17 August 2015, source edie newsroom – Europe’s five biggest energy markets have added 8GW of wind and solar capacity in the first half of 2015, a new report has found.

The wind and solar capacities of the UK, Germany, Italy, France and Spain have grown to a combined total of around 175GW, according to Platts Renewable Power Tracker.

Germany added around 2.9GW of wind power in the first six months of 2015, with around 1.8GW of this coming from German North Sea wind farms.

The UK’s installed capacity of solar energy reached 7.7GW, as well as reaching 13.4GW of wind energy. The UK’s combined renewable energy output generated 2.7TWh of energy, according to Platts.

Wind and sun

Unseasonably high winds throughout the summer in Northern Europe and a heatwave around the Mediterranean helped to drive an average of a 25% increase in renewable energy generation in July, according to Platts.

German solar and wind energy outputs hit an all-time high, generating around 11TWh in July and increasing wind output by around 156% year on year.

In the UK, a wet and windy July led to high renewable energy generation in Scotland, with wind turbines powering 72% of Scottish households and generating 660,000MWh of electricity.

Renewable energy generation in the UK has recently hit new highs, generating 19% of the UK’s total electricity requirements. The increase in generation has been driven by developments of wind power, biomass and solar, with the UK’s offshore wind capacity passing 5GW in June this year.

Despite this increase in capacity and generation, renewable energy industry leaders have warned the sector is at risk of being “killed off” by recent changes by the Government to subsidies for renewable energy.

UK-based OXIS Solar Centre for Autonomous Research (OSCAR) has launched a new project, termed Project Helios, which will work as a global launch-pad for cheaper commercial solar energy.

OXIS Solar is a customised and specially built demonstration facility which houses OXIS’ entire solar storage technology.

The demonstration for the project includes a 3.8kWp solar PhotoVoltaic (PV) power generation system which comes with integrated 3kWh OXIS Lithium Sulfur battery.

It also features 16 PV panels which are serially connected to generate 600V DC and feeds into the widely used SMA Sunny Boy Inverter to generate a 240V, 50Hz ‘mains’ output.

OXIS Energy CEO Huw Hampson-Jones said: “The significance of this technology is at this stage understated.
“In the continent of Africa for example, this is a breakthrough as profound as the introduction of the mobile phone and allows for the rapid commercialisation of their economies using solar energy storage systems.

“For Europe, this technology brings a safe and cheap source of electricity for its citizens in a manner that allows its economies to lessen their dependency on oil and gas”.

PROINSO Asia Pacific and Storage head Stuart Macfarlane said: “The realisation of the OXIS storage solution is perfectly timed as we continue to move into emerging markets that have a high demand for safe, reliable and cost-effective energy storage solutions.

“Importantly, the technology is robust and easily scalable which is crucial for use across a wide range of applications and in frequently hostile environments.”

Spanish company Abengoa has signed a €614m deal to sell 450MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) assets to its renewable yieldco vehicle company Abengoa Yield.

Board of directors of both the firms have approved the acquisition which represents the third asset package deal between Abengoa and Abengoa Yield.

However, closing of the deal is subject to customary approvals.

Abengoa will be entitled to a 51% capital increase that Abengoa Yield has priced to finance this acquisition.

The assets comprise of the Helios 1 and 2 solar complex, totalling 100MW of generation capacity and Solnova 1, 3 and 4 solar firms having a combined generation capacity of 150MW.

Another 70% stake has also been acquired in Helioenergy 1 & 2 solar complex (100 MW), in which Abengoa Yield already owns a 30 % stake.

The Helios, Solnova and Helioenergy complexes are in Spain.

The fourth asset includes a 51% share for the 100MW Kaxu solar plant, which is located in the Kalahari desert in South Africa.

Provision for a call option agreement to purchase up to $100m in concessional assets at a 12% yield will be included in the transaction. The deal in this regard was signed between the two firms in December 2014.

Abengoa Yield expects the new acquisition to generate incremental run rate cash, which will be available for yearly distribution of around $63m before debt service associated with acquisition financing.

Abengoa Yield had formed an exclusive partnership with Abengoa according to which the former gets right of first offer on any proposed sale, transfer or other disposition in the latter’s contracted renewable energy, conventional power, electric transmission or water assets.

The firms mainly deal with renewable assets in the US, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia and the European Union.

Spain-based Abengoa is a developer for sustainable and innovative technology solutions for the energy and environment sectors.

As well as promoting power generation from renewable resources, the firm is also involved in converting biomass to biofuels and producing potable water from sea water.

Power-Technology

Australian Wind Prospect Group has created a new asset management platform, Wind Prospect Operations (WPO) with a portfolio of more than 1GW of independent, utility-scale renewable energy projects in Europe.

The portfolio, comprising operating wind and solar energy assets, generates more than €400m as annual production revenues for clients.

WPO integrates the energy firm’s businesses in UK/Ireland and France/Germany through the platform to introduce scale and resilience and reach out to its clients in Europe and beyond.

Wind Prospect Group CEO Euan Cameron said: “Combining the businesses, the management and the teams in this way creates an immensely strong wind and solar asset management platform with a global reach.

“It brings great advantages to our clients with portfolios spread in several countries by integrating systems and procedures for greater simplicity and efficiency.”

The unified portfolio is expected to enhance the firm’s resources and expertise so it can offer competitive and streamlined services to its clients.

Besides offering full asset management services to its clients for long terms, the new entity will also extend consultancy offerings, including contract negotiation, performance audits, technical field inspections and insurance brokerage.

WPO CEO Barthélémy Rouer said: “Our consolidated platform provides both WPO and its clients with the scale they need in this competitive market.

“Our aim is to deliver high quality, flexible and cost-effective services, which meet the needs of asset owners, investors, lenders and insurers in all of their jurisdictions and across all renewable energy technologies.”

WPO director Duncan Levie said: “Our platform gathers a unique set of expertise in the industry that is totally focused on delivering appropriate, market leading expert services on operating wind and solar assets.”

Power-Technology

UK’s engineering firm Amec Foster Wheeler has completed construction of 250MW Copper Mountain Solar 3 project in Boulder City, Nevada, US.

The solar project is spread across nearly 1,400 acres of land and can generate enough renewable electricity to power 80,000 US households.

Cupertino Electric and Amec Foster Wheeler were the co-developers of the project, which is equipped with more than one million solar modules.

It represents the third phase of Copper Mountain Solar complex construction, which is jointly owned by Sempra US Gas & Power and Consolidated Edison Development (ConEdison Development).

Sempra US Gas & Power president and CEO Patti Wagner said: “Copper Mountain Solar 3 is our largest solar project to date.”

The entire complex can generate 450MW of renewable power, which is enough to meet the energy requirements of 142,000 homes.

Amec Foster Wheeler Power & Process Americas president Tim Gelbar said: “Copper Mountain Solar 3 is the culmination of hard work and a great partnership with Sempra US Gas & Power and Consolidated Edison Development.

“This is a significant project in the solar market and we are delighted to deliver this prominent project, which demonstrates our growing position in renewables and clean energy as well as our ability to leverage our global design, engineering, and project management expertise to deliver projects for our customers.”

Construction works for the project was initiated in 2013.

The development raises Sempra US Gas & Power’s jointly-owned operating solar power portfolio to 660MW.

Power Technology

Europe experienced the much-awaited solar eclipse today, though partially, as 90% of the Sun’s surface was blocked out by the Moon.

The next eclipse has been predicted to occur after over a decade, in 2026.

The authorities had earlier anticipated the eclipse to affect the power sector across the continent.

European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) had announced that 35,000MW of solar energy will ‘fade’ away from the national grids during the eclipse.

The blackout, which could account for 80 medium size conventional generation units, is likely to challenge the European power grids, however temporarily, before being restored.

The UK was expecting nearly 850MW of power loss during the period.

National Grid, however, looks forward to 1,100MW of energy savings during the eclipse, as lots of people were expected come outdoors for a glimpse.

National Grid forecasting manager Jeremy Caplin said: “We expect there to be a significant suppression in demand when the eclipse starts, followed by a pick-up when people start to go back inside.

“The extent of the pick-up will depend on the weather. If it’s sunny, we’re expecting a 1,700MW surge. If it’s an average day, it will be more like 1,000MW. The cloudier it is, the less of a swing we’ll see.”

During the last solar eclipse in 1999, power generation across Europe was not affected much since solar energy was not as much developed at the time.

ENTSO-E had stated earlier: “Managing this event on the world’s largest interconnected grid is an unprecedented challenge for European transmission system operators (TSOs).

“After thorough operational planning work, TSOs will put in place continuous on line coordination between control rooms across Europe ahead of, and during the eclipse to better coordinate the scheduled remedial actions.”

Norwegian entity Scatec Solar intends to construct up to 200MW of solar power generating facilities in Egypt within the next two-three years, with assistance from its finance partners.

Scatec Solar CEO Raymond Carlsen said: “Together with our finance partners, we aim to develop, build, own, and operate 150MW – 200MW of new solar power plants in Egypt over the next two to three years, investing more than $300m.”

The firm has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) in Egypt to develop a new 50MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project under the government’s new feed-in tariff scheme (FIT).

As well as turning out to be a colossal source of renewable power in Egypt, the solar developments can boost the job sector with new opportunities. The programme is also expected to lead to skills, industrial, and social development in the country.

Egypt has recently been taking initiatives to boost its power sector at large.

The country is looking forward to foreign investments for 2,000MW of solar and just as much of utility-scale wind power developments. It also has set a target of 300MW decentralised solar developments between 2015 and 2017.

By 2022, Egypt has planned to derive 20% or 12GW of its power requirements from renewable sources, out of which 50% will be from solar developments.

Approximately 6GW of solar instalments in the country is estimated to involve an investment of $9bn to $10bn.

The country has recently made deals with Masdar and ACWA Power, Siemens and General Electric for boosting its power infrastructure.

UK firms Anesco, Farm Power Apollo and Opus Energy have teamed up to install and commission commercial-scale solar battery scheme in the UK.

The firms connected the 250kWh battery storage unit to 498.4KW Slepe Farm solar park in Dorset.

The unit, which will be used to store the generated power from the solar park, will release the energy to the National Grid, as and when required.

Collaboration between a solar park owner, energy supplier and energy efficiency solution provider is claimed to be the first in the UK.

Slepe Farm owner and Farm Power Apollo managing director Mark Simon said: “This ground-breaking project shows how innovation by landowners, renewable energy asset owners, energy suppliers and energy services companies can create a new way of delivering renewable energy.”

Anesco CEO Adrian Pike said: “If the UK is to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, while coping with growing demand, then effective and sustainable power systems need to be utilised, and the ability to store energy and manage generation to match customer need is a vital part of this.

“With this successful partnership we have demonstrated a model and approach to renewable energy generation that could effectively be replicated. Ultimately projects such as this will help power from renewables achieve grid parity quicker than otherwise and reduce the draw on green levies in the future.”

Opus Energy renewable commercial manager Nigel Williams said: “This initiative represents a seamless extension of our existing relationship with Anesco and we are delighted to act as their partner at Slepe Farm, to facilitate access to additional revenue streams.

“The use of battery storage, in combination with continuing improvements to the technology, stand to hasten the day that solar is able to compete in the energy market in its own right.”

The trio have collaborated to show how solar power can be an important part of the generation mix and a sustainable means to manage energy generation capacity.

Floating Solar UK has installed and launched the UK’s first floating solar panel system at Sheeplands farm in Berkshire.

The facility consists of 800 solar panels, which can generate 200KW of power.

The panels were installed in early September on an irrigation reservoir at a 300-acre farm, near the village of Wargrave in Berkshire.

The development of the Berkshire farm cost £250,000.

The Greener Group is the installation partner for Floating Solar UK.

Floating Solar UK founder and CEO Mark Bennett was quoted by reNews as saying: “The launch of our new installation signals what we hope is a revolutionary new alternative for owners of large used, and unused, bodies of water who are wanting to generate both renewable energy and sustainable income.

“The technology is durable, cost-effective and so flexible that it only took us a week to install a 200kW system with more than 800 floating panels.”

Developed by French firm Ciel et Terre, the floating solar panel technology is being distributed by Floating Solar Panel UK in the UK.

Ciel et terre president Alexis Gaveau was quoted by reNews as saying: “It is fantastic to see our innovative technology now being deployed in the UK for the first time.

“The floating solar installation at the Sheeplands Farm site is a real-world example how advancements in renewable technology can both easily be installed and deliver results so quickly.”

The floating solar panel system will be used to generate power for the pump, which would send water from the reservoir to the farm.

The system is claimed to generate higher electricity as a result of the water’s cooling effect on panels.

Further, the installation costs and the environmental impact are low as there is no excavation work.

Swiss power technology firm ABB has developed and tested a 525kV underground and subsea high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable system, which the company claims will make renewable energy INSTALLATIONS more efficient and cost-effective.

The technology, which features high-voltage power cables, joints and terminations, will increase the power capacity of CABLE CONNECTIONS to around 2.6GW from 1GW.

The reach of the lines will be extended to 1,500km, up from less than 1,000km, with TRANSMISSION losses of just below 5%.

The new extruded cable system offers a 64% increase, when compared to 320kV lines, currently THE HIGHEST voltage deployed.

The technology, which uses a new polyethylene insulation material, will allow countries and utilities to integrate more renewable energy being generated by distant solar and wind INSTALLATIONS.

ABB said that A SINGLE pair of 525kV extruded HVDC cables could transmit enough power from giant offshore wind farms for around two million households.

ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer said: “This major technology breakthrough will change the feasibility of renewable energy projects and play a defining role in using underground and subsea high-voltage cables to integrate renewables over long distances.”

The company said it will present the system at the Cigré technology symposium in Paris, France, this month.

ABB has commissioned more than 25 DC cable connections and approximately 100 AC cable links globally.