Vestas has been awarded two contracts totalling 450MW for wind power projects in the US under a master supply agreement (MSA) with EDF Renewable Energy.

Under the first contract, Vestas will supply 75 V110-2.0MW turbines for the 150MW Slate Creek Wind Project in Kansas, US.

Vestas will also provide 150 V100-2.0MW turbines for the 300MW Roosevelt Wind Project in New Mexico, under the second contract.

“Slate Creek will be our first V110-2.0 MW project with EDF RE, and Roosevelt will be the largest wind park in New Mexico,” Vestas US and Canada sales and service division president Chris Brown said.

The two projects comprise three-year Active Output Management (AOM) 5,000 service agreements aimed to ensure the turbines are operational when the wind is blowing.

EDF Renewable Energy executive vice-president Ryan Pfaff said EDF Renewable Energy is working with Vestas to bring 450MW of wind facilities in the Southwest Power Pool online by the end of 2015.

“Both the 300MW Roosevelt and 150MW Slate Creek wind projects have long-term power purchase agreements in place with creditworthy counterparties, and we look forward to creating new American jobs in New Mexico, Kansas and elsewhere through the construction and long-term operation of the projects,” Pfaff said

Scheduled be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2015, the Roosevelt and Slate Creek projects’ delivery are expected to take place in the second quarter of 2015 and third quarter of 2015 respectively.

The UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) is planning to launch a £1bn fund to acquire equity stakes in operational offshore wind projects in the country.

The Bank is seeking a suitable group of strategic, long-term co-investors to participate in the fund, which will be managed by a GIB subsidiary.

It will also seek permission from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to become a regulated fund manager.

The UK has 3.6GW of installed offshore wind capacity, and 1 1.4GW in construction and several additional projects in the development stage.

“We have emerged from our start-up phase as the most active investor in the UK’s green economy. 2013-14 was a good year for GIB in a difficult market – we backed 18 new projects, more than double our first year, committing an additional £668m of capital,” GIB chairman Lord Smith of Kelvin said.

In May 2014, the European Commission gave Sate Aid approval to GIB to promote and manage funds and other co-investment structures for mobilising upfront private sector investment into its designated sectors.

The Bank also reported that it had committed £668m to 18 new green projects in 2013-14, taking its total capital commitments to £1.3bn of profitable investments.

Image: Green Investment Bank to launch new £1bn fund for offshore wind. Photo: courtesy of satit_srihin/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Scottish Government has launched new planning policies, National Planning Framework 3 (NPF3) and Scottish Planning Policy (SPP).

The government hopes these policies will shape long-term economic development and local planning policy, and balance economic growth with environment protection.

NPF3 determines the government’s efforts to support for 14 large-scale national developments whereas NPF3 and SPP will put wind farm development ban on the 19% of Scotland identified as National Parks and National Scenic Areas.

The government also introduced tighter controls on onshore oil and gas developments.

Commenting on NPF3, UK Planning Minister Derek Mackay said that the NPF3 is a watershed for planning in Scotland which will deliver improvements that will benefit the nation for decades to come.

“Our ambition is to create great places that support economic growth across the country, and together, NPF3 and the SPP set out a shared vision for Scotland as a place that benefits from a positive planning system that protects our unique environment,” Mackay said.

“NPF3 confirms our support for 14 national developments that will drive economic growth, champion our most successful places, and support changes in areas where, in the past, there has been a legacy of decline.”

The Scottish Government’s new policies will ensure no wind farm developments in national parks and national scenic areas, Mackay said.

These include new rules on hydraulic fracturing, which will compel operators to consult with the public.

To protect communities, buffer zones will also be established, which will be verified by planning authorities and statutory consultees.

Image: Scottish Government’s new policies ban wind farms development in Scotland’s national parks. Photo: courtesy of 2nix/Freedigitalphotos.net.

At 8:48 p.m. on March 26, wind power generation on the electric grid covering most of the state of Texas reached a new instantaneous peak output of 10,296 MW. At that moment, wind supplied almost 29 percent of total electricity load, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the grid’s operator.

The average wind production in that hour was 10,120 MW. The new wind record surpassed two highs reached in the previous week, while the record prior to March was 9,674 MW set in May 2013.

March’s wind power record will likely be surpassed in the near future as wind capacity continues to be added in the state. Texas currently has more than 12,000 MW of operational utility-scale wind capacity — about one-fifth of the total wind capacity in the U.S.

According to preliminary data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Monthly, Texas added 150 MW of utility-scale wind capacity in 2013, less than one-tenth of the nearly 1,600 MW added in the previous year.

The significant slowdown in wind additions in 2013 mirrored the national trend, which reflected the lapse of the federal production tax credit (PTC) at the end of 2012. That lapse encouraged those with facilities under construction to complete them and begin operation before the end of 2012 in order to receive the tax credits (which are for all generation during the first 10 years of operation).

The subsequent one-year extension in early 2013 required only that plants commence construction in 2013 to be eligible to receive the tax credits after the start of operations at a later date. This modification of eligibility requirements led to many wind projects beginning construction in 2013 with expected completion dates in 2014-15.

Trade association reports estimate that there were more than 7,000 MW of wind projects under construction in Texas at the end of 2013; however, exactly how much of that capacity will actually be completed and by when remains to be seen.

The recent wind output records are a result not only of the growing amount of wind capacity in the state, but also of the successful completion of a major state-directed transmission expansion program, the Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) program, which was specifically designed to allow wind power to reach a wider swath of the ERCOT grid and reduce grid congestion-related curtailments of wind power. Tomorrow’s article will discuss wind curtailments and the CREZ program in more detail.

An army of landowners and farmers is understood to be rallying to the call to help Britain out of a looming energy crisis by becoming small-scale power generators.
Planning applications for small and medium-scale wind turbines has grown by 60% in the past six months, according to new data released by farm wind turbine specialist Earthmill.
The company has installed more than 150 turbines on farms and land across the UK, from Scotland to Cornwall, with most of its customers contributing to the UK renewable energy sector that now generates enough power for more than six million homes on average.
Motivated by a combination of commercial and environmental benefits, more and more farmers are looking to reduce their own farm’s rising energy costs, generate additional revenues and help the environment at the same time, said the company’s Steve Milner.
“There are more than 300,000 working farms in the UK, and although not all land is suitable for small or medium-scale turbines, much high ground away from neighbouring buildings can be utilised to generate income and contribute to the UK grid,” he said.
According to the trade body, Renewable UK, an estimated 8,000 small and medium turbines over 1.5kw have been installed in the UK since 2005, quietly growing the percentage of the UK’s power generated by renewables over the past decade.
“Each 225 kw medium-scale turbine can provide enough power for around 150 homes. For farmers, a turbine also results in a drastic reduction in billed power consumption. Electricity use by farms can be huge, especially in poultry and dairy farming, where heating and pumps are heavily used,” added Mr Milner.

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has proposed the lease sale of the largest area of offshore Massachusetts for offshore wind energy projects.

The proposal for more than 742,000 acres lease sale is a part of the US President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to create American jobs, develop domestic clean energy resources and cut carbon pollution.

The 742,000-acre zone, which will be auctioned as four leases, is expected to double federal offshore acreage available for commercial-scale wind energy projects.

US Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said Massachusetts is heading towards developing a clean and sustainable energy future which creates jobs, cuts carbon pollution and develops domestic clean energy resources.

Jewell said, “Thanks to Governor Patrick’s vision and leadership, the competitive lease sale in Massachusetts will reflect the extensive and productive input from a number of important stakeholders.

“This includes interests such as commercial fishing, shipping, cultural, historical, environmental and local communities to minimise conflicts and bring clarity and certainty to potential wind energy developers.”

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said, “Through our investments and proactive planning, Massachusetts is poised to lead the charge in offshore wind energy development, with the economic and environmental benefits that come with it.”

Located approximately 12 miles offshore from Massachusetts in its northern boundary, the Massachusetts Wind Energy area extends 33 nautical miles southward and has an east / west extent of approximately 47 nautical miles.

BOEM acting director Cruickshank said, “The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been working hand in hand with BOEM to foster responsible commercial wind development in federal waters off Massachusetts.”

ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall have received development consent from the UK Department for Energy and Climate Change for the East Anglia ONE Offshore wind farm 43km off the Suffolk Coast.

The 1.2GW offshore wind farm, a 50-50 joint venture between Sweden’s state-owned utility Vattenfall and Scottish Power Renewables, will feature 240 wind turbine generators and associated infrastructure.

Expected to provide nearly 2,900 jobs, the wind farm would be worth £10m a year to the East Anglian economy and generate enough electricity to power approximately 820,000 homes.

During the planning process, local companies were selected for contracts worth £15m to work on the project and a £17m contract was awarded to Wood Group for the construction and installation of weather monitoring masts.

ScottishPower Renewables CEO Keith Anderson said development consent for the renewable energy project marks an important step forward towards a final investment decision.

Anderson said, “We will now take forward our discussions with the supply chain as we work towards unlocking the significant economic potential of the project.

“East Anglia ONE could support thousands of skilled jobs in construction and operation, and make a positive impact on the local and national economy for decades to come.”

Vattenfall Continental/UK renewables division head Gunnar Groebler said, “Therefore the consent of a scheme like East Anglia ONE – which should be warmly welcomed by everyone – will boost business confidence and help secure more affordable, more reliable and greener power in the UK electricity mix.”

Scheduled to commence construction in 2017, the project is slated to begin generating electricity from 2019.

UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said, “The project has the potential to inject millions of pounds into the local and national economies, and support thousands of green jobs.”

Armstrong Asset Management has forged a new partnership agreement with The Blue Circle for wind and solar project financing in the Mekong Region of Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. With Armstrong agreeing to commit up to US $40 million in equity to fund the construction of wind and solar projects, it will also take a minority equity stake in The Blue Circle – a vertically integrated renewable energy developer operating in the region.

The Crown Estate said in two reports released at Global Offshore Wind 2014 conference that the UK offshore wind industry is progressing towards doubling its capacity to 10GW and meeting approximately 10% of the country’s energy demand by 2020

Offshore wind operational report 2014 outlines the continuing growth within the energy sector whereas the second report, Sharing Lessons Learned and Good Practice in Offshore Transmission, provides a pathway to reduce costs.

The Crown Estate offshore wind head Huub den Rooijen said there have been several significant milestones in 2014 for offshore wind, including a total of £750m industry investment announced.

Rooijen said, “With around 1465 wind turbines in operation or under construction and nearly 4 GW in operation it is fair to say the industry is coming of age.

“Given the volume of offshore wind capacity already connected and the expected future capacity, there is a valuable opportunity to better understand the challenges faced on offshore transmission projects.”

The 2014 offshore wind operational report said the generation from offshore wind reached 11.5TWh in 2013, which equates to 3.3% of energy demand in the UK.

UK wind farms have delivered a 37.7% capacity factor in 2013 and more than 6,800 people were employed in the sector, the report said.

For the past ten years, offshore wind generation has registered a year on year growth of 53%, consistent with the average annual growth of 55%, the Offshore wind operational report 2014 revealed.

Four wind farms, London Array, Greater Gabbard, Sheringham Shoal and Thanet, delivered half of the production in 2013.

London Array offshore wind farm achieved an annual output of more than 2TWh in 2013

In addition to this, sharing lessons learned and good practices in the offshore transmission report proposes a knowledge hub for information sharing.

Meanwhile, a review into the country’s offshore wind supply chain has also been launched by the UK Energy Minister Michael Fallon.

“Overall UK content in our offshore wind farms can be, and should be, much higher – especially in capital expenditure,” Fallon said.