Russia's Rosatom eyes stake in AMSC licensee Inox Wind

Russia’s state atomic energy corporation, Rosatom, is looking at a potential investment in Indian turbine group Inox Wind, whose electronic control system (ECS) technology is licensed by AMSC, a US firm based in Massachusetts. Mint business newspaper in Delhi reports a source as saying that talks were in “early stages.” Rosatom is said to view India’s second largest wind-turbine maker as a supply

Wind  rechargenews.com 11 hours old Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Sempra Energy to acquire transmission giant Oncor in Texas

Sempra Energy, which owns a major California electric utility and a fast-growing portfolio of renewables assets, has reached agreement to pay $9.45bn in cash to acquire Oncor, the largest power transmission system and wind energy distributor in Texas. The last-minute deal ((including debt, it has $18.8bn enterprise value) for bankrupt Energy Future Holdings Corp. (EFH) and its 80% ownership in st

Wind  rechargenews.com 15 hours old Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Masdar in deal with GE to build Oman's first large wind farm

Abu Dhabi-based clean energy group Masdar has signed an EPC contract with a consortium comprising GE and Spain’s TSK to build the first large-scale wind farm in Oman. The Dhofar wind power project is the result of a joint development agreement established in 2014 between Masdar and the Rural Areas Electricity Company of Oman (Raeco). Leading the EPC consortium GE will supply thirteen 3.8MW turbi

Wind  rechargenews.com 18 hours old Christopher Hopson in London

Vestas wins 180MW Thai order for V136-3.0MW machine

Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has finalised the sale of 60 of its V136-3.0MW machines for an undisclosed customer in Thailand. The low-wind turbines will be the first of their kind in Asia Pacific, and with a hub height of 157 meters, the wind park will also feature the highest towers in the region to date, Vestas claims. The order includes supply and installation of the turbines as w

Wind  rechargenews.com 20 hours old Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

E.ON using environmentally-friendly corrosion coating at Arkona offshore project

German utility E.ON at the 385MW Arkona offshore project in the German Baltic Sea for the first time is using an innovative corrosion protection technology that it claims will reduce metal deposits from corrosion during the wind farms 25-year operating life by several hundred tonnes. Norwegian oil company Statoil owns a 50% participation in Arkona. E.ON has developed the environmentally-friendly

Wind  rechargenews.com 22 hours old Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Northland reaches financial close on 252MW Deutsche Bucht

Canadian group Northland Power has reached financial close on the 252MW Deutsche Bucht (DeBu) offshore wind farm located in the German North Sea. The €1.3bn ($1.5bn) project, 100% owned by Northland, will get the majority of its costs covered via loans from ten international commercial lenders. “Approximately 75% of the project's required costs will be provided from a €988 million non-recourse

Wind  rechargenews.com 22 hours old Anamaria Deduleasa

Siemens Gamesa to lay off 140 workers at US nacelle plant

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy in September will begin laying off 140 employees at its nacelle factory in Hutchinson, Kansas, the vendor’s latest move in North America to “adjust” its workforce and manufacturing footprint in response to a weak sales outlook. Last month, the company confirmed it will close a rotor blade production plant in southern Ontario, Canada, leaving 340 workers without job

Wind  rechargenews.com 21 Aug 04:01 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Dong, Zeeland Seaports to build O&M base for Borssele 1& 2

Denmark’s Dong Energy and Zeeland Seaports have inked a letter of intent to build an operations and maintenance (O&M) base in the Dutch port of Vlissingen Buitenhaven to service the developer’s 752MW Borssele 1&2 offshore wind farms. The two companies have agreed to “further develop a specific location in the coming months” at the North Sea site, after which a final contract will be signed. "We

Wind  rechargenews.com 18 Aug 17:29 GMT Darius Snieckus in London

US power generator Calpine accepts $5.6bn buyout offer

Renewables and natural gas power generation company Calpine has accepted a $5.6bn buyout offer from private equity firm Energy Capital Partners (ECP) and a group of co-investors including Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Houston-based Calpine says its board unanimously approved the offer of $15.25 per share in cash, with the deal having an enterprise value of about $17bn including debt. Calp

Wind  rechargenews.com 18 Aug 15:32 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Siemens Gamesa to cut 600 jobs at Aalborg blade plant

Wind OEM Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy has announced plans to cut 600 jobs at its blade plant in Aalborg, Denmark. The job losses — expected to come into force at the end of September — represent more than a quarter of the manufacturing plant’s existing workforce of 2,100. The company said in a statement: “Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy today announces steps to refocus some of its internation

Wind  rechargenews.com 18 Aug 15:18 GMT William Steel in Aarhus

Dong confirms EEW SPC to supply all-monopile Hornsea 1

Dong Energy has confirmed EEW Special Pipe Constructions as producer of all 174 monopile foundations for the 1.2GW Hornsea 1 offshore wind farm that will be the world’s biggest. The deal extends a 116-monopile contract with EEW SPC for the wind farm off eastern England, which is due for completion by the end of 2020 using 7MW Siemens turbines. The Danish developer originally considered deploying

Wind  rechargenews.com 18 Aug 11:07 GMT Andrew Lee

Offshore wind supply chain needs to heed Robin Rigg verdict

OPINION | The UK Supreme Court judgement deciding the Robin Rigg foundations saga in favour of E.ON has big implications for contractors in the country's offshore wind sector, writes Rebecca Williams

Wind  rechargenews.com 18 Aug 09:58 GMT Rebecca Williams

UK GIB becomes Green Investment Group as Macquarie takes over

The UK has completed the £2.3bn ($2.96bn) sale of the country’s Green Investment Bank (GIB) to global finance house Macquarie, which changed its name to the Green Investment Group (GIG) ahead of an international investment push. The newly-rebranded GIG – set up as the GIB by the UK government in 2012 to help kick-start low-carbon projects – will retain its core remit under the Australian investme

Transition  rechargenews.com 18 Aug 08:18 GMT Andrew Lee in London

Danes brought in by Engie for French offshore duo

LIC Engineering to shepherd contractor packages for pair of 496MW wind farms in the Atlantic

Wind  rechargenews.com 17 Aug 17:17 GMT Darius Snieckus in London

Enel Green Power seals US project tax equity investment

A subsidiary of Enel Green Power North America (EGPNA) has a signed a $300m tax equity agreement with Allianz Renewable Energy Partners and MUFG for the 300MW Red Dirt wind project in Oklahoma. The tax equity partnership will be supported by a parent company guarantee from Enel SpA. The deal allows the two investors to obtain a percentage of fiscal benefits that the project will generate as it ha

Wind  rechargenews.com 17 Aug 15:12 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

New Argentina tender seeks 550MW of wind and 450MW of PV

Argentina has set price caps of $56.25/MWh for the 550MW of wind power projects and $57.04/MWh for the 450MW of PV it plans to contract in this year’s RenovAr tender. The tender rules were published late on 16 August, and Argentina will also seek small-hydro, biomass, biogas and waste-to-energy adding up to 200MW, meaning 1.2GW-worth of renewable power generation projects will be contracted this

Transition  rechargenews.com 17 Aug 15:11 GMT Alexandre Spatuzza in Sao Paulo

Policy clarity can keep UK offshore wind on the growth track

OPINION | Falling costs and the need to decarbonise mean the UK is likely to want even more offshore wind into the 2020s, so it needs to get the right policies in place now, says Mike Blanch

Wind  rechargenews.com 17 Aug 14:40 GMT Mike Blanch

DEME wins order for Elia’s Belgian modular offshore wind grid

Dredging International, a unit of the DEME Group, has won a €130m ($152.8m) contract from Belgian transmission system operator Elia for the submarine power cable installation for the Modular Offshore Grid (MOG) in the North Sea that will connect four future offshore arrays to the mainland. Elia’s MOG, or so-called 'electricity plug', includes an offshore switchyard platform (OSY) about 40km off t

Wind  rechargenews.com 17 Aug 09:50 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Vestas shares fall after second-quarter revenue and profits slip

Vestas pointed to higher orders as evidence of continuing solid progress in its financial second quarter despite a year-on-year fall in revenue and profits, but saw its shares fall sharply in Copenhagen on Thursday morning. The Danish wind group reported revenues of €2.2bn ($2.59bn) for the April to June period, a 14% drop on the same quarter last year, while operating profit (Ebit) fell to €279

Wind  rechargenews.com 17 Aug 07:39 GMT Andrew Lee

GE and AGL to build 453MW Coopers Gap wind farm in Australia

GE will co-develop what is being billed as Australia’s largest wind farm – the 453MW Coopers Gap – with local power group AGL. Coopers Gap, 250km north of Brisbane in the state of Queensland, got the green light on Thursday after AGL completed the transfer of the project to the Powering Australian Renewables Fund (PARF). Australia's 200MW Silverton to go ahead with GE turbines The A$850m ($675m

Wind  rechargenews.com 17 Aug 07:06 GMT Andrew Lee in London

Missouri rejection leaves Clean Line project in doubt

Electric utility regulators in Missouri on Wednesday blocked developer Clean Line Energy Partners from building its $2.3bn Grain Belt Express (GBE) wind energy transmission project through their state, dealing it a body blow and leaving its future uncertain. Missouri is a critical middle link in the 780-mile (1,255km) project that would transport 4GW of wind-generated power from western Kansas to

Wind  rechargenews.com 16 Aug 20:47 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Record wind generation seen this year in Texas ERCOT

Wind will likely set generation records this year within the main Texas electric grid, after it gained an 18.8% share of that market through July versus 15.1% for all of 2016, Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) data shows. If wind can maintain that pace, it would easily surpass the market share of last year, its best performance to date. Wind generated 38.5 million MWh of electricity

Wind  rechargenews.com 16 Aug 16:44 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Sub-Saharan Africa lags on lack of bankable RE projects: BMI

Sub-Saharan Africa will remain “the global underperformer” of renewables due to the lack of bankable projects in a region that otherwise offers strong potential for development, according to BMI Research. The research group says in a note that sub-standard grid infrastructure, difficulties accessing finance and financially insecure off-takers contribute to a dearth of regional projects suitable f

Transition  rechargenews.com 16 Aug 16:17 GMT Andrew Lee

US engine maker Cummins seals wind PPA with EDP NA

Leading diesel and gas engine producer Cummins has signed a long-term virtual power purchase agreement that will enable EDP Renewables North America to expand by 75MW its Meadow Lake VI wind farm in northern Indiana. The additional capacity is equivalent to the amount of electricity that Cummins uses each year at manufacturing plants in its headquarters state. The agreement benefits both part

Wind  rechargenews.com 16 Aug 14:46 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

China and insurers eye Statkraft UK offshore wind: report

A clutch of possible buyers including one Chinese group are considering bids for the UK offshore wind stakes put up for sale by Norway’s Statkraft, according to a report. UK insurance giant Aviva, China Resources Power Holdings, global investment group Macquarie and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners are deciding whether to make offers for the Statkraft assets, said financial newswire Bloomberg,

Wind  rechargenews.com 16 Aug 09:32 GMT Andrew Lee

MHI Vestas takes down burnt-out V164 prototype for probe

Offshore wind turbine maker MHI Vestas has taken down a prototype of its flagship V164 turbine that caught fire for as-yet unknown reasons at the Østerild national test site in Denmark in order to better determine the cause of the incident. “We looked at many different scenarios with the investigative teams on how best to determine and confirm the root cause of the incident,” chief technology off

Wind  rechargenews.com 16 Aug 09:03 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Oklahoma $4.5bn Wind Catcher project faces possible hurdle

Oklahoma’s chief legal official is calling on utility regulators there to dismiss a case brought by a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP) seeking pre-approval to recover its roughly 30% cost share of a $4.5bn wind and transmission line project in the state. Last Friday, attorney general Mike Hunter through his public utility division filed a motion asking the Oklahoma Corporation Commissi

Wind  rechargenews.com 15 Aug 23:24 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Pattern Energy seals 51% stake in 179MW Canadian project

Pattern Energy has completed the acquisition of a 51% interest in the 179MW Meikle wind facility in British Columbia, Canada, from Pattern Development 1.0, a developer owned by US private-equity firm Riverstone Holdings. The yieldco paid $68m from available cash. The price represents a 10-times multiple of the five-year average for cash available for distribution (CAFD), according to Pattern Ener

Wind  rechargenews.com 15 Aug 16:34 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Duke Energy seeks 500MW wind capacity for Carolinas in US

Duke Energy today issued a request for proposals (RFP) by 27 September for up to 500MW of wind capacity for delivery to its transmission system in North and South Carolina. The solicitation is open to existing wind generation facilities outside the Carolinas or new ones that could be built there – from 100MW to 500MW of delivered capacity. Duke would begin accepting delivery of power by the end o

Wind  rechargenews.com 15 Aug 15:27 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Bird charity asks top UK court to hear 2.3GW offshore wind case

The ongoing legal battle over 2.3GW of Scottish offshore wind dragged on as a bird charity said it will apply to take its fight against the developments to the UK’s highest court. RSPB Scotland gave notice it will apply directly to the Supreme Court in London to appeal against Scottish government consent for four projects that it claims will damage bird colonies. The direct appeal to London come

Wind  rechargenews.com 15 Aug 15:20 GMT Andrew Lee

Merkel drops first hints of end for combustion engines

In the middle of the campaign for federal elections, Chancellor Angela Merkel for the first time said a ban for cars powered by diesel or gasoline – as planned in neighbouring countries and demanded by the opposition Green Party – would also be sensible in Germany, but didn’t commit to an actual deadline. “I can’t tell an exact year [as deadline], but the approach is right,” she told the Super Il

Transition  rechargenews.com 15 Aug 12:20 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Innogy enters Ireland as expansion plans gather steam

Germany-based Innogy has entered the Irish wind market in the latest stage of a planned international expansion by the renewables-focused utility. Innogy acquired the consented 10MW Dromadda Beg wind project in County Kerry for its Ireland debut, the first step in what it says will be future growth in the country’s “promising onshore market”. Japanese heavyweights target Irish wind with Evalai

Transition  rechargenews.com 15 Aug 11:48 GMT Andrew Lee

Second German onshore tender price falls to €42.8/MWh

The average price in Germany’s 1.01GW second onshore wind tender fell to €42.8/MWh ($50.34) of produced electricity, with most winning bids again going to citizens’ cooperatives that need fewer permits to be able to participate in the auction and get more time to build their projects. The average price level came down from €57.1/MWh in the country’s first (807MW) onshore tender in May. “Also the

Wind  rechargenews.com 15 Aug 10:43 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Indian wind slump in sharp focus as crane supplier takes hit

The unexpected scale of the slump in India’s wind market came into sharp focus when the country’s largest crane hire business blamed it for a sharp downturn in its own fortunes. Sanghvi Movers, which operates a fleet of 428 cranes, told its investors it had seen “a huge reduction” in the scale of turbine installations in the current 2017/18 financial year, hitting its business hard in a sector th

Wind  rechargenews.com 15 Aug 10:02 GMT Andrew Lee

Blyth GBFs wired up to prove ‘float and submerge’

State-of-the art sensor systems have been wired into a pair of the gravity base foundations (GBFs) now being installed at EDF ER’s 41.5MW Blyth offshore wind demonstrator off north-east England, as part of a project being led by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult to advance the ‘float and submerge’ foundations toward commercialisation. Data collected by condition monitoring kit – in its

Wind  rechargenews.com 14 Aug 16:11 GMT Darius Snieckus in London

PV beats early output forecasts while wind falls short: Fitch

PV projects have outperformed their initial output expectations while wind farms fell short, according to global output analysis by financial ratings group Fitch. Fitch said the “more predictable nature of solar power” is now being reflected in its ratings as it assesses the financial criteria projects need to satisfy to achieve investment-grade status. Fitch – one of the world’s ‘big-three’ rat

Transition  rechargenews.com 14 Aug 15:57 GMT Andrew Lee

TPI confirms Senvion as new customer as GE pulls back

TPI Composites, the US-based maker of wind blades, has roped in Senvion as a new customer in China, an important win considering General Electric’s recent decision not to extend its supply deal with TPI in China beyond 2017. TPI makes blades for a handful of major global wind turbine OEMs – GE, Vestas, Nordex and Gamesa chief among them – out of its manufacturing facilities around the world. Typi

Wind  rechargenews.com 14 Aug 15:48 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Winergy completes Australia facility with test-bench

Winergy has opened what is billed as the largest test-bench for wind turbine gearboxes in Australia. The 2.8MW-load test bench in Rockhampton, Queensland, completes what the Germany-based drive-train specialist says is a full suite of service and repair capabilities for its products at the site. Winergy opened the 1,500 square-metre facility in 2013. Queensland is among the Australian states

Wind  rechargenews.com 14 Aug 12:14 GMT Andrew Lee

Senvion says silence is golden as first 3.4M140 low-wind unit installed

Senvion has completed installation of its first 3.4M140 EBC turbine prototype, which the Germany-based manufacturer is billing as “one of the quietest on the market”. The OEM installed the machine in Heckelberg, Germany, for the Notus Energy Group. The 3.4M140, with 68-metre blades, and 110- and 130-metre hub heights, was unveiled by Senvion in 2015 with a “sound-optimised blade profile and a ne

Wind  rechargenews.com 14 Aug 10:43 GMT Andrew Lee in London

US shipbuilders advance plans for Jones Act-OK WTIV

A US naval engineering group has unveiled plans for an offshore wind installation vessel (WTIV) that can handle 8MW turbines while complying with the strictures of the Jones Act. AK Suda – a New Orleans-based specialist in lift-boats for the oil & gas sector – said its debut offshore wind vessel, the JG600P, will be capable of carrying and installing four complete 8MW offshore turbines. A statem

Wind  rechargenews.com 14 Aug 10:37 GMT Andrew Lee

Greencoat buys UK offshore wind landmark North Hoyle

Renewable infrastructure investor Greencoat UK Wind will add Britain’s first major offshore wind farm to its portfolio of assets after agreeing to buy the 60MW North Hoyle project. Greencoat UK Wind agreed to buy North Hoyle from JP Morgan Asset Management, as part of a £105m ($136m) deal that also includes the 30MW Slieve Divena onshore wind farm in Northern Ireland. Dong cuts ribbon on 8MW e

Wind  rechargenews.com 14 Aug 08:34 GMT Andrew Lee in London

Canada's Algonquin eyeing overseas RE investments, CEO says

Canada’s Algonquin Power & Utilities is sizing up renewables opportunities beyond North America, chief executive Ian Robertson confirms, following recent reports that the growing company may be interested in buying a stake in Abengoa’s Atlantica Yield. In a conference call Friday, Robertson emphasised that Algonquin continues to see a sizeable growth runway in North America, and is not desperate

Wind  rechargenews.com 11 Aug 19:46 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Senvion expects 'hundreds of megawatts' of US orders in 2018

German wind turbine maker Senvion expects to secure “several hundred megawatts” of US orders by next year, and believes its lack of North American manufacturing facilities will be an advantage as the market readjusts to life without the production tax credit (PTC). Senvion, formerly known as REpower, has a 1.2GW base of turbines installed in the US and another 1.4GW in Canada, but it has struggle

Wind  rechargenews.com 11 Aug 15:28 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Europe needs 230GW offshore by 2045 to hit Paris goals: Ecofys

Europe would need a 2045 offshore wind capacity target of about 230GW to be in line with the Paris agreement goal of limiting temperature increase to 1.5°C by reaching a CO2-neutral electricity supply, the Ecofys consultancy says. The estimate is the result of joint research by the energy team of Ecofys and its parent consultancy Navigant. German offshore wind brake amid zero bids 'bizarre': D

Wind  rechargenews.com 11 Aug 15:17 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Suzlon confident despite 'temporary volatility' in India

Indian wind group Suzlon said it is confident of keeping its growth momentum despite “temporary volatility” in its domestic market as it moves from a feed-in tariff (FIT) to auction-based model. Suzlon claimed its financial recovery was well established as it delivered a fourth consecutive quarter of positive net profits for the first three months of the 2017/18 financial year. India’s Suzlon

Wind  rechargenews.com 11 Aug 13:38 GMT Andrew Lee

Vestas adds to China momentum with 99MW Datang order

Vestas has secured a 99MW order in China with long-term customer China Datang Renewable. The Danish OEM will deliver 45 of its V110-2.0 MW turbines, power-optimised to 2.2MW, for a project in Hebei Province. Delivery and commissioning are due from the fourth quarter. Datang is a major buyer of Vestas turbines, with about 900MW of the manufacturer’s turbines installed. Vestas is among the wester

Wind  rechargenews.com 11 Aug 11:58 GMT Andrew Lee

Senvion 'on track' with 10MW-plus offshore turbine: CEO

Germany-based wind turbine manufacturer Senvion is “on track” with the development of its 10MW-plus offshore machine, but has not yet reached the stage of a “physical prototype”, chief executive Jürgen Geissinger said during a conference call to discuss first-half results. Senvion is working with a number of customers to judge what the market for the future offshore workhorse will be, Geissinger

Wind  rechargenews.com 11 Aug 10:49 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Offshore oil has much more to offer the future of floating wind

OPINION | Many of the ‘supporting’ technologies developed by the oil & gas sector for its floating production vessels – led by mooring and anchoring – will be key to commercialising floating wind power, writes Clement Mochet

Transition  rechargenews.com 11 Aug 09:34 GMT Clement Mochet

Senvion loss widens in H1 on restructuring but order intake up

Revenues and operating profit at Senvion fell in the first half, while its net loss widened due to restructuring expenses, but the Germany-based turbine maker’s order intake surged thanks to firming offshore wind deals. Revenues in the first half of 2017 fell to €829.6m ($975.1m) from €869.5m in the year-earlier period, as a rise in service and offshore revenues couldn’t compensate fully for a de

Wind  rechargenews.com 11 Aug 08:27 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Innogy 'on target' as grids growth offsets renewable output dip

Renewables-focused German utility Innogy said it was “right on target” after its financial first half despite taking a weather-related generation hit, and named growth in the US renewables sector as one of its key priorities for the rest of the year. Innogy confirmed its full-year financial expectations as adjusted net profit rose 16% year-on-year in the January to June period, reaching €857m ($1

Transition  rechargenews.com 11 Aug 08:01 GMT Andrew Lee

WWEA and local group join to boost wind power in Korea

The Germany-based World Wind Energy Association and the Korean Wind Energy Industry Association have signed an agreement to jointly research what is needed to boost the onshore and offshore wind market in South Korea. Conclusions will serve as guidance for the South Korean government in order to take the necessary decisions for a faster growth of wind power in the peninsula. “Both onshore and of

Wind  rechargenews.com 11 Aug 07:14 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Tri Global Energy expands to Nebraska with 100MW project

Dallas-based Tri Global Energy, the largest project developer in the biggest US wind state of Texas, is expanding to rural Nebraska with the 100MW Sugar Loaf facility. The company plans to initiate development this year, Susie Lomelino, chief communications officer, tells Recharge. Sugar Loaf represents an opportunity to work cooperatively there with local partners and residents who share Tri Gl

Wind  rechargenews.com 10 Aug 21:08 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Better turbines alone won't offset fading PTC: Pattern CEO

US wind power will get more expensive as the production tax credit (PTC) winds down and expires for good, but better turbines will soften the blow, says Pattern Energy chief executive Michael Garland. The wind PTC – worth $24/MWh of generation at its full value – has long been the bedrock of the US wind market, with annual wind installations gyrating wildly over the past decade as the tax credit

Wind  rechargenews.com 10 Aug 20:30 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

US turbine capacity, rotor diameters show big jump in 2016

Average US wind turbine capacity and rotor diametre saw significant increases in 2016, while developers continue to deploy taller machines for projects located in lower-quality resource areas, a newly-released Department of Energy (DOE) report shows. The average rated (nameplate) capacity of recently-installed turbines last year was 2.15MW, up 11% from the average over the previous five years. Th

Wind  rechargenews.com 10 Aug 16:50 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

DOE: US offshore wind has turned a corner, but questions remain

Confidence in US offshore wind is at an all-time high, with developers controlling zones that could hold 14.8GW of capacity, but big questions remain about the market’s future viability, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE) in its latest market report. Since the DOE released the last version of its Offshore Wind Technologies Market Report two years ago, the US market has turned a corner

Wind  rechargenews.com 10 Aug 15:34 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Estonian offshore wind plan advances with island deal

Nelja Energia moved closer to building a 700MW-1.1GW offshore wind array off Estonia after signing an agreement with the local government on Hiiumaa island, as the Baltic nation's government becomes more involved in trying to secure financing from another EU member state. “We signed the agreement with the Hiiu (Hiiumaa island) local government last week,” Nelja Energia’s (4 Energia) chief executi

Wind  rechargenews.com 10 Aug 15:22 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Business as usual at Northland as strategic review ends

Canada’s Northland Power confirmed it is business as usual as it officially ended a strategic review that saw it linked with potential Chinese buyers. Northland – an independent power producer that has emerged as a major backer of European offshore wind projects – has spent the last year considering various options after announcing the review in July 2016. That period saw reports of potential ac

Wind  rechargenews.com 10 Aug 12:14 GMT Andrew Lee

Dong sees Statoil and Shell as global offshore wind rivals

Dong Energy, the biggest offshore wind operator globally, sees oil companies Shell and Statoil as serious competitors in its core offshore wind business, not only in Europe but globally, comments by CEO Henrik Poulsen show. “I believe that Shell and Statoil clearly are competitors of ours all around the world,” Poulsen said during a conference call on second quarter results. “Shell (is) currentl

Wind  rechargenews.com 10 Aug 10:56 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Scottish port of Peterhead gets EOWDC foundation role

Peterhead Port has won a contract to support construction of the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) being developed by Vattenfall off northeast Scotland. Peterhead Port Authority said it will moor one of the world’s largest floating cranes, which will assist with loading of the innovative suction-bucket jacket foundations to be deployed at the EOWDC in Aberdeen Bay. ANALYSIS: Dif

Wind  rechargenews.com 10 Aug 10:20 GMT Andrew Lee

Mainstream closes finance on 299MW of Chile wind

Developer Mainstream Renewable Power’s Chilean joint venture, Aela Energía, has obtained $410m in project financing for two wind farms in Chile with a combined capacity of 299MW, bringing the projects to financial close. Aela Energía will now proceed with the construction of the 170MW Sarco and 129MW Aurora projects. Sarco is located in Freirina commune in the Atacama region, while Aurora is loca

Wind  rechargenews.com 10 Aug 09:47 GMT Christopher Hopson in London

Statoil, SSE and Innogy shuffle Dogger Bank project stakes

Statoil has carried out an asset swap deal with its partners in the Dogger Bank wind farm development off the UK that will see it boost its stake in three of the four projects under the overall scheme, while exiting the fourth. The Norwegian oil and gas giant will gain 50% interests in the Creyke Beck A and B, and Teesside A projects under the agreement with Innogy and SSE, with SSE owning the ot

Wind  rechargenews.com 10 Aug 09:21 GMT Steve Marshall

Dong raises profit outlook on second-quarter earnings surge

Second quarter 2017 profit surged at Danish utility Dong Energy due to higher earnings from the ramp-up of new offshore wind farms, and gains from the divestment of half of the Race Bank array off the UK. Chief executive Henrik Poulsen during a results conference stressed the strategic importance of the growing US offshore wind market, and said that business is going so well that the company may

Wind  rechargenews.com 10 Aug 07:11 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Cubico seals finance on 600MW of Mexican solar and wind

Cubico Sustainable Investments, the UK-based renewables developer owned by two Canadian pension funds, has closed financing for its 350MW Solem solar and 250MW El Mezquite wind projects in Mexico. Cubico secured contracts for the two projects in Mexico’s second clean-energy tender, held in late 2016, and they are due for commercial operation in late 2018 in the states of Aguascalientes and Nuevo

Wind  rechargenews.com 09 Aug 17:14 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Target signs wind PPA with Infinity for project in Kansas

US retail giant Target has agreed to buy 100MW of wind power from developer Infinity Wind’s planned 474MW Solomon Forks project in Kansas, due on line by the end of 2018. Target, the second largest discount retailer in the US after Walmart, signed its first wind PPA last year, agreeing to buy 40MW from Starwood Energy Group’s 211MW Stephens Ranch wind farm in Texas. The deal with Infinity repres

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

German consortium plans to rival Tesla with gigawatt factory

A consortium of 17 major companies and research institutions plans to build up large-scale “gigawatt” lithium ion battery cell manufacturing at two yet-unknown locations in Germany that could rival Tesla’s gigawatt factory in the US state of Nevada. Although not revealing its members, the group led by holding firm TerraE says it includes companies from throughout the supply chain, such as infrast

Transition  rechargenews.com 09 Aug 11:31 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Battery storage needs ‘effective policies’, says study

Battery storage is a ‘game-changing’ technology requiring governments to adopt effective policies and regulations, and to provide the necessary support for projects worldwide, according to a study by Axis Insurance and The Renewables Consulting Group (RCG). The report, entitled ‘Energy Storage: Opportunities & Challenges,’ highlights the opportunities and risks associated with investing in the $1

Transition  rechargenews.com 09 Aug 09:54 GMT Christopher Hopson in London

Gulf of Mexico will benefit from coming wave of US offshore

OPINION | Lower wind speeds and occasional hurricanes will not prevent the region from growing a vibrant offshore sector, writes NREL principal engineer Walt Musial

Wind  rechargenews.com 09 Aug 09:34 GMT Walt Musial

Weaker UK winds at sea deflate E.ON’s 1H renewables results

Earnings in the renewables segment of German utility E.ON fell in the first half of 2017 as gains in onshore wind were not sufficient to compensate for lower offshore wind income and the non-recurrence of a book gain in the same period a year earlier. Overall renewables sales actually increased, to €710m ($833.8m) in the first half from €680m in the first half of 2016 resulting from better wind

Wind  rechargenews.com 09 Aug 08:21 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

AMSC's fiscal Q1 loss widens as wind revenue slumps

US wind and grid technology company AMSC reported its fiscal first quarter net loss widened to $15.3m, or $0.91 per share, as wind led a revenue decline and costs continued to increase. A year earlier, net loss was $10.3m, or $0.76 per share. Revenue during the latest quarter was $8.92m, which exceeded analysts’ expectations, but was sharply down from $13.34m in fiscal Q1 2016. AMSC’s Windtec

Wind  rechargenews.com 09 Aug 02:58 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Wyoming lawmakers again reject higher wind generation tax

A key committee in the Wyoming Legislature has turned back the latest proposal for an increase in the state’s $1/MWh wind energy generation tax, although a Republican lawmaker pledges to promote the issue again in the future. After listing to testimony from industry representatives, local government officials and private citizens, the 14-member Joint Revenue Interim Committee defeated the proposa

Wind  rechargenews.com 08 Aug 19:49 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Larger turbines could spell an offshore wind vessel-crunch

OPINION | The offshore wind sector may be overlooking a fast-approaching construction vessel bottleneck – and a hike in 'large component exchange' prices, writes Carl Erik Gurrik

Wind  rechargenews.com 08 Aug 15:55 GMT Carl Erik Gurrik

Goldwind seals 60MW in US orders to power factories

Goldwind Americas has won contracts to supply turbines totaling 60MW of nameplate capacity to One Energy Enterprises for various distributed generation projects, with a firm order of 20 GW 87/1500 turbines scheduled for immediate delivery. The first four permanent magnet direct-drive turbines will be installed for projects to supply wind energy to facilities in Marion and Ottawa, O hio, owned by

Wind  rechargenews.com 08 Aug 15:54 GMT Richard A. Kessler in Fort Worth

Vestas and Acciona win big contracts for Zuma's 443MW Mexico wind project

Danish wind-turbine maker Vestas and Spanish contractor Acciona have won big orders for Mexican developer Zuma Energía’s 443MW Reynosa III project, which will become the country’s largest wind farm. Vestas on Tuesday confirmed it has won an order to supply its V136-3.45MW machines, in a contract that also covers turbine installation, commissioning, and a 15-year Active Output Management 5000 serv

Wind  rechargenews.com 08 Aug 15:53 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Brazil schedules tenders for December to end two-year hiatus

Brazil has scheduled two tenders for December to contract wind, PV and other technologies – ending two years without new contracts in the country. The new regulated-market tenders are denominated A-4 – foreseeing a start of operations by January 2021 – and A-6, with starting date seen in January 2023. Wind and solar will be offered 20-year PPAs from the start-up date. Further details of contract

Transition  rechargenews.com 08 Aug 15:18 GMT Alexandre Spatuzza in Sao Paulo

Pattern Energy reports Q2 loss as operating expenses spike

Pattern Energy returned to losses in the second quarter, swinging to a net quarterly loss of $14.7m following a profit in the first quarter of 2017. Since its 2013 initial public offering, Pattern Energy, a top-10 owner of US wind capacity, has placed a heavier emphasis on metrics like the amount of cash available for distribution (CAFD) to shareholders than on quarterly profits. The yieldco curr

Wind  rechargenews.com 08 Aug 15:05 GMT Karl-Erik Stromsta in New York

Siemens Gamesa reaches new heights in Thailand

Siemens Gamesa says it has set a new record in Asia by installing the tallest turbines on the continent at the 67.5MW Sarahnlom wind farm in Thailand. The turbines are equipped with 153-metre tall towers, and including their 56-metre blades reach a total height of 210-metres The project is owned by Thai engineering company Gunkul and is being built by developer PowerChina ZhongNan with 33 units

Wind  rechargenews.com 08 Aug 14:31 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Germans support for renewables strong ahead of elections

An overwhelming majority of Germans continues to back the expansion of renewables and most are also willing to pay for it, a new poll for the Agentur für Erneuerbare Energien (AEE) think-tank shows just weeks before general elections on 24 September. “The results of the poll prove how broad the societal consensus is that supports the Energiewende (energy transition) in Germany,” says Nils Boenigk

Transition  rechargenews.com 08 Aug 12:49 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Capital Energy links with Alfanar to build Spanish 720MW

Capital Energy – which won 720MW of the 1.13GW of wind capacity awarded in Spain’s latest renewables auction – is closing in on a deal with a turbine supplier for all its projects, to be built by Saudi Arabian construction giant Alfanar. The Madrid-headquartered developer, headed up by chief executive Jesus Martin Buezas, plans to name specific wind farm projects in the Spanish regions of Andalus

Wind  rechargenews.com 08 Aug 12:27 GMT Christopher Hopson in London

Innogy’s Belectric commissions 16MW battery in Saxony

Belectric, the recently-acquired solar and storage unit of German utility Innogy, has inaugurated a 16MW energy storage system in Saxony state to provide ancillary services that are increasingly needed due to more renewable power on the grid. Belectric has built and commissioned the facility as general contractor for regional power provider Eins Energie in Sachsen. The €10m ($11.8m) unit with a r

Transition  rechargenews.com 08 Aug 10:42 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Dutch seek feedback on subsidy-free offshore wind criteria

The Dutch economics ministry has invited interested parties to provide feedback on its ranking criteria for a possible subsidy-free tender for the 700MW Hollandse Kust South 1&2 offshore zone that is scheduled for this autumn. Following the game changing result of Germany’s first offshore wind tender in April in which 1.38GW of offshore acreage was allocated to zero-subsidy bids, the government i

Wind  rechargenews.com 08 Aug 09:33 GMT Bernd Radowitz in Berlin

Oil & gas giants' renewables spend still 'negligible': BMI

Renewables investment by large oil and gas groups remains “negligible” compared to their core activities, said BMI Research in a report suggesting the transformation of the world’s fossil majors is yet to gain significant traction. While a large number of oil and gas players have some exposure to clean energy – for example Statoil, Eni, Total, and Shell – their actual spending remains muted, BMI

Transition  rechargenews.com 08 Aug 09:03 GMT Christopher Hopson in London