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.

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.

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.

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 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.”

Suzlon Group has received a contract from ReNew Wind Power Ventures for a 100.8MW wind farm.

The project is planned to be executed at the Bhesada wind site in Dist Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

Under the agreement, Suzlon Group will supply 48 units of its S97-120 WTG’s and will oversee operations, maintenance and service of the wind site over the contracted period.

Expected to change the dynamics of the wind energy business, the S97-120 WTG design is a combination of lattice and tubular structure designs, making it the tallest wind tower in India.

In addition to boosting optimal available wind resources, the towers will deliver higher energy productivity, which in turn ensures higher ROI to customers.

ReNew Wind Power chairman & CEO Sumant Sinha said, “This deal reinforces our commitment to developing sustainable energy solutions for India.”

Suzlon Energy sales & marketing president Ishwar C Mangal said, “This order is indeed a reaffirmation of our capabilities that allow us to offer customised solutions for our customer’s in accordance with market conditions.”

Suzlon Energy Chairman Tulsi Tanti said that the company aims to make profitable and efficient wind energy accessible within the country.

Tanti said, “Leveraging on our leadership position within the country, we continue to have a strong focus on the Indian market as it offers a favourable renewable energy environment especially now with the new government in place.

“We continue to create innovative and reliable products as with the S97-120m which is specifically made for low wind sites.”

Two wind turbines in Cork’s lower harbour that will support the manufacturing operations of DePuy Synthes and Janssen Biologics have gone live. They will reduce the environmental impacts of both plants and reduce energy costs by 30pc.

Norway-based DNV GL has suggested a new concept that combines floating wind turbines with water injection technology to achieve cost-effective enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects at mature offshore fields.

DNV’s initial studies have revealed that the move will reduce the cost of water injection, avoid costly modifications and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The company is now inviting industries from both the wind power and oil and gas industries to take part in a joint industry project (JIP), known as WIN WIN – WINd powered Water Injection.

DNV said that its new concept will integrate the compressor and water treatment equipment into the sub-structure of a floating wind turbine.

The turbine will produce power that can be applied for several water injection technologies ranging from raw seawater to low-salinity water injection through a reverse osmosis process.

DNV said that a wind-powered water injection system could decrease both capital expenditure and operational expenditure and drive innovation of new technology.

Installation of the system could reduce the installation time, while it would also be easily relocated after the closure of a well or field.

DNV service line leader – offshore renewable energy and sponsor of the initiative Johan Sandberg said the combination of the two technologies can open up an era of synergies and mutual benefit for both oil & gas and wind energy sectors.

“I see this as a very important part of the oil and gas industry’s work to reduce cost and with less emissions as a positive effect,” Sandberg said.

DNV GL Oil & Gas’ subsea business development leader Christian Markussen said, “Our studies show that such a stand-alone system can quickly become cost competitive to traditional solutions for injection wells far from the platform, and even more when one considers the retrofitting water injection equipment into an existing facility and cope with the disruptions that this modification can have on production.”

Markussen said, “Operators can obtain a new and cost-efficient way to develop marginal reservoirs and enhance production in mature fields.

“The financial benefits will vary depending on several factors, such as the reservoir characteristics and step-out distance from the production well. Traditional injection systems normally have a significant CAPEX investment, CO2 tax, and exposure to fuel costs, and hence provide a substantial incentive for assessing alternative solutions.”

A hostile press on wind power in the UK is being seen as one of the reasons why a wind farm capital investment scheme only received a fifth of the amount targeted.

Fundraising for the Ventus VCT Plc (VEN) and Ventus 2 VCT Plc suffered from the negative comment, a Temporis Capital LLP partner said.

“Through the fundraising period there were several negative press stories regarding wind in the UK in reference to the cost of living debate and the government’s forward energy policy,” Matthew Ridley, a partner at London-based Temporis, told Bloomberg. “This may have had an impact on our fundraising, even though wind is the least costly source of renewable energy in the U.K. and is well supported.”

The funds managed by Temporis raised 4 million pounds ($6.7 million) for wind and hydropower plants, compared with a goal of 20 million pounds. There will be enough money for projects this year when combined with funds from other parties, Ridley said.

Land-based wind turbines have met opposition from those who say they blight the landscape and are against green levies added to consumers’ power bills to spur investment in the industry.

Power from onshore wind farms is one of the cheapest forms of clean energy, costing about $84.8 a megawatt-hour compared with rates at greenhouse-gas emitting coal-fired power stations of $82.1 a megawatt-hour, according to Bloomberg estimates.

Temporis will invest the money raised in a 10 MW wind farm and two hydropower plants totalling 3 MW, Ridley said. The funds have a minimum target dividend from these projects of 5 pence a share from the second year and the figure is expected to rise to 6 pence to 8 pence a share, he said.