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.

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.

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.

European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, attended the first ever G20 Energy Ministerial meeting in Istanbul, Turkey on 2 October. It took place back to back with the G20 Conference on Energy Access in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Group of 20 (G20) Energy Ministerial meeting centred on access to sustainable energy for all, energy efficiency, investments in energy and renewable energy. Ministers adopted a ‘toolkit’ of options for a long-term and sustainable approach for a faster roll-out of renewable energy.

“The EU has built global leadership in renewable energy. Today, renewables generate around 23.5% of the EU’s power, and this is expected to rise to 50% by 2030. Yet, we should all aim higher and do all we can to encourage a boost in investments in renewables. Oil prices are low while the cost of renewables is falling dramatically so now is the moment to invest in renewables as a major tool in the fight against climate change,” Arias Cañete said.

G20 countries – which include 20 of the world’s major economies – account for 80% of current renewable electricity capacity in the world, and hold 75% of the total global potential for renewables, making them key players in mitigating climate change. Ministers at the meeting said they strongly support the work of the United Nations on climate change, and said they will work together to contribute to a successful outcome of the UN climate summit in Paris later this year.

Ministers also discussed the implementation of the energy efficiency action plan which was agreed at the G20 summit in November 2014. Under the action plan, G20 countries share knowledge on energy efficiency in a number of areas including vehicles, products and buildings. “The benefits of international collaboration in energy efficiency are immense. By sharing our experiences we can speed-up progress towards greater energy efficiency. The EU has an energy efficiency target of at least 27% by 2030 – a target which will be reviewed in 2020 with a 30% target in mind. Today, our policies will only reduce energy consumption by 21% in 2030, we are therefore taking action to bridge this gap,” Arias Cañete said.

Enel Green Power España (EGPE) has signed an agreement with Portuguese company First State Wind Energy Investments to sell all of its share capital of Finerge Gestão de Projectos Energéticos (Finerge) for €900m ($1bn).

Finerge is a wholly owned EGPE subsidiary operating across the Portuguese renewable sector, chiefly engaged in the development, construction and operation of wind farms in the country. EGPE is the Spanish subsidiary of Italian firm Enel Green Power (EGP).

Besides having 126MW of installed capacity as a part of its portfolio, Finerge also has minority stakes for 292MW.
The transaction, once completed, will mark EGP’s exit from the Portuguese renewable energy sector, which is a part of the firm’s strategy to streamline its assets and leverage those with greater development potential.

It is in line with EGP’s 2015-2019 business plan, which will see an investment of €9.6bn to increase its portfolio.

Finerge also owns a 35.96% interest in Eólicas de Portugal (Eneop), which has operating wind farms totalling 1,333MW under its portfolio.

The transaction will mean Finerge is the sole owner of four special purpose companies, operating 445MW worth of wind projects. Once completed, the entity will own wind farms in Portugal with a total installed capacity of 863MW.
EGP expects to gain around €30m from the divestment.

The sale is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of this year, and is subject to conclusion of the separation of Eneop’s assets.

France-based Alstom and German utility RheinEnergi have synchronised the 453MW Niehl 3 power plant in Cologne with the German electricity grid.

The facility, which generates both heat and power from natural gas, is based on Alstom’s KA26 combined-cycle plant design, which brings operational flexibility as well as high-efficiency and district heating capabilities.
The combined-cycle heat and power plant (CHP) plant has been designed to secure the base load power in the country, and is a part of its energy transformation framework.

With 453MW of power capacity and 265MW of thermal heating output, the facility can meet the electricity needs of up to one million households and provide around 30,000 households with district heating.
Commercial operation of the power plant, claimed to have around 85% fuel efficiency, is expected to start early next year.

“When the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine, the plant’s high operational flexibility ensures…the security of electricity supply.”

RheinEnergie board chairman Dr Dieter Steinkamp said: “With our new power plant, we are investing in the creation of a future-proof infrastructure, which will secure the heat supply of thousands of households locally and completely emission-free.

“Furthermore, Niehl 3 makes a significant contribution to the energy transition. When the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine, the plant’s high operational flexibility ensures we can contribute to the security of electricity supply.”

Alstom Germany president Alf Henryk Wulf said: “Alstom’s KA26 combined-cycle power plant is a highly environmentally friendly power solution that provides RheinEnergie with unrivalled flexibility.
“With short start-up times and fast load changing capabilities, the plant is perfectly equipped to balance out fluctuations in the electricity grid, which arise from the volatile feed-in of renewable energy.”
Alstom and RheinEnergie signed the agreement to develop the facility in December 2012.

Wave energy developer Marine Power Systems is the first company to benefit from new Welsh government innovation funding of almost £225 000.

The money is part of a £115 million package announced last week to boost innovation in Wales, and create new products and jobs.

Marine Power Systems, which is based in Swansea, was formed to develop the WaveSub, a device that captures the energy potential of ocean waves.

The funding will go to develop the WaveSub technology and produce a prototype.

The prototype will be tested in Milford Haven and the results will inform the development of a full-scale version of the device.

Economy Minister Edwina Hart said: “I’m pleased to announce Marine Power Systems as one of the first beneficiaries of our new innovation funding.

This support has allowed them to create a prototype, which is critical to mitigating risks and allowing the further development of the product, which ultimately allows the company to move on to commercial sales.
“Wave energy has a huge potential as a source of renewable energy and I’m encouraged that one of our first projects is supporting advancement in this field.”

Marine Power Systems managing director Gareth Stockman said: “The Welsh Government has played an integral role in supporting the development of Marine Power Systems’ WaveSub device and we are very grateful to be one of the first companies identified to receive this innovation funding.”

Blade Dynamics has shipped its modular D78 turbine blade for testing at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult’s (ORE) facility in Blyth, UK.

The D78 blade features several new technologies, including a lightweight and high-dimensional accuracy blade tip, with built-in leading edge protection.

The modular design is aimed to minimise variation in blade construction, and simplify the manufacture and transportation processes.

Blade Dynamics designed the D78 blade based on cooperative working with Siemens turbines. The company secured support from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Carbon Trust, The Dow Chemical Company, Nasa, and the UK’s Energy Technology Institute (ETI).

Blade Dynamics CEO Pepe Carnevale said: “The UK has a great tradition of innovation in many industries that intersect and are highly relevant to large, high-performance wind turbine blades, and this new blade type is a great opportunity for the UK.

“First and foremost, this can reduce the cost of energy very significantly, but there are also several other unique benefits. Because the blades are assembled from smaller components, we are not constrained by expensive new factories dependent for survival on a very limited local market, making big blades in one big factory.”

ETI has supported the development since 2012. Technology used by the 78m blade has the capacity to make rotors with diameters exceeding 200m, for reduced energy costs.

ETI CEO David Clarke said: “Once commercialised, this technology can create a pathway to improving performance, reliability and cost for offshore wind, as well as providing an exciting route for the future export of blade components from the UK.

“We look forward to the structural testing at ORE Catapult in the UK, and are investigating ways to demonstrate a rotor using this technology on the 7MW turbine that ORE Catapult is in the process of acquiring.”