NEI Winter 2024

Winter 2024

GREEN CERTIFICATIONS AND CARBON CREDITS BIOFUELS: FOCUS INTERVIEW: COP28

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The Current State of the Energy Transition: Navigating a Sustainable Future

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he world is at a critical juncture in its pursuit of a sustainable and low-carbon future. The energy transition, a global movement aimed at shifting from fossil fuels to cleaner and more sustainable sources of energy, is gaining momentum. As we stand on the cusp of a new era, it is crucial to examine the current state of the energy transition and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

One of the most notable developments in the energy transition is the rapid growth of renewable energy sources. Solar and wind power, in particular, have seen substantial increases in capacity and efficiency.

The falling costs of solar panels and wind turbines have made these technologies more accessible, driving a global expansion of renewable energy projects. Governments, corporations, and individuals are increasingly investing in clean energy solutions, signaling a shift away from traditional fossil fuels.

While renewable energy sources are abundant, the intermittent nature of wind and solar power poses challenges to grid stability. Energy storage technologies, such as advanced batteries, are becoming increasingly crucial in addressing these challenges. Breakthroughs in battery technology have improved energy storage capacity and efficiency, enabling the integration of more renewable energy into the grid. This development is essential for ensuring a reliable and consistent power supply from clean sources.

Governments worldwide are recognizing the urgency of addressing climate change and are implementing policies to support the energy transition. This includes setting ambitious renewable energy targets, offering financial incentives, and establishing regulations that encourage sustainable practices. International agreements, such as the Paris Agreement, further underline the global commitment to reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

Despite the progress made, the energy transition faces significant challenges. One major obstacle is the existing infrastructure built around fossil fuels.

Transitioning away from these entrenched systems requires massive investments in new technologies and infrastructure. Additionally, the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources poses challenges to grid reliability and necessitates innovative solutions in energy storage and distribution.

Technology and innovation play a pivotal role in driving the energy transition forward. Continued research and development are essential for enhancing the efficiency of renewable technologies, reducing costs, and addressing technical challenges. Emerging technologies, such as advanced nuclear power and green hydrogen production, hold promise for further diversifying the clean energy landscape.

Many corporations are recognizing the importance of sustainability and are committing to reducing their carbon footprint. Investors, too, are increasingly considering environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors when making investment decisions. This shift in corporate and investor priorities is influencing business strategies and driving the adoption of sustainable practices.

The current state of the energy transition reflects a global commitment to mitigating climate change and creating a sustainable future. While progress has been significant, there are challenges that must be addressed to ensure a smooth and equitable transition. Continued collaboration between governments, businesses, and communities, coupled with advancements in technology, will be crucial in navigating the complexities of this transformative journey. The energy transition is not just a change in how we power our world; it is a fundamental shift towards a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive global energy landscape. •

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CONTENTS Green Certifications and Carbon Credits The biogas industry stands at the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and renewable energy. Derived from organic materials, biogas is a versatile fuel that holds the promise of addressing environmental concerns while meeting the increasing demand for energy.

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NEWS - HYDROGEN Air Products to Build Europe’s Largest Blue Hydrogen Plant All-New Integrated GW-Grade Hydrogen Production Solution with Green Electricity

Interview: How COP28 Could Boost Green Hydrogen

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An interview with Frank Wouters, The veteran energy sector analyst wants to see clear commitments to triple renewables by 2030 and much more money to move green H2 projects to FID; ‘getting gigawatts into Mauritania’

Elevating Wind Energy: Innovative Solutions

Marlow

Ropes’

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It’s no surprise that the wind energy industry is growing, and increasing energy demands and carbon reduction goals will no doubt continue to drive rapid expansion in the coming decades. Accordingly, there has been a global surge in the on and off-shore installation and repowering of wind farms.

Giant Wind Farm Comes to New Mexico

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All-time High Wind Energy: France to Produce Over 30 Per Cent More Wind Power in 2023

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NEWS -WIND ENERGY

Power of 10 for Next Generation Microgrids Two big energy industry trends are localisation and sustainability.

Localisation of power generation and sustainability through the ability integrate with Variable Renewable Energy Resources (VRERs).

NEWS -BIOFUELS NEWS - SOLAR POWER EVENTS

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COVER STORY

Green Certifications and Carbon Credits: One Company’s Role in Shaping a Sustainable Future The biogas industry stands at the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and renewable energy. Derived from organic materials, biogas is a versatile fuel that holds the promise of addressing environmental concerns while meeting the increasing demand for energy. This article delves into the intricacies of the biogas industry, and how C-Zero Markets actively supports and contributes to the growth of the biogas sector, playing a pivotal role in advancing sustainable solutions for a greener future. Below we will explore biogas’ origins, production processes, applications, and the environmental benefits it offers.

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iogas has ancient roots, with early civilizations using organic waste to produce methane for heating and lighting. However, it wasn’t until the 20th century that the modern biogas industry began to take shape. The realization of the potential of harnessing methane from organic matter, such as agricultural waste and sewage, laid the foundation for the development of this eco-friendly energy source.

Biogas is primarily produced through a process called anaerobic digestion. This involves the decomposition of organic matter by microorganisms in the absence of oxygen, leading to the production of methane and carbon dioxide. The raw materials for biogas production can vary widely, including agricultural residues, organic municipal waste, animal manure, and energy crops.

Biogas is a versatile energy source with a range of applications. One of the most common uses is for electricity and heat generation. Biogas can be used in combined heat and power (CHP) systems to produce both electricity and useful heat. Additionally, it can be upgraded to biomethane—a purified form of biogas—which can be used as a vehicle fuel or injected into natural gas pipelines.

Biomethane Energy Biomethane, often referred to as renewable natural gas (RNG) when upgraded to pipeline quality, is a purified form of biogas. It shares its origins with biogas, originating from the anaerobic digestion of organic materials such as agricultural residues, municipal waste, and animal manure. However, biomethane undergoes additional processing to elevate its methane content and remove impurities, making it suitable for injection into natural gas pipelines and various other applications.

The upgrading process involves removing contaminants such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and moisture from raw biogas, increasing its methane concentration to at least 90% or higher.

Common upgrading methods include pressure swing adsorption, water scrubbing, amine scrubbing, and membrane separation. Each method has its advantages and is chosen based on factors such as feedstock composition and

scale of production.

Injection into Natural Gas Grids: One of the primary uses of biomethane is injecting it into existing natural gas grids. This allows for the distribution and utilization of renewable energy in the same way as conventional natural gas.

Biomethane is gaining traction as a sustainable and low-carbon alternative to traditional fossil fuels for transportation. It can be used as compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) in vehicles, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector.

Biomethane is considered a carbon-neutral fuel because the carbon dioxide released during combustion is part of the natural carbon cycle. The carbon emitted was initially absorbed by the plants during their growth, creating a closed-loop system.

By capturing and utilizing methane from organic waste, biomethane production helps mitigate the release of methane—a potent greenhouse gas—into the atmosphere. This is particularly crucial, given the environmental impact of methane on global warming.

Biomethane production creates economic

opportunities for farmers, waste treatment facilities, and other stakeholders involved in the supply chain. It not only provides a revenue stream but also helps manage and repurpose organic waste, addressing environmental challenges.

Biomethane represents a promising avenue for sustainable energy production. Its versatility, coupled with environmental and economic benefits, positions it as a key player in the transition to a more sustainable and low-carbon energy landscape. As technology continues to advance, biomethane is likely to play an increasingly significant role in the renewable energy sector.

Many governments around the world offer incentives and subsidies to promote the production and use of biomethane. These policies aim to support the transition to cleaner energy sources, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and achieve sustainability targets.

C-Zero Markets C-Zero provides assistance to companies and organizations on their journey to achieving net-zero carbon by 2040 through renewable energy and emission reduction solutions.

“The market for voluntary carbon offsets took

a decade to grow 50%, 2018 saw just 56 million metric tons of traded offsets, but by 2019 the market reached 73 million tons, and last year saw a record 95 million tons sold. By 2030, the market for offsets will be worth over $100 billion.” Mike Ridler, CEO at C-Zero.

“At C-Zero, we see “Net Zero” as a pathway and strategy and not as an additional requirement or burden but as a process and one unique to each company.” Bruce Brown, C-Zero.

Here are some solutions as we all navigate the transition: •

They can assess your business operations and carbon responsibility.

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Invest in avoidance activities both within your organization and beyond operational boundaries to expedite decarbonization.

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Back renewable power generation through green certificates and offsets.

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Invest in carbon sinks and “removal,” whether through nature-based solutions like woodlands or peat, or technologybased solutions such as capture and storage.

C-Zero are dedicated to assisting businesses and organizations in the reduction and offsetting of their carbon emissions. They collaborate with companies to actualize their decarbonization strategies and meet their targets. With a team boasting decades of experience, they specialize in comprehending climate risks and opportunities within specific sectors.

Carbon Zero Markets both trades in and can assist in submitting claims for many different products that help companies reduce their carbon footprint. Here is a breakdown of the types of products they can help you with: Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) are certificates in the United Kingdom that certify the renewable origin of electricity generated. They provide transparency and allow consumers to choose energy from renewable sources.

Plans for the construction of two carbon capture plants are set to be approved at Britain’s biggest power station.

Drax Group said it planned to spend billions of pounds on building facilities to capture and store carbon emissions from two of its four biomass units. It is aiming to convert at least one of its units to so-called BECCS, (Bio Energy Carbon Capture) by 2030.

C-Zero Markets, among the first to collaborate with DRAX on their BECCS Credits, is set to play a key role in facilitating the carbon capture and storage initiatives as part of DRAX Group’s plans to convert biomass units to BECCS by 2030. This partnership could contribute to advancing the development of one of the world’s largest engineered carbon removal projects, positioning the Humber and the UK as global centers for BECCS development.

More details here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/drax-setfor-green-light-on-plans-for-carbon-capture-plants-lddlhtwpp

Renewable Gas Guarantees of Origin (RGGOs) serve a similar purpose but specifically for renewable gases like biomethane. These certificates ensure the renewable origin of the gas, promoting the use of sustainable alternatives in the energy sector.

Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates (RTFCs) are related to the transportation sector and certify the renewable origin of fuels used in vehicles. These certificates encourage the adoption of cleaner and more sustainable transportation fuels.

Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) are a part of the UK’s renewable energy support scheme. They are issued to renewable energy generators, providing evidence of

the renewable origin of the electricity they produce. ROCs help meet renewable energy targets.

Guarantees of Origin (GoOs) are broader certificates used across Europe to verify the renewable origin of energy. They cover both electricity and gas, providing a standard for tracking and promoting renewable energy use.

Carbon Credits are a market-based mechanism aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These credits represent a reduction or removal of one ton of carbon dioxide equivalent and can be traded to incentivize emission reduction initiatives globally. They play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by promoting sustainable practices and investments in emission reduction projects.

As governments worldwide incentivize the production and use of biomethane, companies like C-Zero play a pivotal role in guiding businesses towards achieving net-zero carbon goals. Their expertise in trading and assisting with various carbon reduction solutions, from REGOs to carbon credits, exemplifies a commitment to navigating the transition to a greener future. With the growing market for carbon offsets and a focus on decarbonization strategies, the biogas industry and its associated certifications emerge as integral components in the global effort to combat climate change and build a more sustainable world.

If you would like to know more about how C-Zero Markets can help your company and its operations, please contact them at: C-Zero Markets Tel: +44 1252 268 573 Website: https://www.c-zeromarkets.com Email: info@c-zeromarkets.com

NEWS - HYDROGEN Air Products to Build Europe’s Largest Blue Hydrogen Plant

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ir Products today announced it will build, own and operate a stateof-the-art carbon capture and carbon dioxide (CO2) treatment facility at its existing hydrogen production plant in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The facility is expected to be on-stream in 2026, and the resulting “blue” hydrogen product to serve ExxonMobil’s (Esso) Rotterdam refinery and additional customers via Air Products’ hydrogen pipeline network system. This will be the largest blue hydrogen plant in Europe once operational.

The carbon capture retrofit will capture CO2 from Air Products’ existing hydrogen plant and ExxonMobil’s Rotterdam refinery. The plant will be connected to the Porthos system, a consortium developing the first large-scale CO2 transport and storage system in the Netherlands which recently reached final investment decision approval. Along with CO2 from other industry in the port of Rotterdam, the captured CO2 will be transported to depleted gas fields in the North Sea, approximately 20 kilometers off the coast, where it will be permanently stored at a depth of more than three kilometers beneath the seabed.

Porthos allows Air Products to more than halve its CO2 emissions in the port of Rotterdam. This represents a substantial step for reducing Air Products’ direct emissions in the short term and contributes to meeting the Dutch National Climate Agreement targets. At the same time, Air Products is working hard to further decarbonise its own activities and those of its customers by realising plans to make green hydrogen available from imported renewable energy in the port of Rotterdam.

The project is being undertaken as part of long-term agreements with ExxonMobil and the Dutch State. Blue hydrogen from Air Products’ hydrogen production plant will help customers in industry and mobility transition, whilst also creating and retaining jobs in an important industrial area.

“Air Products has been actively present and investing in Rotterdam for decades,” commented Chief Operating Officer Dr. Samir J. Serhan.

“Industrial companies here are continually looking for ways to realize synergies, create economies of scale, drive energy efficiencies and ultimately decarbonise. This project fulfils that demand. By sequestering CO2 through Porthos and bringing additional blue hydrogen to ExxonMobil and other customers, we can help generate a cleaner future.”

“ExxonMobil aims to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from its operated assets by 2050 and we’ve taken a comprehensive approach to create emission-reduction roadmaps for each of our facilities,” said Edward Dekker Kleijn, Rotterdam Site Manager. “We are pleased to build on our collaboration with Air Products to lower our environmental footprint. Carbon Capture and Storage is one of the critical technologies required to achieve the climate goals. This project is a great example of how industry works together to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the Rotterdam port area.” •

Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor Launches Prefeasibility Study AFRY Management Consulting wins tender for pre-feasibility study Study to be ready by the middle of 2024 Project expected by 2030

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FRY Management Consulting Oy will be charged with conducting the study and analysing the conditions of the development of cross-border hydrogen infrastructure from Finland through the Baltic countries and Poland to Germany.

The study is expected to be completed by the middle of 2024.

The project aims to connect production regions in Northern Europe to consumers in Central Europe and is expected to be implemented by 2030.

In November 2023, the project was granted project of common interest (PCI) status by the European Commission. Later in December TSOs Gasgrid Finland, Elering, Conexus Baltic Grid, Amber Grid, Gaz-System, and Ontras signed a cooperation agreement on jointly promoting the project.

Based on the pre-feasibility study results, a decision on the continuation of the project development will be made. The following phases would include engineering and permitting, construction and commissioning.

According to ICIS forecasts, German hydrogen supply is expected to reach around 65TWh/year by 2030, the largest demand cluster along the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor’s route.

Polish supply is forecast to reach approximately 30TWh/year by the same time. Finish, Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian supply are forecast to jointly add up to around 16TWh/year.

The Commission’s PCI list announced on 28 November included 166 projects, out of which 65 involved hydrogen. Over 20 of the projects cover German hydrogen networks. •

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HYDROGEN

All-New Integrated GW-Grade Hydrogen Production Solution with Green Electricity SANY Hydrogen, the hydrogen energy subsidiary of SANY, has announced the grand launch of the world’s largest single hydrogen electrolyzer. The new S-series square electrolyzer can produce 3,000 standard cubic meters of hydrogen per hour using renewable electricity. This milestone accelerates the adoption of clean energy technologies by industries and marks progress in SANY’s efforts to fuel the shift to greener solutions.

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t the latest COP28, a strategy for phasing out fossil fuels was endorsed, representing a tangible and significant approach to climate action. However, the GW-Grade hydrogen production method using renewable energy faces three critical challenges: elevated costs of production, increased maintenance requirements, and inconsistency in performance.

SANY’s S Series 3,000-standard-cubic-meter square electrolyzer has set a new industry benchmark with significantly lower system costs and an improved green electricity utilization rate as a practical solution for large-scale applications. It boasts an operation current density of 10,000A/m2 to guarantee high production efficiency, improves green electricity utilization rate by 10 percent, and cuts the maintenance cost by 30 percent.

The latest GW-GRADE offering from SANY Hydrogen capitalizes on the fundamental strengths of the S Series lineup, which includes a compact footprint, modular construction, increased current density, and pressurized operation, among others, to forge a new trajectory for the mass production and utilization of green hydrogen.

The company’s breakthroughs and industry cooperation achievements include the establishment of an alkaline electrolyzer production line boasting annual capacity of 1.5GW, and it has taken the lead in tackling the core technologies such as automatic argon

arc welding, prefabricated pressure pipeline, high-precision electrolyzer stacking, as well as the mass production of alkaline electrolyzer systems from 500 to 2,000 standard cubic meters and 4,000 standard-cubic-meter allin-one separation and purification system.

The 20MW electrolyzer test platform developed by SANY Hydrogen has been put into use, laying a solid foundation for its product development and rapid iteration.

“The new launch of GW-Grade solution and large-capacity electrolyzer represents the

opening of a new chapter of SANY’s hydrogen technology development. With a strong commitment to a strategy of globalization, intelligent and digital-centric, and low-carbon transformation, SANY Group is focused on putting forward new solutions for various scaled hydrogen production scenarios from wind to green power and has successfully overcome the technical challenges of the large-scale electrolyzer and taken a solid step in the industrialization of hydrogen energy equipment,” said Xiang Wenbo, rotating chairman of SANY. In the future, SANY Hydrogen will continue to boost R&D investment and empower the global green energy transition, making greater contributions to the popularization and application of clean energy.

SANY has set an ambitious goal to become China’s largest provider of integrated hydrogen solutions in five years and lead global industry transformation, and it is laying out a comprehensive hydrogen industry chain covering green production, storage, transportation, and refueling equipment.

SANY Hydrogen has a focus on elevating the core technological innovation and achieving a closed supply chain across the entire industry ecosystem to support China’s 2030/2060 “Dual Carbon” goals. •

LLC_HydrogenAdvert_A4.qxp_Layout 1 15/01/2024 12:32 Page 1

POWER TO THE FUTURE

HYDROGEN

Interview: How COP28 Could Boost Green Hydrogen How COP28 can boost green hydrogen – an interview with Frank Wouters The veteran energy sector analyst wants to see clear commitments to triple renewables by 2030 and much more money to move green H2 projects to FID; ‘getting gigawatts into Mauritania’ Frank Wouters is Senior Vice President, Reliance Industries Ltd. He is Chairman, MENA Hydrogen Alliance and Chairman of the Advisory Board, Dii Desert Energy. He is Co-president of Long Duration Energy Storage Council, which is a founding member of the Global Renewables Alliance. He serves on the board of several associations and is Director of MED-GEM to create and operate a Mediterranean Green Electrons & Molecules (MED-GEM) Network.

Energy & Utilities Frank, how are you engaging with COP28?

Frank Wouters In many ways. I will moderate a session with thyssenkrupp. I will also be there as part of the Long Duration Energy Storage Council, a founding member of the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA), which is an ‘anchor organization’ in the renewables space. We will be at COP28, located next to IRENA. We are champions of the tripling renewables by 2030 target. GRA, IRENA, and the COP28 Presidency together launched our report last month (Tripling renewable power and doubling energy efficiency by 2030: Crucial steps towards 1.5°C).

E&U For advocates of hydrogen and related technologies, what will be good outcomes of COP28?

FW There’s two for me.

First that countries don’t just pledge but actually give money for what they have committed to for years. We’ve been lagging in earlier targets, such as the $100bn per year that never fully materialized. Now there is loss and damage.

Then, the tripling of the renewables target is instrumental for hydrogen, because without it we can’t make green hydrogen.

E&U The tripling of renewables by 2030 should be clearly stated?

FW It is a clear target of the Presidency. But it’s a political bargaining chip. In the pre-COP discussions we haven’t seen breakthroughs in the sense that this is very clear, it’s going to happen.

You would think that tripling renewables doesn’t hurt anyone, it’s sensible, so is should be easy but as a bargaining chip it may become political and difficult.

E&U The IEA has said that renewable power production will need to increase by a factor of 10 to achieve hydrogen production targets in 2050. In this context, it seems like the tripling of renewable power by 2030 looks like an achievable objective.

FW Yes, but we still need to do it. Part of where we’re struggling is mobilizing capital, especially for developing countries. Looking at where it

makes sense to build more renewables, there is a lot more space in Africa, the Sahel region, the Sahara, and elsewhere, and these places have fantastic renewable energy resources.

But it’s difficult to mobilize capital to get to these investments.

Compare that to my village in the Netherlands, 40 percent of roofs have solar panels, because people have money to invest and it saves them money. But getting gigawatts into Mauritania, that’s where we need a lot more focus. We’re told it’s too high risk, etcetera. We need to figure something out.

E&U Mauritania has one of the ten largest hydrogen proposals in the world now.

FW Yes. E&U Another big one is NEOM, which has actually closed financing, started construction, secured an off-take agreement.

Is it the leading green hydrogen project in the world now?

FW It’s the only one at the scale that we need. The financial close earlier this year had something like 23 banks involved. The offtake is with Air Products, which is one of the three partners, and I suspect they financed it with a large chunk of their balance sheet.

We need to go beyond that, because there is a

limit to companies’ balance sheets. We need to go into project finance, where the financing is based on future cashflows.

And the question is, how to kick-start that?

The IEA recently made an analysis, there is a growing pipeline of green hydrogen projects, but the actual FIDs are lagging. It’s only about 4 percent of all the initiatives are close to or reached FID. So, there’s still something missing. I think industry has been doing its part, the growing pipeline of projects is testament to that. Now it’s up to governments again.

Because obviously there is still the cost gap.

In making green hydrogen, you’re competing with other things, where maybe the carbon pricing doesn’t cover the emissions harm.

And we’re not making electrolysers at any scale, they’re still expensive, so we have to go down on the cost curve. It can only be done by actually building systems.

So there is still a cost gap that, one way or other, somebody has to pay for.

What we’re seeing now, the government incentives, whether quotas, subsidies, etcetera, are not yet there.

I think, right now, we have to get governments to make these things work and get the industry going. Like we did for renewables. We had all

kinds of support mechanisms, and now it’s in the money it’s commercial.

With hydrogen we still need to go through that phase.

E&U You’ve said before, we have to move fast and take big steps. Where are we moving fast now? Any good news on the horizon?

FW Again, the pipeline is there. In Mauritania, in Australia, in Oman, in Namibia.

But these projects haven’t closed, because it’s still not clear who’s going to buy all that stuff, under what conditions and why. That’s where governments need to come in.

There are some attempts. The Germans have started H2 Global, that’s now being Europeanized with the Hydrogen Bank, there’s about $3bn in that bank, by no means enough to get to the gigawatts, actually terawatts that we need.

So we still need to think and innovate, especially on the financing side. Concerning offtake, why would anyone pay the premium, which there is for a number of years, until we’re in the money.

I haven’t seen the silver bullet yet – that one simple, scalable model where an industry can really start replicating projects.

We had feed-in tariffs for a long time, at the beginning of renewables, which were really simple and replicable.

We need something along those lines. Right now we have a complex system of support structures, which obviously are not yet good enough.

In Europe we have carbon pricing, CBAM, subsidies, quotas, auctions on the supply side and off-take side.

The Germans launched the first H2 Global auction in November last year, they haven’t signed yet. What I’m hearing is early next year.

So it’s complex, we’re getting there, but we also need to simplify things.

billion this summer because nobody was signing contracts, before the announcement of the hubs. So there, even with the $3 per kilo, we’re not there yet.

pipelines to Europe, that would be great.

E&U What about Oman, the large project at Duqm, and Egypt? These seem to be the largest projects in the Middle East, in addition to NEOM.

Part of what’s exciting in Oman, as well as in Egypt, is actually using the green hydrogen domestically to make products to sell. To make green ammonia, ‘green steel’, which is also something Mauritania is looking toward, selling green steel to Europe rather than the more complex route of selling the fuel.

FW In Oman, I think the government is doing good work, they’re building shared infrastructure for the projects to begin.

Initially they were all, let’s say, unsolicited proposals, which is fine. Then the government ran auctions. The risk is that you get disjointed initiatives in a country. The government has said, let us build the infrastructure, pipelines, water, electricity, etc.

That’s an approach you would like to see, where the government takes charge. Obviously the Omani government is not that wealthy, that it can cover all of the cost difference, so they are looking at mostly export at the moment.

E&U What about the US ‘hydrogen hubs’, which are funded.

Then the question is, where to sell the hydrogen or ammonia, who’s going to pay the premium, and why?

FW It’s good, it’s $9bn, a billion or so for each hub, it’s a good catalyst, can start building ecosystems. But if you look at the bigger scheme of things, we just need a lot more. We need to be thinking in the scale of hundreds of billions.

People are looking at Europe for obvious reasons. Same for Egypt.

E&U Egypt seems to have unique geographic advantage. Otherwise it faces the same lack of funding.

The US Energy secretary had to pitch in another

FW

Yes. Egypt could eventually build

But in the short-term people are looking more toward liquids, looking at ammonia, and others.

And when you make green steel, what else can you make from this in the country? This is exciting with a lot of promise. But we still need to close the cost gap.

E&U Is there a similar possibility for NEOM green hydrogen, for domestic industry to launch the market?

FW Yes. In refining, and other areas, there’s a lot you can do, more efficient than sending the fuels to Europe for further processing or use.

Obviously, Saudi Arabia doesn’t have a price on carbon, so there it becomes a little more complex. But if you can find a way of recognizing the carbon footprint impact, that would be fantastic. I know the NEOM people are looking at it.

But the carbon border adjustment mechanism – the CBAM in Europe – could be something that can actually make it happen. That’s now operational and given the low cost of hydrogen in Saudi Arabia, it’s much cheaper to produce it there than in Europe.

E&U It seems the Saudis would have the resources to close the carbon price gap, in a way other countries don’t, to get a domestic hydrogen industry going.

FW Yes. But experience also shows that any kind of subsidies is not endless. What would really help is a price on carbon, which has proven to be the most cost effective to actually reduce emissions. We’ve seen this in Europe.

They’ve started, there is infrastructure now, the Saudi stock exchange has a carbon trading platform, same in the UAE, for voluntary schemes. Hopefully soon we will have a carbon pricing mechanism.

E&U A key technology will be long duration energy storage. Do you see an industry arising in the Middle East?

FW Yes. Here we have very low-cost renewables.

Of course renewables are in the money now almost anywhere in the world. You see a rapid uptake of renewables, but a much slower buildout of grids.

What LDES provides is atually a solution for gird congestion. It takes 10 years on average in the US and Europe to build a grid expansion. We’re seeing massive bottlenecks, the ‘dark figure’ is 1500 GW of renewable power that could be deployed in almost shovel-ready initiatives, not being built because the grids are not there.

A grid requires 10 years, you can build a wind farm in two years, and that has been happening.

And LDES is a short-term fix for this.

Longer term you need it for many reasons.

But short term the grid congestion is going to be a massive driver. There are several ways to manage the variability of renewables, it’s either interconnection, or storage, or dispatchable supply. I think LDES will greatly increase because the interconnection is more difficult.

E&U What technologies are most interesting for LDES? FW Everything has a place. There are a number of different technologies, chemical, electrochemical, heat, gravity based. The major difference our council sees, with something more established like lithium-ion, is that they scale differently.

LI battery systems scale linearly. With other battery technologies, such as flow batteries, cost tapers down the longer the duration. That is why the longer-term storage tech is interesting, because it becomes cheaper with longer duration.

It’s still early days, so a lot of the technologies still need to prove themselves in economic terms and technical terms, but they are promising.

E&U Is there a key number for LDES – 12 hours or 18 hours?

FW Not really. The definition is anything beyond 8 hours. It can be intra-day, weeks, even seasonal.

The European natural gas demand is 400bn cubic meters per year, with 100bn cubic meters in storage. To de-fossilize this in the future, we will still need seasonal storage. That can be cost effectively done with hydrogen. That’s why you need the chemical conversion, electricity

into molecules, for peak use when needed in winter.

E&U Would there be a unique Middle East market for LDES? FW I don’t think so. Almost 80 percent of last year’s power generation worldwide was with renewables. It’s a very clear trend because it’s now cheaper than anything else and has no carbon footprint. But it’s variable.

So the need for storage is growing with the addition of renewables. And again it gets squeezed with the grid. That’s a universal problem.

E&U Is there a need to strengthen international power connections in the region?

FW Definitely. The gird needs massive investment.

Because electricity with renewables is cheap, without emissions, so you want to use as much as you can. For that you need the grid.

So what you want to have is at least 50 percent direct electrification. Now electricity is 20 percent of final energy, the rest is molecules, we want to increase it to 50, so two-and-half times more electricity, it goes to heat pumps, it goes to EVs, to industry, etcetera. But we need the grid in places where new generation is going to be. Which is offshore wind in Europe, solar from the desert, you still need to take this to the load centres.

So yes, we need to work on the grid much

more.

E&U To think of it as regional, rather than national, perhaps the GCCIA needs to become something more like a European system with a spot market and easier movement of power?

FW That is under discussion. What is also interesting also is the India – Middle East – Europe corridor, which was launched at the G20 in India this summer, with an electricity backbone as part of it, as well as hydrogen.

E&U Going back to COP28, the MENA nations have their own council at the summits, what should they be asking for at this Summit?

FW I think we’re not tapping into the potential of the deserts yet. There’s a number of initiatives, great potential, but we need to think ‘outside the box’ in terms of how to finance these.

Again, the potential for really low-cost hydrogen and ‘green electricity’ in Mauritania is a great example. It’s massive. So it’s a fantastic resource, and we all think it’s a risky investment, because of the risk, the country credit rating, and so forth. And financing cost makes the investment more costly than its needs to be.

So if we find ways to market the products that Mauritania can make with its great renewable resource, internationally, that will reduce the cost of finance.

E&U So it comes back to that promised $100 bn?

FW For the energy transition, we need at least that, to open the potential of the region, of the deserts.

You know it’s relatively easy to finance something in Saudi Arabia, but a lot more difficult in Tunisia or Mauritania, or Libya, or even Egypt. So how can we connect markets in a smart way so that the investments are not as expensive as they currently are, for whatever reason that people think is risk related.

E&U So we should look for new money coming out of COP? FW Yes. E&U Thank you Frank for a very interesting discussion.

FW My pleasure. •

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HYDROGEN - NEWS Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association on Clean Hydrogen Guidance

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rank Wolak, the President and CEO of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) issued the following statement in response to the release of guidance on the Section 45V Credit for Production of Clean Hydrogen by the U.S. Department of Treasury: ”The guidance announced today by the Biden-Harris administration will place unnecessary burdens on the still nascent clean hydrogen industry. The nation needs common sense solutions for this tax credit that are aligned with the congressional intent to spur robust economic development and create jobs while reducing carbon emissions.”

“Congress intended the tax credit to spur domestic clean hydrogen production and allow the United States to maintain an international competitive advantage, not to be an inadvertent backdoor to regulate use of the electric utility grid.”

“The United States cannot achieve its climate goals without clean hydrogen and these proposed regulations and requirements will unnecessarily hold back our domestic industry, driving investment, manufacturing, and technology leadership overseas.”

“FCHEA and members will continue to engage throughout the comment process to advocate for appropriate rules to enable the scaleup required for the clean hydrogen industry to prosper and contribute to our national decarbonization goals.” •

Air Products to Showcase Decarbonization Solutions at POWERGEN International in New Orleans, Louisiana

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ir Products (NYSE:APD) will highlight how its industrial gases, such as hydrogen, can help the power industry generate a cleaner future and reach its decarbonization goals at POWERGEN International, from Jan 23-25, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

With more than 80 years of industrial gas experience and as the world’s largest supplier of hydrogen, Air Products has the expertise needed to be a decarbonization partner to the power generation industry as it works to transition to sustainable energy. Air Products has publicly stated it will commit at least $15 billion through 2027 to clean energy projects around the world to accelerate the energy transition and build the low- and zero-carbon hydrogen economy.

Those attending POWERGEN International are invited to stop by Air Products’ booth #2644 to speak with an industry specialist and learn more about how power generators can replace or blend natural gas with low-carbon intensity hydrogen to reduce carbon emissions and meet sustainability goals. Air Products’ experts will also be on hand to discuss how power generators can utilize oxygen to improve combustion efficiency, find potential carbon capture and sequestration solutions, or introduce hydrogen to a company’s process to reduce emissions.

Air Products’ Tim Lebrecht, industry manager, chemicals and clean energy processes, will present at POWERGEN International on the topic of “Hydrogen Use Cases and Supply Options,” from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. CST on Thursday, Jan. 25 in Room 207 of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. In his presentation, Lebrecht will discuss Air Products’ approach to natural gas blending, equipment retrofits and integration strategies for hydrogen use. He will talk about how the adoption of hydrogen in power generation will be a phased approach with significant operational variability depending on equipment and scale. Lebrecht also will discuss the potential and optimal approaches to hydrogen supply and operability for boilers, gas turbines, and microgrids using stationary fuel cells/internal combustion engines for long-term supply as well as short-term trials.

POWERGEN International is the premier networking and business hub for power generation professionals and solution providers.

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WIND ENERGY

Elevating Wind Energy: Marlow Ropes’ Innovative Solutions Revolutionize Safety, Efficiency, and Sustainability It’s no surprise that the wind energy industry is growing, and increasing energy demands and carbon reduction goals will no doubt continue to drive rapid expansion in the coming decades. Accordingly, there has been a global surge in the on and off-shore installation and repowering of wind farms. With tremendous industrial support required for the construction, operation and maintenance of the massive wind turbine structures, performance, safety and reliability are important considerations. Marlow Ropes offers a full range of synthetic fiber rope solutions that deliver these benefits in a broad range of applications and provide alternatives for more costly, cumbersome and hazardous traditional approaches.

Expert Applications As a leading British rope manufacturer across the defense, working at height and marine industries, Marlow’s engineering team has applied its skill and expertise to the development of high-specification rope products that meet the complex technical requirements of the wind energy sector. Marlow’s synthetic fiber rope solutions are used in a range of diverse applications including lowering and lifting, winching, mooring, cable pulling, wire rope replacement, guy lines and general rigging.

To assist with these operations, Marlow’s bespoke manufacturing capability has led to the development of synthetic fiber lifting slings, undersea tethers, mooring ropes, winch ropes and permanent-installationassemblies such as anode hangers and riser tethers.

Working at Height Vital to the successful operation of wind turbines is ensuring they are functioning at maximum capacity. Wind turbine inspections, maintenance and repairs are done primarily by technicians using rope access - a relatively safe and cost-effective method of accessing wind turbine blades, towers, foundations and other components. In recent years, Marlow has seen the rise of robotic drones being used for inspection and has subsequently developed

a Dyneema® fiber solution to assist in the drones’ deployment.

In many cases, rope access eliminates the need for large and expensive equipment such as scaffolding, cranes and raised work platforms.

Marlow has a synthetic rope solution to facilitate turbine inspection, maintenance and repair, whether done by human or drone.

Its award-winning static rope range is used around the world and trusted by rope access professionals requiring durable, certified work positioning and rigging ropes. In addition, Marlow offers an innovative hard-wearing product range that focuses on abrasion and heatresistant ropes for working in hazardous or inhospitable environments.

Manufacturing with the World’s Strongest Fiber A cornerstone of Marlow’s success and strong reputation is the advanced technology applied in its manufacturing process. Marlow uses state-of-the-art synthetic fibers such as Dyneema®, Biobased Dyneema®, HMPE and aramids so its rope solutions are able to meet

technical requirements with superior safety, handling and performance characteristics.

Each product is engineered to deliver specific benefits - light weight, high strength, high strength to weight ratio, high or low stretch, flexibility, and resistance to abrasion, corrosion, heat, wear and UV – according to the precise specification.

Known as the world’s strongest fiber,

“So much of our work is in the heavy industrial setting these days that it’s hard for us not to use the Protec 500 rope by Marlow. This rope has it all. With its 32 Plait cover that is 100% Technora®, we don’t have to worry about minor abrasive edges or surfaces damaging it. With built-in indicators that lose their color when exposed to high temperatures, we can easily inspect for any heat damage. I love this rope.” ~ Trask Bradbury, Co-Owner/Operator at Masterpoint Rope Access Solutions

Dyneema® (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene or high modulus polyethylene) is an ingredient material in many of Marlow’s highest performance ropes. Dyneema® synthetic fiber is 6x lighter than steel wire for a given strength and 60% stronger than steel for a given diameter. This strong, durable fiber is not subject to risk of corrosion or water shrinkage resulting from the ocean environment, has low creep, and is chemical and UV-resistant. Various grades of Dyneema® deliver increased benefits over generic HMPE. SK99, for example, offers significantly higher strength - about 15% better than SK75 or generic HMPE - and SK78 and DM20 feature extremely low (or even zero) creep and elongation. In the spirit of sustainability, Marlow’s eco-friendly Bio-based Dyneema® uses waste from the pulp and timber industry as its raw material but delivers identical technical characteristics and performance as conventional

Dyneema®.

Material Capabilities Aramids (polyamides), such as Kevlar, Technora® and Twaron, are low stretch, high-strength fibers with excellent resistance to creep and high temperatures. Marlow’s range of specialized heat resistant safety and access ropes utilize Technora to provide these properties. For extreme heat situations, such as around hot pipes and in welding operations, Marlow’s Protec 500 rope access rope contains high visibility indicators that will melt or fuse if exposed to temperatures over 250°c (482°F), providing visual and tactile evidence of high temperature exposure for added safety. Ropes made with aramids are favored for escape cords,

specialist assemblies or any application where heat or creep is an issue.

Another primary material used in Marlow’s ropes is high-tenacity polyester - a synthetic material that has very good resistance to UV and abrasion, and its strength, elongation and suppleness are unaffected by water. These characteristics make high-tenacity polyester a good choice for winch ropes, mooring lines and tethers on a configuration which itself is sensitive to installation tolerances.

Summary As the wind energy sector continues its growth trajectory, the need for industrial support to construct, operate and maintain wind turbine structures will expand along with it. Marlow Ropes’ synthetic fiber rope solutions are used in a multitude of applications in the industry and are playing a key role in improving efficiency, precision and safety.

If you would like to know more about how Marlow Ropes can help your company and its operations, please contact them at: Marlow Ropes T: +1-508-830-0444 W: https://www.marlowropes.com/showcase/ wind-energy/ E: salesusa@marlowropes.com

Trask Bradbury, Co-Owner/Operator at Masterpoint Rope Access Solutions.

WIND ENERGY

Giant Wind Farm Comes to New Mexico Getting renewable electricity to big population centers is a growing challenge in the United States, but in the high desert of central New Mexico a plan is coming together. There, near the tiny town of Corona, GE Vernova will deploy 674 of its new “workhorse” 3.6-154 wind turbines* for the SunZia project and its developer, Pattern Energy. When completed in 2026, this colossus of a project will weigh in at a total 3,500 MW, making it the largest wind farm — and in fact the largest renewables project — in the Western Hemisphere, providing enough power for some 3 million people.

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pread out over a million acres, SunZia’s ambitious scope has been compared to the Hoover Dam. But it has a leg up on that landmark project: Back in the 1930s, the U.S. didn’t have access to the fast transmission technology available today. SunZia will send its wind-generated electricity through high-voltage direct current cable (HVDC) to Phoenix, where the power can be sent onward to markets in Arizona and California. “This is just the kind of project,” says Steve Swift, chief commercial officer at GE Vernova’s Onshore Wind business, “needed to really decarbonize the U.S. and stay on the path to climate goals.”

To bring a project like this to fruition requires complex coordination. One of the biggest challenges in the burgeoning renewables space is the supply chain. Manufactured parts and materials like steel have to converge at the right points, at the right time, and must fit onto trains or ships. If you build your components so that they fit nicely with standard construction equipment, you’ll reach the finish line much faster. GE Vernova, which is providing 74% of the turbine capacity of SunZia, has contracted to manufacture some of the turbine towers in Belen, New Mexico, near the project site, saving time and costs. (Facilities in Pueblo, Colorado, and Amarillo, Texas, will also manufacture towers.) The hubs that enable the turbine blades to spin, as well as the big rectangular box that holds the electronics, gears, and motor, known as the nacelle, will be manufactured by GE

Vernova in Pensacola, Florida.

Putting it all together in a sparsely populated part of New Mexico is not easy, but the reduced complexity of the workhorse turbine makes the project and logistics execution much simpler. Not nearly as large as an offshore giant like GE Vernova’s 14-MW Haliade-X, the 3.6-154 turbine possesses what Kevin Siwik, director of North American sales at GE Vernova Onshore Wind, calls an efficient “logistics and construction envelope.”

This is a machine that can be delivered and

installed at rapid scale compared with much larger machines, where you might trade logistics and construction efficiencies for larger nameplates — i.e., higher maximum outputs — “but won’t install at the same pace,” he says. “So this really is intended to be logistically friendly, in a quick time frame.”

Siwik points out, for example, that the fleet of commercially available construction cranes in the region are the right fit for GE Vernova’s more compact workhorse, and wouldn’t be able to handle larger turbines. And as with any construction project, time is money: The faster the turbines are erected, the faster the return on investment.

Modeling the Landscape SunZia is spread out over a million acres, on a rectangle of land roughly 80 by 30 miles, with GE’s turbine array covering a 45-by-25mile portion of the whole. According to Matt Lynch, commercial director for North America at GE Vernova Onshore Wind, the site itself is challenging, because at that scale you have a lot of variance in topography. Computer modeling is used to find exactly the right spot for each of GE Vernova’s 674 turbines.

“From the engineering perspective, having one single product fitting all those locations is a challenge,” says Soner Ozkan, senior account manager for Pattern Energy at GE Vernova Onshore Wind. Moreover, to send renewable

electricity over the highly efficient HVDC cable, which prevents the kind of line losses typical of older wires, the new wind power will have to be converted to direct current (DC) on-site before being converted back to alternating current (AC) in Phoenix.

That’s where another wing of GE Vernova steps in: Financial Services and Consulting Services.

Regarding Consulting Services’ support, Ozkan says, “They have all the PhDs and the modeling capabilities. And we have weekly discussions with them.” While Hitachi Energy is handling the HVDC part of the construction project, Ozkan, Siwik, and Lynch stress that ongoing cooperation is needed to make sure all the technology works together.

GE Vernova’s services are integrated into the product development cycle, and for SunZia this meant providing customized software to the turbines, enabling them to work more efficiently with the long-distance HVDC line. In a region known for lightning strikes, for example, turbines and the mini-grid in which they’re nested are vulnerable to power spikes. But the system is designed to be able to respond to those surges within 50 milliseconds, ensuring that equipment is protected.

In addition, Financial Services assisted SunZia in reaching financial close with a sizable commitment to finance the monetization of future tax credits. In this way, GE Vernova offers a unique set of full-stack solutions, from modeling to financing, differentiating it from competitors that are unable to offer the same type of one-stop-shop approach.

Lynch says that sequencing a mega-project like SunZia is also crucial so that each completion goal is reached at the right time, in the right order: “What’s the best execution plan? What’s the best project cycle — not trying to make too aggressive a schedule, where neither party would succeed? What are the milestones? What’s the commercial operation date?”

Just one of the major tasks that needs to be addressed at a project like SunZia is establishing road access, a delicate operation required not only for building a pad for each turbine but for maintenance later on. The developer, Pattern Energy, has worked closely with the National Audubon Society to address the multiple environmental challenges involved in building such a big infrastructure project on healthy rangeland, as well as the impact of the route taken by its 550-mile transmission line across two states.

This is not the first time Pattern Energy and GE Vernova have danced together in the desert. The collaboration on SunZia grew out of the very successful 1,050-MW Western Spirit wind project, a nearby series of four clusters that is now operational after completion early last year. Western Spirit itself was a breakthrough. ”That was the largest single-phase installation to happen in the United States at one time, truly ushering in a new era of large-scale projects,” Siwik says. The workhorse turbine used in much

of the Western Spirit project was a 2.7-MW machine with a rotor diameter of 127 meters (416 feet). Today’s workhorse, the 3.6-154 unit for SunZia, will have a rotor diameter of 154 meters (505 feet).

“Our outstanding performance in Western Spirit is really what led us here,” says Swift.

“That project was built by the same parties — built on schedule, and on budget. Some call it one of the best executions through the pandemic they’ve ever seen.” By the time SunZia is completed, the Pattern Energy and GE Vernova teams will have together delivered a whopping 4.3 gigawatts of new renewable power across the western United States.

Western Spirit has historically worked with other suppliers but is increasingly turning to GE as a favored project partner.

“SunZia is an investment in America’s energy future that will pay strong dividends, including more than $20 billion in expected economic impact, over 2,000 new jobs, and clean power for 3 million Americans,” says Hunter Armistead, CEO of Pattern Energy. “SunZia demonstrates that working toward a sustainable future can also create meaningful economic value and a lasting positive impact on local communities. We’re proud that SunZia is the result of many years of collaboration with communities, local residents, landowners, environmental groups, and government agencies. We look forward to bringing these benefits to fruition.”

Credits Where They’re Due Recognizing that decarbonization needs to go even faster, the U.S. government has once again stepped up its policy support. For many years, solar and wind projects have benefited from the basic production and investment tax credits, which have been extended multiple times by Congress in the past. But the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) not only provides the long-term certainty of those PTC and ITC, it also has other bonuses, and one job that GE Vernova takes on is helping developers hit the targets required to qualify for those bonuses. Two in particular are in play in the SunZia project, according to Chrissy Borskey, GE Vernova’s executive director of global government affairs and policy. •

WIND ENERGY

Self-Developed 168-Metre Hybrid Towers Nordex Group is currently installing the first N163/5.X turbines at the Karahka wind farm in Finland’s North Ostrobothnia region, commissioned by a consortium consisting of Finnish energy supplier Helen Ltd and the Ålandsbanken Wind Power Fund. The unique feature of this wind farm is that it employs the first Nordex inhouse developed hybrid concrete and steel tower with a hub height of 168 metres.

The tower has been developed based on the extensive expertise acquired by the Group in designing and producing concrete towers in Brazil, South Africa and Mexico. More than 2,500 units are already in successful operation.

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ujabetoni Oy has been locally manufacturing the concrete elements of the wind turbine towers for the Karahka wind farm in Finland since the summer of 2023. A hybrid tower consists of convex concrete segments, up to 20 metres long, which are assembled and braced on site before the steel sections, nacelle and rotor are installed on top.

This hybrid tower, with a hub height of 168 metres, is the tallest the Nordex Group has installed so far.

Leveraging its tried-and-tested hybrid tower technology, Nordex Group will also be able to achieve higher hub heights in the coming years, further increasing the production of clean wind energy. In 2024 the first installation of a 179 meter hybrid tower, based on the same technology, is planned in Germany.

The Karahka wind farm was developed by the Finnish subsidiary of the Dresdenbased German VSB Group, which specializes in developing and managing operations of photovoltaic and wind power projects. The wind farm is located north of the town of Oulainen, about 40 kilometres east of the Gulf of Bothnia.

To deal with the harsh winter weather conditions at the site, the Nordex Group wind turbines will be supplied in the cold climate version and will be equipped with its Advanced Anti-Icing-System to prevent icing on the rotor blades.

The order for Karahka was placed in 2022 and comprises 25 N163/5.X wind turbines with a total capacity of 147.5 MW. Helen Ltd helps to make everyday life a little easier for over 550,000 customers in Finland.

In addition to heat, cooling and electricity, we offer solutions for regional and renewable energy, smart buildings and electric transport.

We are developing a smarter, carbon-neutral energy system that enables everyone to produce, use and save energy with respect for the environment. We aim to achieve 100% carbon neutrality in our energy production

by 2030. Let’s join forces and turn the opportunities of a new energy era into reality.

The Bank of Åland Plc’s fund management company Ålandsbanken Funds Ltd manages the Bank’s investment funds. The funds are marketed in Finland and Sweden. Ålandsbanken Wind Power Fund is the first open-end fund offered to a wide target group that invests in wind power. Fund shares can be subscribed or redeemed twice a year. Ålandsbanken Fondbolag was founded in 1998 and is wholly owned by the Bank of Åland. In addition to ordinary investment funds (UCITS), the company has the right to manage alternative investment funds (AIF).

VSB, headquartered in Dresden (Germany), is one of Europe’s leading vertically integrated developers in the field of renewable energies.

Its core business is project development of onshore wind and photovoltaic parks, their operational management as well as the operation of its own assets as a growing independent power producer. VSB operates in nine European countries and has a pipeline of more than 15 GW. Since 1996, VSB has commissioned more than 700 wind energy and photovoltaic plants with a combined installed capacity of approximately 1.3 GW. VSB also provides services for around 3.2 GW worth of installed plants. With its affiliated companies, the Group employs over 500 people. •

All-time High Wind Energy: France to Produce Over 30 Per Cent More Wind Power in 2023 France produced and fed more wind power into the grid in 2023 than ever before. In addition to the expansion of onshore wind energy, offshore wind energy is also gaining momentum.

In the public perception, France’s energy policy is still mainly associated with discussions about nuclear energy. Nevertheless, the French expansion of renewable energies is taking place more in the background, but the pace of expansion and impact is significantly higher than that of nuclear energy.

Wind power production in France rises to a new record level in 2023

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ind power plants in France generated a total of 48 billion kWh of electricity in 2023 (2022: 36.6 billion kWh) and fed it into the grids. According to data from the European grid operators (Entso-e), this is an increase of 31.1 per cent compared to the previous year and a new annual record. One reason for the high increase is the addition and commissioning of more than 2,500 MW (2.5 GW) of wind power capacity in France last year. According to the French grid operator RTE, wind turbines with a capacity of over 23,000 MW (23 GW) were already in operation as of 1 October 2023 (end of 2022: 20,500 GW).

In addition to the expansion of onshore wind energy, offshore wind energy is also gaining momentum in France. According to Entso-e data, the first offshore wind power was fed into the French grid (362 MW) on 1 June

2023. The previous all-time high for offshore wind energy dates back to 29 October 2023, when French offshore wind turbines already produced electricity with an output of 698 MW. Further offshore wind farms will go into operation in 2024 and in the coming years. In November 2023, French President Macron announced the tendering of 10,000 MW (10

GW) of offshore wind power capacity. This could increase offshore wind power capacity to around 18,000 MW (18 GW) by 2035.

Expansion of nuclear energy too slow - a maximum of one new nuclear power plant in operation by 2035 While the expansion of renewable energies in France can proceed at a rapid pace, the expansion of nuclear energy in France is barely making any headway. With the Flamanville nuclear power plant (1,650 MW), only one new nuclear power plant is under construction - and that since 2007. The latest date given by EDF for the commissioning of Flamanville is the first quarter of 2024, which would be a record construction period of 17 years.

Due to the long construction times of nuclear power plants (10 - 15 years) and the fact that France has not yet started any new nuclear power plant construction, no further nuclear power plant is expected to be commissioned in France before 2035. To make matters worse, the EPR successor model, the EPR-2, is already to be built at the three sites now planned for six new nuclear power plants.

With the modified design, the EPR-2 is being announced as a simplified model of the EPR reactor, but in reality the EPR-2 will initially be another prototype. It is apparently not without reason that EDF has announced that the planned six new nuclear power plants will be built one after the other and not at the same time. •

NEWS - WIND ENERGY Nordex Group Receives an Order for 106 MW From Spain

Nordex Increases Global Order Intake to 7.4 GW of Wind Power Capacity in 2023

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he Nordex Group received an order from Capital Energy for 106 MW in Spain. In spring 2025 the Nordex Group will be delivering and installing 18 N163/5.X turbines for the “Mareas I & II” wind farm near Mequinenza in the province of Zaragossa. The turbines from the Delta4000 series will be installed on tubular steel towers with hub heights of 108 metres. Commissioning is scheduled for June 2025.

The order also includes a Premium Service for the turbines covering a period of 20 years. This guarantees that the turbines will be serviced

by Nordex in accordance with the highest standards during their entire lifetime.

Juan José Sánchez, CEO of Capital Energy, says: “It is a satisfaction for us to be able to seal such an important contract with one of the most important suppliers of wind turbines in the world. This agreement with Nordex Group represents a new milestone in the fulfillment of our business plan, with which we continue to promote a green and fair energy transition. It also represents a new step in our firm commitment to the generation of wealth and employment in the regions where we operate and to the supply chain and technology of EU countries and, specifically, Spain. A commitment aligned with the objective of the recently announced Wind Charter, which is committed to a supply chain that is strongly established in the EU and that is resilient, sustainable and competitive”.

“We are pleased to have received our first order from Capital Energy.

This once again confirms the region’s potential and the increasing presence of the Nordex Group in the Spanish market, where so far this year we have acquired new business amounting to more than 500 MW,” says Patxi Landa, CSO of the Nordex Group.

Capital Energy is an independent Spanish electricity producer (IPP) with a strong presence in Spain and one of the largest portfolios of wind projects under development in the country. •

he wind turbine manufacturer Nordex was able to significantly increase its order intake in the 2023 financial year. Numerous orders for Nordex turbines were received in the final quarter in particular.

Nordex SE received orders from 23 countries in 2023, with Europe currently the most important key market with a share of over 86 per cent. Following a phase of several years with a sharp decline in the number of installations up to 2020, the politically initiated measures to accelerate the expansion of wind energy are now having an impact, particularly in Germany. Nordex can also benefit from this.

Nordex increases order intake by 16 per cent in 2023 The Nordex Group has received orders for a total of 1,270 wind turbines with an output of 7.4 GW in 2023. This represents an increase of 16 per cent in terms of turbine output (2022: 6.3 GW with 1,235 wind turbines). The last quarter of 2023 alone accounted for 420 Nordex turbines with a total capacity of just under 2.5 GW (2022: 1.9 GW). The average selling price in euros per megawatt of capacity (ASP) was EUR 0.84 million per MW in the fourth quarter of 2023 (Q4/2022: EUR 0.89 million per MW).

“As expected, we received a large number of orders towards the end of the year. I am very pleased that, with almost 2.5 GW in the fourth quarter, we were able to achieve another increase compared to the already good third quarter. Our product portfolio is proving to be competitive with stable prices. The large number of small projects with a high rated output - particularly in Germany - has made itself clearly felt,” says José Luis Blanco, CEO of the Nordex Group.

Nordex increases order intake in Germany by approx. 36 per cent The German market developed very successfully for the Nordex Group in 2023 in terms of order intake and the results of the onshore wind auction rounds. According to Nordex, orders for 262 wind turbines with a capacity of 1.5 GW were received from Germany (2022: 1.1 GW and 195 turbines). •

Sigma Energy is committed to advancing the field of renewable energy and contributing to a more sustainable future for generations to come. We believe that the ocean's waves hold immense potential as a source of clean energy and are dedicated to realizing this potential through innovative solutions and responsible business practices.

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BIOFUELS

Power of 10 for Next Generation Microgrids Introduction Two big energy industry trends are localisation and sustainability. Localisation of power generation and sustainability through the ability integrate with Variable Renewable Energy Resources (VRERs).

As industries reshape their relationships with traditional power generators and grid operators, the Power of 10, from Langley Holdings’ Power Solutions division, is laying the foundation for a more sustainable and resilient energy future of independent power generation across all microgrid types.

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ith the ever-increasing demand for secure power from companies in energy intensive manufacturing, process and digital, Power of 10 infrastructure represents a pioneering solution that enables businesses to secure power to meet their energy needs, sustainably, efficiently and responsibly. While reducing strain on existing grids.

This approach to Microgrid power has been developed around modular hydrogen ready 10MW gas-fired gensets and other components that can be paralleled from 30MW to 300MW and beyond.

The Power of 10 is an out of the box modular microgrid power solution comprising multiples of 10 megawatt “building blocks”, scalable from 30, to over 300 megawatts. It offers total or partial grid independence, either stand-alone or in conjunction with renewables.

Such solutions enable Engineers, Procurement, Constructors, Investors and Consultants to build fast and cost effectively by simplifying the process for Microgrid development.

Using modular, standard components at scale it provides infrastructure to enable professional stakeholders to move forward immediately with realisable, resilient Microgrid technology.

Power of 10 and Microgrid Development Through decades of experience in design,

build, deployment and operation of 10MW gensets, Power Solutions Division’s Bergen Engines power generation credentials have been established in the field, where clients recognise its build quality, service prowess, and continuous operation.

Bergen 10MW+ Gensets, deployed as

modular building blocks are the true grid replacement option.

Bergen B series 10MW reciprocating engines, initially run on a blend of hydrogen and natural gas. Bergen Engines is committed to increasing the percentage of hydrogen in the mix to achieve low or zero carbon operation.

These engines, operating at 750 rpm, are equipped with specially designed Marelli Motori 10MW alternators, optimized for continuous full-load operation.

Marelli Motori’s alternators ensure precise voltage regulation and maintain the quality of the on-site generated power at a high quality (HQ) compared to the backup grid quality (GQ) power. Piller’s UB-V Series 10MW IPCS units, in conjunction with POWERBRIDGE kinetic energy storage, deliver continuous power conditioning and emergency supply, ensuring the stability and reliability of the microgrid.

Piller’s focus on frequency and voltage delivers fast response Microgrid stabilisation whatever the nature of the primary energy source, e.g. integrated and connected with existing main grids, directly linked to local RERs, or on site generation.

This standardized component-based solution is deployable with all variable renewable energy resources (VRERs), stand-alone or in conjunction with the grid.

Power of 10 – Features of hybrid renewable microgrid builds The ‘Power of 10’ – an ‘out-of-the-box’ solution is not a turnkey solution for every microgrid but as a set of components it can be viewed as simply ‘plug and play’.

Ten-megawatt medium-speed gas genset modules are capable of intermittent stopstarts and Integrated Power Conditioning & Switching (IPCS) technology manages power stabilization and grid balancing dynamic load response effortlessly.

The alternator set up manages precise voltage regulation in the microgrid, supported by the IPCS units if required.

The quality of the on-site generated power is categorised as HQ (High Quality) versus the backup GQ (Grid Quality) utilisation power. The microgrid uses Piller’s latest UB-V Series 10MW IPCS units for continuous power conditioning, and emergency supply.

Piller’s IPCS (Integrated Power Conditioning and Stabilisation) technology provides the required stabilisation. It protects the high quality microgrid from utility disturbances and outages while it allows bidirectional power exchange while connected. In island operation, disconnected from utility, it ensures a tight frequency tolerance in the case of load changes and possible disturbances in the power supply.

Piller’s 10MW Integrated Power Conditioning and Stabilization (IPCS) system utilizes clean and reliable POWERBRIDGE kinetic energy storage to ensure seamless transitions between island and grid-integrated modes. This capability safeguards the microgrid and enables

bidirectional power flow that generates power exchange between the microgrid, and the main utility grid as required.

Bergen Engines, Marelli Motori, Piller Power Under the Power Solutions Division banner Piller solutions for Microgrids provide vital frequency and voltage stabilisation in Microgrids whether in island mode or grid connected with grid gate technology that additionally protects against grid outages.

Piller Microgrid deployed rotating machines are always available to deliver power to the load while providing vital back up through connected Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) or kinetic energy storage.

Piller’s focus on frequency and voltage delivers fast response Microgrid stabilisation whatever the nature of the primary energy source, e.g. integrated and connected with existing main grids, directly linked to local RERs, or on site generation In cases where the main utility grid acts as a backup, the microgrid functions as the primary power source for the manufacturing machinery, ensuring a reliable supply of electricity while mitigating the risk of harmonics, voltage dips, and frequency fluctuations that could disrupt the industrial processes.

Through the combination of elements an on-site microgrid system that supplies electricity and heat which is used for air conditioning, environmental management, and steam production within facility provides obvious sustainability benefits.

Such solutions are equally applicable in traditionally harsh environments such as mining or sensitive high tech environments such as semiconductor manufacturing.

In these and many other applications

the development and deployment of 100MW industrial microgrids is providing a clear direction of travel for sustainable, long-term independent power generation strategies.

Conclusion The forces driving Microgrid evaluation and adoption go far beyond the existential requirement not to exceed 1.5°C global temperature rise by 2050. Also in play are the needs to maintain energy security as the energy sector transitions to net zero through the complete re-imaging of supply and transmission which is fundamentally changing how industry, communities and countries source and use electricity. The transition of the world’s energy profile is a combination of mass electrification, a rapid move to dominance by renewables and a shift in the way we consume energy so that waste can be minimised.

By 2050, the 40,000 TWh of electricity used by the planet will need 90% generated from renewable sources including wind, solar and biomass, and nuclear with fossil fuel generation accounting for less than 10%.

The Power of 10 is a major asset in the transformation of industrial microgrids. By combining the expertise of Bergen Engines, Marelli Motori, and Piller, this innovative approach offers a scalable and modular solution for industrial users, empowering them to achieve grid independence and security.

With its medium-speed gas genset modules and Integrated Power Conditioning & Switching (IPCS) technology, the Power of 10 ensures rapid deployment, low CapEx, and minimal downtime.

If you would like to know more about how Bergen Engines can help your company and its operations, please contact them at: Bergen Engines T: +47 55 53 60 00 W: https://www.bergenengines.com E: salessupport.bergen@bergenengines.com

NEWS - BIOFUELS Cepsa to Build Largest 2G Biofuels Plant in Southern Europe

NYK Conducts Long-Term Trial Use for Full-Scale Introduction of Biofuels

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The alliance marks Apical’s entry to the sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) market and a key milestone in RGE’s strategy to produce a range of fuels to decarbonise aviation, maritime and land transportation.

Apical, a leading vegetable oil processor, is a member of the Singaporeheadquartered RGE group of companies.

Frontier Jacaranda, a bulk carrier that conducted a short trial of biofuels in 2021

pical, through its renewable energy subsidiary Bio-Oils located in Huelva, Spain, has established a joint venture with Cepsa to produce second generation (2G) biofuels by constructing the largest plant in southern Europe. The joint venture will entail an investment of up to €1 billion, one of the largest private investments in the history of the southern Spanish region of Andalusia.

The new plant, which is scheduled to begin operation in H1 2026, can produce up to 500,000 tons of SAF and/or renewable diesel annually, enabling the reduction of CO2 emissions by up to 90 per cent, as compared to traditional fuels.

SAF is often viewed as a tool to a zero-emissions future. However, the key global challenge to the production of SAF is access to feedstock (renewable waste and residue raw materials). As a large global integrated processor of vegetable oils, Apical is able to efficiently and sustainably extract waste and residue from its supply chain and its processes in a transparent and traceable manner.

Through the joint venture, the plant will secure the majority of its feedstock supply from Apical’s agricultural waste and residue through a global, long-term agreement. Cepsa will contribute its technical expertise and experience in the development of large industrial projects and fuel production; and knowledge of the European market and the decarbonisation goals of its customers in the transport sector. The facility will be located at Cepsa’s La Rábida Energy Park in the Spanish province of Huelva.

Dato’ Yeo How, President of Apical, said: “Apical’s ample supply of high quality second generation feedstock is key to ensuring that the new joint venture delivers on our shared vision to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across air, sea and land transport. The wider use of SAF and renewable diesel provides significant benefits on a global scale, both in terms of mitigating the effects of climate change and promoting sustainable economic growth. Apical, through Bio-Oils, will ensure the supply of raw materials and contribute our own expertise in biofuels production.”

The new facility will feature the latest technology for the production of second generation biofuels. Designed as a digital native plant, the new operation incorporates state-of-the-art technology including the latest industry advances in artificial intelligence, internet of things (IoT) and data analysis to maximise process efficiency, and ensure the highest standards of safety and environmental protection. By leveraging innovation, Apical is accelerating its sustainable operations in line with Apical2030’s Pillar 3 (Green Innovation) of its strategic sustainability roadmap.

Pratheepan Karunagaran, Executive Director, Apical, said: “Aviation emissions account for 2-3 per cent of global energy-related CO2 emissions and are expected to grow by 300-700 per cent by 2050. To reduce the direct carbon emissions of flying, SAF can be an immediate solution. A next-generation low-carbon fuel produced from 100 per cent renewable waste and residue raw materials, it works seamlessly with existing aircraft engines and fuelling infrastructure. As the availability of waste and residue grows in tandem with the expansion of Apical’s global footprint and capacities, we are able to create valueadded partnerships for our waste stream in various parts of the world, especially in Asia.”

With regard to the development of the SAF industry in Asia, Pratheepan commented: “SAF in Asia has much potential for growth and development. The good news is: as more countries begin to recognise the importance of sustainable practices and environmental responsibility, there is likely a greater focus on promoting the adoption

tarting in fiscal 2024, NYK will conduct full-scale trials of longterm use of biofuels*, which are considered to have net-zero CO2 emissions, in navigating its existing heavy oil-fired vessels. Moving forward from the previous short-term trials, NYK will comprehensively verify the safety and stable procurement of biofuels when used over a long period. Through this trial, NYK will establish a safe navigation system using biofuels and promote biofuel development to achieve the Group’s goal of a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by fiscal 2030 compared to fiscal 2021.

In this trial, NYK will use biofuel continuously for three months on multiple vessel types. After that, NYK will gradually extend biofuel use for a longer period for further validation.

Since fiscal 2019, the NYK Group has conducted short-term biofuel trials on about 10 vessels. While NYK has confirmed the safety of shortterm biofuel use, NYK has not verified the impact of biofuels on the ship’s main engine, generator, motor, fuel supply system, etc., and the quality of biofuels after a certain storage period. NYK also needed to ensure the stability of biofuel procurement when used in more vessels.

NYK announced the NYK Group ESG Story 2023 on November 6, declaring a new target to reduce the NYK Group’s GHG emissions by 45%** from the fiscal 2021 level by fiscal 2030. NYK will promote this trial to achieve the goal.

Biofuels are produced from biological sources (biomass), such as waste cooking oil, and are considered to have net-zero CO2 emissions during combustion. Biofuels, also usable in heavy oil–fired engines, are one of the critical solutions to reducing GHG emissions during the transition from heavy oil to zero-emission fuels. •

of SAF throughout the aviation industry,” he added.

Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, highlighted in his speech: “Cepsa has been investing in Huelva and Andalusia for almost 60 years and has been an active part and main player in the progress experienced in our land. Cepsa has made an outstanding contribution to our progress and to the creation of employment, with almost 8,000 direct and indirect jobs. Big bets like Cepsa’s confirm that we are on the right track.”

Maarten Wetselaar noted: “This alliance is a decisive step in our strategy to lead biofuels in Spain and Portugal and positions Andalusia as a European benchmark in sustainable energy production and circular economy. Second-generation biofuels are an immediate solution to support our customers’ energy as they can be used in conventional engines, while enabling local development and increased energy autonomy in Europe.”

Oscar Garcia said: “Cepsa has been Bio-Oils’ largest customer for many years. We share many operational advantages, such as the proximity and interconnection of our facilities and the use of the Reina Sofía berth for the charge and discharge of our products. This new joint venture is a natural evolution of our relationship” •

NEWS - SOLAR Tata Power Solar Systems Limited Signs Contract With NTPC Limited

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ata Power Solar Systems Limited (TPSSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL), one of the leading renewable energy players in India, is pleased to announce that it has signed a contract to supply 152 MWp DCR Solar PV Modules for NTPC Limited (NTPC’s) Nokh Solar PV Project in Rajasthan.

The project holds a significant order value of approximately ₹ 418 crore.

NTPC is developing 3*245 MW (735 MW) Nokh Solar Park at Pokaran, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The entire project will utilise DCR category BiFacial Mono-PERC modules.

The solar panels, including the solar cells and modules, of these DCR Solar PV modules, are being manufactured in India in adherence to the Domestic Content Requirement policy.

TPSSL’s Solar Cell and Module Manufacturing plant in Bengaluru will supply 152 MWp DCR Solar PV Modules for this project.

This contract highlights TPSSL’s commitment to promoting the growth of renewable energy, thereby furthering the nation’s sustainable energy objectives.

The company’s solar EPC portfolio is more than 12.5 GWp of groundmount utility-scale, over 2 GW of rooftop and distributed groundmounted systems, and over one lakh solar water pumps.

NTPC is India’s leading integrated power producer and the biggest central Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Power, Government of India.

TPREL is a subsidiary of Tata Power, one of India’s largest integrated power companies. •

SEIA Elevates Trio of Policy Experts to Leadership Roles The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) announced today that Ben Norris, Sara Birmingham, and Kevin Lucas are now vice presidents at the organization.

Norris is SEIA’s vice president of regulatory affairs, Birmingham is vice president of state affairs, and Lucas is vice president of policy analysis.

These experts collectively hold decades of experience in energy policy and energy market roles, and have deep knowledge of the challenges facing the U.S. solar and storage industry.

“Ben, Sara, and Kevin are three of the brightest minds in the energy policy space, and all three have been key pieces of SEIA’s advocacy success over the last several years,” said SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. “It’s a critical time for the solar and storage industry and these leaders will help us capitalize on recent policy wins and deliver a robust, equitable clean energy future.”

Birmingham has been with SEIA for more than a decade and will oversee the organization’s state policy team, while Norris will lead SEIA’s growing regulatory team to further engage with the White House and federal agencies.

As vice president of policy analysis, Lucas will expand on his work as an expert witness for regulatory dockets and build the organization’s expertise on a range of issues, including energy storage integration, rate design, utility resource planning, cybersecurity, and interconnection.

“I am thrilled to continue my tenure at SEIA and lead state advocacy efforts on behalf of the entire solar and storage industry,” said Birmingham. “There is so much important work happening at the state level that will determine how solar projects of all sizes can be deployed, and I look forward to bringing my decades of experience to this new role.”

“We’re coming off an unprecedented year for solar as implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) rapidly advances and agencies consider new rules on interconnection and project siting,” said Norris.

“It is a privilege to lead the solar and storage industry’s advocacy work on these issues as we stand at the forefront of America’s energy transition.”

“I am excited about this new role and look forward to working across the industry on a range of policy issues that are shaping the energy transition,” said Lucas. “SEIA will continue to build out its team of subject matter experts as we tackle a variety of challenges such as cybersecurity, rate design, long-term resource planning, distribution system planning, reliability, and interconnection everywhere solar and storage is deployed.”

These personnel changes are effective immediately.

SEIA advocates on behalf of the entire solar and storage industry in the United States. These personnel changes reflect a broadening of SEIA’s policy and technical expertise to better advocate on behalf of its 1,200 member companies. •

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SOLAR - NEWS Leading American Renewable Energy Manufacturers Join Scenic Hill Solar in Initiative Scenic Hill Solar and 4 leading U.S.-headquartered solar equipment manufacturers announced their participation in American Made, Arkansas Built™, a unique initiative to restore American preeminence in solar photovoltaic and battery storage technologies deployed in Arkansas and beyond. The new participation of Array Technologies, Shoals Technologies, OMCO Solar, and APA Solar Racking doubles the number of American headquartered companies now participating in the initiative. With the goal of maximizing the use of Americanmade equipment, software, and technology, solar power plants owned

by Scenic Hill Solar are now being used as testing labs, demonstration facilities, and opportunities for collaboration by these leading American renewable energy companies.

“With our nine premier partners in the American Made, Arkansas Built Initiative, we are pushing for a restoration of American leadership in renewable energy,” said Bill Halter, CEO of Scenic Hill Solar. Mr. Halter noted the broader significance: “The solar industry began in the United States but then manufacturing shifted overseas. We are partnering with these leading American companies to bring the industry back home to America by focusing on innovation and collaboration among the premier American manufacturers of solar equipment and batteries.”

“A strong set of American renewable energy manufacturers provides our country with greater energy independence, strengthened American national security, mitigation of global supply chain disruptions, increased economic development, and high-paying jobs for American workers powered by the explosive growth of renewable energy industries,” said Halter.

Array is a leading global renewable energy company and provider of utility-scale solar tracking technology. Array Technologies CEO Kevin Hostetler stated, “the U.S. is rising to the challenge to expand our domestic supply chain to serve burgeoning demand for solar power, and American Made, Arkansas Built, is a prime example of how clean energy manufacturing leaders are building the future now. Array has been in the vanguard of U.S. renewable energy manufacturing since our founding as a solar tracker company more than 30 years ago. Arkansas is poised to boost solar power and we’re driven to be a part of this outstanding market.”

“We deliver “green” solutions, and we are thrilled to partner with Scenic Hill Solar on the American Made, Arkansas Built™, initiative where we can work together in building more solar power plants across both Arkansas and the nation and deliver the environmentally friendly solutions that will increase quality and reliable resources for our clients and consumers for years to come,” said Brandon Moss, CEO Shoals Technologies®.

Gary Schuster, CEO of OMCO Solar, stated, “OMCO Solar has a 68year history of domestic manufacturing excellence, and we are pleased to be part of this initiative with Scenic Hill Solar and our partners.

Arkansas has been a growing solar market for us and a great example of what is possible to lift the solar industry, U.S. manufacturing, and create jobs with renewable energy. We are excited for the next steps and how we can bring more projects, jobs, innovation, and results to grow renewables in Arkansas and across the United States.”

“APA Solar is extremely excited to partner with Scenic Hill Solar on the American Made, Arkansas Built™” initiative. We currently produce all our solar racking steel products in America and have successfully built many large solar projects in Arkansas. This program unites American manufacturers together to promote job creation through all channels of the solar industry. APA hopes to continue this partnership in this initiative for years to come and we are excited to be accepted into the program,” said Josh Von Deylen CEO APA Solar.

These companies have joined in the initiative with five leading U.S.-headquartered solar equipment manufacturers. The founding companies in the initiative are First Solar, Yaskawa Solectria Solar, Nextracker, Zekelman Industries, and KORE Power. With the addition of these four companies, the American Made, Arkansas Built™ Initiative

combines the efforts of America’s largest module manufacturer, America’s two largest manufacturers of single-axis tracking systems, two of the largest U.S. manufacturers of fixed-tilt racking systems, America’s largest inverter manufacturer, America’s largest manufacturer of electrical balance of systems, the largest independent steel pipe and tube manufacturer in America, a leading U.S.-based developer of lithium-ion cells and manufacturer of integrated storage solutions, and Scenic Hill Solar. •

2024

IMPORTANT EVENTS CALENDAR

OSW O&M/ Health & Safety Summit 18.01.2024 - 19.01.2024 Virginia Beach https://offshorewindus.org/omhse/ WindEurope Annual Event Date : 20/03/2024 Event Venue : Bilbao, Spain Website : https://windeurope.org/annual2024/ 2024 International Partnering Forum Event Date : 22/04/2024 Event End Date : 25/04/2024 Event Venue : New Orleans Website : https://www.offshorewindus.org/2024ipf/ AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2024 APRIL 22, 2024 - APRIL 25, 2024 San Diego, USA https://www.auvsi.org/events/xponential/xponential-2024 Offshore Technology Conference 1-4 May 2024 Houston, Texas, USA

CLEANPOWER 2024 Conference & Exhibition Event Date : 06/05/2024 Event Venue : Minneapolis, MN Website : https://cleanpower.org/events/cleanpower-2024-conference-exhibition/ Intersolar Europe – Germany Event Date : 24/06/2024 Event End Date : 27/06/2024 Website : https://www.intersolar.de/en/home.html 2024 World Battery & Energy Storage Industry Expo (WBE) Event Date : 08/08/2024 Event Venue : Guangzhou, China Website : https://en.battery-expo.com/ WindEnergy Hamburg Event Date : 24/09/2024 Event End Date : 27/09/2024 Website : https://www.windenergyhamburg.com/ Global Energy Show 2024 Calgary, Canada June 13-15 June 2024 https://www.globalenergyshow.com

SOLAR - NEWS SEIA Secures Wins in 45X Guidance That Will Drive American Solar Manufacturing

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oday the U.S. Department of Treasury released new guidance on the Section 45X advanced manufacturing production tax credit that passed as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Following is a statement from Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) on today’s guidance: “This guidance provides important clarity for American manufacturers that are eagerly awaiting the certainty they need to invest and create jobs. SEIA has been a steadfast advocate for effective clean energy industrial policy, and today we secured several wins that will cement the United States as a global hub for solar and storage production.

“Companies that use contracted manufacturing facilities now have the flexibility to quality for the 45X production tax credit. The guidance also includes incentives for production of optimized inverter systems, a critical component for the growing residential solar sector.

“America is undergoing the largest expansion of domestic solar manufacturing in history, and today’s developments will help support this economic boom. SEIA looks forward to providing further comments to Treasury and urges the Department to swiftly finalize these rules so companies can fully capitalize on the potential of American solar and storage manufacturing.” •

MEC Group Acquires Majority Stake in Rooftop Developer Energiesun

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rankfurt am Main (renewablepress) - Düsseldorf-based MEC Group GmbH is acquiring a majority stake of 51% in the rooftop PV developer EnergieSun from Osnabrück. With this acquisition, the MEC Group is expanding its portfolio in the field of renewable energies to include rooftop solar systems, air heat pumps, battery storage and charging stations. Capcora supported the shareholders of EnergieSun as exclusive M&A advisor. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the details of the transaction.

EnergieSun is a leading company in Germany for the installation of rooftop photovoltaic systems, which originally focussed on the private customer segment. Today, the range of services extends from small kWp systems to several MWp systems. The company also offers its customers a comprehensive range of energy services, including air source heat pumps, battery storage systems and charging stations. With a dedicated team of around 60 employees, EnergieSun carries out installations both with its own specialised staff and in cooperation with proven subcontractors. At its peak, the company successfully realised up to 200 rooftop systems per month.

The strong growth in particular prompted the company to look for a co-investor in order to drive forward the necessary professionalisation.

When selecting a suitable partner, the shareholders placed particular emphasis on the strategic orientation of the potential investor. The MEC Group stood out as the ideal partner, as the company combines many years of experience in the areas of project and process management, digitalisation and organisational development with a sound understanding of renewable energies.

“The acquisition of a majority stake in EnergieSun enables us to become part of this success story. We can contribute our extensive expertise and secure EnergieSun’s growth. This represents a strategically extremely valuable addition to our existing portfolio and our long-term corporate strategy,” says Alexander Dierkes, Managing Director of the MEC Group.

“We are delighted to have found a strong partner for our future growth.

Our sincere thanks go to Capcora for their fast and professional process.” commented Yannick Perßon, CEO of EnergieSun. René Ohme, founder and shareholder, added: “The entry of the MEC Group will help us to drive forward our professionalisation, process orders efficiently and accelerate our growth rate.” •

PNE Achieves International Success With Sale of Photovoltaic Projects in Romania and Italy

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NE AG has achieved further operational successes in Romania and Italy at the end of the year, having successfully concluded negotiations on the sale of photovoltaic projects in the two countries.

In Romania, PNE sold a project with a capacity of 61.5 megawatt peak (MWp). It is located in southern Romania in one of the country’s most productive regions. The buyer is a local company. The project has reached construction maturity.

In Italy, too, the PNE Group sold several PV projects with a total output of 114 MWp at the end of the year. The package comprises 12 projects in all, which will be acquired by an infrastructure fund managed by re:cap global investors ag. re:cap is an internationally active investment advisor for renewable energy infrastructure with a total portfolio under management (onshore wind, solar, and battery storage) of 1.2 Gigawatts.

Through WKN Italia, which belongs to the PNE Group, PNE will now continue to support the projects until they are ready for construction.

Markus Lesser, CEO PNE AG, says: “We’re delighted to have been able to finalise two more sales in the European markets at the end of the year.

The markets appreciate our expertise in the PV sector and place their trust in our experience. This is the second sale in Romania this year. In July we were able to announce the sale of five PV projects to a French energy corporation.”

The PNE Group has operated successfully in the two countries for many years. The company has been active in Romania for more than 10 years, having successfully developed and sold wind and photovoltaic projects with a total capacity of around 571 MW/MWp. In Italy the PNE Group has realised wind projects with a total capacity of some 300 MW since 2006. The sale that has now been finalised involves the PNE Group’s first PV projects in Italy. With its experienced team, PNE will now seek to further expand its photovoltaics operations in Italy as well as investing in its own portfolio. •

NEWS White Paper Details Needs Case for UK National Floating Wind Test Centre

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he European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) and Renewable Risk Advisors (RRA) have published a white paper setting out the needs case for a National Floating Wind Test Centre in the UK. The white paper states the need for a dedicated ‘National Floating Wind Test Centre’ to fully prove floating technologies in metocean conditions that are truly representative of the locations into which they will be deployed.

The paper compares 5-year average and 100-year storm event conditions at existing and proposed floating wind test sites across Europe with the metocean resources that project developers will face at typical ScotWind, INTOG, and Celtic Sea sites.

This analysis shows that existing European sites are insufficiently energetic to be truly representative of commercial floating wind projects in UK waters. The authors argue that the UK needs its own dedicated floating wind test centre to adequately prove and de-risk floating wind technologies for project insurability and bankability.

A dedicated test site will also help ensure that the UK captures and retains the innovation benefits and cements its leading position in the floating wind sector.

EMEC has been investigating and examining options for a national floating wind test centre since early 2020 and has identified a specific site 20 km west of Orkney which it believes will be the perfect location.

The site has ideal water-depths and seabed conditions, and consistent mean wind-speeds well in excess of 10 m/s.

To progress the test site’s development EMEC has a 60 MW grid connection offer to connect the site into Orkney’s soon-to-be-connected 220 MW cable to the Scottish mainland and thus the UK national grid.

Given timely investment, the site can be ready and energised in time to meet the needs of most planned floating offshore wind projects in UK waters.

“A National Floating Wind Test Centre is essential to accelerate project insurability and therefore financeability. It addresses the very particular needs of certification bodies and insurers, who typically will be looking for a minimum of 8,000 hours of normal operation ‘in a representative environment’ to demonstrate the technology is no longer a prototype and can withstand a harsh ocean environment. Insurers rely heavily on this project certification to address and assess the fitness for purpose of designs given particular metocean conditions at a project site.

“Data obtained solely from a less energetic location will make project certification far more problematic, and insurers are likely to be very uncomfortable with engineering calculations extrapolated from numbers they may see as non-representative.

“The outcome of this is that if you test at a less energetic location your technology might not be considered sufficiently ‘proven’ for deployment into a ScotWind, INTOG or Celtic Sea project and your level of insurance might be reduced, and/or premiums and deductibles increased, with more of the risk and consequence of failure falling on the developer.”

“EMEC is no stranger to innovation and is well-practised in hosting novel clean energy technologies, and to this day is the only UKASaccredited centre in the world for testing marine energy technologies to IEC standards.

“Floating offshore wind is still in its infancy and EMEC’s 20 years’ experience helping wave and tidal energy technology developers tells us that there is still a great deal more that floating offshore wind technology and project developers will need to refine, revise, scale-up, test and prove as part of a complex multi-unit energy harvesting and production system.

“Nobody should assume we will get this right first time, but the pressure is on to achieve net zero and energy security as quickly as we can. We need to be appropriately cautious, but we also need to get on with it. A national floating wind test centre will allow rapid progress

at comparatively low cost, and will help bring the economic and innovation know-how benefits to the UK in good time for the explosion of floating offshore wind projects that will be ScotWind, INTOG and the Celtic Sea. “Beyond that, developers who prove their technologies at the energetic test site we’ve identified ought not to need to test again to deploy into less energetic locations, saving time and money, and providing valuable ‘test once deploy anywhere’ export benefits for project and technology developers looking to build global floating wind portfolios.”

The concept design for the floating wind demonstration site has been supported by the Interreg North West Europe AFLOWT project which aims to accelerate market update of floating offshore wind technology. •

Ocean Demo Celebrates Success as Project Draws to a Close

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he success of the EU-funded Ocean DEMO project has been celebrated in a new video and website which highlight the achievements of technology developers and innovators and the progress being made in the ocean energy industry.

Discover the stories of Ocean DEMO technology developers here.

European technologies are currently leading the world in ocean energy, and many devices have already been tested extensively at sea.

The next step towards commercialisation is the transition from single machine to multi-device farms. Scaling up to multi-device farms requires higher capital investments but will also improve competitiveness by reducing costs. This will prove the business case and increase investor confidence.

Ocean DEMO helped ease the transition towards multi-device farms by providing free access to Europe’s world leading network of open sea test centres.

With support from Ocean DEMO 16 wave, tidal and offshore wind technology developers were able to test their machines. A total of 54 enterprises received support, including technology developers, supply chain companies and universities. Through the successful demonstration of their technologies, Ocean DEMO technology developers were able to leverage over €124 million. This funding will pave the way for larger scale projects and commercial rollout.

In addition, Ocean DEMO national ambassadors in France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom worked closely with the ocean energy stakeholders in their respective countries to create a supportive policy environment for the industry.

Thanks to their work, the political support from the House of Representative in the Netherlands is stronger than ever, the United Kingdom allocated tens of millions of revenue support for tidal energy and the French Government recently announced its support to developing the largest tidal farm project in the world. •

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Reduce efforts, time and costs Automatically adapts to users’ speed Physical e�forts reduced by 80% Portable and rechargeable 1 Exoli�t per wind farm 1 strap kit per wind turbine (20-30 min installation time and no special tooling required)

Low maintenance costs

www.fixator.com info@fixator.com 0033 (0)241 31 17 00 8, rue du Bois Rinier, 49124 Saint Barthélemy d’Anjou

April 22-25, 2024 | New Orleans The International Partnering Forum (IPF) is the premier offshore wind energy conference in the Americas.

Hosted by the Oceantic Network, formerly the Business Network for Offshore Wind, IPF connects global leaders and businesses in the supply chain, offers unparalleled networking opportunities, and delivers the most timely and relevant updates on the industry. With the rapid expansion of offshore wind on a global scale, IPF attendance helps secure your place as a leader in the industry.

Located in the heart of America’s offshore energy industry, New Orleans will host 2024 IPF just as the Gulf of Mexico begins developing its offshore wind market.

Gulf companies are already hard at work building America’s next energy industry and moving to integrate new technologies like green hydrogen into offshore wind. Embracing its offshore energy past and embracing the future of offshore wind, New Orleans and the state of Louisiana are emerging as a center of experience, expertise, innovation, and heart of this new industry.

OCEANTIC NETWORK oceantic.org Oceantic Network @oceanticnetwork