said Enel.

Enel has committed to reducing carbon emissions 80% below 2005 levels by 2050.



Write to Jessica Sier at [e-mail]



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 18, 2020 09:59 ET (13:59 GMT)

[waldron] 17/6/2020 16:29

THE SCOTSMAN


Huge Scottish wind farms to power a million homes form part of £7bn SSE investment

Perth-based energy giant SSE has pledged an £7 billion investment to “spur the green economic recovery” including the construction of the UK’s biggest onshore wind farm.

By Scott Reid
Wednesday, 17th June 2020, 12:07 pm

Updated
4 hours ago

Perth-headquartered SSE is a major producer of green power.


The commitment came as the FTSE-100 company released full-year results showing a double-digit hike in adjusted operating profits and a continued shareholder dividend payout.

Its plans will see the group invest almost £4 million-a-day for the next five years on projects including two major new wind farms – generating sufficient electricity to power more than one million homes.

SSE confirmed plans to build the £580m Viking onshore wind farm on Shetland, which would be the UK’s biggest onshore facility, and the £3bn Seagreen offshore wind farm, alongside French giant Total.



Together, those projects are expected to create some 800 jobs and support thousands more in the supply chain.

In England, SSE said it was continuing to move ahead with plans to build the world’s largest offshore wind farm, off the coast of Yorkshire. That would generate more than 1,000 construction jobs at its peak.

Chief executive Alistair Phillips-Davies said: “It’s easy to talk about a green recovery, but we’re putting our money where our mouth is with £7bn of low-carbon infrastructure projects that can deliver a win-win for climate and economy.

“The investment plans we’ve set out underline our intentions as a British business providing a boost to the economy and we want to work with government to make the green recovery and delivery of net zero a reality.

“The world is facing twin crises with the economic impact of coronavirus and the climate emergency and the only route forward is to unlock investment. Plenty of businesses talk a good game on climate action, but we’re serious.”

Adjusted operating profit rose 37 per cent to just under £1.5bn as the group, which has offloaded its energy supply business to focus on green power production, recovered from a “challenging” 2018/19. However, reported operating profit fell 40 per cent to £963.4m due to the impact of exceptional items.

A final dividend of 56p per share was declared, making a full-year payment of 80p – in line with a five-year plan on shareholder payouts.

John Moore, senior investment manager at Brewin Dolphin, said: “SSE has committed to its progressive dividend policy, which will be a massive relief to many income investors in the current climate.

“Aside from that, it’s a mixed bag for the underlying business, with its generation assets picking up slack from regulated activities.

“The investment in a major onshore wind project in Shetland is a significant move, as it helps grow the successful renewable energy division.

“However, in overall terms, the immediate trading picture appears more challenging and, although it appears to be in decent shape, SSE remains a business in transition.”

[grupo guitarlumber] 13/6/2020 21:06

Mayflower Wind Farm

PowerWindOffshore
Project Type :

Offshore wind farm development
Location :

Massachusetts, US
Initial Capacity :

804MW
Planned Capacity :

1.6GW
Owner and Operator :

Mayflower Wind Energy
Development Partners :

Shell New Energies (50%) and EDP Renewables (50%)
Expected Commissioning :

Phase one:2025

The Mayflower wind farm is a 1.6GW offshore wind power project proposed to be developed approximately 32km south of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, in the New England region of US.

Mayflower Wind Energy, a 50:50 joint venture between Shell New Energies and EDP Renewables, is the developer of the project.

An 804MW wind farm is planned to be developed in stage one which is expected to commence operation in 2025.

The Mayflower offshore wind energy project is expected to generate enough electricity at a cost as low as 5.8 US cents per kilowatt-hours (KWh) for approximately 680,000 households a year.
Project Gallery

The project is expected to create approximately 10,000 jobs and offset approximately 1.7 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2 emissions a year once in operation.
Location and site details

The Mayflower offshore wind power project is located on a 127,388acre federal lease area on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), approximately 40km south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, US.
Mayflower wind project background

Mayflower Wind Energy won the rights to develop up to 1.6GW of commercial wind energy on a federal lease area on block 0521 in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off the coast of Massachusetts, in an auction organised by the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in December 2018.

Mayflower Wind Energy submitted four bids including proposals for three 804MW wind farms and a 408MW wind farm to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Section 83C offshore wind development procurement process in August 2019, of which the lowest-cost 804MW wind farm proposal was selected in October 2019.

A high-resolution geophysical survey campaign in the Mayflower Wind project area was initiated in July 2019 and completed in October 2019.
Mayflower 1 wind farm design

The turbines of the 804MW Mayflower 1 wind farm will be installed on monopole foundations in rows in water depths ranging from 35m to 65m. The distance between the turbine rows will be approximately one mile.

The electricity generated by the turbines will be gathered and transmitted to an offshore substation through approximately 300km of 66kV inter-array cables.

The electricity from the offshore substation will be further transmitted to an onshore substation via export cables.
Power off-take

The electricity output of the wind farm will be off-taken by Massachusetts electric utilities under long-term power-purchase agreements.

The electric distribution companies (EDCs) that have applied for long-term contracts with Mayflower Wind Energy include the NSTAR Electric Company, Nantucket Electric Company, Massachusetts Electric Company, and Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Company.
Contractors involved

A joint venture of Semco Maritime and Bladt Industries was contracted for the fabrication and delivery of a 1.2GW offshore substation in January 2020.

Bladt Industries will undertake the steel structure and jacket foundation works while Semco Maritime will be responsible for the design, procurement, and installation of electrical equipment, auxiliary systems, and inter-array cables.

Siemens was subcontracted by Semco Maritime to provide the main electrical equipment for the electrical service platform (ESP) of the Mayflower wind power project in June 2020.

As part of the contract, Siemens will supply three 275 kV/265 MVAr shunt reactors, a 72kV HV gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), three 275 kV MV GIS systems, integrated conditioning monitoring system, as well as SCADA and protection systems for the Mayflower offshore substation.

Power and telecom cable manufacturer Hellenic Cables was subcontracted by Semco Maritime to design and supply 300km of 66kV, XLPE insulated submarine inter-array cables for the wind farm in January 2020.

TerraSond, a subsidiary of the global subsea services group Acteon, was engaged to conduct a high-resolution geophysical survey for the Mayflower wind farm project in 2019.

[florenceorbis] 12/6/2020 08:26

Crown Estate Scotland launches ScotWind Leasing round for new offshore wind projects

PowerWindOffshore

By NS Energy Staff Writer 11 Jun 2020

The public corporation expects the projects to be developed under the ScotWind Leasing round to attract a total investment of more than £8bn
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ScotWind Leasing round launched for new offshore wind projects in Scottish waters. (Credit: Crown Estate Scotland)

The Scottish economy is set to get a multi-billion pound investment boost with Crown Estate Scotland offering the country’s waters for new offshore wind development through the ScotWind Leasing round.

Crown Estate Scotland, which is the manager of Scotland’s seabed, has launched what is the first round of offshore wind leasing in a decade in the country. The public corporation expects the ScotWind Leasing projects to attract a total investment of more than £8bn.

The multi-billion pound investment opportunity will form an important part of Scotland’s green recovery, said the property manager.

It further said that the leasing round will enable firms at the cutting edge of offshore renewables to apply to construct the new generation of offshore wind farms in Scottish waters and help in powering the transition to a net-zero future by the year 2045.
Projects under the ScotWind Leasing round to offset over six million tonnes of CO2 per year

The projects to be developed under the new scheme are expected to generate more than enough clean electricity to meet the power consumption needs of all the Scottish households. Besides, Scotland anticipates the new offshore wind projects to help offset more than six million tonnes of CO2 annually.

Crown Estate Scotland Energy and Infrastructure head John Robertson said: “Offshore wind is currently one of the cheapest forms of new electricity generation and Scotland is perfectly poised to host major new projects, with a well-established energy skills sector as well as some of the best natural marine resources in Europe.”

The Scottish corporation said that investors and developers can register interest in getting an ‘option agreement’ from it. The option agreements can then result in the signing of leases to develop offshore wind farms in one of the areas of seabed to be outlined as appropriate in The Scottish Government’s Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy, said Crown Estate Scotland.

The corporation also said that developers, as part of any lease application, have to submit a Supply Chain Development Statement for letting it know how they intend to engage with and utilise supply chain to develop their proposed offshore wind projects.

Scotland Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: “Our seas are host to some of the best offshore wind resources in the world, supporting the continuing growth and expansion of the sector.

“We want to harness this huge resource for our energy system, unlocking significant investment in the supply chain to create more green jobs across the sector and, importantly, to do so in a way that gives due regard to our marine environment and other marine activities.”

[florenceorbis] 08/6/2020 10:13

Infigen terms UAC’s takeover bid as opportunistic and highly conditional

PowerWindOnshore

By NS Energy Staff Writer 05 Jun 2020

Infigen Energy, which has a fleet of owned wind farms, received an off-market takeover bid of AUD0.8 ($0.54) per stapled security from the Filipino energy company
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Infigen Energy owns certain wind farms in Australia. (Credit: VIVIANE MONCONDUIT from Pixabay)

Infigen Energy has called the AUD777m ($536m) takeover bid from UAC Energy as “opportunistic” and “highly conditional” following a preliminary analysis.

However, the Australian renewable energy company said that it is considering its response to the proposal from the Filipino company, which is a fully-owned subsidiary of Philippines-based conglomerate Ayala.

Infigen Energy’s directors asked the company’s shareholders not to take any action regarding the proposal or any document received from UAC Energy related to the offer until they come up with a formal recommendation.

The Australian company, which has a fleet of owned wind farms, received an off-market takeover bid of AUD0.8 ($0.54) per stapled security from the Filipino energy company. The latter already holds 12.82% of the stapled securities in the Australian firm.

Infigen Energy claimed that it is yet to receive the bidder statement and has termed the timing of the proposal to be opportunistic based on the recent decline in its
stapled security price and Australian energy prices since the global outbreak of Covid-19.

The company believes that by being a relatively unique business in the Australian renewable energy sector, it is positioned strategically to achieve long-term success in the renewable energy market.

It also said that the renewable energy sector is poised for long-term growth considering that the current dependence of Australia on coal-fired generation, the aging
existing coal-fired power stations, and the relatively favourable costs and risks
of the new generation from renewable sources compared to thermal alternatives.

Infigen Energy has also expressed doubts over the ability of UAC Energy in fully funding its proposal.
Why Infigen Energy believes that the proposal from UAC Energy is highly conditional

Furthermore, the Australian renewable energy company said that the proposal is highly conditional as it needs approval from the Australian government apart from being subject to other conditions.

The company stated: “The Australian Government announced on 29 March 2020 temporary changes to foreign investment review board (‘FIRB’) approval processes. These changes include that FIRB will be working with applicants to extend timeframes for considering FIRB applications from 30 days to up to six months.

“Accordingly, there is a risk of an extended timeframe for the FIRB and Government considering the application from UAC which would result in the Proposal remaining conditional for at least that extended time frame.”