| From: Eric | 6/25/2024 4:10:48 PM | | | | | | 
924-Megawatt Sunrise Wind Project Receives Final Approval from U.S. Department of the Interior
15 hours ago
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Offshore Construction on New York’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm to Begin Later this Year
Sunrise Wind, New York’s largest offshore wind project, has received approval of its Construction and Operations Plan (COP) from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which is the final decision needed from the federal agency to move the project toward the start of offshore construction.
At 924 megawatts, Sunrise Wind will generate enough clean energy to power nearly 600,000 New York homes.
Sunrise Wind will help New York achieve its mandate of 70 percent renewable electricity by 2030, while accelerating the state’s growing offshore wind workforce and supply chain. Sunrise Wind will create 800 direct New York jobs, thousands of indirect jobs, and economic benefits from the Capital Region to Long Island – including a $700 million investment in Suffolk County alone.
“With the final approval of Sunrise Wind and the recent completion of South Fork Wind, it is clear that New York is leading the nation in building the offshore wind industry,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “We’re grateful for the Biden Administration’s commitment to advancing clean energy projects, and New York will continue to build a green economy, create good-paying jobs, and combat the climate crisis.”
“I am very glad to see Sunrise Wind breeze past another critical milestone,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “Sunrise Wind is built by the men and women in union labor and will change the energy landscape in New York for the cleaner and better. New York’s energy needs are vast, and I will continue working with New York, the Biden administration, Governor Hochul, Long Island officials and all stakeholders to move offshore wind and other renewable energy projects forward.”
“This approval is critical to New York becoming the leader in U.S. offshore wind,” said U.S. Congressman Paul Tonko. “Sunrise Wind will play an important role in achieving our state’s clean energy requirements and building upon our region’s leadership in this emerging industry. I’m grateful to Ørsted and Eversource for their partnership and investment in our region, and I look forward to seeing the impact of this project on our state, our economy, and our environment.”
“I am pleased to see Sunrise Wind continuing to move forward,” said U.S. Congressman Andrew Garbarino. “This project, which is expected to power nearly 600,000 homes with domestically produced wind-powered energy, will bring jobs, access to clean and affordable energy, and economic growth to Long Island.”
“NYSERDA congratulates Ørsted and Eversource on this critical milestone for their Sunrise Wind project,” said Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA. “It is an exciting time for the U.S. offshore wind industry and New York State as pivotal projects like this continue to move forward and help us progress toward a zero-emission electric grid and delivering clean offshore wind power to New Yorkers.”
The Sunrise Wind team will now accelerate work on the onshore transmission system, with offshore construction ramping up later this year at the project site approximately 30 miles east of Montauk, N.Y. The project is expected to be in operation in 2026.
“Sunrise Wind is a centerpiece of New York’s clean energy vision, and with this final federal approval we can officially put the construction phase in-motion,” said David Hardy, Group EVP and CEO Americas at Ørsted. “BOEM’s approval is an important milestone not just for New York but also for America’s domestic energy sector. We’re grateful for the continued leadership of BOEM Director Klein and all the federal, state, and local leaders who are committed to offshore wind. Sunrise Wind builds on our success of South Fork Wind and will deliver more jobs, economic development, and clean energy to New York.”
“Sunrise Wind is a historic investment in New York’s economic and environmental future, and today’s decision by BOEM represents a key step in bringing this project to fruition,” said Joe Nolan, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Eversource Energy. “This project will deliver offshore wind energy at-scale, and hundreds of New Yorkers are already hard at work building the onshore transmission system that will bring this power to our homes and businesses. Sunrise Wind is a groundbreaking project, creating good union jobs across New York and supporting hundreds of millions in local infrastructure investments, and we are excited to move forward.”
“I am pleased that the Bureau of Ocean Management has given its approval to Sunrise Wind’s Construction and Operation Plan,” said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine. “This is the final approval needed for Sunrise Wind to move forward and supply Long Island with non-polluting, carbon free power.”
“As Sunrise Wind moves forward, I am proud that Brookhaven continues to be a leader in this important project,” said Dan Panico, Supervisor for the Town of Brookhaven. “From hundreds of local jobs building the onshore transmission system to a new, state-of-the-art Operations and Maintenance Hub in East Setauket, Sunrise Wind is bringing an influx of economic activity to our community, and we look forward to continuing to grow together.”
“Port Jefferson is uniquely positioned to support the growth of New York’s offshore wind industry, and we’re pleased that Ørsted is locating an important wind operations hub here in our community,” said Port Jefferson Mayor Lauren Sheprow. “Today’s federal approval helps ensure that Sunrise Wind will continue to have positive economic impacts in our community, and across New York, for decades to come.”
The COP approval outlines the project’s one nautical mile turbine spacing, the requirements on the construction methodology for all work occurring in federal ocean waters, and mitigation measures to protect marine habitats and species. BOEM’s final approval of the COP follows the agency’s March 2024 issuance of its Record of Decision, which concluded the thorough BOEM-led environmental review of the project. Ørsted and Eversource reached these provisions and protections working closely with a range of external organizations and experts, a commitment the companies carry to all stakeholder relationships to help ensure coexistence.
“Today is a great day for New York and its effort to tackle the climate crisis because we need to transition off of fossil fuels and start delivering on clean energy like offshore wind,” said Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters. “We congratulate Ørsted and Eversource on receiving BOEM’s final approval for Sunrise Wind, which will allow the state to begin realizing the benefits of this shovel-ready project, starting with hundreds of well-paying construction jobs on its way to delivering 924 MW of renewable offshore wind energy, resulting in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and cleaner air for New Yorkers.”
“Climate change is here. The start of summer has kicked off with an extreme heat event. How do we fight climate change and its impacts? We know the answer – change the way we produce energy. New York is doing that,” said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for Environment. “We are excited that Sunrise Wind has reached the final hurdle and can break ground for this critical infrastructure. Sunrise Wind will be the largest offshore wind farm in America! Its clean renewable wind energy will power over 500,000 homes on Long Island. A true celebration for moving us forward in a clean energy revolution. Congrats to the leadership of Ørsted and Eversource and to New York for their diligent commitment to renewable energy.”
“Offshore wind is a crucial part of New York’s clean energy future, and we applaud Ørsted and Eversource for their leadership and congratulate them on this important milestone,” said Marguerite Wells, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. “We look forward to celebrating many more.”
“All New Yorkers should celebrate this momentous occasion. Sunrise Wind is a huge step closer to providing the state with clean, renewable power, and will be a model for many projects to come,” said Alicia Gené Artessa, director of the New York Offshore Wind Alliance. “We congratulate Ørsted and Eversouce on the success of their hard work and thank BOEM for issuing this important approval.”
“America’s clean energy transition is union built, and it’s being built on Long Island,” said John R. Durso, President of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. “Hundreds of local trade union men and women will have good-paying jobs building Sunrise Wind onshore and offshore. Moving this project forward will help power our grid, as well as our regional economy. We expect the union movement to maintain and operate Sunrise Wind, thus we are excited the Biden administration continues to live up to their commitment to the working men and women of Long Island.”
“As New York’s offshore wind industry continues to grow, the demand for skilled tradeswomen and tradesmen is growing alongside it. We showed the world that we are ready and willing to push forward offshore wind with South Fork Wind, and with today’s approval, we’re ready to advance towards a greener future here on Long Island with Sunrise Wind,” said Matthew Aracich, President, Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties. “Building the next generation of American energy infrastructure is a monumental undertaking, and there’s no one more prepared to take it on than the members of the Building Trades.”
“New York has always been at the center of America’s economy, and projects like Sunrise Wind are ensuring we stay that way,” said Kevin S. Law, Chair of the Empire State Development Board. “Sunrise Wind is transforming our energy system, moving us toward energy independence, and helping us combat climate change – but it’s so much more than that. It’s about hundreds of New Yorkers finding good-paying, purposeful jobs, and hundreds of millions of dollars invested in our businesses and communities. Offshore wind is a growing American industry, and Sunrise Wind is keeping New York in the driver’s seat.”
“We are delighted that BOEM has approved Sunrise Wind’s Construction and Operations plan,” said Robert B. Catell, Chairman of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center at Stony Brook University and Chair and President of the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium. “This final approval from the lead federal permitting agency on the project allows this important project to go forward to provide a source of clean renewable energy to help N.Y. State meet its environmental goals. We congratulate Ørsted and Eversource for their perseverance and leadership in making this project a reality.”
As part of Sunrise Wind, Ørsted and Eversource are already making significant investments in the state’s offshore wind workforce and supply chain, including:
Sunrise Wind recently finalized its agreements with NYSERDA on the project’s 25-year Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificates (OREC) contract.
News release from Sunrise Wind.
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| From: Eric | 6/29/2024 2:06:24 PM | | | | | | Green Energy
Electrek Green Energy Brief
EGEB
Offshore wind power
Virginia
The US announces a big offshore wind sale in the Central Atlantic
Michelle Lewis | Jun 28 2024 - 1:14 pm PT
9 Comments
The US Department of the Interior (DOI) today announced an offshore wind Final Sale Notice and auction for 275,000+ acres off the coasts of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.
The Central Atlantic Wind Energy Areas have the potential to generate 6.3 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy – enough to power over 2.2 million homes. The Final Sale Notice is the last step required of the DOI to hold a lease auction for the area, which is scheduled for August 14. Seventeen companies have qualified to participate in the August sale.
Earlier this month, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the State of Maryland to engage stakeholders in identifying acreage for additional offshore wind lease auctions in the Atlantic. Additional acreage is critical to meeting the offshore wind targets of Maryland and other mid-Atlantic states.
Liz Burdock, president and CEO at Oceantic Network, said:
Recognizing the growing demand for offshore wind energy and the diverse set of stakeholders involved, BOEM consistently demonstrates its commitment to working directly with states to ensure their offshore wind targets can be met. These efforts, in combination with the other three lease sales set to happen in 2024, are leading to more jobs, increased investment, and continued growth of the domestic supply chain.
During the Biden administration, the DOI has approved the US’s first eight commercial-scale offshore wind energy projects in federal waters. BOEM has held four offshore wind lease sales, including offshore New York, New Jersey, and the Carolinas, and the first-ever sales offshore the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts. The DOI recently announced a schedule of up to 12 additional lease sales through 2028. ?
And just in case you or someone you know are worried about how further offshore wind farm development is going to affect wildlife, Amber Hewett, senior director of offshore wind energy for the National Wildlife Federation, had this to say in an email about the Central Atlantic offshore wind sale:
Investments in the responsible development of clean, renewable energy, including offshore wind, will provide high-quality job opportunities while helping to protect wildlife and communities from the threat of climate change.
The National Wildlife Federation applauds this important step in the process, and we look forward to working with our Central Atlantic partners to continue increasing offshore wind energy output while pressing for stringent wildlife protections and community engagement every step of the way.
Read more: Vineyard Wind 1 just became the US’s largest operating offshore wind farm
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| From: Eric | 7/2/2024 2:25:19 PM | | | | | | Huge gigawatt scale wind farm and four-hour big battery hopes to plug in to troubled VNI West
Murra Warra wind farm
Sophie Vorrath
Jul 2, 2024
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A massive new wind farm of more than one gigawatt is being proposed for north-west Victoria, to be built alongside a big battery of 200 megawatts with up to four-hours of storage capacity.
The Cannie wind farm, being developed by renewables giant Res Australia, on Tuesday appeared in the queue of projects awaiting a decision on whether on not it needs to be assessed under the federal government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
The huge project proposes to install up to 1.3 GW of wind generation capacity, comprising up to 174 turbines at around 7.4MW each, and will be located around 26km west of Kerang and 25km south of the Murray River and Victoria-New South Wales border.
A battery energy storage system is also proposed, with a capacity of up to 200 MW and 800 MWh, to be located adjacent to the wind farm’s main substation, the EPBC referral documents say.
It is just the latest in a series of gigawatt-scale renewable and storate projects that are being proposed along the routes of new transmission lines, with many focused on western Victoria, south west NSW and Queensland.
The federal government needs at least 40 gigawatt of new wind and solar capacity to reach its 82 per cent renewable energy target, but the Coalition wants to dump those renewable plans and go nuclear instead, with the Nationals promising to “tear up” contracts written by the Commonwealth through its Capacity Investment Scheme.
Although the design of the Cannie project is in its very early stages, documents suggest the wind farm would take in 112 different property parcels owned by 21 individual parties in the Gannawarra Shire, whose Traditional Owners include the Barapa Barapa, Wamba Wamba and Wiran peoples.
All up the wind farm and battery would span approximately 17,000 hectares of privately owned land, with the aim of co-existing with operational farming activities.
Notably, the proposed wind farm would also be in the vicinity of the controversial Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West) – a 500kV double-circuit overhead transmission line that proposes running from Bulgana in western Victoria to Dinawan in NSW via a new terminal station near Kerang.
The Victorian side of the project is now being led by the state government body VicGrid, but was originally worked up by the Australian Energy Market Operator as one of the transmission upgrades considered critical to the shift to renewables on the National Electricity Market (NEM).
It aims to solve a congestion problem in the north-west of Victoria that has caused significant grief to existing solar and wind energy asset owners, has delayed the development of new projects and earned the region the unfortunate nickname Rhombus of Regret.
But the proposed $3.3 billion transmission link has attracted criticism from landowners and local councils over visual and environmental impacts and the fate of endangered species and divided experts over whether it offers best value for money and the best support for renewables in the state.
The referral documents for the Cannie wind farm say three transmission corridor options are currently being investigated to connect the project to the new terminal station proposed to be located near Tragowel – south of Kerang – as part of VNI West, “or at an alternate location along the proposed VNI West transmission corridor.”
Res says the selection of the preferred transmission corridor for the wind farm will be informed through consultation with proposed landholders, and with consideration of engineering design and environmental investigations.
Res, which was established in Australia in 2004, has developed the Taralga Wind Farm in New South Wales, the Ararat and Murra Warra wind farms in Victoria, and the Dulacca wind farm in Queensland.
It hopes to get to work on the Cannie wind farm in 2027, “subject to change pending a planning permit and the construction of VNI (West).”
In the meantime, it is consulting with the local community and a wide range of stakeholders to provide information on the project and to seek input on community benefit sharing options.
The Cannie Wind Farm Environmental Effects Act referral is also now live on Victoria’s Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) website here.
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| From: Eric | 7/2/2024 10:20:47 PM | | | | | | Green Energy
Electrek Green Energy Brief
EGEB
Offshore wind power
President Biden
The US just greenlit the offshore wind farm Trump vowed to kill
Michelle Lewis | Jul 2 2024 - 6:28 pm PT
2 Comments
 Shell-EDF’s Atlantic Shores South is the US’s ninth commercial-scale, offshore wind farm approved under the Biden administration – Trump wants to cancel it.
Atlantic Shores South consists of two wind farms — Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1 and 2 — expected to generate up to 2,800 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to power nearly 1 million homes with clean energy.
It’s around 8.7 miles offshore New Jersey at its closest point. Up to 200 wind turbines and 10 offshore substations with subsea transmission cables were proposed, potentially making landfall in Atlantic City and Sea Girt, New Jersey. BOEM has approved the construction of up to 195 wind turbines. The project has a labor agreement with six New Jersey unions.
President Biden’s national climate adviser, Ali Zaidi, said, “The Biden-Harris administration will continue to use every available tool to grow the American offshore wind industry as we strengthen the nation’s power grid and tackle the climate crisis.”
Governor Phil Murphy (D-NJ) has set a goal for New Jersey to install 11 GW of offshore wind by 2040. It has 3.7 GW of offshore wind in the pipeline.
In May, Donald Trump told a MAGA rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, that he would stop the Atlantic Shores South offshore wind farm “on day one” with an executive order if he won the presidential election. ”You don’t have to worry about Governor Murphy’s 157 [sic] wind turbines,” he said.
Governor Maura Healey (D-MA) recently told the Financial Times that the upcoming election created “heightened urgency” to speed up the buildout of the sector – Massachusetts is a US offshore wind trailblazer – and that a Trump win would be “devastating” for the industry. However, New Jersey’s Murphy said that “government policy is a different reality than what people might say on the campaign trail.”
During the Biden administration, the US Interior Department has given the go-ahead to more than 13 GW of offshore wind — enough to power nearly 5 million homes.
Read more:
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| From: Eric | 7/7/2024 2:04:49 PM | | | | | | Green tick sought to double size of Australia’s biggest wind farm
Image: Acciona Energia
Giles Parkinson
Jul 7, 2024
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Spanish energy giant Acciona Energia has filed for federal environmental approval for a proposed one gigawatt wind project that will effectively double the size of what will already be the country’s biggest wind farm.
The Herries Range wind project – first unveiled in late 2022 – will more than double the size of the 923 megawatt (MW) MacIntyre wind precinct near Millmeran in south-east Queensland, and is part of a wind precinct dubbed “Big Mac”.
The neighbouring 160-turbine MacIntyre wind farm is already nearing completion, and Acciona says Herries Range will see up to another 176 wind turbines, three substations and an unspecified battery storage facility.
The Herries Range project was originally costed at $2 billion when announced nearly two years ago, although costs may have increased since then since the Macintyre component also ran into cost issues.
Acciona says it hopes to start early works in 2025, followed by full construction through to approximately 2027. The wind farm will have an operational life of approximately 30 years.
The wind projects are located in south-east renewable energy zone in the southern downs region of Queensland, on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range.
But they are also in the federal electorate of Maranoa, held by Nationals leader David Littleproud, who has said he wants to stop large scale wind and solar projects across Australia, and has threatened to tear up contracts written by the Commonwealth to support such developments.
In its application under the federal EPBC Act, Acciona says community support for the Macintyre component has grown significantly since construction began, with support for the project increasing from 49 per cent in Q3, 2023 to 58 per cent in Q1 2024.
It says opposition to the MacIntyre wind project (20 per cent of respondents) had decreased by one third over this period and was lower than community opposition to the renewable energy transition generally (40 per cent of respondents).
The project will be spread over around 22 freehold properties, about half of which is used for grazing and the other half featuring remnant and high value regrowth vegetation.
The MacIntyre wind component is 70 per cent owned by Acciona and 30 per cent by Ark Energy, the renewable energy offshoot of Korea Zinc. It was to include a 100 MW facility known as Karara that was to be owned by the state government owned CleanCo, but CleanCo backed out of the deal because of connection delays and rising costs.
The 923 MW MacIntyre facility will still be the biggest in Australia when complete, although it will lose that title when the 1,300 MW Golden Plains wind farm in Victoria completes its first and second stage. MacIntyre could then retake the title as the biggest wind precinct if the Herries Range component is built.
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| From: Eric | 7/8/2024 9:11:26 PM | | | | | | First turbines go up at off-grid mine after 850kms journey from port
Rachel Williamson
Jul 8, 2024
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Two months after all of the parts arrived at the remote Western Australia Jundee gold mine, the crane to install them has caught up and the first turbine is being erected.
Renewables developer Zenith Energy says the Goldwind crane has arrived on-site and is now installing the first 165/6.0 megawatt (MW) wind turbine at the site.
The 86 metre-long blades were trucked in from Geraldton Port, via an 850km route that required fences to be taken down and an upgrade to the Wiluna town bypass.
The 24 MW wind farm complements a 16.9 MW solar farm using 5B solar farm blocks that began generating power last week.
The microgrid for the remote Northern Goldfields site is backed up by a 12 MW / 13.4 MWh battery, for which commissioning has started, to provide 56 per cent of the site’s power needs. The remainder will be looked after by the existing gas power station.
Combined, the wind and solar farms are expected to cut the mine’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than half.
The renewables project is underpinned by a power purchase agreement (PPA) between Zenith Energy and mine owner Northern Star Resources, which the miner says will help it “achieve and exceed” its target of a 20 per cent reduction in the carbon intensity of its business by 2025 from a 2020 baseline. A target which includes scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
Zenith ticks off Kathleen Valley microgrid Zenith Energy is also in charge of the Kathleen Valley lithium project in the Western Australia Goldfields area.
The renewables developer reached commercial operations for the 16MW solar, 17MW/19 MWh battery and 30 MW wind farm last week, a milestone it says marks the finish line for Australia’s largest islanded hybrid power station.
Mine owner Liontown Resources says powering construction and commissioning of the Kathleen mine with renewables might be a first for an Australian mining project, as others tend to ramp up their clean energy generators once production starts.
Liontown says the system is already powering the on-site accommodation and process plant, and will eventually also power the underground lithium mine, and it expects to beat its initial target of meeting 60 per cent of its supply needs for renewables.
Some 5MW of diesel standby and 27MW of gas generation were brought online earlier this year, but these will often be switched off and will operate only when the renewable resources are unavailable.
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| From: Eric | 7/9/2024 9:44:34 PM | | | | | | 
A US firm is refurbishing, upgrading, and relocating older wind turbines for re-use in the distributed energy resources market, earning it a slot in the Re-X Before Recycling competition of the US Department of Energy.
Wait, Don’t Recycle Those Old Wind Turbines… Re-Use Them!
5 hours ago
Tina Casey 3 Comments
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End-of-life issues have begun to bedevil the US wind industry as thousands of old and out-of-date wind turbines head for the dustbin of history. Fortunately, help is on the way. Re-powering older wind farms with new equipment is one way to salvage at least some parts of an old wind turbine for re-use instead of dumping them in a landfill. Another approach involves leveraging the emerging distributed wind market to restore the whole turbine to life, from soup to nuts.
What’s So Big About The Distributed Wind Turbine Market?
While much attention has focused on the massive scale of new wind turbines and wind farms, another significant part of the renewable energy transition has been bubbling up from the US power generation landscape.
If you guessed distributed wind is in the mix, run right out and buy yourself a cigar. Distributed wind falls into the category of distributed energy resources, which refers to a focus on energy resilience and decentralization, rather than continuing to rely on the centralized power generation model of the past.
As described by the US Department of Energy, wind turbines of any size can fit the distributed energy resources model, so long as they generate electricity for use on site, or for contribution to a local distribution grid.
Expanding the foothold of small and mid-sized turbines in the distributed energy field has been a challenge, especially compared to the robust growth of the market for small rooftop and ground-mounted solar arrays. Nevertheless, the US Department of Energy has been supporting the effort.
Earlier this year, for example, the Energy Department launched a new program in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, aimed at recruiting 400 farmers into the distributed wind fold.
“The new push for wind power builds on a US Department of Energy study that makes the case for pumping up the nation’s supply of distributed wind power, meaning hyper-local wind farms and individual wind turbines,” CleanTechnica reported in March.
Wind Turbines & The Circular Economy Of The Future
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the wind turbine refurbishing firm Rockwind. The company reached out to CleanTechnica this week with a reminder that the US Department of Energy tapped it for one of 20 awards in Phase I of the new “Re-X Before Recycling Prize” competition.
The Re-X program is aimed at drawing attention to the sustainability benefits of re-using various products and parts instead of grinding them up or melting them down in a recycling center.
“By stimulating innovation and private investment in circular economy approaches, the innovations developed through this prize will reduce life cycle energy and emissions, strengthen circular supply chains for emerging clean energy technologies, and decrease the demand for virgin materials,” the Energy Department notes.
The Energy Department further observes that processes and applications that center re-usability complement the broader aims of the Biden administration. “Innovations that enable new or expanded Re-X supply chains can also engage communities and labor, advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), and support the implementation of the White House Justice40 Initiative,” they explain.
New Life For Old Wind Turbines
Rockwind focuses on mid-sized, standalone wind turbines ranging from 400 to 900 kilowatts. That’s peanuts compared to the multi-megawatt utility-scale wind turbines of today, but it’s a lot more than the small wind category, which includes micro wind turbines of 20 watts on up to small wind turbines in the 100-kilowatt category silo.
Apparently there are also enough mid-sized turbines in circulation to support Rockwind’s refurbish-and-reuse business model.
“Hundreds of wind turbines are being decommissioned to make way for even larger wind turbines, but those wind turbines can be cost effectively refurbished and reused in distributed energy applications,” Rockwind notes.
Re-Using Old Wind Turbines: The Devil Is In The Details
That sounds simple enough, but Rockwind emphasizes that quality control is imperative. A distributed wind installation typically involves just one or two turbines at a given site, often in remote locations. That translates into higher costs for servicing and maintenance. “Our goal, when selecting a decommissioned turbine, is to ensure we get the best value for our customers with a strong emphasis on minimal maintenance and a long operating life,” Rockwind explains.
When the company first launched, it imported decommissioned wind turbines from Europe to the US Midwest for a makeover. Ranging in size from 600 kilowatts to 1 megawatt, these turbines were selected based on their 40-year design lifespan, which Rockwind describes as “built to aerospace quality.” They were replaced with larger models after just 20-25 years in service, leaving a respectable amount of lifespan in a new location.
The company’s current plans include refurbishing decommissioned wind turbines from US wind farms as well. Either way, much of the refurbishing process involves replacing the older drivetrain with new parts that reflect modern materials and technology improvements.
“We pay for the highest quality parts that have been shown to last longer and perform better,” Rockwell emphasizes.
In addition to repainting the towers, the refurbishing work also includes rebuilding the blades with leading edge tape and stall strips. These extra touches improve the efficiency and lifespan of fiberglass blades beyond their performance when new, as described by Rockwind.
Many Paths To The Sustainable Wind Turbine Of The Future
Beyond the distributed wind field, the idea of remaking an older wind turbine into a more efficient power generating station has also taken hold among wind farm developers.
Some repowering projects involve re-using the wind turbine tower, but in others the entire turbine is replaced. A 2019 repowering project in Wyoming, for example, involved replacing 68 wind turbines from the 1990s with just 13 new, more powerful models. The result was a 60% increase in output along with lower maintenance costs.
Wind turbine technology improvements are also happening so fast that some wind farm developers are engaging in a sort of pre-repowering strategy. The high profile Vineyard Wind offshore wind project in Massachusetts, for example, was originally planned as an 84-turbine array. Before construction began, the developer switched to GE’s new Haliade-X offshore turbines, trimming the final number down to 62 turbines.
As for other sustainability improvements, the Energy Department is focusing attention on the more efficient use and longer lifespan of materials, in addition to innovations in turbine material recycling.
Wooden turbine towers and turbine blades are also among the new developments to hit the CleanTechnica radar.
In another interesting twist, the Swiss energy storage firm Energy Vault has introduced the idea of incorporating recycled turbine blades in its gravity-based energy storage system, with an assist from the US branch of the global firm Enel Green Power.
Earlier this year, Enel suggested that the idea has come to fruit. In a press release describing Energy Vault’s new 18-megawatt energy storage project in Texas, Enel noted that fiberglass from decommissioned wind turbines can be used to reinforce the moving weights deployed in the system.
I’ll check in on Enel to see if “can be” means “was actually,” so stay tuned for more on that.
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Image: A US firm is refurbishing, upgrading, and relocating older wind turbines for re-use in the distributed energy resources market, earning it a slot in the Re-X Before Recycling competition of the US Department of Energy (courtesy of US DOE).
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| From: Eric | 7/15/2024 2:32:41 PM | | | | | | WestWind unveils plan for massive 1.5GW wind farm in Sunshine State
A mock-up of Cameron Downs Energy Park. Source: WestWind Energy
Sophie Vorrath
Jul 15, 2024
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The originator of the largest onshore wind farm currently being developed in Australia, the 1.3GW Golden Plains project in Victoria, has unveiled plans to go bigger again and build a 1.5GW wind farm in northern Queensland.
WestWind Energy says it is preparing planning and environmental applications for the newly announced Cameron Downs Energy Park, proposed for development south of Hughenden in Queensland’s Flinders Shire.
The early stage planf or the project is to install up to 200 turbines, with a height of 280 metres from ground to tip, on a site area of around 32,000 hectares.
A project fact sheet says the “significant renewable energy project” would power around one million north Queensland homes and save more than 4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.
“We are in the early stages of development for the Cameron Downs Energy Park preparing the required planning and environmental applications,” the fact sheet says.
“We’re engaging with local stakeholders to better inform the project development. These include Flinders Shire Council and cultural heritage experts.
“We’ll continue to work collaboratively with landholders, neighbours and other local stakeholders including the community… We’re also working with other developers in the region to maximise the renewable energy benefits possible and ensure quality community outcomes.”
According to the project website, a contribution of $2,000 per turbine would be put towards a local community benefits scheme that would be developed in consultation with the community, and the contributions provided each year to ensure the project’s financial benefits are shared across the region.
WestWind is also currently proposing to develop a 1.5 gigawatt (GW) wind farm in Lake Victoria in south west NSW, kicking off community consultation for that project in late March.
And it was the original developer of the Golden Plains wind farm in Victoria, where construction is underway of the final 577MW stage of the massive 1,333MW project.
The 756MW Golden Plains Wind Farm Stage 1, now owned by TagEnergy, is complete and expected to start producing green energy in the first quarter of 2025, with Stage 2 to follow in mid-2027.
Once complete, Golden Plains Wind Farm will be the biggest in Australia, delivering 9% of Victoria’s energy, or enough to power more than 750,000 homes – the equivalent of every home in regional Victoria.
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| From: Eric | 7/20/2024 12:24:14 PM | | | | | | Green Energy
Electrek Green Energy Brief
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Offshore wind power
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New York’s largest offshore wind farm officially breaks ground
Michelle Lewis | Jul 19 2024 - 1:00 pm PT
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Map: Orsted
Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) announced this week that Sunrise Wind, New York’s largest offshore wind farm, has kicked off construction.
Hochul said, “By breaking ground on Sunrise Wind and advancing the next wave of offshore wind projects, New York is passing a tremendous milestone to combat climate change.”
As Electrek reported on this post on June 24, the mature offshore wind project secured the final permit it needed from the US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to start construction.
Its permitted construction and operations plan outlines the offshore wind farm’s one nautical mile wind turbine spacing, the requirements for the construction methodology for all work in federal ocean waters, and mitigation measures to protect marine habitats and species.
The 924-megawatt (MW) Sunrise Wind will generate enough clean energy to power nearly 600,000 New York households. It’s around 30 miles east of Montauk Point, Long Island, and is expected to be operational in 2026.
The project was previously a 50-50 partnership between Ørsted and Eversource, but Ørsted finalized the acquisition of Eversource’s stake for $78 million last week.
Sunrise Wind’s team will now ramp up work on the onshore transmission system, and offshore construction will kick off later this year at the project site.
The offshore power export cable will come ashore at Smith Point County Park in Brookhaven, New York, and a new converter station and an expanded existing substation will be in Holbrook, New York.
New York’s largest offshore wind farm will create 800 direct New York jobs and thousands of indirect jobs. John R. Durso, president of the Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, said, “Hundreds of local trade union men and women will have good-paying jobs building Sunrise Wind onshore and offshore. Moving this project forward will help power our grid and our regional economy.”
Sunrise Wind has finalized its agreements with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on a 25-year offshore wind renewable energy certificate (OREC) contract. It will help New York State achieve its 70% renewable electricity mandate by 2030.
The project previously canceled its contract, part of New York’s first offshore wind solicitation in 2019. Still, it reached viable power purchase agreements in February this year in the state’s fourth offshore wind solicitation.
Read more: A major US offshore wind hub just broke ground in New York City
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| From: Eric | 7/22/2024 12:52:24 PM | | | | | | New Zealand’s second largest wind farm is fully operational
Image Credit: Meridian Energy
Joshua S Hill
Jul 22, 2024
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New Zealand electricity company Meridian Energy says the country’s second biggest wind farm, the 176 megawatt (MW) Harapaki facility on the country’s North Island, has begun full operations.
The Harapaki wind farm was delivered within a month of its originally scheduled completion date and inside the $NZ448 million capital forecast. It consists of 41 SWT-DD-120 turbines from Siemens Gamesa.
Capable of generating enough electricity to power the equivalent of 70,000 homes – the equivalent of most of nearby Hawke’s Bay – the Harapaki is located north of Napier in the Maungaharuru Range.
“We’re now right in the middle of winter and every bit of generation helps,” said Guy Waipara, Meridian’s general manager for development.
“Harapaki has been generating since last November and was around 90% capacity at 30 June, but reaching full capacity means this wind farm is doing everything it can to help maintain security of supply.”
Wind energy currently accounts for only 6 per cent of New Zealand’s electricity generation, according to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).
And though this is anticipated to increase over the next few years – with several wind farms under construction or in various stages of development – current wind energy capacity sits at just over 1GW. The biggest wind farm is the 220 MW Turitea project near Palmerston North.
New Zealand has plans to build out its wind energy capacity to generate 20 per cent of the country’s electricity by 2030, and potentially as much as 34 per cent by 2035.
The country is also exploring the potential development of offshore wind farms, with the government announcing in 2022 the development of regulatory settings to enable investment in offshore renewable energy.
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