German conglomerate Siemens has launched a new direct-current technology solution, which enables cost-efficient and simplified grid connection for offshore wind power plants.

Unlike the conventionally used large central converter platforms, the new platform housing Siemens’ transmission technology will be much smaller and compact.

The firm is further developing the transmission technology, which can connect multiple smaller platforms sequentially in a wind farm and then route them to an onshore transformer substation.

The compact design of the new solution allows the use of encapsulated high-voltage electrical equipment, especially installation of diode rectifier units (DRUs), instead of the usual air-insulated transistor modules.

Each of the DRUs has a transmission capacity of 200MW, and is the core of the new transmission technology, along with the transformer, the smoothing reactor, and the rectifier, all of which are combined in one tank.

Besides being modular and flexible, the new solution reduces the volume of platform structures by four-fifths and weight by two-thirds, which, in turn, can result in cost reductions by more than 30%.

It also increases transmission capacity by one-third and reduces transmission losses by 20%.

Siemens Energy Management Division CEO Jan Mrosik said: “As the only provider on the market, we have already successfully commissioned four offshore direct-current connection projects. Now we are applying our experience directly to the next generation of direct-current grid connections.” He also said :

“Our new solution will play a major role in decreasing the cost of offshore wind power below ten cents per kilowatt hour by 2020. This is how we plan to make the direct-current technology used in Germany more interesting to other markets, too.”

German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi) is financing the new Siemens’ technology solution as a part of the federal government’s sixth energy research programme under the supervision of project sponsor Jülich.

Italy’s renewable energy group Enel Green Power (EGP), and infrastructure fund F2i, have signed an agreement to open a photovoltaic (PV) joint-venture in the country.

The new joint-venture will have equal shares, controlled by both the companies, and will include a portfolio of 210MW of operating solar photovoltaic capacity.

Under the deal, EGP will contribute 105MW of assets from its Altomonte FV subsidiary to the new joint-venture. F2i will also contribute 105MW of assets held by its F2i Solare 1 and F2i Solare 3 units.

The enterprise value of EGP is €230m, while F2i’s assets are valued at €285m.

To ensure equal shareholding, EGP will also contribute €18m in cash, while transferring Altomonte’s investment in the new company. F2i can choose to contribute an additional 58MW of capacity by next year.

The value adjustment standard for this kind of transaction is expected to be carried out in 2016.

The new joint-venture focuses on bringing together different operating PV solar plants owned by various financial institutions and private operators in the Italian PV market.

EGP hopes that the joint-venture will create value by reducing operating expenses and optimising energy management with its assets and expertise.

Furthermore, the company is seeking to further optimise its debt in order to seize new financial opportunities in a new low-interest market environment.

EGP can choose to acquire an additional 2.5% of the joint-venture, which would give it control of the company.

The deal is expected to close by the end of this year, and remains subject to the approval of the EU antitrust authority.

Octopus Investments has secured £400m (€540m) in financing for its 522MW portfolio of UK solar projects.

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Investec Bank have closed the syndication for the financing deal of the portfolio.

Projects under the portfolio consist of 74 operational ground-mounted solar projects that Octopus acquired from Lightsource Renewable Energy.

Located across the south-east and west of the UK, the projects are supported with 20-year fixed income tariffs under the UK Government’s Renewables Obligation.

Funding for the solar power portfolio invited interest from multiple banking and institutional investors and was closed oversubscribed.

Investec power and infrastructure lending head Olivier Fricot said: “We are delighted to have closed what is a landmark transaction for the sector with Octopus and Lightsource, two of our long standing relationships.

“It further endorses the expertise of our team in the UK solar and wider renewables sectors where we continue to see strong levels of lending and M&A activity.”

RBS infrastructure and structured finance director Craig Love said: “We are glad that our sector and execution expertise, along with our international distribution network, were able to help deliver the right result for Octopus and its investors.” Then added :

“RBS has been at the forefront of the UK solar market since its inception in 2010, has funded 1.2GW of projects to-date and, despite recent regulatory changes, retains a strong pipeline of solar projects going forward.”

The developers of the 970MW Navitus Bay offshore wind farm have decided not to challenge the UK government’s rejection of the project, which would have been located off the south coast of England.

MHI Vestas, which was the preferred turbine supplier, said it can confirm that Navitus Bay Development – the company set up by the developers EDF and Eneco to oversee the project – had informed the manufacturer about the decision not to appeal again DECC’s refusal to grant planning permission.

“As MHI Vestas Offshore Wind had only been appointed preferred supplier for the potential order and hence the project had not achieved status as a firm and unconditional order, the decision by Navitus Bay Development will not impact the order backlog of MHI Vestas Offshore Wind”, MHI Vestas said.

The Round 3 zone near the Isle of Wight was rejected last month amid concerns of “seascape, landscape and visual impacts”, “visual impact onshore” and “harm” to the area’s World Heritage Site status and problems for tourism in the local Dorset area.

German manufacturer Siemens has received an order to deliver wind turbines with a 172.8MW capacity for the extension of Clyde wind farm in Scotland.

UK-based power generator SSE is the developer for the project, which is located east of Abington in South Lanarkshire.

Siemens will deliver 54 of its SWT-3.2-101 wind turbines to Clyde farm to add to the 152 currently in operation, generating 350MW of clean energy.

Construction works for the extension project started in July and are expected to finish in June 2017.

Siemens is expected to start delivery and installation of the wind turbines in June 2016.

In addition to supplying generators, the firm will be responsible for providing long-term servicing at the wind farm.

The existing 2.3MW turbines were also manufactured by Siemens, and were commissioned in 2011 and 2012.

Balfour Beatty is the principal contractor for the extension project, which was approved by the Scottish Government last July.

Siemens’ wind power and renewables division onshore CEO Thomas Richterich said: “We are very pleased to continue the long and successful relationship with our customer SSE in an important project like the Clyde extension.

“Our direct drive units improve performance, reliability and maintainability. We see this innovation in our products as a stable basis for further collaboration with experienced customers like SSE.”

The EU accounted for only 5.8% of the world’s energy production in 2013, compared to China with 19.2% and the US with 13.8%, according to the EU’s latest statistical energy pocketbook. Meanwhile, the EU consumed 12% of the world’s total energy, China accounted for 22.4% of energy consumption and the US 16.1%.

The latest statistics reveal that, in 2013, Ireland, Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta were the most fuel import dependent EU countries with over 80% of their energy imported. Denmark, Estonia and Romania were the least import dependent with less than 20% of their energy imported.

Other figures show that in 2013 the EU imported 39% of its natural gas from Russia, 29.5% from Norway and 12.8% from Algeria. For crude oil, 33.5% came from Russia, 11.7% from Norway, 8.6% from Saudi Arabia and 8.1% from Nigeria. Overall in 2013, the EU’s import dependency for all energy products was at 53.2%, rising to 65.3% for natural gas alone and 64.6% for hard coal.

In 2013, the renewable energy share in gross final energy consumption reached 15% for the whole of the EU, and the primary energy intensity – a measure of energy efficiency calculated as units of energy per unit of GDP in 2010 – decreased by about 15.6% from 2005 levels.

The 2015 statistical pocketbook covers a whole range of energy statistical data and indicators including energy intensity, carbon intensity, renewable energy shares, energy efficiency, employment and EU country profiles.

Trianel and EWE have formed a joint venture (JV) to develop the 200MW phase two of the Trianel wind farm Borkum (TWB II) in the German North Sea.

Phase two of the offshore wind farm will require an investment of about €800m, with the offshore substation already in place.

The on-site transformer platform, which secured a licence from the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency, is now ready.

EWE will have a 40% share in the development of the project and the companies expect a final investment decision in 2016.

Located 45km off the island of Borkum, the €1bn first phase of the offshore wind farm that was inaugurated last month reached full commercial operation in July.

Phase one, with 40 Areva / Adwen turbines, will generate more than 800GWh of clean energy a year; sufficient to power 200,000 homes.

Areva started installing the wind turbines at the first phase of Trianel wind farm Borkum in September 2013.

During the initial expansion, Trianel created conditions to increase the project’s capacity to 400MW.
EWE chief technology officer Ines Kolmsee said: “EWE can call upon its expertise from the development and operation of the first German offshore wind farm, alpha ventus, and the first commercial offshore wind farm, Riffgat.

“Trianel will contribute the knowledge it gained during the development of the Trianel wind farm Borkum, the first municipal offshore wind farm.”

Trianel management spokesman Sven Becker said: “The joint venture with EWE provides the foundation for the planned decision to build during the next year.”

On 15 October, the Covenant of Mayors – a movement of climate-friendly cities – and its sister initiative Mayors Adapt will join forces in the fight against climate change ahead of the United Nations climate summit in Paris at the end of November.

In a ceremony at the European Parliament in Brussels hosted by Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, the Covenant of Mayors will acknowledge the important contribution cities make to reducing emissions, decarbonising energy systems and creating climate-resilient urban environments for citizens.

The Covenant of Mayors and Mayors Adapt initiatives are movements involving more than 6000 cities voluntarily committing to take climate action. From now on, the new Covenant of Mayors will integrate Mayors Adapt and include the solutions put in place by cities to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.

At the event, signatory municipalities will discuss carbon dioxide emissions targets for 2030, as well as adaptation efforts cities undertake to combat the unavoidable adverse effects of climate change.

European cities – home to 360 million people or 72% of Europe’s population – account for 70% of the continent’s energy consumption. Urban areas are in addition particularly vulnerable to the increasing climate change impacts. Cities are therefore of key importance in mitigating and adapting to climate change and ideal places for boosting renewable energy and improving energy efficiency in buildings.

Register by 11 October 2015 to join this event.

Mojo Maritime has developed a marine project planning system called Mermaid to give companies a better understanding of the impact of weather and tidal forces on a project’s schedule.

The company said the aim is to enable enhanced decision making in the early planning stages.
The Mermaid – Marine Economic Risk Management Aid –software simulates marine operations against historical weather and tidal data to support cost-savings through project optimisation.

The system is undergoing testing with a number of clients, with a view to launching towards the end of October, Mojo said.

“The user acceptance testing phase is critical to ensure that that the function, capability and usability of the software has been tested in real world situations,” the company said.

Mojo senior analyst Rich Walker said: “By calibrating accurate weather information dating back over many years (typically between 10 and 23 years), factoring in wave height, sea conditions, wind strength and current velocity and direction, Mermaid enables companies to select the best vessels, ports, methods and processes to suit any proposed project start date.

“This has massive cost-saving implications for a huge variety of marine operations from the offshore renewable market to the oil and gas industries, as well as the shipping and insurance world.”

German manufacturer Nordex is to acquire Spanish company Acciona’s turbine business in a cash and shares deal worth around €785m.

The takeover will create what Nordex called “a new major player in the wind industry” that will reduce overall exposure to “demand swings in individual markets”.

Nordex will pay €366.4m in cash and 16.1m in new shares valued at €26 each for Acciona Windpower. As part of the deal main shareholder Skion/Momentum will also offload some of its Nordex shares to Acciona Energia, which will remain involved in wind farm ownership and operation.

Once the deal is complete Skion/Momentum will hold a 5.7% share in Nordex with Acciona controlling 29.9%. The Spanish company has agreed not to increase its voting position in Nordex above 30% for the next three years.

“Nordex and Acciona Windpower complement each other in a number of important areas,” said the German company.

“Nordex has a strong market position in Europe while Acciona Windpower is well-positioned in the Americas and emerging markets. Nordex products are particularly well-suited for complex projects subject to technical restrictions, while Acciona Windpower’s products are primarily aimed at large-scale wind farms that require efficient and sturdy machines for unconstrained terrains.”

Acciona produces 1.5MW and 3MW turbines for deployment across all wind classes. It has four production facilities located in the US, Brazil and Spain with another under construction in India.