PORTUGALSenvion expecting new blade to give it the edge

...Delivering Ambitions

Tel: 01501 785088 www.muirhallenergy.co.uk

www.windwws.comin partnership with

FRANCEElections addurgency to EU nod for Paris supports rejig

UNITED KINGDOMScotland hot-spot despite Whitehallchill winds

NETHERLANDSNuon pushing for some extra megawatts at Wieringermeer

European OnshoreQ2 2017

10GW growth spurt in Germany

p5

p2

p7

p11

p14

wjm.co.uk

Market leading legal support to the renewable

energy industry0141 248 3434 | amm@wjm.co.uk

GREEN SHOOTS: Developer Dirkshof has commissioned 21 Vestas V112 3.45MW turbines at the Reussenköge repowering project in Schleswig-Holstein Photo: Dirkshof

European Onshore Q2 2017 20 April 02NEWS

Vestas to open new chapter at historic wind farm

Feed-in final fling dwarfs new auction regime debut

GERMANY

Germany’s onshore wind sector is set to install new wind farms with a cumulative capacity of 10GW over the next two years although largely outside the country’s new competitive auction system.

A total of 2.8GW will be supported under the tender regime with 8.36GW of advanced wind farms being driven forward on an accelerated schedule under the previous feed-in programme.

Only 988.5MW of projects registered to take part in the country’s first onshore wind auction, where support for 800MW is on offer. Bids are due to be filed with grid regulator BNetzA by a 2 May deadline.

Participating developers signed with the regulator before 10 April and will offer prices beneath a €70 per megawatt-hour sliding cap.

Remuneration is based on a so-called reference location representing a wind speed of 6.45 metres per second at 100 metres. The system provides extra support for projects in lower-resource areas and less support for projects with better conditions.

Price is the only consideration in the tender and payments run for 20 years. Caps for subsequent auctions will be based on initial results.

Further 1GW rounds will take place in both August and November. In 2018, a series of 700MW tenders are scheduled for February, May, August and October.

Winning projects must in normal circumstances be commissioned within 24 months, after which a penalty of €10 per kilowatt installed is imposed. Projects more than two months late face a further

€10/kW charge, those four months late a total of €30/kW and those more than six months late lose all supports. Some exemptions apply such as legal challenges.

Only 258MW from the first 800MW tender, and 902MW overall this year, will be allocated to projects in the so-called grid-bottleneck areas in the wind-prone regions of northern Germany.

Similar constraints will be in place for next year’s auctions ahead of a fresh look at the situation for 2019.

Wind industry lobby group BWE executive Hermann Albers said that despite the relatively low volume of 988.5MW registered for the first onshore wind auction, the total is “sufficient” to drive competition in the round.

He also expects a quick turnaround under the new tendering system. “Considering the high upfront investment cost, all developers will try to win and to implement their projects quickly after the auctions,” said Albers.

How many are hoping to make use of special conditions on offer for community-driven or co-operative wind projects in the tender remains unclear.

Perks include more time to complete a site in the case of a winning bid and being able to participate in tenders before being granted a construction permit.

Developers working outside the tender put 8365MW of capacity forward for BNetzA approval earlier this year and those accredited have until end-2018 to reach commercial operation.

Any wind farms failing to meet the deadline, or scheduled thereafter, will only

Vestas has won an order to supply 22 V112-3.45MW turbines for the 76MW Norderwöhrden repowering project on the western coastline of Schleswig-Holstein.

Local developer Looft-Schmidt Projekte Erneuerbarer Energien also signed up for a 15-year service and monitoring package.

Turbine deliveries are expected to begin in the third quarter, Vestas said.

Half of the 22 new machines will feature

94-metre hub heights and 150-metre tips. The other half will be 25 metres taller.

“Together with Kaiser-Wilhelm-Koog, Norderwöhrden is the cradle of the German energy transition and thus a special place within wind energy in the country with the first turbines being installed more than 30 years ago,” said Looft-Schmidt Projekte general managers Peter Looft and Michael Schmidt.

The new Vestas V112 hardware will replace 40 different types of turbines

installed over the past three decades, including Aeroman and Kano-Rotor units as well as Vestas V27 machines.

The state government of Schleswig-Holstein currently only grants exceptional permissions for new wind farms after an administrative court ruled against regional development plans.

The administration tabled revised proposals last year, slated to enter force in the summer of 2018, designating some 1.98% of the state’s total area for wind development.

INDUSTRY CRADLE: the Vestas V112 already features at Norderwohdren where three 3.3MW machines with 94-metre hubs were installed by TerralWind in 2014 Photo: TerralWind

be offered the auction route to market.

The rates for the final feed-in projects started the year at 8.38 eurocents per kilowatt-hour for wind farms going live in January and February and will go down by 1.05% each month through August, and by a further 2.4% for the final quarter to 7.68 cents/kWh.

Tariffs are cut by roughly half after five years of operation depending on wind conditions and expire after 20 years.

} Draft regulations for a planned 400MW of technology-neutral onshore wind and solar auctions are out for consultation until 24 April.

} Germany’s highest administrative court in Leipzig has dismissed lawsuits against a 380kV transmission project that will help deliver wind power generated in the north of the country to demand centres in the south. 

System operator TenneT

kicked off preparations in 2003 and received a licence in March 2016 for the 60km line in Lower Saxony, connecting Gandekersee near Oldenburg and St Hülfe near Diepholz. 

The court ruled against motions by green group NABU, several landowners and the district of Oldenburg, who argued the project fails to comply with nature protection rules and energy and spatial planning regulations.

European Onshore Q2 2017 20 April 03NEWS

Pilot innovation tender on cardsto open up gridfor next wave

GERMANY 2017 GERMAN MARKET PULSE RATE

Project, location MW Developer TurbineCompleted this yearEllwanger Berge, Jagstzell, Ellenberg 30.0 Stadtwerke Tübingen, Wind En Enercon E-115Gagel, Altmärkische Höhe/Arendsee, Saxony-Anhalt 48.0 Prokon Regenerative Enercon E-115Nobo, Varel, Lower Saxony 24.0 Siemens Siemens 3.0Obere Kyll, Rothenborn, Rhineland-Palatinate 39.6 Juwi, Stadtwerke Trier Vestas V112Reußenköge, Reußenköge 26.4 Dirkshof Vestas V112Simmerath-Lammersd, North Rhine-Westphalia 23.1 STAWAG Vestas V112

New into constructionAm Ranzenkopf, Bernkastel-Willich 27.0 Windpark am Ranzenkopf Enercon E-101Bollenhagen, Lower Saxony 24.0 Innovent Siemens 3-113Detern, Lower Saxony 21.0 Innovent Enercon E-126Emlichheim Nord/Süd, Laar, Lower Saxony 36.0 BVT Enercon E-115Gebersreuth, Thuriniga 24.0 Trianel Enercon E-115Gerichtstetten, Baden-Wuerttemberg 25.2 Windenergie Gerichtstetten Enercon E-141Hoyerhagen, Lower Saxony 27.0 WestWind Energy Enercon E-115Karlum, Schleswig-Holstein 21.0 Bürgerwindpark Karlum Siemens 3-113Kuhbett, Bad Camberg/Erbach, Hesse 24.0 DunoAir Enercon E-115Langenburg, Baden-Württemberg 39.6 EnBW Vestas V126Luko, Coswig-Luko, Saxony-Anhalt 30.0 VSB Neue Energien, Sabowind  GE 2.5-120

Trendelburg, Hesse 23.1 VSB Neue Energien Nordex N131

Recently permittedAltenautal ext/repower, North Rhine-Westphalia 20.8 Windpark Altenautal Betriebs

GmbH Enercon E-82, E-115, Vestas V126

Bad Laasphe Jagdberg, North Rhine-Westphalia 21.5 Juwi Vestas V112Bardenfleth, Elsfleth, Lower Saxony 27.2 Windpark Wehrder Senvion 3.4M114Breitenbach, Schlüchtern, Hesse 26.3 TurboWind Energie Enercon E-115, E-82 E2Brebek, Karlum/Ladelund 21.0 Bürgerwindpark Brebek Siemens 3.0-130Brilon, North Rhine-Westphalia 20.7 Stadtwerke Brilon Vestas V117, V126Etteln FLE, Borchen, North Rhine-Westphalia 21.0 WestfalenWIND Etteln Enercon E-115Innenkippe Profen, Saxony-Anhalt 28.8 Mitteldeutsche

Braunkohlegesellschaft MIBRAGSiemens 3.2-113

Kohlenstraße, Gaildorf, Baden-Württemberg 31.0 Uhl Windkraft Projektierung Vestas V136-3.45Kutenholz-Mulsum, Lower Saxony 21.0 Enercon Enercon E-115Lager Feld, Riesenbeck, North Rhine Westphalia 37.8 Bürgerwind Hörstel Enercon E-141Langenburg, Baden-Württemberg 40.5 Bürgerwindpark Hohenlohe, EnBW Vestas V126Länge, Baden-Wuerttemberg 26.3 Solarcomplex Nordex N131Lübke-Koog Nord repower, Schleswig-Holstein 26.0 Bürgerwindpark Lübke-Koog Nord  Vestas V117Norderwöhrden repower, Schleswig-Holstein 75.9 Looft-Schmidt Projekte

Erneuerbarer EnergienVestas V112

Ostermarsch, Norden, Lower Saxony 20.8 Norderland Energie Enercon E-70, E-82Renkenberge, Lower Saxony 46.1 BVT Enercon E-81, E-101,

E-126, E-141Roter Berg, Reinholterode, Thuringia 20.7 Energie-Projekte-Eichsfeld Vestas V126Rote Steige, Mainhardt, Baden-Wuerttemberg 20.7 Uhl Windkraft/Stadtwerke

Schwäbisch HallVestas V136

Sellberg-Utdrift, Fürstenau, Lower Saxony 21.0 PEG Landvolk Energie Enercon E-141Sögel IV, Lower Saxony 29.4 Wuppertaler Stadtwerke Enercon E-126Steinau-Hintersteinau, Hesse 27.6 Renertec Windkraft Kinzigtal Vestas V126Straubenhardt, Baden-Wuerttemberg 33.0 Wircon Siemens 3.0-113Viehsteig, Schwanewede, Lower Saxony 36.6 Energiequelle Windpark Viehsteig Enercon E-101Waltersberg, Heringen, Lower Saxony 21.4 Enercon  Enercon E-101Wangerland, Lower Saxony 32.9 Bürgerenergiegesellschaft

WangerlandEnercon E-82, E-101

Wörbzig repower, Saxony-Anhalt 20.7 WEB Windenergie Betriebsgesellschaft Deutschland

Vestas V136-3.45

The German government is preparing to launch a 50MW innovation tender in 2018 with follow-up auctions through to 2020.

The federal energy ministry will kick off a consultation on the scope of the tender this summer, sources told renews EO.

The pilot exercise is likely to be open for novel installations such as combinations of onshore wind and photovoltaics, or onshore wind with grid connection hybrids. The ministry said it

is aiming to foster innovative business models that will enhance system integration of renewables, added the sources.

Consultancy E4Tech this month put forward a report detailing a possible tendering design.

The work, commissioned by German renewable energy industry group BEE and Hannover Messe, details criteria for system integration and a verification procedure for the evaluation of grid-friendly operation modes.

STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF HYDRO: GE and Max Bögl plan to have their four-turbine wind-hydro demonstration project (illustrated) in the Swabian-Franconian forest near Gaildorf connected to the grid before the end of the year. The project will feature the world’s tallest onshore turbines, in part because they will include inbuilt pump-storage water reservoirs at the base of each tower. The 13.6MW wind element and associated 16MW hydro plant are designed to provide continuous power whatever the weather conditions. Photo: GE

All renews EO tables are limited to projects of 10MW and above except for Germany, where the volume of wind farms dictates a limit of 20MW+

European Onshore Q2 2017 20 April 04NEWS

Proven direct drive technology

Power your business - net metering

Factory connected energy solutions

Repowering wind farms

Community wind solutions

T +44 (0) 131 560 1661SalesUK@ewtdirectwind.com www.ewtdirectwind.com

MORE ENERGY LESS COMPLEXITY

DW61 900kW POWER YOUR BUSINESS

Direct Drive Wind TurbinesEWT stand D41

EIB cash helps Styria grow tallAUSTRIA

The European Investment Bank has approved a €57m loan to part-finance development of the 39MW Handalm wind farm in the southern Austrian province of Styria.

Developer Energie Steiermark will invest €58m on its own behalf in the project and has roped Enercon to supply E-82 turbines within 120-metre

tip heights. The site in the mountainous region of Deutschlandsberg rises to an altitude of 1800 metres above sea level and stretches from the municipality of Osterwitz via Gressenberg to Trahütten municipality.

Steiermark kicked off construction last summer and is set to fully commission the Handalm by the end of this year. The developer

REACHING FOR THE STARS: Rotor assembly at Österreichische Bundesforste’s 42MW Pretul wind farm in Styria featuring 14 Enercon E-82 E4 turbines Photo: OBF/Grant Thornton

expects to generate some 76 gigawatt-hours per annum.

EIB cash will also be used to support a 16MW hydropower plant in the city of Graz and the funding package covers grid connections for the two facilities.

Transmission lending will in addition cover extensions and refurbishments of the low and medium-voltage power distribution network in Styria

Lawmakers in the Austrian federal parliament will meanwhile have a second go this month at passing a minor amendment to the Green Electricity Act, which industry bodies hope will release some of an 850MW backlog of projects.

Developments are currently awaiting approval for feed-in payments following initial consents by the relevant authorities.

That budget is, however, constrained and many of the permissions are due to expire

AUSTRIAN PROGRESS 2017

Project, location MW Developer  Turbine

Commissioned this year

Gugelberg, Lower Austria 9.9 Gugelwind Vestas V112

Hof/Seibersdorf, Lower Austria

36.0 Bruck an der Leitha Enercon E-115

Pretul, Pretulalpe Hill, Styria 42.0 Bundesforste Enercon E-82 E4

New into construction

Andlersdorf/Orth,Lower Austria

39.0 Wien Energie/ImWind

Enercon E-101

Handalm, Styria 39.0 Energie Steiermark Enercon E-82

Consents secured

Dürnkrut 2, Lower Austria 28 Simonsfeld, WEB Vestas V90, V126

Dürnkrut 3, Lower Austria 24.2 Simonsfeld, WEB Vestas V126

Erbreichsdorf, Lower Austria 41.2 Wien Energie Senvion 3.2M114

Palterndorf-Dobermannsdorf, Lower Austria

34.5 EVN Naturkraft Vestas V126-3.45

Prinzendorf, Lower Austria 32.0 Simonsfeld Senvion 3.2M114

Sommerein, Lower Austria 33.0 EVN Naturkraft Vestas V112, V126

before supports are awarded.Whatever the outcome of this month’s deliberations, a

major overhaul of the law is scheduled to be tabled before the year-end.

European Onshore Q2 2017 20 April 05NEWS

Local co-op wins rights to 325MW build in Flevoland

Nuon pushing for extra megawatts at Wieringermeer

NETHERLANDS

2017 NETHERLANDS MARKET STATE OF PLAY

Project, location MW Developer Turbine

Completed so far this year

Noordoostpolder, Flevoland 195 NOP Agrowind Enercon E-126 7.5MW

New into construction

Bouwdokken, Zeeland 29.4 E-Connection Enercon E-126 4.2MW

Recently consented

Bijvanck, Noord-Holland 12 Raedthuys 185m tip, 122m rotor

Haringvliet, Zuid-Holland 18 Nuon 150m tip, 117m rotor

N33,Groningen 140 Innogy, Yard Energy 198.5m tip, 127m rotor

Spuisluis, Noord-Holland 24 Eneco 178.5m tip, 117m rotor

Westfrisia, Noord-Holland 13 West Frisian Coop 131m tip, 93.5m rotor

Zeewolde, Flevoland 325.5 Windpark Zeewolde 220m tip, 140m rotor

New into planning

Delfzijl-Zuid 2, Friesland 64 Eneco 204m tip, 136m rotor

Diepenhoek, Noord-Brabant TBC Energiekontor/Zummere 197m tip, 122 rotor

Hattemerbroek, Gelderland 12 Van Werven Energie 149.5m tip, 117m rotor

Koningspleij North, Gelderland 12 Raedthuys, Pleij 180m tip, 120m rotor

Spinder, Noord-Brabant 10 Spinderwind 150m tip, 100m rotor

Voorthuizen-A1, Gelderland 13.5 Eneco 236m tip, 140m rotor

Nuon is seeking to update the environmental permit for its 50-turbine Wieringermeer wind farm in Noord-Holland so it can use 3.6MW hardware.

The Vattenfall-owned developer has filed four additional turbine configurations to the existing nine up to 3.3MW machines currently allowed by Netherlands enterprise agency RVO.

Nuon is also now eyeing Nordex N117, Senvion 3.6M114 and Vestas V112 and V117 models, although RVO documentation states that only the Nordex machine meets permitted noise levels without mitigation.

Hub heights would remain at the consented maximum of 120 metres. If approved the upgrade would boost output at the site by 15MW to 180MW.

Nuon onshore wind development manager

Willemijn Van Meurs said a tender for the turbines is ongoing and the company will place an order in “the next few months”. Construction is slated to begin early next year with completion due by the end of 2019.

Nuon is meanwhile expected to use Nordex N117 3MW hardware with 91.5-metre hub heights at its freshly-consented, six-turbine Haringvliet wind farm in Zuid-Holland.

Back in Wieringermeer, the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands is to select a winning supplier by November for eight commercial turbines to feature at a second research wind farm.

Sources said ECN will likely choose a single manufacturer for the machines, which are due online in February 2019, following a bidding round due this month. The hardware, to

be built in two rows of four, will be rated between 3.5MW and 5MW. Maximum hub heights are set at 120 metres and rotor diameters at 130 metres.

The turbines will be used to inform future innovations including blade aerodynamics, O&M and control systems.

ECN will meanwhile remove three GE prototypes at the Wieringermeer research site and make available new berths for lease from January 2019.

} Netherlands’ three-phase SDE+ 2017 spring auction will fund a total of 644MW of wind capacity across 74 projects. Enterprise agency RVO is due to name the winners to share €2.2bn of price support this summer.

Final dates and budget details for the SDE+ autumn auction are expected out in early June.

The province of Flevoland has chosen a single developer for the 93-turbine Zeewolde wind farm after ruling out a multi-party approach.

Windpark Zeewolde BV, a co-operative of around 200 residents, landowners and turbine owners, beat off rivals including De Wolff Nederland Windenergie and Raedthuys Pure Energie.

The around 325MW project will replace 220 existing single-turbine sites in the region with modern hardware featuring hubs up to 150 metres, rotor diameters up to 140 metres and tips up to 220 metres.

Flevoland spokeswoman Jacobien Kamphof said the

province wants the wind farm to be developed in a co-ordinated way and chose Zeewolde after a mediation process failed to bring together the various parties.

“The door is not closed and the other parties are still welcome to participate but they will have to work with Windpark Zeewolde BV,” she said.

The project’s environmental impact assessment, draft land-use plan and draft design permits are currently out for consultation.

Permits are expected to be awarded in a “couple of weeks”, added Kamphof. Zeewolde is due to be fully operational in 2020.

Dutch developer Eneco has signed Nordex to supply three N131/3000 turbines for the Autena wind farm in the town of Vianen near Utrecht.

Foundation pours are expected to kick off by the end of the month and turbine delivery is scheduled for August. The 9MW project is due to be fully operational in October.

The developer has elsewhere contracted Enercon to provide two E-70 2.3MW turbines with 64-metre hub heights for its Liechtenstein wind farm in Zeeland.

Deliveries will start in

September with site handover scheduled for December. Civil works for the 4.6MW wind farm will begin in early June.

Eneco has also launched public consultations for a three-turbine wind farm in Gelderland where tip heights of up to 235 metres are planned.

Voorthuizen-A1 will feature up to 4.5MW hardware with maximum hub heights of 166 metres and rotor diameters of 140 metres.

The project is being co-developed with Duurzame Energie Barneveld, Valley Power and Topwind Assets.

POINT TAKEN: Enercon is on course to replace the final blade tip on E-126 7.5MW turbines at NOP Agrowind’s Noordoostpolder wind farm in Flevoland by June. A single tip detached in November 2015, prompting the decision to swap out all the relevant components on the onshore machines (pictured foreground). Enercon built the 26-unit, 195MW project on a turnkey basis. Photo: NOP Agrowind

Turbines on tap for Eneco sites

European Onshore Q2 2017 20 April 06NEWS

FULL SERVICE FROM A SINGLE SOURCE

SAFETY

SUBSTATIONS

REPOWERING

ONSHORE CONSULTING

NACELLE

OIL SERVICE

TOWER

CONTROL

ROTOR BLADE

OFFSHORE SERVICES

OFFSHORE CONSULTING

FOUNDATION

GERMANY Deutsche Windtechnik Offshore und Consulting GmbH Stephanitorsbollwerk 1 28217 Bremen Phone +49 421 69 105 0

info@deutsche-windtechnik.com

UNITED KINGDOM Deutsche Windtechnik Ltd.The Cornerstone Building60 South Gyle Crescent Edinburgh, EH12 9EBPhone +44 131 230 0515info-UK@deutsche-windtechnik.com

www.deutsche-windtechnik.com

UP AND RUNNING: five Vestas V126 turbines began commercial operations at Engie Electrabel’s Gent Haven wind farm at the Belgian port of Ghent at the beginning of the year Photo: Engie Electrabel

High tide at Flemish portsDevelopers fight to

overturn ECJ ruling that could cut wind output in Wallonia

BELGIUM

2017 BELGIUM STATUS

Project, location MW Developer Turbine

Completed so far this year

Gent Haven, Gent Port 17.5 Engie Electrabel Vestas V126

GreenSky-Lincent, Liege 18 Engie Electrabel Vestas V100

Riemst E313, Limburg 10.4 Aspiravi Vestas V117

New into construction

Bilzen-Riemst, Limburg 10.4 Aspiravi Vestas V117

Estaimpuis, Hainaut 11 EDF Luminus Vestas V100

Hannut - Burdinne, Liege 27 Gestamp 150m tip

Tournai Marquain Hainaut 17.6 ELSA/EDF Luminus

Vestas V100

Recently consented

Gesves-Ohey, Namur 20.4 Windvision Siemens (104m rotor)

Katoen, Beveren 19.2 EDF Luminus Siemens (113m rotor)

Nivelles, Barbant Wallon 13.6 Ventis Senvion (114m rotor)

New into planning

Chaumont, Barbant Wallon 20 Engie Electrabel Senvion M100

Juprelle, Liege 17.5 EDF Luminus 150m tip, 122m rotor

Maldegem, East Flanders 27 Engie Electrabel TBC

Stekene, Antwerp 24 Engie Electrabel TBC

Vaux-sur-Sûre, Luxembourg

19.2 EDF Luminus 150m tip

Developers in Belgium are hopeful of overcoming a landmark European legal ruling that could constrain existing output across the Wallonia region by up to 10% and curb expansion plans.

The national Council of State is debating last year’s European Court of Justice decision, which ruled in favour of wind opponents who claimed planning standards for noise levels and other elements run contrary to EU law.

Wind industry group EDORA and lawmakers argued before the council that consultation on regulations is compliant and that officials should request the ECJ reconsider its decision. “The

government is looking for a solution and I think they will find it by the end of the year,” said Engie Electrabel head of project development Nico Priem.

Others are less sanguine. “It is one of the major causes of uncertainty in Wallonia,” said Storm Wind chief executive Jan Caerts.

The region could suffer a collective 5% to 10% production drain from its existing fleet if regulations revert to stricter ‘general conditions’ on noise limits, said EDORA adviser Fawaz Al Bitar.

There are also potential impacts if the ruling spreads to other jurisdictions. “It has created a big stress

for several member state governments including France and the Netherlands,” he added.

Engie Electrabel is nevertheless nearing completion of its 18MW Greensky wind farm in Wallonia. Commissioning of nine Vestas V100 turbines is due to wrap up as soon as this week.

Priem said Engie may build another nine turbines on the site if it can navigate the challenging approvals process.

The wider region has traditionally lagged behind Flanders but has 250MW slated to go live before the end of 2018.

However, almost 400MW of

Development outfit Vleemo is approaching the final foundation pour at its 57MW Right Bank 3 wind farm at the Flemish port of Antwerp.

Joint venture partners Aspiravi and Polders have erected 10 of 19 Enercon 3MW turbines with another eight due to go up later this year. The final machine will follow in 2018.

The first two phases feature 12 turbines installed between 2005 and 2014 with further expansion also being considered. “That is the plan although it is not known exactly how many or when,” said a source.

Flemish Energy Minister Bart Tommelein recently

late-stage projects are bogged down in appeals with 150MW awaiting responses to initial applications.

Belgium’s onshore fleet climbed to 1.67GW in 2016 with a total of 300MW due online in 2017 and a similar amount expected in 2018.

IN BRIEF

reNEWS.biz

} Windvision is lining up Siemens turbines for its up to 20.4MW Gesves-Ohey project in Wallonia. The local developer hopes to break ground this year on the wind farm where it holds approval for six 3MW-class machines.

“Negotiations are happening with the turbine manufacturer. It will probably be Siemens but that is not official yet,” said a source.

} Senvion has been named preferred bidder to provide five 3.2MW turbines to Engie Electrabel’s 16MW Mohave wind farm, a project spokeswoman said. Construction in Wallonia’s Liege region is expected to start mid-year with commissioning in 2018. 

pledged to sit down with the ports of Antwerp, Ghent, Ostend and Zeebrugge to identify potential wind sites.

He has also promised to work with the military and aviation sectors to ease constraints. Flanders has targeted construction of an additional 280 onshore turbines by 2020.

European Onshore Q2 2017 20 April 07NEWS

Leaders In Wind Turbine Slip Ring, FORJ & Brush Holder Technology

BGB Engineering Ltd. Dysart Rd. Grantham. Lincolnshire. NG31 7NB. UK

www.bgbinnovation.com

LLLeeeeaaaaddddeeerrrrrrrrrrsssssssss IIIIIIIIIIInnnnnnnnnnnnn WWWWWWWiiinnnddd TTTTuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrbbbbbbbbbbbbinnnnnnnnneeeeeeeee SSSllliiipppp RRRiiinnnnggggg,,, FFFFOOOORRRRRRRRRRJJJJJJJJJJJJJ &&&&&&&&&&&&&& BBBBrrrrrruuuuuussshhhhhh HHHHHHooooolllddddeeeeeeeeeeeeeerr TTTTTTTTTTTeeeeccccchhhhhhnnnnnoooolllooooogggggyyyyyy

BGBGB BGB BGB BGB BGBGB GBGBB EngiEngiEngiEngEngiEngiEngiEngiEngineerneerneerneerneerneernneerneere ing ing ing inging nging ingg Ltd.Ltd.Ltd.Ltd.LtdLtLtd.Ltd. DyDyDyDyDyDyDyyysartsartsartsartsarsarsartsart Rd.Rd.Rd.Rd.RdRd.Rd.Rd. GGranntththhhhht am.amam.am.amam.am.mma LincLincLincLincLincLincLincLinccolnsolnsolnsolnsolnolnsoolnsolnsnn hirehirehhirehirehirehirehirehireh . N. N. N. N. N. N. N G31G31G31G31G31G311G31G313G3 7NB.7NB.7NB.7NB.7NB.7NB.7NB.7NB.N7NN UUKUUUUU

wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww..bbbbbbbbbbgggggggggbbbbbbbbbbbiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooovvvvvvvvvaaaaaaaaattttttttttiiiiiiiiooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnn....ccccccooooooooommmmmmmmmm

Tel: 0044 1476 576280 Email: sales@bgbinnovation.comTwitter: @BGB_Innovation

HEART MONITOR: Valeco Group has selected Sereema’s Windfit system, which features smart sensors, to optimise operations of seven Enercon E-70 turbines at its Cap Espigne wind farm near Montpellier (pictured) Photo: Sereema

Elections addurgency to EU nod for Paris supports rejig

FRANCE

French developers are hopeful European Union officials will give the go-ahead this month for the country’s future market mechanism for large-scale wind farms.

Under the plans, projects of at least seven turbines will qualify to be bid into six 500MW tenders over the next

three years with an initial auction round due later in 2017.

The ceiling price is set at €72 per megawatt-hour and successful bidders will receive the remuneration for 20 years.

“We are all a bit worried the approvals might be

Italian developers are calling on government to ease the path for repowering of up to 2GW of long-in-the-tooth assets.

Energy giants ERG, Enel and E2i are lobbying officials in a bid to lower financial and bureaucratic hurdles to replacing wind farms that have been operational since the early 2000s.

Under the current auction system, repowering projects are offered 10% less than new developments to reflect the benefits of existing infrastructure such as roads.

“It almost makes greenfield sites more attractive,” said E2i chief financial officer Giovanni Sebastiani. “There should be better incentives.”

Upgrades are also discouraged by the same

planning hurdles as newbuilds, he added. “It can take more than five years just to get a redevelopment approved.”

Ministers have made positive noises but concrete action has yet to be taken.

E2i has meanwhile applied to the European Investment Bank for funds to part-finance eight wind projects totalling 153MW across south and central Italy.

The Milan company won support for a portion of the capacity under last year’s 800MW auction and expects to have financing wrapped up by year-end.

The assets comprise five new wind farms and three repowerings, the latter featuring a total of 24 turbines of up to 3.3MW each.

The wider industry is also working to achieve financial close on last year’s auction winners with construction due to kick off in 2018. All projects secured support at €66 per megawatt-hour.

Some 300MW of new projects is due to come online this year. PLT Energia recently connected the 60MW Tursi e Colobraro in Basilicata, featuring Senvion MM100s, and the 22.5MW Simeri Crichi in Calabria, where the manufacturer’s MM92 model is deployed.

A ministerial decree on the next round of feed-in tariffs for renewable projects in not expected until autumn at the earliest. This will likely pave the way for an 800MW wind auction in spring 2018, said sources.

Push for fewer barriers at repowering sitesITALY

issued after the upcoming Presidential elections on 7 May, which would slow things down,” said Marion Lettry, deputy head of industry association SER.

The proposed regime for wind farms of six or fewer turbines also requires EU sign-off.

The two-stage, 20-year support programme offers projects between €72/MWh and €74/MWh, depending on rotor diameters, until they have produced a set amount of generation, after which the tariff falls to €40/MWh.

Up to 1000 wind farms are

in line to apply for the tariff, having originally been put forward under the previous support regime that expired end-2016.

Government officials are poised to reject a large number of the 2500 applications lodged at the last minute for the €86/MWh feed-in tariff, according to industry insiders.

“Many developers filed for the tariff without providing the necessary paperwork, creating the required project companies or detailing which turbines they would use,” said one market source.

IN BRIEF

reNEWS.biz

} Engie has taken full control of compatriot developer La Compagnie du Vent, acquiring the 41% interest it did not already control. CdV has 150 employees and operating wind capacity of 423MW and solar assets totalling 88MW.

Over the coming three years the wholly-owned subsidiary will invest €250m completing an onshore wind portfolio comprising the 15.4MW Sainte-Colombe in l’Yonne, the 10MW Barly in Somme, 35MW Les Monts in Aube, 17.6MW Forêt de Thivolet in Drôme, 21MW Vouillon in l’Indre, 7MW Pouldergat in Finistere and 6MW Hilaire in Loire-Atlantique.

} KfW IPEX-Bank and Caisse d’Epargne are lending €50m to developer Neoen for construction of unspecified 11MW and 14MW wind farms in France, the first assets in an 18-strong portfolio of wind and solar sites currently advancing towards the build stage.

} German company Chorus Clean Energy has acquired the 11.5MW Clementine wind farm in northern France on behalf of a pension fund. The project, which went live in February 2015 and was developed by H2Air, employs five Enercon E-82 2.3MW turbines.

European Onshore Q2 2017 20 April 08NEWS

Stakraft making strides at 1GW Fosen cluster

NORWAY

Ownership shuffle as joint venturewraps up construction phase

SWEDEN

Contractor Johs J Syltern has completed the main access route (pictured) for Statkraft’s 288MW Storheia wind farm, part of the 1GW Fosen cluster currently under construction in the west of Norway.

Attention has now shifted to internal roads and infrastructure being built by local outfit Veidekke.

The project’s Vestas 3.6MW turbines are set to switch on

in late 2019. Meanwhile, civil engineering at the 256MW Roan element of Fosen is more advanced ahead of turbine erection and operations scheduled for 2018.

Nexans will this month start delivery of more than 200km of internal cabling for the project.

Construction of the 101MW Kvenndalsfjellet, 108MW Harbaksfjellet, 155MW

Geitfjellet and 94MW Hitra 2 components of Fosen will kick off in 2018 with operations scheduled for 2019 at the latter and 2020 at the remainder. Photo: Statkraft

} Local developer Solvind has been given the go ahead by Norwegian energy authority NVE to build the 42MW Dalbygda wind farm in the south-west of the country.

Statkraft and joint venture partner SCA have split their portfolio responsibilities following construction of 186 turbines across wind farms in northern Sweden over the past 10 years.

The Norwegian energy company will now be the sole owner of the assets with SCA being remunerated for the lease of its land.

SCA wind manager Milan Kolar said: “As the building phase is now finalised it makes sense to leave our project organisation and continue co-operation in a more long-term form.“

Statkraft now holds 100% of two consented wind farms with two extensions also being planned. A further pipeline of six smaller projects is consented in southern Sweden.

“The way forward for these projects has not been decided,“ said Statkraft.

} Sweden’s Rabbalshede Kraft has been awarded final environmental permits for the around-200MW Andberg wind farm in Lillhardal, Harjedalen.

An application for the 57-turbine project was originally filed in 2010 with preliminary consents secured in December 2015.

“A project of this size can provide significant positive ripple effects and contribute to jobs and business opportunities for locals both during construction and operation,” said the company.

} Swedish company Svevind is seeking contractors to build a 150kV grid connection for its 650MW Markbygden super-mega wind farm in the far north, where the developer and funding partners are working towards financial close.

THIS YEAR, THE WIND INDUSTRY WILL BE MEETING IN

AMSTERDAM28 - 30 NOVEMBER 2017Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre

To become an exhibitor or sponsor please contact:

Find out more at:windeurope.org/confex2017

sales@windeurope.org

In partnership with:

European Onshore Q2 2017 20 April 09NEWS

Fortum flurry of construction

FINLAND

Fortum is building wind farms totalling 250MW in Sweden, Norway and Russia.

The Finnish company is preparing for construction at the 90MW Sorfjord project and recently broke ground on the 50MW Anstadblaheia, both in northern Norway and acquired from Nordkraft earlier this year.

Vestas V126 3.45MW turbines will feature at the smaller site with commissioning scheduled for 2018. Contracting at Sorfjord is understood to be at an advanced stage with full power planned for 2019.

Commissioning of the 75MW Solberg project in northern Sweden, again featuring V126s, is due around year-end. Skelleftea Kraft is a 50% partner.

Fortum is meanwhile building Russia’s first wind farm. The 35MW Ulyanovsk project will feature Dongfang 2.5MW turbines and is scheduled to go live in the second half of this year.

SHADOW PLAY: Workers on their way to the top of the first concrete tower at Aidu Photo: Eleon

Eleon showcasing in-house turbine at 100MW Aidu farm

ESTONIA

TURKEY RECIPE 2017

Project, location MW Developer Turbine

New into construction

Amasya, Amasya 42 Eksim Yatirim Nordex N117

Bergama, Izmir 70 Dost Enerji GE 3.2/2.75-103

Esenköy, Marmara 32 Marmarares Nordex N117

Kürekdagi, Marmara 36 Bakir Enerji Nordex N117

Susurluk ext, Balikesir 15 Eksim Yatirim Nordex N117

Tire, Izmir 50 Türkerler Holding GE 3.2-103

Tokat, Black Sea region 54 Eksim Yatirim Nordex N117

Umurlar ext, Balikesir 26 Elfa Elektrik Vestas V126

Developers in Turkey are preparing for the first round of a new auction mechanism designed to boost investment in onshore wind while reducing costs.

The 1GW sealed bid regime launching in July is expected to provide greater value for money than the existing feed-in tariff.

The legislation streamlines the process for allocating land for large-scale projects by creating “renewable energy resource areas” made available through tenders.

GE said last month it had signed a memorandum with wind companies Borusan EnBW Enerji and Fina Enerji and project developer Özgül Holding to participate in the first auction as a consortium.

The new system will support Turkey’s ambitions to develop 20GW of onshore wind by 2023, a target that “appears credible” given the current pipeline of projects, according to WindEurope chief executive Giles Dickson.

The trade body predicts that 1.5GW could be

Developer Eleon is ramping up construction of the 100MW Aidu wind farm in Estonia using home-grown hardware.

The project will lift installed capacity in the Baltic country by about a third and will serve as a reference for exports of the company’s in-house 3MW turbine platform.

Chief executive Oleg Sonajalg said all the infrastructure and two turbines have been completed to date at the phased site in Viru county.

Power will start to be sold this summer and the full 30-turbine project is due to be commissioned in 2020.

Eleon is also planning to

First outing for wind auctionTURKEY

develop a 255MW wind farm at Mustanina in north-eastern Estonia at a cost of €450m.

The company is currently “working closely” with officials to overcome Ministry of Defence restrictions on turbine heights that could affect project economics.

Wider development could be stalled by uncertainties surrounding new renewable energy laws due to come into force in Estonia, which added just 7MW of new onshore wind to its grid in 2016.

Draft legislation calls for the current premium tariff regime to be replaced by an auction-based system, although timings remain unclear.

} Development of Eesti Energia’s 46-turbine, 150MW Tootsi wind farm in Estonia faces a potential hurdle following a complaint over state aid.

Trade body Estonian Wind Technology Association has requested a ruling from the European Commission following a land rights deal between government and the developer. Eesti Energia said it is continuing with the tender process for Tootsi.

operational by 2020 under the first auction.

In March, the first tender for 1GW of solar energy in

Karapınar attracted a low bid of €0.0699 per kilowatt-hour from a Kalyon-Hanwha Group consortium.

IN BRIEF

reNEWS.biz

} RTS Wind has erected and cabled eight Siemens 3MW turbines at the 24MW Nobo wind farm in northern Germany.

The site in the Varel region near Bremen is already supplying electricity to the grid and will be handed over to lead contractor Siemens this month once the remaining works are completed.

} The Danish Energy Agency has created a tool for assessing the value of renewable energy investments to better understand how they affect wider power markets.

The web-based Balmorel Lite software analyses various effects, including curtailment of clean power and changes in electricity prices due to an increasing share of renewables in the energy mix.

} Senvion is to supply turbines totalling 26MW for EEH’s Václavice wind farm in the Czech Republic.

The order for 11 MM100 and two MM92 machines includes 15 years of maintenance with the project scheduled to be commissioned in October.

SPLIT VIEW: WPD recently commissioned the 34MW Katuni wind farm near Split featuring 12 GE 2.85-103 turbines, which lifted Croatia’s operational fleet to nearly 500MW Photo: WPD

European Onshore Q2 2017 20 April 10NEWS

Don’t miss the next two issues of Europe’s nEwEst & BEst wind publication

Get the edge

to subscribe

or advertise contact salEs

Q3 2017 24 august prior to Husum event in september

Q4 2017 28 november prior to windEurope’s annual summit

Autumn launch on the cards for new auction regime

GREECE

2017 GREEK GIFTS

Project, location MW Developer Turbine

Completed so far this year

Mavroplagia Kastro, Viotia 17.2 Terna Energy Vestas V100

New into construction

Eressou Ipsoma, Macedonia 36 Terna Energy Vestas V90

Karavi-Alogovouni, Evritania 23.4 Terna Energy TBC

Kastri-Kokkalia, Evritania 18.9 Terna Energy TBC

Mougoulios, Viotia 16.5 Terna Energy Nordex N100

Parthenio, Arcadia 26 CNI Vestas V112

Plagia Psiloma, Viotia 14.9 Terna Energy Nordex N100

Timpano-Tripiri, Evritania 13.5 Terna Energy TBC

Bucharest a victim of its own successROMANIA

Politics keep competition at bay

CROATIA

Wind developers in Greece are preparing for the launch of the country’s first onshore wind energy auction later this year.

The tenders will offer a so-called feed-in premium (FiP) based on a new renewable energy support mechanism that was approved by the European Commission in late 2016.

Although an exact date

for the first auction has yet to be set, Greek wind energy association Eletaen said it is widely expected to take place this autumn.

The EC said the new support mechanism will help the country meet its 2020 target of producing 18% of its energy needs from renewable sources without distorting the market.

The auction will set the

reference tariff for wind farms entering operation from 2017 onwards.

They will earn a premium calculated on a monthly basis as the difference between the reference tariff and a special market price. The latter will be the monthly average of the market hourly electricity value, weighted against hourly wind production.

For 2016, the reference tariff has been set at €98 per megawatt-hour. Wind farms will also have to participate in the electricity market under the new rules and will receive the FiP for a 20-year period.

On the back of the nod from Brussels, the European Bank for Reconstruction and

Development has approved a €300m renewables-focused loan package.

The hope is the cash will also mobilise investment from the private sector, the EBRD said.

A 43MW wind farm proposed by Volterra could be the first to receive funding.

Greece added 239MW of onshore wind capacity to its grid in 2016. A total of 180MW is expected to come online in

2017 with a further 200MW in 2018, according to Eletaen.

Projects have the option of participating in the new FiP system or staying with the old feed-in tariff regime, provided they are commissioned by end-2018.

Under the old FiT system, projects receive between €82 and €110/MWh for 20 years, depending on their location and whether they receive other subsidies.

The Romanian government has amended the country’s green certificate scheme in a bid to end a financial crisis that has stalled the onshore wind sector.

Bucharest issued an emergency ordinance that extends the life of certificates and creates an annual, static quota that will be reviewed every two years. It also sets new minimum and maximum trading values.

The measures aim to correct the imbalances in the market while controlling costs for end-consumers. They have been approved by the European Commission.

The green certificate scheme was designed to help Romania reach its 2020 renewable energy target by obliging electricity suppliers to purchase clean power generation.

However, the market collapsed after the government amended the rules in 2011 and 2013 in response to an oversupply of certificates

Croatian ambitions for a competitive onshore wind system have been hit by delayed secondary legislation and political uncertainty.

An existing 250MW pipeline is being progressed under the old feed-in tariff regime but question marks over the replacement programme have put longer-term plans on hold.

Projects moving forward in the interim include Postak’s 44MW Zadar 6 in the Lika region where Siemens will supply turbines in the second half of this year.

Industrial equipment

caused by a strong uptake of renewables.

In 2015 just 30% of certificates were sold, according to the Romanian Wind Energy Association, and total losses for asset owners were nearly €900m across

2015 and 2016. The regime closed at the end of 2016 and no new onshore wind capacity will be added for the foreseeable future.

Romania built 52MW last year, bringing cumulative capacity to more than 3GW.

company Lager Basic is also on the march with Viadukt contracted to build the 142MW Padjene wind farm in Sibenik-Knin. Enlight is due to build the 48MW Lukovac project near Split.

European Onshore Q2 2017 20 April 11FOCUS

German supplier

spending millions

expanding nacelle

plant to produce

serrated-profile

components,

writes Lisa Louis

reNEWS.biz

Senvion will kick off serial production this year of innovative rotor blades

with integrated trailing edge serrations for 3MW-class wind turbines at its Oliveira de Frades factory in Portugal.

A €50m extension project at the plant outside Porto will be completed this autumn, upgrading the existing nacelle operation and adding new moulds and tools for the serrated blades.

A total of 75 staff are currently working on the new components with the team set to be boosted to 150 in the near future.

First commercial deployments at projects in Europe are scheduled for late this year or early 2018 with an initial 3.4MW prototype to be installed and commissioned at the Janneby wind farm

in northern Germany by July. Senvion has already completed several sets of blades at Oliveira de Frades.

The 68.5-metre units will be fitted to 3.4MW140 and 3.6MW140 turbines made at the company‘s facility in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Existing parts will be adapted to accept the new blades, Senvion said, with the entire machine certified according to IEC and German DIBt regulations. Sign-off is planned for around the turn of the year.

Senvion said it believes the turbines, which are aimed at low wind speed sites, will become a best-selling product.

“We are very excited about our machines and also our new production processes. These blades will open up

new markets to us,” said Senvion senior vice president for global blades Paulo Silva (pictured).

“Several projects featuring the 3.4M140 machine are coming up in Germany, Turkey and Australia. In addition to our core markets, the turbine is also adapted for new markets such as South America.”

The turbines will be the first to come to market with built-in serrations, said Senvion.

The feature improves aeronautics, reducing

noise levels. “We want to continuously improve our machines in ensuring we meet noise regulations in different countries,” said Silva.

The new turbines will also have a prolonged lifespan of 25 instead of 20 years.

Senvion is in addition deploying its recently acquired RodPack blade technology for the new models.

The system is based on cured pultruded rods placed on a non-woven fabric and substitutes the usual glass fibres in the girder.

The manufacturer said RodPack has 9% better material qualities than high-modulus glass and 20% better than standard unidirectional glass. Senvion is also planning on rolling out the RodPack technology to other turbines.

Senvion has to date invested a total of €100m in its two

Portuguese factories with Oliveira de Frades joined by the Ria Blades plant a short way to the south at Vagos.

The €50m extension at the Porto facility will add 20% to the supplier’s current 50,000 square-metre production footprint in the country.

Portugal’s two largest renewables manufacturing sites have enlisted the co-operation of local suppliers, the universities of Aveiro and Minho and several R&D laboratories as they work to reduce the time it takes to produce each blade and nacelle.

Improvements are being made at the machines’ spark head, their root section and on their finishing area

Senior vice president for global blades and Ria Blades director Paulo Silva said operations are increasingly process-driven with robots

PORTUGAL

Senvion expecting new blade to give it the edge

Efficiency the driving impulse for production teams

MARCH OF THE ROBOTS: Senvion’s Ria Blades factory at Vagos, south of Porto Photo: Ria Blades

and semi-automatic solutions being deployed.

Senvion is likely to replicate its Portuguese production processes elsewhere, he added.

“This is not a one-shot investment and we will use the lessons learned here to improve manufacturing at other Senvion sites.

“We are extremely efficient and spend 24 hours or less on constructing the blade‘s main shell, which can be a bottleneck in the production

process.” Silva joined Senvion in 2009 when the company opened Vagos, its first site in Portugal. Now there are 1160 workers employed manufacturing 40 to 60-metre blades at the factory.

The director previously worked in the automotive industry for 16 years and brought with him some ofthat sector‘s methodology such as just-in-time production and total productive maintenance, which maximes equipment

availability on a step-by-step basis.

“Once a production method works in one industry, it will certainly also work in other industries as long as it is adapted to that sector‘s technology.”

Silva said his team‘s efficiency also stems from the fact that the company has invested heavily in training, including constructing a specific centre in Portugal.

The factories have an

optimised production structure and production support functions.

“We also have established clear top-down and bottom-up communication channelsand very efficient co-operation processes with our suppliers,” he added.

“When we started production in Portugal, we were sending our workers abroad for training. Nowadays we are sending them abroad to guide other colleagues.”

European Onshore Q2 2017 20 April 12NEWS

Rocky road for builders in Canaries

Auction raisesmore questionsthan answers

SPAIN

Spain will hold a technology-neutral renewables auction on 17 May with a maximum capacity of 3GW.

The sale is open to onshore wind, photovoltaic and biomass projects. A total of 2GW is guaranteed with an option to go to 3GW if the government sees fit.

Subsidies will be offered based on per-megawatt-installed bid prices. Onshore wind capex bids can be between €438,840/MW and €1.2m/MW and all winners will receive the highest clearing price.

Developers can bid for overall capacity instead of applying with specific projects. Winners will then need to provide a list of qualifying developments within six

months and all will have to be up and running by end-2019.

Some parts of the industry said the auction is too complex and not far-reaching enough.

“We are obviously happy the government is taking action but it should be launching one auction per type of energy and not one for all,” said Sonia Franco of industry body Asociacion Empresarial Eolica.

Government has also encouraged uncertainty by retaining the right to reduce subsides for onshore retrospectively at the end of 2019, she added.

“They need to change that law and confirm any support pledged now will be maintained in the future.”

Spain previously revised its subsidies retrospectively in 2013, effectively freezing the onshore market.

“The government said two years ago it was aiming at constructing an additional 6400MW of onshore wind capacity through 2020 but

not even 100MW has been installed since,” said Franco.

Reaching the country’s 2020 EU onshore wind target of 35GW is almost impossible, she added, given current operational capacity of 23.26GW.

A total of 500MW was

awarded in an onshore wind auction last year but all successful projects were based on zero subsidies.

None has so far progressed to construction and many in the industry question whether any of the proposed developments will be built.

Three onshore wind farms are under construction in the Canary Islands and on course for completion and commissioning in the autumn.

Alas Capital is erecting a trio of Enercon E-92 2.35MW turbines at La Morra in Tenerife (pictured) while Ecoener is building the 20MW Llanos de la Aldea Blanca on Gran Canaria featuring 25 Enercon E-48 800kW machines.

The latter company is also building the 9.2MW San Bartolome project on the same island using

four Enercon E-70 2.3MW turbines.

More than 400MW of projects were awarded the right to build last year but those active in the Canaries said progress is being hampered by administrative and environmental hurdles and wind energy opposition.

“I don’t think more than half of the projects selected during the tender last year will be constructed,” said

Alas chief executive Thomas Scharfenberg.

Many will find it difficult to secure the necessary local environmental permits by the end of next year, he added, with others “discarded” because “they are in the way of airports”.

Scharfenberg said around 16MW of the 70MW that Alas secured in last year’s tender is likely to fall by the wayside.

} The water authority of Lanzarote is seeking to install a 10th turbine that will boost the Los Valles wind farm to 8.5MW. Business unit Eolicas de Lanzarote is looking to add to the existing Gamesa 850kW units. Contract value is expected to be €1.59m and bidders must express an interest by 24 April.

Market sectors represented:

In association with:Host city:Learned Society Patron: Organised by:

Showcase your energy solutions at the UK’s largest renewable energy and sustainability event10-11 May 2017, SECC Glasgow• Meet face to face with the largest group of buyers in renewables • Develop business with 7,000+ visitors• Join 400+ leading suppliers & build your sales pipeline • Make valuable contacts at sector-specific free networking events

Contact the Sales Team today to secure your preferred stand location.+44 (0)20 8439 5560all-energy@reedexpo.co.ukall-energy.co.uk

EDITORIALEditor Todd Westbrook } +44 (0)1479 873 167 } todd@renews.biz

News editor Stephen Dunne } +353 87 760 9207 } stephen@renews.biz

Features editor Tim Probert } +44 (0)1892 534478 } tim@renews.biz

Germany Hans-Dieter Sohn} +49 177 288 9015 } hans@renews.biz

France Lisa Louis } +33 627 933 453 } lisa@renews.biz

North America Patti Lane } +1 416 481 9795 } patti@renews.biz

Reporter Patrick Browne } +44 (0)7562 465668 } patrick@renews.biz

Technology Eize de Vries } +31 6133 18104 } info@eizedevries.com

Production Richard Crockett } production@renews.biz

Publisher Dan Rigden } +44 (0)1962 890 449 } dan@renews.biz

© All articles appearing in reNEWS are protected by copyright. Any unauthorised reproduction is strictly prohibited.

ISSN 1478-307X

PUBLISHER Renews Limited, St George’s House, St George’s Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8BG, UK

SALESSales and marketing manager Vicky Mant } +44 (0)1962 890 440 } vicky@renews.biz

Subscriptions manager Tom Allerston } +44 (0)1962 849 302 } tom@renews.biz

Media sales executive Stephanie Partridge+44 (0)1962 840 468 n stephanie@renews.biz

Digital sales executive Kathryn Nall } +44 (0)1962 850 100 } kathryn@renews.biz

SUBSCRIPTIONS12-month standalone subscription to renews EO } €129 for four quarterly editions

The publication is free of charge to existing renews subscribers

reNEWS.biz

13NEWSQ2 2017 20 April

European Onshore Q3 2017

out 24 AugustTo advertise contact: sales@renews.biz

NEW GROWTH: Irish wind investor NTR completed construction of the 17.5MW Coollegreane project in Kerry earlier this year featuring seven Nordex N90/2500 turbines Photo: NTR

Applications ‘strike’ over new planning guidelines delay

IRELAND

2017 IRISH ROLL-CALL

Project, location MW Developer Turbine

Completed so far this year

Coollegrean, Kerry 17.5 NTR Nordex N90/2500

Killaveenoge Cork 25 Invis Energy Nordex N90/2500

New into construction

Teevurcher, Meath 10.25 NTR Senvion MM82

Letteragh, Clare 13.8 Seahound Enercon E-82/E-92

Carrickallen, Cavan 22 Galetech Senvion MM92/MM82

Leanamore, Kerry 18 SSE Siemens 2.3-101

Meenwaun, Offaly 13.75 TINC/Storm GE 2.75-120

Recently consented

Dalton, Mayo 40.8 Invis Energy 156.5m tip

Cronalaght 2, Donegal 17.25 Gineadoir GT Vestas V105-3.45

Shehy More, Cork 36 Craydel 131m tip

Developers are running shy of large-scale wind farm applications in Ireland this year due to uncertainties about future planning rules for the sector.

Work is continuing on early-stage development projects but little paperwork will be submitted until Dublin publishes long-overdue guidelines, said sources.

They were due to be published before Christmas but have been delayed by a European Court of Justice ruling involving consultations on wind farms in Belgium.

Dublin has been working since 2013 on the guidelines, which are likely to establish noise and shadow flicker restrictions as well as new minimum turbine setback distances in some locations.

“We have two 50MW-plus wind farms virtually ready to go (into planning) but there is no way we are going to file those until we have some certainty over what the planning guidelines will look like,” said one developer.

“The wind industry actually wants these guidelines published because without it we would be filing planning applications based on potentially outdated guidance, which could cause headaches later in the process.”

Planning Minister Simon Coveney said he will outline “the proposed revisions to the guidelines and the timelines for implementation” in the “coming weeks”.

A strategic environmental assessment of the new rules will be required before they will come into force, he added.

“In light of (this) requirement, which will take approximately nine months, it is likely that while the proposals for revisions to the guidelines will be available shortly, the guidelines will not

be finalised and come into effect until approximately the end of the year,” Coveney said.

} Irish players have called for tax incentives and new green investment initiatives to support community ownership of wind farms.

Trade body the Irish

Wind Energy Association said there is no “one-size-fits-all approach” to shared ownership of assets but making financial and planning advice available could unlock community involvement.

IWEA also warned that investment “involves risk” that “must be clearly explained” to all potential investors.

European Onshore Q2 2017 20 April 14NEWS

Slow start under new Welsh rules

Keynote Address, DECC Secretary Amber RuddThe must-see event of the two days with the offshore and wider renewables industry looking for some clarity and justification on a range of government policies. 9.30-10.30, Platinum 1

World Class

Subsea Power Cable

Provider

WWW.JDRGLOBAL.COM

Visit JDR at Global Offshore WindStand 118

RO ripples will hitoffshore – EwingFloaters on verge of going mainstreamThe global floating offshore wind market is set to move from the trial stage to “commercial scale-up”, according to UK innovation body ORE Catapult. p3

Offshore kit up for grabs as doors shut at Red7 unitThe assets of Red7 Marine’s offshore business have been put up for sale after the company was wound up with the loss of 47 jobs. p2

Northwester 2 getting project ducks in a rowNorthwester 2 is aiming to secure all the necessary permits for its self-titled 224MW wind farm off Belgium over the next 12 months. p4HOPPING TO IT: Vattenfall has installed three turbines to

date at its 49.5MW Kentish Flats 2 wind farm off eastern

England. The £165m extension, featuring 15 MHI Vestas

V112 3.3MW machines, is the UK’s only scheduled new

offshore wind construction this year. Photo: Vattenfall

LiVE @ R-UK GLOBAL OFFSHORE WIND 2015WEDNESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

Debate: Offshore Wind to 2030Scotland Energy Minister Fergus Ewing sets the stage and then heavy-hitters from Vattenfall, Siemens, RenewableUK, Dong and ScottishPower “hash out” the post-2020 landscape.11.15-12.30, Platinum 1

Construction Lessons LearnedA bit of what to do and what not to do with your offshore wind farm, featuring contributions from Senvion, Fred Olsen Windcarrier, Bilfinger and Dong.14.00-15.15, Platinum 2

Networking ReceptionSiemens plays host as the industry takes refreshment, relaxes and discusses the implications of what will undoubtedly have been a busy first day.17.00-19.00, Stand 80

24 June 2015

renews.bizfor rolling industry news updates on your PC and mobile

RWE to keep British investment party goingRWE has pledged that Gwynt y Mor, its 576MW wind farm off north Wales that was officially opened last week, is just part of its ongoing commitment to the UK. p5

UK workboat players want to double-bunkCrew transfer vessel operators are working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to double the number of technicians each boat is allowed to carry to offshore wind farms to 24. p6

Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing is warning the year-early closure of the Renewables Obligation will have a “massive” impact on the offshore wind industry.DECC policies for the onshore sector will have a knock-on effect across other technologies, the Holyrood minister said ahead of his appearance at the RenewableUK Global Offshore Wind conference in London. “There is no clarity,” he told renews. “The fact is that many of these companies that have sunk millions into onshore schemes, which now may not happen, are also invested in the offshore industry.“Confidence will be lost and people will go elsewhere. (They will think) if the government can do that on a whim then what is to stop them doing something similar to other technologies, including offshore, at some point in the future.”Ewing said he urged UK Energy Secretary Amber Rudd to hold a consultation period on the plans before they were unveiled last week but that she declined. Rudd told

Parliament on Monday that she had held and will continue to hold many discussions with her devolved counterparts. The Whitehall minister is due to give the keynote speech at the opening of the R-UK conference, facing the industry for the first time since delivering the RO bombshell.Ewing said he is not looking for arguments with Westminster but that he fundamentally “disagrees” with the Conservative Party

strategy. “I don’t want to trade insults. I want to safeguard a renewable future and build on the success Scotland has seen within the industry.“The plans are irrational and when a government acts irrationally they have to be prepared for legal challenges.”The minister said setting a framework for a renewables world post-2020 is now key and he urged the government to establish a clear policy for the future, including targets, as soon as possible.

INSIDESecond day plenary

Welcome to day two’s proceedings

with a talk about the ‘future energy

world’ from industry leaders including

representatives from the Carbon Trust

and UK Power Networks.

09.15-10.15,

Conference Room 1

www.vensys.de

MORE ENERGY

FOR OUR FUTURE

New for the UK – VENSYS100 – 2.5 MW

3.0MW2.5MW

1.5MW

SPR chief throws

down gauntletPlato tidal floater ready

to power up

Tidal developer Sustainable Marine

Energy expects to generate first

power this month from its 100kW

Plato floating platform installed off

Yarmouth. p2

Irish Sea interconnectors

need government leg-up

A Scottish government initiative

promoting private sector

co-ordination of offshore generation

and transmission links with Ireland

and Northern Ireland requires more

central planning to succeed, according

to its lead consultancy. p3

Npower unveils energy

exports hedging vehicle

Npower Generation Services has taken

the wraps off a new hedging product

it claims eliminates the financial risk of

exporting power. p4

Call | +44 (0) 1259 727 550

Email | wesrenewables@weirgroup.com

LiVE @ ALL-ENERGY 2015THURSDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

Onshore wind round table

Predicting maintenance problems

and how the industry can deal with

extreme weather events.

13.30-15.00, Conference 3

Solar in all its forms

Looking at a subsidy-free future for the

solar PV industry.

13.30-15.00, Conference 4

Legal framework for

renewables

Last year saw some radical changes

in policy making. With people taking

to the polls today, how will the future

look for the pipeline of projects?

15.30-17.00, Conference 6

7 May 2015

renews.bizfor rolling industry news updates

on your PC and mobile

Wave and tidal –

the big debate

Big projects versus small and the pros

and cons of both.

15.30-17.00, Conference 1

Free up Chinese PV panel

imports, says trade group

The European Photovoltaic Industry

Association has called for “free and fair

trade” between Europe and China on

solar modules and cells. p5

ScottishPower Renewables

chief executive Keith

Anderson has called on the

incoming UK government to

meet a set of “simple asks”

that will deliver a secure and

stable future for the clean

energy sector.

The keynote speaker at

the opening of the All-Energy

conference said: “Whoever

is elected, one thing they will

need to do quickly is work out

how they will keep the lights on.

“The UK, from a position of

considerable stability prior to

autumn 2013, has since been

at the top of the European

political risk league table for

investors.”

Anderson, who also

holds the post of chief

corporate officer at utility

parent ScottishPower, said

early visibility on the timing

and budgets for future CfD

allocation rounds and a “roll

forward” of the levy control

framework to the mid-2020s

are essential.

A “broad political consensus”

for electricity market reform

must be sustained beyond

the election, he added.

The Renewables Obligation

must be allowed to run

untouched to its March 2017

closing date, as detailed in the

2011 White Paper on energy.

“It is vital that this... continues

to be respected by whoever

forms the next government,”

Anderson said.

Government should scrap

plans to ban subsidies for

onshore wind. “As cost-

effectiveness and affordability

remain at the heart of

delivery, we must not close

the door,” he explained.

The UK needs also

to look at the “greater

potential role for pumped

storage to provide cost-

effective balancing services”.

Finally, Anderson said the

Competition and Markets

Authority inquiry into the

energy sector should be

allowed to run its course as it

is “a real opportunity to clear

the air so that customers

and investors alike can have

renewed confidence”.

Dong head of asset

management Benj Sykes

echoed the SPR chief’s

sentiments, saying the

next government must

immediately set out financial

budgets for renewables over

the next decade.

He also called for a 2030

decarbonisation target.

POWER SURGE: SPR has flicked the switch at its repowered

16MW Coal Clough wind farm near Burnley, boosting the

project’s capacity from 9.6MW Photo: ScottishPower Renewables

LiVE @ ALL-ENERGY

The only place to be seen by thousands of industry professionals

...Contact SALES or email

sales@renews.biz to advertiseOFFICIAL SHOW DAILY HOST

SPONSORED BY

Scotland a hot-spot despite chill winds from Whitehall

UNITED KINGDOM

2017 UK ACCOUNT

Project, Location MW Developer Turbine detailsCompleted this yearAiries, D&G, Scotland 35 NTR GE 2.85-103Andershaw, Lanark, Scotland 35 Statkraft Vestas V117Auchrobert, Lanark, Scotland 36 Falck GE 3.2-103Beck Burn, Carlisle, England 31.05 EDF Vestas V105Bishopthorpe, Lincolnshire, England 16.4 BayWa Senvion MM92Cairnborrow, Aberdeen, Scotland 10 Engie Senvion MM82Corriemoillie, Highland, Scotland 48.5 EDF GE 2.85Edintore, Moray, Scotland 18 Vento Ludens Enercon E-92Garreg Lwyd, Powys, Wales 30.6 RES Vestas V100Goole Fields 2, East Riding, England 34.85 Innogy Senvion MM92 Llynfi Afan, Neath Port Talbot, Wales 24 John Laing Gamesa G80Mynydd Portref 2, Rhondda, Wales 12 REG Gamesa G87Ovenden repower, Yorkshire, England 18 Eon Gamesa G80 Pant y Wal 2, Bridgend, Wales 20 Pennant Walters Nordex 100Ray, Northumberland, England 54.4 Vattenfall Senvion 3.4M104 Red Gap, County Durham, England 12.5 Airvolution Nordex 100 Tievenameenta, Tyrone, NI 34.5 SSE Siemens 2.3-93Tirgwynt, Powys, Wales 24.6 Belltown Senvion MM92

New into constructionBrechfa West, Carmarthenshire, Wales 57.4 Innogy Senvion MM92Castlecraig, Tyrone, NI 25 NTR 127m tip

Cornavarrow, Tyrone, NI 38.4 Energia GE 3.2-103Hallburn, Cumbria, England 13.2 REG Vestas V100Kype Muir, Lanarkshire, Scotland 88.4 Banks Senvion 3.4M104Middle Muir, Lanarkshire, Scotland 51 Banks Senvion 3.4M114Mynydd y Gwair, Swansea, Wales 32.8 Innogy Senvion MM92Moor House, Durham, England 12 Banks Senvion MM100Stronelairg, Highland, Scotland 225 SSE Vestas V112/V117Tralorg, Ayrshire, Scotland 18.8 Brookfield 100m tip, 80m rotor

Recently consentedAberarder, Highland, Scotland 36 RES 130m tipBallykeel, Antrim, NI 16.1 NI Windfarms 99.5m tipBeinn an Tuirc 3, Arygll, Scotland 36 SPR 126m and 106m tipsKirk Hill, S Ayrshire, Scotland 24 ESB 110m tip, 90m rotorMillennium 3, Highland, Scotland 35 Falck 132m tip, 102m rotor

New into planningCosta Head, Orkney, Scotland 20.4 Hoolan 125m tipFauch Hill, West Lothian, Scotland 48 Boralex 125m tipGilston, Borders, Scotland 21 Velocita 126.5m tipHadyard 2, Ayrshire, Scotland 88 SSE 126.5m tipHesta Head, Orkney, Scotland 20.4 Hoolan 125m tipHopsrig, D&G, Scotland 42 Buccleuch 140m tipPines Burn, Borders, Scotland 36 Energiekontor 158m and 130m tipsPriestgill, Lanarkshire, Scotland 22.4 Muirhall 145m tipTormywheel 2, West Lothian, Scotland 12.8 Muirhall 126.5m tipWindy Rig, D&G, Scotland 40.8 Element 125m tip, 100m rotor

Just four early-stage wind applications are progressing under Wales’ new Developments of National Significance regime.

There have been no scoping reports since last August when RES submitted initial plans for the eight-turbine Brechfa North project in Carmarthenshire. The Planning Inspectorate has signalled its preliminary approval but the developer has yet to file further documentation to Welsh ministers.

Vattenfall has similarly failed to follow up on early-stage paperwork for an as yet undefined development at Mynydd Lluest y Graig in Powys.

The UK, led by Scotland, continues to chase fresh onshore wind development despite the lack of certainty over future market mechanisms.

More than 300MW of new projects filed for consent in the first quarter of 2017 with at least 600MW more moving through the pre-application process, according to figures compiled by renews eO.

Developers are in part betting on a potential subsidy-free support mechanism in a future Contract for Difference auction. Government has indicated such a move is unlikely through the rest of the decade but industry is

turning up the heat, most recently via a Baringa Partners report that indicated 1GW of onshore wind could be supported at no additional cost to consumers.

“Delivery is dependent on mature renewables being able to bid in auctions for long-term contracts for clean electricity such as those offered to offshore wind and new nuclear,” said trade body Scottish Renewables.

Baringa indicated that the cost of onshore wind would continue to fall under any auction system to below £50 per megawatt-hour, “meaning that successful projects

would receive limited ‘top-up’ payments over and above the wholesale price”.

Capacity would also result in more than £1bn of private sector investment in the UK while displacing 8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, said the consultants.

Baringa senior manager Peter Sherry said: “With no direct subsidy required, the government can still play an important role in offering a low-risk route to market for new onshore wind via the CfD mechanism.”

English wind activity is meanwhile limited to building out the few remaining sites

eligible for Renewables Obligation grace periods and one of two projects in receipt of a CfD.

} Developers in Northern Ireland are also exploring a subsidy-free future after the closure of the RO support regime.

Direct connection deals with industrial clients are seen as a route to market with utilities said to be exploring power purchase agreements.

However, projects of scale are seen as the only sites capable of unlocking the cost savings needed to meet the terms of tough contracts.