Over a fifth of Ireland’s electricity has come from wind energy this year

Since the beginning of 2016, Ireland has saved approximately €70 million in foreign energy imports with the help of wind energy. Within a six month period which saw the indigenous renewable energy source meet over a fifth (22%) of Ireland’s entire electricity demand, according to provisional new figures compiled by the Irish Wind Energy Association (“IWEA”).

This figure puts Ireland almost on a par with other leading EU Member States such as Spain where wind energy produced 23.6% of Spain’s power in the six month period, and puts Ireland ahead on a percentage basis of countries such as Germany where, wind and solar contributed some 20% to their domestic power demand in the first half of 2016.

Commenting on the figures, Brian Dawson, Head of Communications, IWEA, said:
“While it’s exciting to see wind energy delivering such high levels of electricity generation, it’s critically important that we continue to focus on developing these clean and indigenous energy sources and focus on reducing our dangerously unsustainable 85% reliance on expensive fossil fuel imports.”

“Apart from easing our dependency on fossil fuel imports, wind energy is delivering real tangible value to electricity consumers, is promoting significant investment and jobs in our communities, and is helping to protect our environment for future generations.”

“Public interest in wind energy as a clean renewable energy for Ireland is also high. We always encourage people with questions about wind energy to visit wind farms for themselves, and this June saw 1,500 people young and old visiting local wind farms, seeing the turbines in action and learning about the benefits of this home-grown Irish energy.”

On 28th January, the peak for the period in terms of wind energy production was recorded when wind energy output hit 2132 MW for Ireland, representing almost 60 percent of electricity demand at that time.

Furthermore, the overall level of wind energy capacity in Ireland has just reached a new all-time record peak of 2,500MW.  It has the potential to create enough electricity to regularly power over 1.6 million homes nationwide.

Ireland currently imports 85% of its energy, 35% above the European average, just behind Malta, Cyprus and Luxembourg.

A recent national survey carried out by IPSOS/MRBI showed 70% of people across Ireland supporting wind energy in Ireland, and this interest in Irish wind energy was further highlighted in June with over 1,500 people visiting wind farms across Ireland and Northern Ireland throughout the month of June.

2017 will mark 25 years since the first Irish wind farm started generating electricity in Co. Mayo, and today there are over 200 wind farms operating in Ireland, with the wind energy sector employing over 3,400 people nationwide, a figure which is projected to grow to over 8,000 by 2020.

The Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) is committed to the promotion and education of wind energy issues and plays a leading role in the areas of conference organisation, lobbying and policy development on the island of Ireland. IWEA is committed to promoting the use of wind energy in Ireland and beyond as an economically viable and environmentally sound alternative to thermal or nuclear generation.

Denmark has awarded Nissum Bredning Vindmollelaug the rights to build a 28MW offshore wind demonstration project in Jutland, which should cost Dkr300m (€40m).

The winner of the country’s experimental wind competition will install four Siemens 7MW turbines atop jacket foundations with bucket feet, also designed by Siemens. Full operations are expected in 2017 :

“The pilot scheme gives the opportunity to test these technology elements on a large scale in conditions similar to the North Sea, where the technology is expected to be used first. The project also includes a new cable and switchgear concept with 66kV voltage which is expected to be standard voltage for future offshore wind farms”, said the Danish Energy Authority.

The Nissum installation is expected to lead to savings of around 12.5% compared to existing technologies, over the lifetime of the project.

Dong Energy is to decommission the 25-year-old Vindeby offshore wind farm in Denmark.

The company said the project’s 11 Bonus 450kW turbines, installed in 1991, are showing signs of age and will be dismantled :

“Vindeby was the humble beginning of a Danish industry which today has approximately 30,000 employees. But after 25 years of operation the Vindeby turbines are worn down and we’re therefore preparing to retire the wind farm.”

Dong is inviting dialogue on the possible reuse of infrastructure related to the wind farm :

“There are cables with an associated substation onshore and it might be interesting for companies interested in renewable energy. We would like to enter into dialogue with them prior to dismantling the wind farm”, Dong said, adding the decommissioning could “provide lessons for others following in the same path.”

Vestas pre-tax profits increased by 75% in its 2015 financial year on the back of a strong order intake totalling almost 9GW.

Danish manufacturer posted full year 2015 pre-tax profits of €925m, up from €523m in 2014, on the back of €8.4bn in revenues.

The latter figure was up from €6.9bn in 2014 while the EBIT margin was 10.2%. Net profits were €685m compared with €392m in 2014.

Vestas’ investments for the year totalled €425 million and included the acquistion of servicing firm UpWind Solutions in the US. For 2016, investments are expected to increase to €500 million, including the €88 million deal to buy German servicing specialist Availon, announced in January:

“The activity level and earnings were driven by the stable execution of strong order books for wind turbines and service, both of which continued to grow during the year as a result of solid execution and a favourable market environment”, the company said.

Chief executive Anders Runevad also commented these figures saying the company posted its highest ever net profit and a achieved a record order intake “across 34 countries on five continents, which bodes well for continued high activity levels in 2016”.

German researchers from the Research Alliance Wind Energy (FVWE) have developed intelligent rotor blades concepts which can adapt to the wind for efficient power generation.

The three-year €12m Smart Blades project was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, in a joint effort between Research Alliance Wind Energy (FVWE) the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Fraunhofer IWES and ForWind, the Center for Wind Energy Research of the Universities of Oldenburg, Hanover and Bremen.

It has examined blades that are able to adapt their geometry to suit the local wind conditions using active and passive technologies :

“The project findings provide new information and tools which enable turbine developers and operators to launch more effective, more cost-efficient and more reliable system designs on the market”, the researchers said.

They added that when a rotor blade is subject to high wind it turns in such a way that it offers the wind a smaller contact surface, known as bending-torsion coupling.

The bending is initiated by the force of the wind alone and is described as a “passive” mechanism.

Two approaches were considered that produce this effect including a crescent-shaped geometry and a particular structure for the material composition of the rotor blade.

The new approaches were test for cost-efficiency with a state-of-the-art 80-metre-long rotor blade in simulations, with next step for the researchers to be able to test their results on full-scale rotor blades.

Element Power’s plan to build a 46-turbine wind farm in the Irish midlands has been spiked by the state’s planning authority, despite changes to turbine numbers, tip heights and locations.

In a decision published today (Friday), An Bord Pleanala (ABP) has refused the Hudson Clean Energy-backed outfit permission for the up to 140MW Emlagh wind farm in Meath.

The spokesman confirmed that ABP’s Inspector had recommended approval, however, at a meeting the authority’s board voted against the project.

Initially lodged in 2014, the project was formerly part of Element’s stalled wind export plans but was revived as a domestic wind farm.

In late 2014, US turbine manufacturer GE had taken an equity stake in the project.

Suffolk-based renewables developer Mosscliff Environmental has been placed into liquidation.

Having gone into administration in mid-December, the company was liquidated by Milton Keynes-based administrators Opus Restructuring on 25 January.

Opus’ case officer Kyle Ashford said it would “wrap up the liquidation of assets in the coming months. Information regarding the assets has been filed with Companies House to be made publicly available”.

The company was founded in 2006 by former director David Wylie. At its peak, the company employed around 100 staff, including around 15 at its Exeter office.

Both offices at Exeter and Denham have closed.

Mosscliff company, which developed wind, solar PV and biomass, had formed last July a tidal power venture, MT Tidal, with Dutch tidal turbine manufacturer Tocardo, but sources said the company had overreached itself and that recent changes to UK renewables policies had been the final nail in the coffin :

“They overstretched themselves with acquisitions and developments and they couldn’t pay their bills”, according to the source.

Impax Asset Management has sold 206MW of French and German onshore wind to ERG Renew, renewable energy subsidiary of the Italian multi-energy company ERG Group. However, the terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

The London-based investor announced on Wednesday that the move is part of its plans to sell off assets acquired between 2010 and 2014. The majority of the wind farms sold were constructed under the ownership of the fund.

ERG Renew has acquired 11 wind farms in France with an installed capacity of 124MW and six in Germany totalling 82MW as part of the deal.

The sale also includes two companies that give operational and commercial technical assistance to “captive” and third-party wind power operators in France, Germany and Poland.

Impax managing director Daniel von Preyss said on the deal:

“We are pleased to complete this sale which is a significant part of our current disposal programme of the fund. The sale of this portfolio is the result of our three year roll-up and construction process.”

The fund still owns a French wind project development business which it aims to grow in size through construction and acquisitions in the coming years.

The UK wind energy industry received a boost yesterday (Wednesday) with the announcement of the world’s biggest offshore wind farm, to be built by Dong Energy 120km off the Yorkshire coast. The project will feature around 150 and 332 wind turbines.

The wind farm is being developed with a capacity of 1.2GW and will provide electricity to around one million homes in the country. The wind project is in line with the firm’s strategy of installing 6.5GW by 2020. The company was awarded a contract for the project in April 2014.

Brent Cheshire, chief executive of Dong Energy in the UK said:

“We are making a major financial investment to construct this giant windfarm and this underlines our commitment to the UK market. Hornsea Project One will support the supply chain and help create local jobs.”

An estimated 2,000 jobs will be created for the construction of the project, with a further 300 jobs likely to be created for its operation. Dong, Denmark’s state-backed energy utility, told The Guardian it expected to invest another £6bn in the UK by 2020 (€7.8bn), in a fillip to the beleaguered wind industry.

The company’s wind assets performed strongly with net sales increasing from SEK 5.2 billion (€558 million) in 2014 to SEK 6.7 billion (718 million) last year. The Swedish outfit’s annual report revealed a jump in annual wind generation to 5.8TWh from 4.1TWh in 2014.

Underlying operating profit before depreciation, amortisation and impairment losses (EBITDA) increased 22.5% to SEK 4.6 billion (€491m).

The company said it would spend almost Skr14bn on wind in 2016-17 (€1.5bn) as it looks to reach a 2.3GW renewables target by 2020. The annual report shows it spent Skr8.6bn during 2015 in the sector.

Chief executive Magnus Hall said:

“The ongoing change of our energy system is dramatic, but also very exciting, and is giving rise to entirely new business opportunities for Vattenfall.”

The overall Vattenfall business recorded a Skr19.8bn (€2.1bn) loss for last year, according to the accounts, blaming low electricity prices and impairment costs largely from nuclear.