Tom Russell's News Feed

• 
  17/01/2020 - Construction begins for Dogger Bank

  Construction on what is poised to be the world’s largest offshore wind farm started this week.

• 
  17/01/2020 - More info on ScotWind supply-chain rules

  ScotWind Leasing is planned to launch later this year. It will be the first offshore wind leasing round in Scotland for a decade, and the first by Crown Estate Scotland.

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  17/01/2020 - GE, HSM, IV-One to deliver Neart na Gaoithe substations

  A consortium of GE Renewable Energy’s Grid Solutions business, HSM Offshore BV and IV-One has been commissioned to deliver substations for the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm

• 
  17/01/2020 - Scottish Ministers approve EOWDC lifetime extension

  Scottish Ministers have approved extending the lifetime of the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre.

• 
  17/01/2020 - DEA set to greenlight Kriegers Flak

  The Danish Energy Agency expects to grant Vattenfall’s Kriegers Flak project final approval before the end of the month.

• 
  17/01/2020 - EDP backs offshore wind robot development centre

  A European real-time maritime robot testing centre is being set up on the coast of Viana do Castelo to develop offshore wind inspection and maintenance solutions.

• 
  17/01/2020 - EDS HV Group provides training for Formosa 1

  EDS HV Group, part of James Fisher and Sons plc, has completed electrical safety commissioning and consultancy work at the Formosa 1 (Phase 2) offshore wind farm.

• 
  16/01/2020 - RWE stretched to limit with Germany's coal phase-out plans

  German electric utility company RWE has announced that is had agreed to conform to the German government's plans to phase out coal power production however, it claims that the compensation it will be paid by the government falls nearly €1bn shy of the financial damage it will suffer as a result.

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  16/01/2020 - Van Oord and NYK ink Japanese installation vessel MoU

  Van Oord and NYK have agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly own and operate offshore wind installation vessels under the Japanese flag.

• 
  16/01/2020 - Scottish Government enacts supply-chain commitment rule

  Under a new agreement between the Scottish Government and Crown Estate Scotland, offshore wind developers will have to agree on supply-chain commitments when applying for offshore wind leases. It comes following criticism from local unions and companies in the supply chain that claimed it was not enough offshore wind contracts were staying in Scotland.

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  16/01/2020 - Ørsted to open Rhode Island offshore wind innovation hub

  Ørsted has announced the formation of its United States Innovation Hub in Providence, Rhode Island.

• 
  16/01/2020 - Fugro to survey Dutch wind zone

  Fugro has been awarded a geotechnical site investigation contract for the Ten noorden van de Waddeneilanden Wind Farm Zone.

• 
  16/01/2020 - Northern Offshore Group inks MoU with Japanese shipping line

  Northern Offshore Group and NYK Line have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate within the offshore wind industry.

• 
  16/01/2020 - Galloper opens Harwich O&M facility

  The Galloper offshore wind farm's new multi-million-pound Operations & Maintenance (O&M) facility has been opened at Harwich International Port in Essex.

• 
  16/01/2020 - Petrofac scores Seagreen substation bounty

  Petrofac has entered into a Preferred Supplier Agreement with SSE Renewables for the Seagreen wind farm project.

• 
  15/01/2020 - fos4X supports Veja Mate monitoring system

  German wind farm operator Veja Mate Offshore Project GmbH and fos4X GmbH are jointly executing a monitoring campaign project in the German North Sea.

• 
  15/01/2020 - Poland publishes draft Offshore Wind Act

  The Polish government has issued its draft act for the promotion of offshore wind electricity generation which looks to pave the way for development of the technology in the Baltic Sea.

• 
  15/01/2020 - JERA and Shimizu join forces

  JERA Co., Inc. and Shimizu Corporation have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding concerning collaboration in the offshore wind power generation business.

• 
  15/01/2020 - Array cable installation underway at Blauwwind

  The first inter array cable has been installed at the Blauwwind offshore wind farm, off the Dutch coast.

• 
  15/01/2020 - Bladt and Semco net Mayflower bounty

  Bladt Industries and Semco Maritime have secured a contract for the fabrication and delivery of the Mayflower offshore wind project’s offshore substation.

• 
  15/01/2020 - €1 trillion EU investment through Green Deal

  Offshore wind will benefit significantly from today as the European Union committed to becoming the first climate-neutral bloc in the world by 2050. The European Green Deal's Investment Plan looks to mobilise public investment and help to unlock private funds through EU financial instruments, notably InvestEU, which would lead to at least €1 trillion of investments.

• 
  14/01/2020 - Shanghai Electric installs 8 MW prototype

  Shanghai Electric has completed the installation of its prototype 8 MW offshore wind turbine at Shantou Haojiang Wind Power Industrial Park in Guangdong.

• 
  14/01/2020 - Swire Blue Ocean to install Hollandse Kust Zuid turbines

  Vattenfall has contracted Swire Blue Ocean for the installation of turbines at its Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm project.

• 
  14/01/2020 - Floatgen breaks production record

  Ideol has reported that the 2 MW Floatgen floating wind turbine exceeded production and availability expectations in the second half of 2019.

• 
  14/01/2020 - First power generated by Northwester 2

  First power has been produced at the Northwester 2 offshore wind farm.

• 
  14/01/2020 - NKT inks East West Interconnector service contract

  NKT has been awarded a five-year service agreement by the Irish power grid operator EirGrid for cable related services, including repair works for the East West Interconnector.

• 
  14/01/2020 - TenneT bolsters transmission capacity to over 7GW

  In 2019, transmission system operator TenneT exceeded the German government’s 2020 expansion targets for North Sea wind power transmission capacity.

• 
  13/01/2020 - TMA Logistics to support Windpark Fryslân

  TMA Logistics has been commissioned by Siemens Gamesa Renewables Energy to provide the storage and transhipment of wind turbines for Windpark Fryslân.

• 
  13/01/2020 - Seatools scores piling system contract

  Seatools has secured a contract to design and deliver a piling system to be used in the installation of a Taiwanese offshore wind farm.

• 
  13/01/2020 - Industry heavies spearhead renewable energy coalition

  An international Ocean Renewable Energy Action Coalition has been formed to advance sustainable deployment of ocean-based renewable energy and mitigate the harmful impacts of climate change.

• 
  13/01/2020 - SGRE completes Senvion acquisition

  Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has closed its acquisition of the European Service assets and intellectual property of German headquartered wind turbine manufacturer Senvion.

• 
  13/01/2020 - Ørsted begins Borssele 1&2 installation

  Ørsted has started constructing its first offshore wind farm in the Netherlands, installing the first foundations at the Borssele 1&2 offshore wind farm.

• 
  10/01/2020 - Trianel Windkraftwerk Borkum issues cable replacement tender notcie

  Trianel Windkraftwerk Borkum GmbH and Co. KG has issued a tender notice for inner array cable replacement.

• 
  10/01/2020 - Shell New Energies executive steps down

  The Executive Vice President at Shell New Energies has revealed that he is stepping down from his role after being involved with the company for 39 years.

• 
  10/01/2020 - Third WindFloat Atlantic turbine prepped for deployment

  Global Wind Service and MHI Vestas have installed the last of the three turbines on the WindFloat Atlantic project.

• 
  10/01/2020 - Cathie supports Saipem on Neart na Gaoithe

  Geoscience and geotechnical engineering consultancy Cathie has been contracted by Saipem to interpret geotechnical conditions encountered at the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm.

• 
  10/01/2020 - Albatros begins operations

  EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (EnBW) has revealed that the Albatros offshore wind farm, located roughly 100 km off the coast of Germany, has entered operations.

• 
  09/01/2020 - Construction kicked off for Saint-Nazaire substation

  The first steel sheet of the electrical substation for the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm was cut today (9 January 2020) at Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.

• 
  09/01/2020 - Prysmian Group secures Chinese cable contract

  Prysmian Group has been awarded a contract by Dongfang Electric Corporation, one of the biggest state-owned enterprises in China.

• 
  09/01/2020 - Ocean Installer appoints new chief

  Ocean Installer has appointed Odd Strømsnes as the company’s new CEO.

• 
  09/01/2020 - Governor Cuomo reinforces wind efforts

  New York Governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, yesterday (8 January 2020) delivered his 2020 State of the State address. It includes prerogatives to tackle climate change and boost offshore wind development.

• 
  09/01/2020 - Triton Knoll poised for offshore construction

  The vessel fleet that will carry out foundation installation has already begun to mobilise and will look to install the first foundations as soon as weather conditions are favourable.

• 
  08/01/2020 - Belgium breaks renewables records

  Renewable power generation in Belgium enjoyed a record breaking year in 2019, according to electricity transmission system operator Elia.

• 
  08/01/2020 - TECADE loads out Moray East transition pieces

  The first transition pieces manufactured by TECADE for the Moray East offshore wind project in Scotland have departed from the Port of Seville.

• 
  08/01/2020 - MHI Vestas picks Port of Roenne for pre-assembly

  MHI Vestas has selected the Port of Roenne at Bornholm for pre-assembly and shipment of the company’s offshore wind turbine components for the Arcadis Ost 1 offshore wind farm.

• 
  08/01/2020 - Mammoet completes ALE buy

  Mammoet has confirmed that as of today (8 January 2020) its acquisition of ALE is complete.

• 
  07/01/2020 - Maryland PSC schedules hearing for two projects

  The Maryland Public Service Commission has scheduled a public comment hearing as part of its inquiry into impacts related to changes in the turbine sizes for two offshore wind projects.

• 
  07/01/2020 - Formosa 1 commercially operational

  Phase 2 of the Formosa 1 offshore wind farm off the coast of Taiwan has officially started commercial operations.

• 
  07/01/2020 - SGRE scores 2.6 GW supply agreement

  Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has been named as the preferred turbine supplier for the 2,640-MW Dominion Energy Virginia Offshore Wind project in the USA.

• 
  07/01/2020 - China Three Gorges and Mingyang forge alliance

  Wind turbine manufacturer Ming Yang Smart Energy and state-owned power and wind farm development company China Three Gorges have forged an offshore wind alliance.

• 
  06/01/2020 - Final SeaMade foundation touches down

  The last foundation has been installed at the SeaMade offshore wind project in the Belgian North Sea.

• 
  06/01/2020 - Virginia to produce master plan

  A bill which would require the state of Virginia to develop an Offshore Wind Master Plan has been introduced to the state committee.

• 
  06/01/2020 - Taiwan cuts offshore wind Feed-in-Tariff

  Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs has set a new Feed-in-Tariff for offshore wind farms. Rates have dropped by as much as 7.64 percent compared to 2019 prices.

• 
  06/01/2020 - Siemens Gamesa bolsters green credit line

  In less than a year, SGRE has accumulated €1.72 billion in green guarantee lines.

• 
  03/01/2020 - Denmark sets wind energy record

  Wind energy in Denmark set a new power production record during 2019 covering 46.9 percent electricity demand from Danish households. 

• 
  03/01/2020 - Companies to pay £10.5 million for August blackout

  The Office of Gas and Electricity Market (Ofgem) has announced that, following an investigation into to power cuts of 9 August 2019, a number of companies have agreed to pay a combined £10.5 million to its consumer redress fund. This includes Hornsea One Ltd, RWE and UK Power Networks.

• 
  02/01/2020 - First power for WindFloat Atlantic

  Developers of WindFloat Atlantic have taken another step towards completion with the production of first power.

• 
  02/01/2020 - Third Vietnamese intertidal win for Vestas

  Vestas has secured its third intertidal wind farm contract, this time for a 50 MW project owned by Phuong Anh Group.

• 
  31/12/2019 - Senator aims to unionise offshore wind jobs

  Senator for Massachusetts Edward J. Markey sent letters to offshore wind developers Vineyard Wind and Ørsted calling on them to enter into Project Labor Agreements for all projects off the Massachusetts and the larger East Coast. The agreements aim to implement a local union workforce.

• 
  31/12/2019 - Hengton Group launches construction vessel

  Hengton Group held a for a new offshore wind construction vessel, Hengtong LAN DE.

• 
  30/12/2019 - Estonian government kicks off permit process

  The Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure has started the permit process and environmental impact assessment for an offshore wind farm proposed by Eesti Energia to be located off the Gulf of Riga.

• 
  30/12/2019 - TouchWind secures € 2.8 million funding

  TouchWind and its partner have received a grant from the Dutch ministry of Economic Affairs to support a three year validation programme for a floating offshore wind turbine concept.

• 
  30/12/2019 - Fugro takes sole ownership of Seabed Geosolutions

  Fugro has entered into an agreement to acquire CGG’s 40% shareholding in Seabed Geosolutions.

• 
  27/12/2019 - SEAI awards grant for foundation research

  Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has awarded a €348,950 grant to support a research project exploring the dynamic interactions between the foundations and soils for offshore wind turbines.

• 
  27/12/2019 - Sif enters negotiations in Japan

  Sif Holding n.v. has entered into exclusive negotiations for the delivery of foundations to an offshore wind project in Japan.

• 
  24/12/2019 - Trump tirade: wind turbines cause pollution

  U.S. President and self proclaimed environmentalist Donald Trump spoke at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida over the weekend (22 December 2019) which he took the opportunity to reinforce his stance against wind energy. Among other things, he accused wind turbines of being noisy, loud and detrimental to the environment.

• 
  24/12/2019 - Damaged interconnector linked to Malta power outage

  Yesterday (23 December 2019) morning Maltese transmission system operator Enemalta plc revealed that it suffered an extensive power outage.

• 
  24/12/2019 - Final turbine stands at Zhanjiang Wailuo project

  Turbine installation has been completed at the Guangdong Yudean Zhanjiang Wailuo offshore wind farm off the coast of China.

• 
  23/12/2019 - Acta Centaurus chartered for Blauwind

  Acta Marine and MHI Vestas Offshore Wind have signed the charter party for deployment of the Acta Centaurus on the Blauwind offshore wind project.

• 
  23/12/2019 - Damen appoints new CEO

  Arnout Damen will become the new Chief Executive Officer of Damen Shipyards Group.

• 
  23/12/2019 - Kitron secures wind farm orders

  Kitron has received orders for High Voltage Direct Current systems for offshore wind farm projects.

• 
  23/12/2019 - TenneT issues tender for 2GW offshore platform

  Dutch-German transmission system operator TenneT has issued a tender for 2GW High Voltage Direct Current offshore platforms.

• 
  23/12/2019 - New investor joins Yunlin project

  Electricity Generating Public Company Limited has decided to purchase 25% ownership interest in a Taiwanese offshore wind farm.

• 
  23/12/2019 - Vestas secures Vietnam contract

  Vestas has secured an Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract in Vietnam with a 50 MW order from Tra Vinh Wind Power Co. Ltd.

• 
  20/12/2019 - Maryland monitors marine mammals

  The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has complied the results of surveys to describe marine mammal presence, distribution and seasonality within the proposed Maryland Wind Energy Area.

• 
  20/12/2019 - Maryland PSC considers turbine changes

  The Maryland Public Service Commission is to hold a hearing to consider the impacts of using larger turbines at two US east coat offshore wind farms.

• 
  20/12/2019 - Tekmar to protect Fryslân cables

  Tekmar Energy Limited has been commissioned to supply Cable Protection Systems for the Windpark Fryslân project.

• 
  20/12/2019 - Helix Robotics Solutions nets Neart na Gaoithe bounty

  Helix Robotics Solutions Limited has been awarded work for the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm project by EDF Renewables.

• 
  20/12/2019 - NYSERDA issues $5.5 million New York survey solicitation

  The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is making available up to $5.5 million to support the collection of geophysical and geotechnical data.

• 
  20/12/2019 - Siemens Gamesa to build French turbine factory

  Siemens Gamesa and HAROPA - Port du Havre have signed an agreement for the establishment of an offshore wind turbine manufacturing plant at the Port of Le Havre.