Northwind NV Receives Statements of Compliance
Northwind NV (Zeebrugge, Belgium) has received statements of compliance for site assessment from Hamburg, Germany-based GL Renewables Certification (GL RC). The Northwind Offshore Wind Farm will be located on the Bank Zonder Naam off the coast of Zeebrugge. Construction of the wind farm, which includes 72 Vestas (Aarhus, Denmark) V112 turbines, begins this year, with completion scheduled for 2014.
The statements of compliance were presented at the Offshore Wind Power USA conference in Boston, Massachusetts.
In an assessment of site design, environmental and soil conditions are checked, as well as load assumptions and design of the wind turbine, including the foundation. Wake effects, seismic conditions, complex terrain and extreme temperatures are also taken into account.
Recently, GL RC published the 2012 edition of the Guideline for the Certification of Offshore Wind Turbines. The guideline was compiled in cooperation with GL's Wind and Marine Energy Committee. The updated guideline tracks the main developments in the offshore wind industry, for example, the increased size of turbines and mitigation of loads using advanced, intelligent-control systems. It provides a fully integrated design and analysis concept for offshore wind turbines.
SeaZip Offshore Wind Catamarans Named
Two newly constructed Damen Shipyards (Gorinchem, Netherlands) Twin Axe catamaran ships of the FCS 2610 type were officially named SeaZip 1 and SeaZip 2.
These ships will be deployed in the completion stage of a large-scale wind farm on the North Sea, 90 kilometers northwest of the island of Borkum.
This offshore wind farm is being constructed by the BARD Group (Emden, Germany), which will charter the vessels from owner SeaZip Offshore Service (Harlingen, Netherlands), a sister company of JR Shipping BV in Harlingen.
The naming ceremony took place at Korte Lijnbaan, in the Netherlands, where the ships were moored opposite JR Shipping's office.
During the next 10 years, the industry is expected to shift toward locations for wind farms at a distance of more than 20 kilometers from the coast, with depths exceeding 20 meters. This shift will create a need for a new type of vessel that is able to operate in these conditions.
Scottish Government Approves EOWDC Project
The European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) has the Scottish government's consent for a demonstration facility for next-generation wind turbines and associated technology.
The EOWDC is the first offshore wind farm to pass through the new approvals process for offshore wind development.
The EOWDC is a joint venture between Vattenfall (Stockholm, Sweden), the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (Aberdeen, Scotland) and Technip Offshore Wind (Aberdeen).
The European Union has awarded the EOWDC a grant of up to €40 million for the development of the project.
The project is expected to create spin-out opportunities and economic benefits by attracting scientists, researchers, engineers, offshore wind supply chain companies and future investment.
Reports have suggested the need for facilities to accelerate the development of an efficient, cost-effective and technologically advanced offshore wind sector to support the energy supply.
Makai Initiative to Add Turbine Generator
Makai Ocean Engineering (Kailua, Hawaii) is starting two projects to assist the U.S. Navy with its alternative energy goals.
The first is the design, planning and procurement of a 100-kilowatt turbine generator for the Hawaii Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) test facility.
The second project includes the installation and operation of the turbine generator, as well as the design and testing of two new OTEC heat exchangers.
The turbine generator will be completed and delivered to the site by February 2014.
The projected funding requirements are about $1 million.
During the second phase, Makai will install the turbine and begin operation testing. Included in the second phase, are the development of two new OTEC-optimized heat exchangers and the continuation of corrosion testing, now in its fourth year.
Heat exchangers are one of the most expensive components in an OTEC power plant. A small increase in efficiency dramatically drives down cost, and the heat exchanger design is optimized by reducing material and fabrication costs, improving thermal efficiency and maximizing its life in corrosive seawater.
An estimated $3.6 million is slated for the project.
The goal of the Navy Energy Vision is that half of the Navy's total energy consumption ashore will come from alternative sources by 2020. At present, the Navy is approximately 700 megawatts short of meeting this goal.
Cape Wind Associates (Boston, Massachusetts) has paired with a Japanese bank to complete a 130-turbine wind farm, PennEnergy reported. Set off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the project is estimated to cost more than $2.5 billion. According to the agreement, the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ will finance a large portion of the bill.
The project will be the United States' first offshore wind farm, and it has support from President Barack Obama's administration, as well as environmental groups. The wind farm has been in development for several years, and Cape Wind plans to start construction in the near future.
The wind turbines can produce 420 megawatts of energy and will supply about three quarters of Cape Cod's electricity, according to Cape Wind. The project could create 1,000 jobs and will be commissioned in 2016.
Cape Wind's lease is approved for operation for 25 years, which is about the life of a wind turbine.