The world’s cumulative wind power capacity is to more than double by 2020, according to a new report.

Despite an overall slump in installations in 2013, the report from analysis firm GlobalData predicts that worldwide wind capacity will grow from 319.6 GW at the end of last year to 678.5 GW by 2020.

Harshavardhan Reddy Nagatham, GlobalData’s alternative energy analyst, said, “The slump in 2013 was largely a product of a decrease in installations in the US and Spain. While there are likely to be further slight falls in annual capacity additions in 2015 and 2016, overall industry growth will not be affected as global annual capacity additions are expected to exceed 60 GW by 2020.”

China, the largest single wind market since it overtook the US by adding a whopping 18.9 GW in 2010, was responsible for 45 per cent of total global annual capacity additions in 2013, the report found. The nation is expected to remain in the lead, with a cumulative wind capacity of 239.7 GW by 2020.

Nagatham commented, “China doubled its cumulative wind capacity every year from 2006 to 2009 and has continued to grow significantly since then. Supportive government policies, such as an attractive concessional program and the availability of low-cost financing from banks, have been fundamental to China’s success.

But, he added, “While China will continue to be the largest global wind power market through to 2020, growth for the forecast period will be slow due to a large installation base.”

Meanwhile, the US is expected to remain the second-largest global wind market, growing from 68.9 GW in 2014 to 104.1 GW in 2020. This growth will be driven primarily by renewable energy targets in several US states, notably Alaska, which aims to get 50 per cent of its power from renewables by 2025, and Texas, whose 2025 goal is 10 GW of installed renewable capacity.

A major wind farm developer today awarded two new multi-million pound contracts to local companies for work on its £400m Pen y Cymoedd wind energy project in south Wales.
The successful companies that will now help complete the wind farm, which is being developed by Vattenfall, are Neath- based Express Reinforcements and the Wrexham manufacturing facility of Prysmian Cables & Systems Ltd.
Today’s announcements coincided with the laying of the first foundations for the 76 turbines for the project site in the county boroughs of Neath Port Talbot and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Prysmian Cables & Systems will produce the high-technology power cables to interconnect the two high voltage substations that ABB, the principal contractor, is constructing to connect the wind farm to the National Grid.
Express Reinforcements is sub-contracted by the 50-50 joint venture between Jones Bros and Balfour Beatty to work on the bases of the turbines.
Each of the turbines will have 3MW capacity and when operational in 2016/17 they are expected to annually generate power for the equivalent of 140,000 homes – enough to meet the domestic demands of Neath Port Talbot and Rhondda Cynon Taf county boroughs.
Since planning of the project began, the developer has worked to encourage as many local firms as possible to bid for contracts and sub contracts. The project could be worth up to £1 billion to the Welsh economy over its 25-year life time.
UK energy secretary Edward Davey said: “This onshore wind project will be the largest in England and Wales and will send a clear signal about this government’s commitment to the industry. It will add to our energy mix that is tackling climate change and boosting energy security through moves to increase ‘home-grown’ sources.”

The six energy storage systems were installed in substations in both urban and rural locations as part of the Customer-Led Network Revolution (CLNR), a three-year smart grid project in the UK. The largest of the six NEC energy storage systems — a 2.5MW, 5MWh GSS™ in Darlington — is located in an urban industrial area, while one of the smallest, a 50kW GSS™, is located in a residential area in Wooler.

“Part of the challenge of installing energy storage in these areas was the wide diversity in the various sites,” said Ian Lloyd, CLNR technology manager at Northern Powergrid. “We needed battery systems that could fit into a range of electricity distribution substations, so it was important to have a very flexible battery design to accommodate our very different locations.”

To fit the needs of the project at four of the six sites, NEC Energy Solutions supplied lithium-ion based grid battery systems packaged in a variety of enclosures, including standard 40-foot containers and smaller customized enclosures. The last two locations required energy storage systems installed directly into pre-existing buildings, and serve to demonstrate the flexibility of NEC Energy Solutions’ modular and scalable designs.

“This project enables distribution network operators in the UK to implement new technologies designed to increase energy efficiency and support the adoption of clean energy,” said Bud Collins, CEO of NEC Energy Solutions.

Energy storage is a key component of the CLNR smart grid project, and will be used to help integrate more solar and wind energy into the UK’s electricity network.

GE is to supply 32 of its 2.2-107 wind turbines for a Brazilian project, the company has announced.

The order came from Brazilian power asset developer and operator Omega Energia, which is to build a wind farm in the country’s Piaui region.

As part of the contract, GE will provide operations and maintenance on the 32 turbines for 10 years.

This is the first order for the new turbine model, which GE described as an evolution of its 1.5 MW series. It is well suited to Brazil’s wind climate, the company added.

“The 2.2-107 wind turbine provides a 12 per cent increase in capacity factor and a 33 per cent increase in power output over GE’s current offering while continuing to provide the reliability and efficiency of GE’s wind turbines. We are thrilled to launch a new product again in Brazil,” said Jean-Claude Robert, general manager of Latin America for GE’s renewable energy business.

“This new contract demonstrates that the industry recognizes our commitment to our customers and our outstanding execution capabilities in Brazil,” he added.

GE employs over 8500 people in Brazil, and in September 2013 announced the installation of its 500^th wind turbine in the country. The company has operations in Bahia, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.