Renewable energy consultant and service provider SeaRoc Group has signed a collaboration agreement with German-based HSEQ Experts for construction and operation of offshore wind farms in Germany and in the rest of Europe.

The agreement formalises the existing working arrangement that the two companies have had since March 2014.

The collaboration will initially offer support services for offshore wind farms in areas such as marine construction management, marine coordination and quality control.

Experts from HSEQ will assist SeaRoc in the delivery of other contracting packages, which include supply of temporary power generation for offshore wind projects in the country.

The support will also ensure that SeaRoc’s systems are compliant with German legislation.

SeaRoc operations director David Wotherspoon said: “We were looking for a partner with complementary skillsets and ambitions to work within the German market and abroad. We are delighted to have formed this partnership with the team at HSEQ experts.

“Our expertise, combined with HSEQ’s expert knowledge and experience of the German offshore wind market, applicable legislation and industry requirements, provides a very significant offering to the sector.”

SeaRoc principal engineering advisor Nick Murphy and HSEQ Experts CEO Bodo Lehwald are leading the collaborative venture between the two firms.

Lehwald said: “We see great potential in the combined services of HSEQ Experts and SeaRoc and are happy to be able to offer this service to our existing and future clients in the German and European offshore wind sector.”

The UK’s renewable energy firm Ecotricity has formed a joint venture (JV) with Sweden-based project development and construction company Skanska, for construction of 350MW of onshore wind projects in the UK within the first five years.

The JV, known as Skylark, will invest £500m for the construction of onshore wind projects, which will ensure power supply to 200,000 households by 2018.

Both the partners aim to draw mutual benefits with their expertise in green energy fields and construction.

Three development sites for Skylark’s first phase of investment have been selected under the project, representing a generation capacity of 100MW.

Ecotricity founder Dale Vince said: “Ecotricity were the world’s first green electricity company, while Skanska aims to be the greenest construction company in the world – our shared pursuit of sustainability and our complementary skill sets creates a strong partnership.

“Ecotricity will use its expertise in green energy development to design wind parks and gain planning consents, while Skanska will use their expertise in construction to build them.

Skanska infrastructure development EVP Steve Cooper said: “At Skanska, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. Wherever we work, we strive to push forward the green agenda in construction and infrastructure development.

“Our green agenda, together with our wish to build what society needs, help to define us as a company.”

Ecotricity operates a ‘bills into mills’ business model, which uses energy bills of customers to fund construction of new green energy plants.

Skanska is a construction firm with major PFI contracts such as Barts & The London Hospitals and the M25 under its portfolio.

The Scottish Government has approved four offshore wind farm developments in the Forth and Tay region, which will have a combined power generation capacity of 2.284GW.

These projects can power more than 1.4 million households in Scotland.

The four projects are estimated to generate almost 135 million tonnes of CO2 savings over their lifetime.

Scotland Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said that these wind farms alone could generate a combined gross value of between £314m and £1.2bn in Scotland over their lifetime and generate between 2,567 and 13,612 jobs during the construction period.

“Granting consent for these developments will enable them to bid for an offshore wind contract for difference (CfD) under the UK Government’s Electricity Market Reform process.

“The budget for offshore wind (and other less established technologies) in the first of these rounds scheduled for autumn is £235 million, thought to be enough to support around 800 MW of offshore wind in UK waters,” Ewing said.

The consent was granted to 450MW Neart na Gaoithe wind farm of Mainstream Renewable Power, 800MW Inch Cape project of Repsol and EDP Renewables UK, and 525MW Seagreen Alpha and 525MW Seagreen Bravo wind farms, which are being developed by SSE and Fluor, reports Reuters.

The consents are subject to strict conditions though, in order to minimise their harmful impact on birds and the environment.

The UK is providing subsidies to power generators in order to encourage them to shift from fossil fuels to renewable power generation technologies as part of its aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the 1990 levels to at least 80% by 2050.

EFG Hermes, an investment bank in the Middle East, has acquired a 49% equity stake in French wind energy company EDPR France through a $208m deal.

As per the terms of the deal, EFG Hermes’s private equity arm will manage the investment vehicle, while EDPR France will retain operational control over the acquired assets.

EDPR France, a subsidiary of global renewable energy firm EDP Renewables, has a portfolio of 33 operational wind farms with a combined gross capacity of 334MW.

EFG Hermes co-chief executive officer Karim Awad said: “Our first investment beyond the borders of the Middle East and Africa is a natural outgrowth of our emphasis on infrastructure private equity and, moreover, marks the launch of our direct investment strategy.”

EFG Hermes head of equity Karim Moussa said: “We’ve recently seen a strong surge in investor appetite for cash-yielding renewable assets, mainly driven by the prevailing low interest rate environment.

“EDPR France’s asset portfolio offers a strong dividend stream and healthy risk-adjusted returns for the investors.”

The transaction will be closed post regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

Nearly 50% of the $208m will be funded through a finance facility secured from leading European banks.

While EFG Hermes will provide seed capital of approximately $5m for the equity component of the transaction, the remainder will be raised from the GCC.

Global Capital Finance, Shearman & Sterling and Watson, Farley & Williams, Garrad Hassan and SGS, Grant Thornton and Pöyry are the advisors to EFG Hermes for the buyout.

Spanish wind turbine manufacturer Norvento will supply seven nED100 100kW turbines to UK-based VG Energy for a number of Scottish wind projects under its portfolio that are under development, by the end of 2014 and in 2015.

VG will showcase the turbines as a part of its product portfolio and will be the first Scottish nED100 agent for the medium-scale wind turbine manufacturer.

VG has also signed up as the first nED operations and maintenance (O&M) subcontractor for Norvento in the northern parts of the UK.

The energy firm will be in-charge of servicing and maintenance of the turbines post installation at the Scottish sites that are under construction.

Both the companies worked together for a twin turbine site in Castle Douglas earlier, which had been commissioned in August this year.

This project had been originally developed by VG and later sold to Norvento ahead of turbine installation.

Norvento business development director Ivo Arnús said: “nED100 is the product of an extensive five-year design and testing process – and this is what really sets Norvento apart from other manufacturers in the medium-scale wind sector.

“We’ve looked long and hard at the UK farm-scale wind market and our findings have fed directly into the design of our turbines.

“VG will not only roll out nED100 as a key part of its own development pipeline, but also promote, operate and maintain the turbine throughout Scotland. This agreement signals the start of a close partnership between the two firms.”

VG Energy director Gordon Smith said: “As VG builds out a portfolio of turnkey sites and continues to promote farm-scale renewables across Scotland, it was important to make an informed decision when it came to choosing a turbine and manufacturer.

“Farm-scale wind developments are often held back by concerns about the reliability of turbines and noise and visual impacts.

“Based on current market conditions, Norvento’s nED100 stood out as the clear frontrunner in terms of impacts and reliability. It’s one of the quietest machines on the market and incorporates a range of remote sensors that will really augment our capacity for swift, efficient O&M support in the coming years.”

Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has received a firm order for 24 V112-3.3 MW turbines including Vestas De-icing System (VDS) for a 79.2MW wind power project in Sweden.

The wind power plant Fäbodliden is located at Västerbotten.

Vestas will begin the delivery of the turbines in the third quarter of 2015. The turbines will be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2015.

The order comprises supply, installation and commissioning of the turbines, in addition to providing the VestasOnline Business SCADA solution and a three-year servicing facility.

VDS can be serviced easily from within the hub and inside the blade as it does not need electrical components to be installed in the blade’s leading edge.

In addition to boosting the system’s robustness, it keeps the system at low risk from lightning damage.

Designed to de-ice the outer profile of the blade focusing on the tip end, VDA ensures maximum efficiency of regaining power production after ice buildup occurs.

It is completely integrated with Vestas’ control systems and can be designed as per a client’s de-icing strategy, the company claimed.

As it can be triggered automatically or manually, it allows customers to have full monitoring control of the system.

Vestas Northern Europe president Klaus Steen Mortensen said: “Today’s order with Fred. Olsen Renewables constitutes another milestone for Vestas in the Swedish market. We look forward to the execution phase of the project.

“The Vestas De-icing System is proving to be a popular option for projects in cold climates.”

UAE-based renewable energy firm Masdar will own a 35% stake in the UK’s proposed Dudgeon Offshore wind farm through a £525m investment.

Norway’s Statoil will retain another 35% stake in the project while Statkraft will own the remaining 30%.

Masdar bought the stake from Statoil.

The 402MW wind farm is located 32km off the coast of Norfolk, the UK, and is expected to power more than 410,000 households once it becomes operational in 2017.

UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said: “Masdar’s investment is a strong endorsement of the UK as the best place in the world to invest in offshore wind – and it shows the government’s plan for green growth is working.

“Since 2010 we have seen, on average, £7bn a year invested in renewables and we expect to see up to £50bn more between now and 2020.”

In July this year, the project achieved a milestone, when the Norwegian owners Statoil and Stakraft had made a final decision on investing £1.5bn into the project.

Masdar’s stake in Dudgeon is its second major investment in UK’s offshore wind energy market – the first being its 20% ownership in 630MW London Array project.

Masdar chairman Dr Sultan Al Jab said: “Combined with London Array, Dudgeon puts Masdar at the forefront of offshore wind development in the UK.

“It will significantly contribute to the expansion of the UK’s renewable energy capacity. It also reinforces the UAE and the UK’s shared commitment to drive the growth of the renewable energy sector.

“As the only OPEC nation supplying both traditional and renewable energy to international markets, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is committed to accelerating the use of wind energy as an effective means of balancing the global energy mix as we move toward a sustainable, low carbon future.”

VolkerWessels Boskalis Marine Solutions (VBMS) has awarded an inter-array cable contract for Vattenfall AB Sandbank offshore wind farm to UK-based cable manufacturer JDR.

Sandbank is the third German wind farm project for JDR.

Under the contract, JDR will design and manufacture 105km of cable lines and accessories such as pulling grips, hang-offs, connectors, cable cleats and subsea repair joints for the 288MW offshore wind farm in the German North Sea.

Construction of the Sandbank farm is expected to commence in 2015.

With 72 4MW turbines in water depths between 25m to 37m, the farm to be constructed at 90km west of Sylt Island will need two inter-array cables; a 185mm² copper conductor cable and another 630mm² copper conductor cable.

JDR will use its qualified coilable design for the cables, which will be supplied in splice-free lengths, be XLPE insulated and type tested to meet IEC 60502-2 and CIGRE standards.

Manufacturing for the cables will be done at JDR’s Hartlepool facility, which is positioned alongside a deepwater dock and has direct access to North Sea.

JDR executive chairman Pat Herbet said: “We’re delighted to be working with VBMS to deliver the Sandbank offshore wind farm. Sandbank is JDR’s third German wind farm win and another important step forward in the development of offshore wind energy in Northern Europe.

“The Sandbank project will utilise our new 630mm² copper core inter-array cable, part of the growing range of JDR inter-array options.

“This cable’s coilable design is another JDR initiative to help drive down cost as it supports greater flexibility in vessel selection and storage solutions.”

Renewable energy firm RWE Innogy UK has opened the £45m Goole Fields 1 Wind Farm, located at East Riding in Yorkshire, the UK.

The wind farm features 16 turbines and has an installed energy capacity of 32.8MW.

According to RWE Innogy UK, the wind farm will contribute towards tackle climate change, and secure the UK’s energy supply.

The wind farm is expected to provide power annually to around 18,200 average households.

Meanwhile, the Goole Fields Wind Farm Community Fund is expected to become operational this autumn and will make investments over the operational lifetime of the wind farm.

RWE Innogy UK Goole Fields Wind Farm project manager Tim Daldry said: “Goole Fields Wind Farm is testimony to everybody involved, and will create a cleaner energy legacy for the area by generating home grown electricity from the wind for thousands of homes.”

Goole Fields 1 wind farm comprises 16 Senvion 2.05MW turbines.

The farm received approval from local authorities in 2010 and the construction began in early 2012.

Earlier this month, over 50% of the 160 turbines at the RWE Innogy’s offshore wind farm in North Wales were commissioned to generate power.

Once completely operational, the £2bn Gwynt y Môr farm is expected to generate power for around 400,000 homes.

This facility includes 160 3.6MW Siemens turbines, two offshore substations and 161 inter-array cables.

Siemens has received a contract from the Norwegian firms Statoil and Statkraft for the delivery of grid connections to be set up at 402MW Dudgeon offshore wind farm in the UK.

As per the terms of the agreement, Siemens will deliver the complete power transmission system, which also includes two transformer substations – one each for onshore and offshore respectively – for the project.

The cable will run 42km offshore and another 47km onshore.

The grid connection is slated to be completed by the end of 2016, while the installation of the wind turbines will commence in early 2017.

Last month, the firm secured an order for the delivery of 67 wind turbines of 6MW class, in addition to maintenance of the wind farm.

The Dudgeon project, which is being build 32km north of Cromer, can generate electricity sufficient to power more than 410,000 homes in the UK.

Siemens’ Power Transmission Division’s Transmission Solutions Business Unit CEO Tim Dawidowsky said, “This order marks a milestone for us. Dudgeon will be our tenth grid connection project using AC technology.

“To date, we have installed nine connections using AC technology with a total transmission capacity of more than 3GW, transporting enough electricity to supply three million households with wind power.”

Siemens is also installing five DC grid connections with cable lengths running up to 200km off the coast of Germany in the North Sea.