Work starts on 1.4GW NordLink interconnector

Construction has started at the NordLink high-voltage direct current (HVDC) “green link” to exchange renewable energy between Germany and Norway, project partners have said. The first few kilometres of the high-voltage cable have already been laid on the seabed in Vollesfjord, in the Vest-Agder region of southern Norway, said the Dutch-German transmission system operator TenneT. NordLink is join

Wind  rechargenews.com 04 Aug 10:55 GMT Anamaria Deduleasa

Dong's Burbo Bank O&M facility open for business

Construction has finished at the new £6m ($8m) Wirral base, which will serve as the offshore wind farm operations base for Dong Energy’s Burbo Bank wind farm in the Irish Sea off northwest England. The facility at Kings Wharf, Seacombe will serve both Burbo Bank offshore wind farm and the new 258MW Burbo Bank Extension, which opened in May this year. Around 75 people were employed during the con

Wind  rechargenews.com 04 Aug 08:00 GMT Anamaria Deduleasa

Allete to repower nearly 400 ageing Zond turbines in US

Allete Clean Energy (ACE), the competitive generation arm of Minnesota-based utility holding company Allete, announced it will repower 385 ageing turbines at three operating wind farms in the upper Midwest, highlighting the growing strength of the US repowering market. ACE says it will spend $80m to replace the blades, gearboxes and generators at the 104MW Lake Benton wind farm in Minnesota and t

Wind  rechargenews.com 03 Aug 20:50 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Invenergy secures US wind PPA and issues Uruguay green bonds

US renewables heavyweight Invenergy has secured a power-purchase agreement for its 132MW Bishop Hill III wind project in Illinois, and separately announced the issuance of $136m of green bonds tied to its 70MW Campo Palomas wind farm operating in Uruguay. Located in Henry County, near Illinois’ northeastern border with Iowa, the third phase of the Bishop Hill project is due on line in mid-2018, m

Wind  rechargenews.com 03 Aug 17:31 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Broadwind seeing 'better communication' with Siemens Gamesa

US wind-tower maker Broadwind Energy says it is starting to see better communications out of key customer Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, following a rocky start for the recently created wind giant. Finalised in April nearly a year after it was first announced, the merger of Spain’s Gamesa and Siemens’ wind business is of big consequence to Chicago-based Broadwind, as Siemens and Gamesa have sep

Wind  rechargenews.com 03 Aug 15:29 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

E.ON victorious in MT Højgaard offshore wind grouting court saga

Offshore wind developer E.ON has emerged victorious in its long-running legal battle with contractor MT Højgaard over foundation problems at the UK’s Robin Rigg project. The UK Supreme Court ruled that MT Højgaard was responsible for grouting issues at the 180MW wind farm off Scotland, overturning a 2015 Court of Appeal ruling that backed the Danish contractor. The case centres on grouted connec

Wind  rechargenews.com 03 Aug 14:58 GMT Andrew Lee

ABB lands TenneT deal for German grid work

Swiss group ABB has signed a deal with Dutch-German transmission system operator, TenneT, to supply solutions that will enhance the reliability and quality of power as the grid absorbs more renewable energy. As part of the $30m solution, ABB will deliver a hybrid Static Compensator (STATCOM) to be installed at the Borken substation in Hessen, central Germany. It will support the grid with flexibl

Wind  rechargenews.com 03 Aug 13:52 GMT Anamaria Deduleasa

Siemens Gamesa group plans production and R&D after Turkey win

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has won a 1GW wind power tender in Turkey as part of a consortium that will build local production and R&D facilities in the country within the next two years. The winning offer, in a consortium with local construction and engineering players Türkerler and Kalyon, was announced by Turkey’s energy ministry after a successful bid of $34.8/MWh for the 15-year power pu

Wind  rechargenews.com 03 Aug 13:02 GMT Andrew Lee in London

Macquarie and GIC seek stake in Philippines’ EDC

Energy Development Corporation (EDC) has received a bid for over 30% of its shares from Philippines Renewable Energy, a joint venture between investment fund Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) and Arran Investment, an affiliate of Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC. The offer is for a minimum of 6.6 billion common shares and up to a maximum of 8.9 billion common shares from sharehol

Wind  rechargenews.com 03 Aug 12:22 GMT Anamaria Deduleasa

Siemens Gamesa has team to deliver after tough start: Siemens

Top management at German industrial giant Siemens today said Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy now has the right leadership team in place to succeed, as they faced questions over a faltering start for its newly-created wind subsidiary. Siemens executives insisted Siemens Gamesa is still well placed to emerge as a powerful market leader in the wind sector, despite a debut quarterly contribution that

Wind  rechargenews.com 03 Aug 11:55 GMT Andrew Lee in London

Vestas confirms 148MW Cactus Flats in Texas

Denmark-based OEM Vestas has confirmed a deal with Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, to supply the 148MW Cactus Flats project in Texas. Under the deal, with an undisclosed value, Vestas will deliver 43 of its V126-3.45MW turbines to Southern Power, which earlier this week bought the project from developer RES. The order includes supply and commissioning of turbines as well as a 2

Wind  rechargenews.com 03 Aug 08:44 GMT Anamaria Deduleasa

Nordex looks to better second half as Germany hurts orders

German wind OEM Nordex said it remains on course to hit its 2017 sales and profit forecasts, but saw orders fall year-on-year in the first half due to “muted” business in Europe as its domestic market tailed off. Nordex – which acquired the Acciona Windpower turbine business last year – posted half-year sales of €1.5bn ($1.77bn) for the January to June period, up 1.2% on the same stage in 2016.

Wind  rechargenews.com 03 Aug 07:49 GMT Andrew Lee

Buffett utility further details big Wyoming wind investment

Billionaire Warren Buffett’s PacifiCorp has provided more details about its wind energy investment plans through 2020 for Wyoming, seeking regulatory approvals to build and own 860MW of new capacity and re-power eight facilities there totaling 594MW, while announcing PPAs for an additional 320MW. In filings today with regulators in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming, PacifiCorp subsidiary Rocky Mountain Pow

Wind  rechargenews.com 03 Aug 00:43 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Quanta Services scores EPC deal for big Oklahoma wind line

Only days after announcing it will acquire the 2GW Wind Catcher project under development in Oklahoma’s Panhandle, American Electric Power (AEP) has awarded a turnkey contract to Quanta Services to engineer and build a $1.6bn transmission line that will transport 8.7 million MWh of electricity annually to its customers in four states. AEP did not release terms of the deal, but Houston-based Quant

Wind  rechargenews.com 02 Aug 19:01 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

UK Offshore Wind Accelerator lands $2m from Scottish Government

The UK Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) has been awarded a further £1.5m ($2m) from the Scottish Government to help continue the research and development programme aimed at driving down the cost of offshore wind. Scotland already awarded the Carbon Trust an initial £1.5m to support the group’s European phase. The new investment will help the Carbon Trust to continue to explore “the

Wind  rechargenews.com 02 Aug 15:16 GMT Anamaria Deduleasa

Google unit seeks salt-based renewables storage breakthrough

Google parent group Alphabet has unveiled plans for new thermodynamic technology that could store renewable energy for weeks at a time in molten salts or antifreeze-like liquids. Alphabet’s X division – its so-called ‘moonshot’ research arm – said it is at an advanced design stage with the technology, which has been developed under a project called Malta. Maiden voyage for giant X power kite

Transition  rechargenews.com 02 Aug 15:06 GMT Andrew Lee

US senators introduce legislation to extend ITC for offshore wind

Two US senators, one Democrat and one Republican, have reintroduced legislation that would extend the 30% investment tax credit (ITC) for the first 3GW of US offshore wind capacity built, regardless of when it came on line. Democratic Senator Tom Carper of Delaware and Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, both coastal Atlantic states, floated their Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act this

Wind  rechargenews.com 02 Aug 14:36 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Broadwind reports Q2 loss on wind tower sales decline

Broadwind Energy swung to a deficit in the second quarter, as wind tower sales tumbled with the industry working through large inventories accumulated last year to qualify projects for the full federal production tax credit (PTC). Sales fell 10% versus a year earlier in the company’s key towers and weldments business, while it reported no new orders last quarter. Segment revenue totaled $34.3m c

Wind  rechargenews.com 02 Aug 13:35 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

OEMs need to understand the risks as patent wars flare again

OPINION | The US patent infringement claim filed by GE against Vestas again shows the hidden – but avoidable – IP risks wind players are running, says Philip Totaro

Wind  rechargenews.com 02 Aug 13:28 GMT Philip Totaro

GE hits Vestas with US lawsuit over turbine patent breach claims

GE has launched legal action against Vestas in the US over alleged turbine technology patent infringement, with a California lawsuit that demands damages and an injunction against further breaches that experts say could disrupt operations at major wind farms in the state. GE lodged the complaint on Monday at the US District Court in California, claiming Denmark-based Vestas and local entity Vesta

Wind  rechargenews.com 02 Aug 13:08 GMT Andrew Lee in London

Renewables grow to 35% German power share in first half

A steep growth in offshore wind output helped renewable energy supply a record 35% of German electricity demand in the first half of 2017, adding two percentage points to its share at the same stage a year ago. Onshore wind was the biggest contributor to German renewable power in the January to June period, with 39 billion kWh, said preliminary figures from the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydroge

Transition  rechargenews.com 02 Aug 12:49 GMT Andrew Lee in London

Asia to pass 800GW of renewables by 2026: BMI Research

Renewable energy capacity in Asia is expected to more than double in the next decade with growth driven by China, according to forecasts from BMI Research. The consultancy said that between 2016 and 2026, Asia’s renewable energy capacity will surge from 370GW to nearly 805GW, driven primarily by wind and solar projects. “China will be the major force behind capacity growth in Asia, but India and

Transition  rechargenews.com 02 Aug 08:23 GMT Anamaria Deduleasa in London

SSE sells more of UK's Clyde wind farm to Greencoat and GLIL

SSE has agreed to sell a further 5% stake in the Clyde wind farm in Scotland to Greencoat UK Wind and GLIL Infrastructure for £67.8m ($89.2m). The utility announced the initial sale of Clyde, equating to 49.9% of the existing 350MW operational wind farm in March, 2016. At the time, it said that when the commercial operation of the 173MW extension began, the equity stake in Clyde jointly owned by

Wind  rechargenews.com 02 Aug 07:44 GMT Christopher Hopson in London

TransWest Express moving to clear pre-construction issues

The developer of the $3bn multi-state TransWest Express wind energy transmission project looks to finalize permitting and obtain remaining land required along the route that could enable start of construction in fourth quarter 2018. "Hopefully, we can have the remaining permits and right-of-ways we need to perhaps begin some construction by the end of next year," says Kara Choquette, spokeswoma

Wind  rechargenews.com 01 Aug 20:00 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

RES sells 148MW Cactus Flats project to Southern Power

Renewable Energy Systems (RES) has sold its 148MW Cactus Flats wind project in central Texas to Southern Power, continuing its 3GW joint development agreement with the unit of utility giant Southern Company. Located in Concho County, Texas, the Cactus Flats project is due for completion in late 2018 – and already has corporate power-purchase agreements in place for its full output with General Mi

Wind  rechargenews.com 01 Aug 15:51 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Brazil’s CPFL studies 4GW in renewables assets for M&A

IN DEPTH | Its last contracted wind farm is spinning, but with money in the bank and China State Grid behind it don't expect Brazil’s CPFL Renováveis to stand still, writes Alexandre Spatuzza

Wind  rechargenews.com 01 Aug 14:48 GMT Alexandre Spatuzza in Itarema

Administrators hunt for buyer for Dounreay Tri floating wind

Administrators have opened a data room as they hunt for potential buyers for the troubled 10MW Dounreay Tri floating wind demonstration project, to be located around 6km off the Caithness coastline in Scotland. Work on the project was suspended after developer Dounreay Tri, a company formed by Swedish investor Hexicon to carry out the project, experienced cash-flow problems forcing it into admini

Wind  rechargenews.com 01 Aug 12:51 GMT Christopher Hopson in London

Smart grids and renewables can handle the EV revolution

OPINION | Ignore the scare stories – the UK's electric vehicle ambitions can be a key part of a clean, flexible power system, writes Jonathan Marshall

Transition  rechargenews.com 01 Aug 12:11 GMT Jonathan Marshall

Scottish port gets $13m makeover to serve wind, oil & gas

Aberdeenshire-based Oilfield Machinery (OilMac) is planning to invest in the Port of Dundee in Scotland, as part of plans to transform it into a centre serving the North Sea offshore wind and oil & gas sectors. OilMac plans to kick off the port’s makeover with a new facility located on Prince Charles Wharf, which is currently being developed by local player Forth Ports with a £10m ($13m) investme

Transition  rechargenews.com 01 Aug 10:23 GMT Anamaria Deduleasa

UK's Highview to advance hybrid liquid-air energy storage

Power storage developer Highview has been awarded £1.5m ($2m) of funding by UK agency Innovate UK to develop a new hybrid configuration adding flywheels and supercapacitors to its existing liquid-air energy storage (LAES) system. The new system will demonstrate LAES’s ability to respond to grid frequency events within one second, meeting the requirements of National Grid’s new enhanced frequency

Transition  rechargenews.com 01 Aug 09:15 GMT Christopher Hopson in London

Deepwater links with Tesla for US offshore wind plus storage plan

Deepwater Wind is planning what it says will be the world’s largest offshore wind project paired with storage off the US state of Massachusetts, in a link-up with battery pioneer Tesla . The US developer unveiled proposals for the 144MW Revolution Wind project for deployment about 48km (30 miles) from the coast, about 19km south of Martha’s Vineyard, paired with a 40MWh Tesla battery system. Dee

Wind  rechargenews.com 01 Aug 08:05 GMT Andrew Lee in London

Nordex adds more as tallest onshore turbine completes first year

Wind OEM Nordex will extend the Hausbay-Bickenbach wind farm in southwest Germany, where the world’s tallest onshore turbine has been generating power for the past year. Nordex in June 2016 installed the 3.3MW N131/3300 turbine, which has a hub height of 164 metres, flying 65.5-metre blades rotating out to reach a total height of 230 metres. Nordex installs world's tallest wind turbine The Ger

Wind  rechargenews.com 01 Aug 07:36 GMT Anamaria Deduleasa

Icebreaker takes 'major step' as Ohio deems application complete

The $125m Icebreaker offshore wind pilot project took a “major step forward” in obtaining approval at the state level, the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. (LEEDCo) said Monday, after an Ohio regulator deemed the application “in compliance” and ready to be processed. The 21MW Icebreaker project, which is on track to be the first offshore wind farm built in North America’s Great Lakes, hit a sna

Wind  rechargenews.com 31 Jul 20:22 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York and Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Smart policy moves could help the UK lead in energy flexibility

OPINION | Amid the headlines and the hype, the UK government needs to set the right regulatory framework to nurture batteries and demand-response, says Frank Gordon

Transition  rechargenews.com 31 Jul 16:05 GMT Frank Gordon

Acciona Energy names Rafael Esteban its new US chief

Acciona Energy, the Spain-based global renewables operator, has named Rafael Esteban the chief executive of its US unit, replacing Ilya Hartmann. Esteban will head the Acciona Energy USA Global unit, which includes both the US and Canada, and will look to expand a portfolio that already includes 966MW of renewables capacity in the two countries today, nearly all of it wind. Esteban served mos

Wind  rechargenews.com 31 Jul 15:50 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Emera proposes 1.2GW of Canadian wind exports to New England

Canadian utility Emera has proposed exporting power from 1.2GW of future onshore wind farms in eastern Canada via a subsea cable to Massachusetts, to help the New England state meet its mandated renewables target. Emera’s Atlantic Link project would harness seven as-yet-unbuilt wind farms in the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, backed by a range of both large international developers l

Wind  rechargenews.com 31 Jul 15:09 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Turkey poised to name 1GW wind winners as eight line up

Eight consortia including major German, Danish, Chinese and US turbine groups in conjunction with local players will compete in Turkey's 1GW wind power tender, according to reports from Ankara. Energy minister Berat Albayrak has indicated that the results of the project tender, held on 27 July, will be announced this week, said financial news wire Reuters. “The bids we took have shown that a hug

Wind  rechargenews.com 31 Jul 14:32 GMT Christopher Hopson in London

Flagship gravity base installed at EDF's Blyth

The first of five gravity base foundations (GBFs) for EDF Energy Renewables' pioneering Blyth offshore wind demonstration project has been successfully installed on the seabed off northeast England, the first time the specialist ‘float and submerge’ method has been used. The second GBF has now arrived at the site ready for installation at the 41.5MW project, located 6.5km off the coast in water d

Wind  rechargenews.com 31 Jul 12:16 GMT Darius Snieckus in London

Japanese heavyweights target Irish wind with Evalair stake

A consortium of Japanese groups is buying a controlling stake in a 223MW Irish wind portfolio, citing the growing role of renewable power in Ireland’s expanding economy. The consortium of Sojitz Corporation, Kepco and Mitsubishi UFJ (MUFJ) Lease & Finance Company has agreed to buy 60% of Cork-based developer Evalair via ShaMrock Wind, a London-based entity set up by the Japanese trio to invest in

Wind  rechargenews.com 31 Jul 11:51 GMT Andrew Lee

Three named ‘preferred bidders’ for Galloper O&M base

Three UK companies have been announced as the preferred bidders to build the operations and maintenance (O&M) base for Britain's 340MW Galloper offshore wind farm. The agreements, which will total over £7m ($9m), are also for the construction of associated infrastructure at Harwich International Port. Two of the preferred bidders are based on the UK’s east coast in Ipswich. Under the proposed d

Wind  rechargenews.com 31 Jul 11:14 GMT Anamaria Deduleasa

Onshore uncertainty warning as Germany adds 2.28GW in H1

Even as they unveiled strong half-year figures for the country’s onshore growth, German wind bodies joined OEM Nordex in warning of the market uncertainty caused by the rules of the first batch of tenders in the sector. Germany added a gross 2.28GW of onshore capacity in the January to June period, said Germany’s wind energy federation BWE and VDMA Power Systems, which represents wind manufacture

Wind  rechargenews.com 31 Jul 09:40 GMT Andrew Lee in London

India's Inox Wind free from insolvency proceedings on appeal

India’s Inox Wind has won its appeal against the start of insolvency proceedings by a creditor, the company said in a statement on the Mumbai Stock Exchange. Inox Wind – one of the highest-profile domestic groups active in India’s wind sector – was in mid-July forced to reassure investors over its “fundamental solvency” after the country’s National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) agreed to start the

Wind  rechargenews.com 31 Jul 08:29 GMT Andrew Lee in London

JPMorgan Chase to go 100% renewable by 2020

JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the US and the third largest globally, announced that it will power 100% of its energy needs from renewables by 2020, and revealed a power-purchase agreement with the 100MW Buckthorn wind project in Texas that could be merely the tip of the iceberg. The bank's multi-faceted approach to powering its global operations entirely from renewables will include both PP

Wind  rechargenews.com 28 Jul 15:55 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Governor softens blow as North Carolina wind ban passes

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is hoping to placate the wind industry through an executive order issued Thursday aimed at promoting wind in the state – even as he approved legislation that bans construction of any new turbines until the end of 2018. The early signs are that Cooper’s attempt to thread the needle may work, with developer Apex Clean Energy telling Recharge it will continue worki

Wind  rechargenews.com 28 Jul 15:00 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Acciona international growth continues as portfolio nudges 9GW

Acciona Energia posted 305MW rise in consolidated installed capacity in the first half of 2017, as new projects came online in Chile, the US and India. The Spanish renewables generator – part of the Acciona power and infrastructure group – ended the first six months with a total of 8.99GW of renewables in its portfolio, 7.3GW of that in wind, with a consolidated total of 7.4GW. But the group is

Transition  rechargenews.com 28 Jul 09:10 GMT Andrew Lee in London

EDF flags growing renewables base as EDF EN builds 2.4GW

French energy giant EDF said the first half of 2017 saw accelerating expansion of its renewables operation, revealing that its EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN) unit now has 2.4GW of capacity under construction after a “significant increase” in its build programme. The French group said EDF EN ended the first half with more than 10GW of gross capacity under its wing, 6.3GW net – a net rise of 0.8GW

Transition  rechargenews.com 28 Jul 08:26 GMT Andrew Lee

Nordex says German suppliers left 'high and dry' by tender flaw

Wind turbine OEM Nordex claimed a “design error” in the tendering system for German onshore wind had left equipment manufacturers “high and dry”. Nordex said the overwhelming success of cooperative-style ‘citizens energy’ companies in May’s 807MW tender had created unintended but serious consequences for the wind supply chain. The citizens-energy projects – which took 96% of the capacity availab

Wind  rechargenews.com 28 Jul 06:29 GMT Andrew Lee

Quebec trio submit wind/hydro bid to supply Massachusetts

A consortium of Hydro-Quebec, Gaz Metro and Boralex have submitted a proposal to supply hydropower and 300MW of wind capacity from Quebec in response to a clean energy tender by electricity distributors across the border in Massachusetts. State law requires them to procure 9.45GWh of clean power annually – equivalent to at least several gigawatts of installed onshore wind, solar and/or hydro capa

Wind  rechargenews.com 28 Jul 05:32 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Kansas joins elite '5GW wind club' as big projects come on line

Kansas has become the fifth US state with more than 5GW of operating wind capacity thanks to the recent completion of several large projects, and the economic benefits that come with wind development continue to multiply, a state official says. So far this year three major wind farms have crossed the finish line in Kansas, including Infinity Wind Power’s 280MW Western Plains project and Capital P

Wind  rechargenews.com 27 Jul 19:50 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

14GW of wind capacity under construction across the US: AWEA

There are nearly 26GW of wind capacity under construction or in advanced development in the US, up 41% since last year, as the industry begins building the huge pipeline of projects that qualified last year for the full production tax credit, according to new figures from the American Wind Energy Association. The US installed just 357MW of new wind capacity during the second quarter, but thanks t

Wind  rechargenews.com 27 Jul 19:11 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Xcel Energy eyes more wind beyond present 3.4GW expansion

Even as Xcel Energy adds almost 3.4GW of new wind power capacity on its systems by the end of 2020, the large US utility holding company has its sights set on further expansion, according to chief executive Ben Fowke. “We continue to look for opportunities to add new wind,” he said on a second quarter earnings conference call, adding the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is “comfortable if we

Wind  rechargenews.com 27 Jul 17:46 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Enel boosts first-half profits as renewables build accelerates

Italian energy group Enel boosted net profits by 4% in the first half of 2017, as it continued to pile on new renewables capacity around the world. Enel expects to construct 2.6GW of renewables by the end of this year, the company said, an increase of 600MW on 2016’s figure and compared to a total of 900MW in 2015. By the end of the first half it had 4.6GW of renewables in execution at 114 proje

Transition  rechargenews.com 27 Jul 16:52 GMT Andrew Lee

Canada's la Caisse becomes 'principal shareholder' in Boralex

Canadian fund manager Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec has acquired a 17.3% stake in renewables group Boralex for C$287.5m ($230m), as Canada’s institutional investors continue their aggressive expansion within the global renewables market. La Caisse has bought the Class A shares from Canadian packaging company Cascades, which became Boralex’s largest shareholder in the mid-1990s, but has s

Wind  rechargenews.com 27 Jul 14:12 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Foreign wind giants compete for 250MW Gulf of Suez: report

Siemens Gamesa, Enercon and Vestas are among those vying for a role in a 250MW wind project in the Gulf of Suez, according to reports in the Egyptian media. The foreign OEMs are among four bids set to compete in a tender run by Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA), said the Daily News Egypt citing sources at the body. The European Investment Bank (EIB) earlier this year committed

Wind  rechargenews.com 27 Jul 13:05 GMT Andrew Lee

Anchor lines in for French floating wind flagship

Installation of the innovative anchoring system for the EU-backed €25m ($29.2m) FloatGen floating wind demonstrator, set to be switched on later this year, has been wrapped up at the SEM-REV project site off the west coast of France. Completion of the six-line nylon mooring spread, laid by contractor Bourbon in 33 metres of water 22km offshore, comes as construction of the concrete floating found

Wind  rechargenews.com 27 Jul 11:43 GMT Darius Snieckus in London

Germany dominates as Europe adds 6.1GW of wind in first half

Europe added 6.1GW of new wind power in the first half of 2017 according to industry group WindEurope, which said the prospect of a “bumper year for installations hides some worrying trends”. The 4.8GW of onshore wind added in the January to June period was dominated by Germany with 2.3GW, the UK with 1.2GW and France with 492MW. Turkey was another significant contributor with 378MW. Offshore, t

Wind  rechargenews.com 27 Jul 09:48 GMT Andrew Lee

Dong advances 2.4GW Hornsea 3 with draft impact study

Dong Energy moved another step forward with the 2.4GW Hornsea 3 project with a preliminary environmental impact report on the offshore wind mega-development off eastern England. The Danish group published the report as it began a two-month round of formal public consultation over the project, which if fully developed would dwarf even the Hornsea 1 & 2 wind farms, due to come in at 1.2GW and 1.8GW

Wind  rechargenews.com 27 Jul 09:12 GMT Andrew Lee

Renewables steady at EnBW as wind helps to offset hydro fall

Profits were flat at the renewable energy segment of Germany’s EnBW in the first half of 2017 as a stronger showing from the utility’s wind operations were offset by lower hydro production. EnBW said the fall in hydro was behind a slight dip in renewables revenues in the January to June period to €152.4m ($178m). But the company said higher yields at its offshore wind fleet and the addition of n

Wind  rechargenews.com 27 Jul 08:25 GMT Andrew Lee in London

BlackRock targets UK solar market with 1GW Lightsource link

Solar developer Lightsource and the world’s biggest asset manager BlackRock have teamed up in a major partnership aimed at jointly creating a 1GW solar portfolio in the UK by 2020. The strategic partnership, to be called Kingfisher, aims to acquire projects from developers so as to create a £1bn ($1.3bn) portfolio over the next three year while consolidating the UK’s secondary solar market. Bl

Transition  rechargenews.com 27 Jul 07:37 GMT Christopher Hopson in London

GE wins 800-turbine mega contract for 2GW Invenergy project

US renewables developer Invenergy on Wednesday unveiled what could become the world’s second largest single-site wind farm by 2020, the 2,000MW Wind Catcher project in the Oklahoma panhandle, and handed the blockbuster 800-turbine contract to long-time supplier General Electric. Coal-heavy utility American Electric Power (AEP) will buy the project upon its completion, the latest indication that t

Wind  rechargenews.com 26 Jul 20:47 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth and Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

India 'shut down' hits Siemens Gamesa as quarterly sales fall

Newly-created wind OEM giant Siemens Gamesa saw its shares slide on Thursday, after revealing a sales dip in the last financial quarter caused by a “shut down” in the Indian wind market that hit its onshore business. Siemens Gamesa on Wednesday posted an underlying net profit of €135m ($157m) for its financial third quarter ending June. That came on revenues of €2.69bn, 7% lower than at the sa

Wind  rechargenews.com 26 Jul 16:47 GMT Andrew Lee

Trinity Industries sees stable US wind tower market through 2019

Trinity Industries sees stable demand in the US wind market for structural towers that support wind turbines through 2019, as the segment leader reported a $945m order backlog on 30 June. The bookings provide “stable production visibility” through the end of this decade,” Bill McWhirter, who heads the energy equipment business at Dallas-based Trinity, said on a conference call. “We remain enc

Wind  rechargenews.com 26 Jul 16:38 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Solar dominates as Spain surprises with 5GW tender

Spain exceeded expections by awarding 5.04GW of capacity in the government’s latest renewable energy auction, with solar power producers being by far the biggest winners with 3.91GW awarded and wind getting 1.13GW. In a statement the Energy Ministry said the tender had distributed contracts to 40 different companies which would “allow Spain to move definitively in compliance with its target of me

Wind  rechargenews.com 26 Jul 16:09 GMT Christopher Hopson in London

NextEra shrugs off concerns about grid reliability and PV case

NextEra Energy has dismissed concerns about the reliability of the US grid that are the focus of a controversial study at Rick Perry’s Department of Energy, as the world’s largest generator of wind and solar power prepares to add as much as 16.5GW of new renewables capacity by 2020. Asked Wednesday about US Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s hotly anticipated grid study, due for release any day, NextE

Transition  rechargenews.com 26 Jul 15:49 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Brazil sets 28 August date for de-contracting tender

Brazil’s power regulator Aneel has set the country’s de-contracting tender for 28 August, in a step to remove unbuilt power generation projects that is considered key for the government to organise a new renewable energy tender this year. Aneel’s board approved the rules for the de-contracting tender that could lead to the cancellation of more than 1GW of wind, solar and small-hydroelectric proje

Wind  rechargenews.com 26 Jul 15:31 GMT Alexandre Spatuzza in Sao Paulo

EBRD helps Greek oil group Hellenic diversify into renewables

Greek oil and gas explorer Hellenic Petroleum has won “millions of dollars of investments” from European banks to “diversify its activities” into renewable energy. The European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) signed the first project under its new €300m ($348m) framework for renewable energy in Greece by subscribing to €28.3m in bonds issued by Hellenic. The funds will support Helle

Transition  rechargenews.com 26 Jul 15:01 GMT Anamaria Deduleasa

North Carolina governor under pressure on wind moratorium bill

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper faces mounting political pressure to act on a controversial bill that would impose an 18-month moratorium on new wind projects and expansion of Avangrid Renewables’ 208MW facility – the only one in operation in the state. Cooper, a Democrat, has a Monday deadline to put his signature on the legislation, veto it or let it become law without his signature. The mo

Wind  rechargenews.com 26 Jul 14:27 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Pressure grows over onshore wind as UK pushes EV accelerator

The debate over the role of onshore wind in the UK’s future energy mix intensified further as the British government announced new clean-transport targets, while its environment secretary declined to rule out the need for more wind farms to supply growing demand from electric vehicles (EVs). The UK government said it would ban new petrol and diesel cars from the road by 2040, mirroring a pledge a

Wind  rechargenews.com 26 Jul 12:41 GMT Andrew Lee in London

Google advances clean energy ambitions with fusion breakthrough

Google and nuclear power technology outfit Tri Alpha Energy (TAE) have hatched a new computer algorithm that could be a springboard to development of next-generation nuclear fusion, giving a further filip to the IT giant’s wider clean-energy ambitions. The Optometrist algorithm, a “stochastics perturbation model” that is the first fruit of a multi-year collaboration between Google and TAE which b

Transition  rechargenews.com 26 Jul 11:50 GMT Darius Snieckus in London

New French wind dips to 492MW in H1 as Enercon leads

Wind installations in France dipped slightly in the first half of 2017 due to policy uncertainty, with Germany’s Enercon taking the biggest share of the 492MW added, said French industry body FEE. The January to June figure was a 13% decrease on the first half of 2016 due to “uncertainties associated with the evolution of the economic framework of onshore wind”, an FEE statement said. France t

Wind  rechargenews.com 26 Jul 08:44 GMT Andrew Lee in London

EDPR profits soar as wind giant adds 700MW to portfolio

Profits more than doubled at global wind developer EDPR as the Portugal-based group piled on more than 700MW of capacity around the world. EDPR posted a net profit of €134m ($156m) in the first half of 2017, up from €59m at the same stage last year, as revenues grew 11% to €988m. The main driver of the uplift was additional capacity, with EDPR ending the period with 707MW more installed than in

Wind  rechargenews.com 26 Jul 07:33 GMT Andrew Lee in London

China dumping probe could disrupt Indian PV build, analyst warns

India has launched an anti-dumping investigation against PV cell and modules from China, in a move that analysts said could disrupt a trend of tumbling solar power prices that has left wind trailing. The Indian government probe, which also covers products from Taiwan and Malaysia, could see provisional duties imposed by October if officials conclude Chinese firms have been selling at unfair level

Transition  rechargenews.com 25 Jul 15:31 GMT Andrew Lee

UK renewables jobs growth slows, says industry body

UK renewables employment growth has slowed over the last two years with new figures showing 125,940 people employed across the sector in the 2015/16 fiscal year, according to the Renewable Energy Association (REA). The number of jobs in UK renewables grew by 2.5% between 2014/15 and 2015/16, a significant decline in expansion from the previous two years when growth was nearly 9%, according to the

Transition  rechargenews.com 25 Jul 12:59 GMT Christopher Hopson in London

UK to allow consumers to compete in energy markets

The UK could become the first country in the world to allow consumers and businesses to compete in national energy markets — alongside utilities and independent power producers — using their solar and storage equipment, as well as nascent demand-side response solutions. The Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan, unveiled on Monday by the government and energy regulator Ofgem, vows to “maximise acces

Transition  rechargenews.com 25 Jul 12:39 GMT Leigh Collins in London

Saudi's Alfanar makes India debut in 2.2GW renewables push

Saudi industrial group Alfanar is set to make its debut in India’s renewables sector as part of a 2.2GW clean energy push. Alfanar hired Indian wind group Suzlon to build and equip a 50MW wind farm at an undisclosed site by March 2018, said a statement from the latter. The project will be Alfanar’s first in India, where it has also been a bidder in the country’s solar tenders. Indian minister f

Wind  rechargenews.com 25 Jul 11:54 GMT Andrew Lee

Nacelle-top lidar given DNV GL seal of approval

ZephIR’s nacelle-top lidar has been anointed by certification body DNV GL as measuring wind speeds to a “very accurate level”, in the latest advance for turbine-fixed sensor technology. Verification trialling of the kit, carried out at the new Janneby test site in Germany, used a ZephIR DM system mounted horizontally on a raised platform 180-metres away from two reference met masts each equipped

Wind  rechargenews.com 25 Jul 10:53 GMT Darius Snieckus in London

Diamond Transmission Partners to run Burbo Bank Extension link

Mitsubishi-backed Diamond Transmission Partners (DTP) has been named as preferred bidder to run the transmission link to the UK’s 258MW Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm. DTP, a consortium between the Japanese group and HICL Infrastructure Company, was picked by UK energy regulator Ofgem under its competitive offshore transmission owner (OFTO) system. DTP will take on transmission assets w

Wind  rechargenews.com 25 Jul 10:27 GMT Andrew Lee in London

New UK onshore wind could match gas with CfD access: Arup study

The UK government has been called on to look again at its policy towards allowing the development of onshore wind farms, following a new report commissioned by Iberdrola-owned ScottishPower Renewables. The report by engineering consultants Arup finds that if onshore wind projects were given access to future contract-for-difference (CfD) auctions, then they could be built for about the same cost a

Wind  rechargenews.com 25 Jul 09:37 GMT Christopher Hopson in London

Shell and SoftBank 'mull bids' for Asian renewables giant Equis

Oil group Shell and Japan’s SoftBank are said to be among a growing list of potential suitors for Asian renewables giant Equis Energy. Shell and SoftBank are both considering bidding for Equis, the Singapore-based IPP that has 4.7GW of assets in operation and development across Asia with a further pipeline totaling 6.3GW, and is valued at up to $5bn, Reuters said. Siemens Gamesa confirms Tolo 1

Transition  rechargenews.com 25 Jul 08:32 GMT Andrew Lee

Beothuk needs commitment 'by end of 2017' for NL project

Canadian offshore wind developer Beothuk Energy may walk away from its 180MW St. George’s Bay development off Newfoundland if it cannot secure an off-take deal by the end of 2017, chief executive Kirby Mercer has said. Located off the western coast of the island of Newfoundland, the St. George’s Bay project would be the first offshore wind farm built in Canadian waters. It received a substantial

Wind  rechargenews.com 24 Jul 16:34 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Floating wind summit names Recharge Editor-in-Chief as convenor

The world’s largest floating wind conference and exhibition, FOWT, has announced that Recharge Editor-in-Chief Darius Snieckus will moderate the 2018 event. Numerous international delegations have already confirmed their attendance at next year’s FOWT, which is moving to the prestigious Palais du Pharo in the port city of Marseille, France, to accommodate an international delegation expected to g

Wind  rechargenews.com 24 Jul 15:57 GMT Andrew Lee in London

LIPA declines to back 210MW Deepwater Wind project: report

The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) has reportedly rejected a 210MW offshore wind proposal from developer Deepwater Wind, after the state-controlled grid operator concluded it has enough renewables in the works for now. Deepwater had hoped to begin building a 210MW offshore project immediately after its 90MW South Fork, for which it secured a power-purchase agreement with LIPA earlier this yea

Wind  rechargenews.com 24 Jul 15:26 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Wind seeks transition period as Brazil plans major power reforms

Brazil’s leading wind power trade group ABEEólica has slammed part of the government’s power sector reform proposals for lacking details and failing to offer an adequate transition period from the current regulations. “A liberalised market is good, I’m all for it. But you cannot do this overnight, there needs to be an adequate transition,” said ABEEólica’s executive president Élbia Silva Gannoum.

Wind  rechargenews.com 24 Jul 15:03 GMT Alexandre Spatuzza in Sao Paulo

'Largest ever' wind measurement study opens data to public

The Wind Forecasting Improvement Project (WFIP2), funded by the US Department of Energy, has completed the world’s largest-ever deployment of wind measurement technologies, charting the wind patterns in the Columbia River Gorge – with the results expected to help expand the development map for onshore wind farms globally. The multi-year, multi-million dollar study saw more than 200 measurement de

Wind  rechargenews.com 24 Jul 14:44 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

National auctions 'game changing' for Indian wind: Mytrah

Indian independent power producer (IPP) Mytrah Energy hailed the prospect of regular national–level wind auctions as potentially “game-changing” for the market after signing its first power deal secured via an auction. Mytrah’s 250MW was part of 1.05GW of power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed this weekend after India’s debut inter-state wind auction held in February. The signings were accompan

Wind  rechargenews.com 24 Jul 12:57 GMT Andrew Lee

UK sets out stall as battery leader with $320m research push

The UK today set out its stall as a world leader in battery technology to help integrate rising levels of generation from renewables. UK energy secretary Greg Clark launched the first phase of a £246m ($320m) government investment into battery technology to ensure that the UK “builds on its strengths and leads the world” in the design, development and manufacture of batteries. The government and

Transition  rechargenews.com 24 Jul 11:07 GMT Christopher Hopson in London

Taiwan to host 'largest SE Asia offshore wind port' at Taichung

Taiwanese utility Taipower has signed a deal to build what it says will be Southeast Asia’s largest offshore wind port facility in Taichung. State-controlled Taipower will invest about $100m in the facility in a link up with Taiwan International Ports, said a statement from the Taiwanese government, which is pursuing an ambitious offshore wind expansion programme. Taiwan: A new horizon opens for

Wind  rechargenews.com 24 Jul 10:24 GMT Andrew Lee in London

Canada's Algonquin bids for Atlantica Yield stake: report

Canada’s Algonquin Power & Utilities, a growing player in the North American renewables market, has reportedly offered to buy Abengoa’s stake in Atlantica Yield, among the world’s leading owners of concentrated solar power (CSP) projects. Algonquin is ready to pay around €700m ($817m) for Abengoa’s 41% stake in Atlantica Yield, higher than any other offers currently on the table, according to a p

Solar  rechargenews.com 21 Jul 17:37 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Renewables pulls its weight within a struggling GE

Shares of General Electric tumbled Friday morning after the US industrial bellwether reported sharply lower quarterly profits and an analyst wondered whether the company is “in limbo” as it changes chief executives and re-evaluates its sprawling business empire. Renewables were a bright spot for GE in Q2, but even there the news was not all good. On the plus side, GE Renewable Energy’s revenues

Transition  rechargenews.com 21 Jul 15:50 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Indian minister floats monthly wind bidding as first PPAs signed

India’s power minister Piyush Goyal flagged the idea of monthly wind auctions as the country signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) for more than 1GW following its first national tender. Goyal said frequent tenders – which he said would have to be “calibrated” to ensure affordability for consumers – and more freedom for India’s states to decide their mix of renewable sources could help the wind

Wind  rechargenews.com 21 Jul 15:07 GMT Andrew Lee in London

GE Renewable Energy boosts second-quarter profits by 25%

GE Renewable Energy increased profits by 25% in a second quarter the US industrial giant said showed “solid growth” for the business unit. The renewables business delivered a $160m profit to the group in the April-June period, up from $128m at the same stage last year, on revenues 17% higher at $2.46bn. GE Renewable Energy orders were 2% higher, with equipment bookings 12% ahead in a quarter tha

Wind  rechargenews.com 21 Jul 11:16 GMT Andrew Lee in London

Wind profits leap at Vattenfall as big projects come online

Profits almost doubled at the wind power business of Sweden’s Vattenfall as it piled on capacity in the first half of the year. The state-controlled utility's wind unit posted an underlying operating profit of SKr1.05bn ($121m) for the January to June period, up from SKr597m at the same stage in 2016. Vattenfall refocuses RE around Offshore, Onshore, PV & Battery Vattenfall – which is investing

Transition  rechargenews.com 21 Jul 09:11 GMT Andrew Lee in London

EIB to finance Greek wind farms

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €24m ($28m) financing agreement with Greece’s Terna Energy to help fund the development, construction and operation of three wind farms in central Greece. The projects will have a combined installed capacity of 48.6MW. A total of 18 turbines – eight for one location and five for each of the other two – will be built. The wind farms, which will be

Wind  rechargenews.com 21 Jul 08:41 GMT Anamaria Deduleasa

Siemens Gamesa confirms Tolo 1 deal with Equis in Indonesia

Siemens Gamesa has confirmed it will equip the Tolo 1 wind farm that will be one of the first built in Indonesia, as first reported by Recharge. The deal will see the Spain-based manufacturer deliver 20 of its SWT-3.6-130 machines to the project, which is due to be commissioned in early 2018 in Jeneponto on the island of Sulawesi. Equis switches to Siemens from Vestas for Indonesian wind The

Wind  rechargenews.com 21 Jul 07:52 GMT Andrew Lee in London

US House panel adds potential hurdle for Maryland offshore wind

A powerful committee in the US House of Representatives has adopted an amendment that effectively bars installation of wind turbines within 24 nautical miles (44.4km) of Maryland’s coast, posing an unexpected potential hurdle for two projects approved for subsidy support by state regulators. In May, Maryland’s Public Service Commission awarded offshore renewable energy credits (ORECs) worth $131.

Wind  rechargenews.com 21 Jul 00:05 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Alterra Power closes finance for 200MW Flat Top in Texas

Alterra Power Corp. has completed financing for its 200MW Flat Top wind project in central Texas, while announcing it has sold 49% sponsor-partner interest to a fund managed by BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager based in New York. Alterra's Flat Top Wind I, LLC, unit gave wind turbine manufacturer Vestas a firm order to supply 100 of its V110-2MW turbines for the project, and service th

Wind  rechargenews.com 20 Jul 17:14 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Iberdrola to enter Italian retail power market

Spanish energy group Iberdrola is set to enter the Italian retail electricity market, where it will compete with local giants such as Enel. Iberdrola, which on Thursday unveiled increased first-half net profits, told Recharge it expects to eventually reach millions of customers in the country. 'Seismic shift' as European utility sector vows to lead energy transition Commercial director Inigo Al

Transition  rechargenews.com 20 Jul 15:38 GMT Andrew Lee

Ireland’s Greencoat seeks IPO

Irish player Greencoat Renewables is soon to be admitted to trade its shares through an initial public offering on both the Irish and the London Stock Exchange. Following “heavy demand” during the book-building process, Greencoat said it increased the issue to a total of €270m ($310m), by issuing 270 million ordinary shares at an €1 per share. Admission is expected to occur and trading commence

Wind  rechargenews.com 20 Jul 10:36 GMT Anamaria Deduleasa

Germany adds 626MW offshore in H1 amid calls to raise target

Germany grid-connected 626MW of new offshore wind during the first half of 2017 as two new arrays were completed in the North Sea, bringing the country's cumulative capacity to 4.7GW, figures from Deutsche WindGuard commissioned by five different wind groups show. The fresh data came after 1.38GW out of 1.49GW allocated at the country’s first offshore wind tender in April was secured with zero su

Wind  rechargenews.com 20 Jul 10:21 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Statkraft wind power gains as output rises and costs fall

Norwegian utility Statkraft saw an improved financial performance at its wind power operation thanks to increased output and lower costs. Statkraft’s wind unit delivered an underlying Ebitda profit of NKr163m ($20m) for the January to June period, turning around a negative NKr10m figure at the same stage last year. Statkraft: we are not big enough to compete in offshore wind The company said hi

Wind  rechargenews.com 20 Jul 09:41 GMT Andrew Lee in London