Energy_Global_Winter_2024

ENERGY GL BAL

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ENERGY GLOBAL

CONTENTS

03.Guest comment

04. The weight of the world: Renewable energy in North America

Oliver Kleinschmidt, Assistant Editor, Energy Global, provides an overview of the current state of the renewable energy industry in North America, with a look at recent developments and the impacts of recent elections.

10. Making change happen

Chris Page, EVP New Businesses Development, Viridien, explains how technologies used to support oil and gas exploration and development are enabling innovations in the energy transition and beyond.

16. Bringing the heat

Sam Abraham, Senior Geothermal Technical Advisor, Halliburton, maps out drilling solutions which can overcome challenges to geothermal energy extraction.

22.Energy storage grows up

Jason Goodhand, Global Business Lead for Energy Storage, Energy Systems at DNV, outlines how energy storage has grown over the years, from deployment to operation.

WINTER 2024

26. Unlocking the potential of wind turbines

Frank Fladerer, Bachmann Electronic GmbH, Germany, details how to achieve turbine lifetime extension with structural health monitoring and retrofitting.

32. Combatting ageing

Peter Wilson, Executive Industry Consultant, Asset Lifecycle Intelligence Division, Hexagon, highlights why dealing with ageing wind turbines is critical for improving resilience in the renewable energy industry.

36. Vessel versatility

Jessica Stump and Alain Wassink, NOV, discuss how a versatile installation vessel can enable the commercialisation of floating offshore wind farms.

42. Rising to the challenge

Javonte Woodson, Evident, USA, considers how portable borescopes can advance wind turbine inspections.

46. The UK's solar energy evolution

Conor Cowden, Portfolio Manager, Foresight Solar Fund, explores the challenges and innovations experienced by the solar energy sector in the UK.

52. Stopping solar strain on power grids

Daniel Cross, Senior Director of Load Forecasting, POWWR, assesses how optimising solar can reduce the strain placed on an ageing power grid.

56. Global news

Viridien is an advanced technology, digital, and Earth data company that pushes the boundaries of science for a more prosperous and sustainable future. With its ingenuity, drive, and deep curiosity, the company discovers new insights, innovations, and solutions that efficiently and responsibly resolve complex natural resource, digital, energy transition, and infrastructure challenges.

Still pioneers.

MANAGING EDITOR

James Little james.little@palladianpublications.com

EDITOR

Jessica Casey jessica.casey@palladianpublications.com

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Oliver Kleinschmidt oliver.kleinschmidt@palladianpublications.com

SALES DIRECTOR

Rod Hardy rod.hardy@palladianpublications.com

SALES MANAGER

Will Powell will.powell@palladianpublications.com

PRODUC TION DESIGNER

Amy Babington amy.babington@palladianpublications.com

HEAD OF EVENTS

Louise Cameron louise.cameron@palladianpublications.com

EVENT COORDINATOR

Chloe Lelliott chloe.lelliott@palladianpublications.com

DIGITAL EVENTS COORDINATOR

Merili Jurivete merili.jurivete@palladianpublications.com

JUNIOR VIDEO ASSISTANT

Amélie Meury-Cashman amelie.meury-cashman@palladianpublications.com

DIGITAL ADMINISTRATOR

Nicole Harman-Smith nicole.harman-smith@palladianpublications.com

DIGITAL CONTENT COORDINATOR

Kristian Ilasko kristian.ilasko@palladianpublications.com

ADMINISTRATION MANAGER

Laura White laura.white@palladianpublications.com

Editorial/Advertisement Offices: Palladian Publications Ltd

15 South Street, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7QU, UK +44 (0) 1252 718 999 www.energyglobal.com

Veronica Maxted Director of Renewables,

RS Group COMMENT

The energy sector is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the urgent need to transition to renewable energy. According to the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2023, renewable energy is projected to constitute 80% of new power generation globally by 2030. In the UK, offshore wind is a cornerstone of this shift, with nearly 100 GW of capacity under development, promising to contribute £25 billion to the economy by 2035. However, one of the biggest challenges facing this transition is the urgent need for skilled workers in the renewable energy sector.

The Offshore Wind Industry Council estimates that job opportunities in the UK offshore wind sector will surpass 100 000 by 2030, creating a substantial demand for skilled professionals. To meet this requirement, the industry will need to attract and retain 10 000 individuals annually. This rapid expansion is a boon for job creation in renewables but, without a skilled workforce, these opportunities may remain untapped.

The renewable energy industry requires a broad range of technical, engineering, and digital skills. High-level electrical and technical expertise is needed to upgrade power networks and develop battery storage systems. Advanced digital skills, such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, and robotics, are becoming increasingly essential within the industry as it evolves. Planning, project management, legal advisory, and environmental impact assessment roles are also growing in demand.

To address this skills gap, industry and government must work together to provide accessible training programmes, especially for young people entering the workforce. Failure to prepare adequately for these roles could slow the renewable energy transition and undermine the economic and environmental benefits it promises.

So, how do we bridge the gap? Let’s start with educational courses, which need to be adapted to include specialised training for careers in renewable energy. For example, apprenticeships and technical training in areas like wind turbine maintenance and

high-voltage transmission systems are essential for building the workforce of the future.

RS Group has a dedicated Renewables team who work to better understand the challenges in the renewable energy sector, with a current primary focus on offshore wind. They collaborate closely with the in-house RS Youth and Community team, who work to develop the future engineering workforce by supporting everyone from first-year students through to aspiring entrepreneurs. The team work on initiatives like internships, work placements, and skills workshops.

An example of this can be seen in action through the recent Global Offshore Wind event, hosted by Ørsted, where the Renewables team supported Kinewell at a workshop. This even brought together over 60 school children to tackle inter-array cable layout optimisation – designing cable layouts for offshore wind farms to reduce costs and improve reliability. The best design outperformed industry submissions, showcasing the exciting potential of young engineers and the value of hands-on learning experiences in solving real-world challenges.

Energy & Utility Skills is another organisation that addresses workforce challenges and skills within this sector. With its membership comprising the major utility companies’ suppliers in the UK, the organisation is dedicated to developing learning and development solutions to attract the right skills into the sector.

The UK’s new government has committed to increasing offshore wind capacity as part of its green energy agenda. By quadrupling offshore wind capacity by 2030 and expanding onshore wind and solar power, the UK aims to enhance its energy security while also addressing climate change.

For this ambitious vision to succeed, the government must ensure that training and upskilling initiatives are in place. This will create thousands of new jobs, reduce unemployment, and provide individuals with future-proof careers in the renewable energy sector. The renewable revolution offers not only environmental benefits but also a path to economic prosperity and social progress.

Oliver Kleinschmidt, Assistant Editor, Energy Global, provides an overview of the current state of the renewable energy industry in North America, with a look at recent developments and the impacts of recent elections.

With its vast and varied geography providing ample ground for a variety of renewable energy sources, North America has witnessed many developments in the energy landscape in the past year. Renewable energy

capacity has only grown in scale and there has been positive growth in regions such as Mexico, with elected leaders basing a large chunk of their policy on sourcing and supporting sustainable energy infrastructure. These positive developments are reflected in the growth of diverse renewable sources and governmental policy pushing the region towards renewable energy; most notably the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), or Canada’s own recent C-49 Bill.

This is not to say that there has not been much pushback or any challenges. As renewable energy develops, so too does the oil and gas industry, which is still needed in the interim to a total energy transition. As such, some governments, including Trudeau’s government in Canada, have come under fire from both sides as they try to appease oil and gas companies while paving a path forward. Dissatisfaction seems to be a shared mood; As countries left COP29 in November, the general mood seemed to be one of shared disappointment and a feeling that the future of renewable energy may no longer rest in North America.

Canada

The future of sustainability scored a minor win in Canada with the implementation of Bill C-49, an amendment to the Accords Act to create a framework for the development of offshore wind, which has been intended to secure and propagate the development of offshore renewable energy assets on Canada’s Atlantic shore.¹ Ideally the new law will allow for offshore wind development in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Already, the province of Nova Scotia has revealed its intentions to launch competition in 2025 for offshore land leases, with hopes to put at least 5 GW of turbine energy into the grid.1 Hopefully, the new Bill will set a precedent of government action prompting the adoption of renewable energy sources.

Offshore wind is not the only investment in renewables being pursued, with the Canadian energy sector diversifying its renewables portfolio. Currently, there are exploratory efforts made in the Northwest Territories to exploit geothermal resources. More recently, it was announced that over CAN$2 million in funding through the Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities (CERRC) programme would be provided to support ADK Holdings Ltd’s Geothermal Energy Development project in the region.²

However, Justin Trudeau’s government has been facing scrutiny for its stance on the energy industry and climate change. On one side, oil-rich provinces such as Alberta hit out at federal efforts to slow emissions while government watchdogs and activists continue to call for more action.³ Shortly before COP29 began in Azerbaijan, the government set out a more specific measure for how it aimed to cut greenhouse gases from the oil and gas sector, responsible for almost one-third of its pollution in an effort to appease activists. Meanwhile, the Canadian oil and gas industry is actually booming, thanks to US demand and Canada’s extensive oil sands increasing output.³ It seems that Canada is yet to find the right balance between

committing to a future of renewable energy and its economic dependence on oil and gas production.

USA

Meanwhile, the US – one of the world’s largest economies and developers of renewable energy infrastructure – has ended the year with renewable energy constituting over 90% of the total amount of US power generation capacity added during the first three quarters of 2024, according to a review by the SUN DAY Campaign. 4 This is indicative of the fact that, over the past year, renewable energy has been a prominent issue in the US and that the country has made substantial strides towards decarbonisation. Almost daily, there are updates regarding new projects and infrastructure dedicated towards supporting the energy transition. More importantly, this growth was driven by a mix of renewable energy sources including biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, and wind, displaying a diversified portfolio energy production.

But despite these strides, the US is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels, which remain the predominant source of energy. Analysts at Wells Fargo have observed that despite the growing deployment of wind, solar, and other renewables, the US energy system remains greatly dependent on coal, natural gas, and petroleum. 5 This can be owed to renewable energy’s inherent challenges, such as variability in production due to many different raw resources, the varied technologies required to access those recourses, and limitations placed on storage. These technical barriers, combined with economic realities, mean that despite positive progress, it is more likely the shift to cleaner energy will unfold over decades rather than years.

Now to address the elephant in the room. There is no doubt that the election of President-Elect Donald Trump is thought to have the potential to change the future of renewable energy in the US. At the moment, there are very real fears that Trump may repeal the swathes of progress made through the IRA. As a matter of fact, he vowed to “terminate” the act on his campaign trail. 6 When it was first passed, the IRA had no Republican Party support; since it was passed, the party has tried on 54 separate occasions to get the act repealed. 6 With a Republican hold over Congress and the White House, there are many who fear the act may be in danger. The loss of the IRA would result in a 17% drop in renewable capacity additions from 2025 – 2035, BloombergNEF estimated. 6 However, much of the work done to promote renewables in the US is at a point where it would be more detrimental to try and halt existing projects.

Trump has never been shy about his support of the oil and gas industry; his speeches have talked about boosting domestic output and remove mandates on electric vehicle production. But is this actually possible?

One of Trump’s other campaign pledges has been to lower the cost of living and spur business growth during his next term. In order to make this happen, his administration knows that cheap and abundant power will be needed. Subsequently, every watt of energy produced

will be needed no matter its source and therefore it may be considered costlier to halt the progress already being made. Thus, despite his rhetoric, it will ultimately be of greater benefit to the Republican Party to not limit the existing timelines of renewable infrastructure. Current evidence even suggests that it is actually the Republican Party which has benefited more under the IRA. Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee are among the top five states securing funds since the IRA, according to the Clean Investment Monitor. Since the IRA passed, 78% of all investment, about US$190 billion, has been funnelled to Republican districts. 6

Mexico

Just across the border, Mexico has elected Claudia Sheinbaum, who won the October 2024 election with a policy partly focused on a future of renewable energy in Mexico. When it comes to the energy sector, her goals have been clear: to modernise Mexico’s energy sector while addressing Pemex’s, the largest state-owned petroleum company in Mexico, debt crisis. Her administration aims for 45% clean energy production by 2030, with investments in solar, wind, and hydroelectric projects via the National Electricity Strategy; a programme seeking to balance state-led initiatives with increased private investment in renewables.7 Part of the Nation Electricity Strategy will involve US$23.4 billion in investment to support the state-owned national electricity company CFE in adding 13 GW of capacity sourced from both fossil fuels and renewable energy. The Mexican government has also established rules allowing private companies to add an additional 9.6 GW of capacity from renewable sources by 2030.7

It is okay to be optimistic about the future of renewable energy in Mexico as these are actual changes being implemented and acted upon rather than proposals being ceaselessly debated. Even now, there are announced plans to expand Mexico’s renewables output with the third and fourth phases of the 1 GW Puerto Penasco solar plant in Sonora expected to reach completion during her term in office.7

COP29

Of course, it would be difficult not to mention COP29, held in the historical oil producing Baku in Azerbaijan. To summarise, the mood of the event was one of discontent and an overwhelming feeling of defeat, with several news outlets going so far as to dub the summit a failure. At COP29, the nations of North America were among the developed nations who agreed to channel some US$300 billion, out of a total US$1.3 trillion in funding to assist developing nations. However, many of these developing nations are unhappy with this amount feeling that it is not enough; countries, such as Bolivia, Cuba, and Nigeria, reacted angrily to the COP29 deal. 8

It does not help that while this financial aid has been promised, there is actually no real infrastructure in place to ensure that developed nations pay up. This is even

harder when it comes to the US$1 trillion which is expected to be provided by private firms and companies. 8 Private investors currently have no incentive to do so, and the existing economic system places obligations on business leaders to instead prioritise financial performance rather than channel funds to aid developing nations. In our current social and economic culture, profit is the priority for businesses and, without any clear incentivisation, there is a fear that the desired US$1 trillion will not materialise. Moreover, while he was not present, the shadow of Trump loomed large over the summit and threw the US’s role as a renewable energy leader into question. The new financial promise was accepted by many rich countries who pointed to next year’s arrival of President Trump, arguing that they would not get a better deal with him at the table.9 With role of the US in doubt regarding its involvement and positive impact on future climate talks, attention has turned to who will become the next major climate leader. With the expected absence of the US, the natural successor could very well be China.

Conclusion

Ultimately, events in North America are indicative of some major shifts in the renewable energy industry. It would not be dramatic to suggest the future of renewable energy in the US hangs in the balance and will certainly be affected by its change in leadership. With Trump in power, the world (not just the US) has had to shift focus. Canada as well, while making steady renewable energy progress, is still trying to find a good balance between clean energy production and its existing oil and gas infrastructure. It is a balance that is likewise being carefully managed in Mexico where the new President has made her objectives blatantly clear and is actively putting new policies in place. Achievable action, rather than talk looks to be the key to continuing on a path towards a more sustainable future. In the end the question still remains; is it enough?

References

1. ‘New Law Opens Path for Offshore Wind Development in Atlantic Canada’, offshoreWiND.biz, (4 October 2024), www.offshorewind.biz/2024/10/04/new-lawopens-path-for-offshore-wind-development-in-atlantic-canada

2. ‘Canada Boosts Geothermal Efforts in Northern Regions’, Mirage News, (26 November 2024), www.miragenews.com/canada-boosts-geothermalefforts-in-northern-1365929

3. ‘Canada’s Trudeau government under fire from all sides on energy and climate policy’, Financial Times, www.ft.com/content/cf0cd4d0-c652-4695-94de7a377dc6eb3e

4. ‘Renewables Account for 90% of US Power Generation in 2024’, The Renewable Energy Institute, www.renewableinstitute.org/renewablesaccount-for-90-of-us-power-generation-in-2024

5. ‘Fossil fuels still dominant US energy source, but renewables gaining’, Investing.com, (28 November 2024), www.investing.com/news/commoditiesnews/fossil-fuels-still-dominant-us-energy-source-but-renewablesgaining-3745829

6. ‘US clean energy thrown into uncertainty ahead of Trump 2.0’, Financial Times (21 November 2024), www.ft.com/content/efddcf9a-4414-4eb0-a7730777898c07c1

7. ‘Mexico’s Massive Clean Energy Potential’, OilPrice.com, (30 November 2024), https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Mexicos-Massive-Clean-EnergyPotential.html

8. ‘COP29: From Projected Failure to Disappointment’, University of Oxford (24 November 2024), www.inet.ox.ac.uk/news/cop29-from-projected-failure-todisappointment

9. ‘Huge deal struck but is it enough? 5 takeaways from a dramatic COP29’, BBC News, (24 November 2024), www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp35rrvv2dpo

Chris Page, EVP New Businesses

Development, Viridien, explains how technologies used to support oil and gas exploration and development are enabling innovations in the energy transition and beyond.

The energy industry is in transition, with many of the companies in this sector expanding into new and exciting markets. Viridien is one such company, having transitioned into a broader technology business (demonstrated by its recent name change from CGG). While the oil and gas industry remains its core focus, the acceleration of the energy transition brings the opportunity to use its established technologies to expedite growth in other sectors, particularly carbon storage, mining, and the search for critical minerals.

Geoscience for carbon storage

The carbon storage sector has benefited greatly from the expertise of energy technology companies such as Viridien because the challenges within this industry are very similar to those faced in the oil and gas business. A few years ago, most countries did not have the right regulatory environment for carbon storage or offer carbon credits but, as frameworks for permitting, monitoring, and verification mature, opportunities for the involvement of oil and gas technology companies have increased rapidly. Demand for carbon storage is going up, driven not just by these new policies and regulations but also by growing public pressure to reduce emissions, with many countries now putting in place the regulatory environment needed to encourage the development of appropriate facilities.

As the industrial emitters start to decarbonise their operations and thus seek solutions for long-term subsurface storage, a much wider customer base is opening up to energy technology companies. Unlike their traditional oil and gas clients, however, these new industrial customers have limited knowledge of the subsurface and need help in the identification and characterisation of underground storage sites. Companies like Viridien own large volumes of global geological data, which it uses to produce screening products to provide early identification of regions with high oil and gas potential. The same subsurface data libraries and processes are ideal for industrial emitters to help them find locations with the right subsurface conditions for carbon storage. Established imaging technologies are then used to identify potential storage sites in more detail and de-risk them. Viridien, for example, recently applied high-end imaging technology to a potential storage site in Southeast Asia, where re-imaged seismic data clearly showed that the site the client was looking at was very high risk, leading them to walk away from the area, saving significant time and money.

In the future, geophysical technology will play a major role in monitoring subsurface carbon storage facilities, as it is critical to ensure the carbon dioxide (CO2) remains securely stored in place. This will satisfy regulators, financial backers, and insurance companies and also provide the public with the knowledge and reassurance needed for them to give their support to these large infrastructure projects.

As well as using or modifying existing technologies, new geophysical approaches specifically for use in the carbon storage industry are already being developed. One such innovation is the use of distributed fibre optic sensing, which can record both active and passive seismic, measure how the injected CO2 plume expands and record fracturing or other dynamic changes within the reservoir rock or seal. This is expected to prove a much more cost-effective solution to monitoring than the current practice of putting conventional seismic sensors on the ground surface.

Challenges in the carbon storage sector

Large scale industries such as cement and fertilizer manufacturing are endeavouring to reduce their emissions, and technology companies with years of experience in understanding the subsurface can offer

Figure 1 . Full-Waveform Inversion imaging (shown co-rendered with velocity model) provides vital subsurface detail for better assessment of carbon storage risks.

Figure 2 . Subsurface storage evaluation, reservoir modelling, and long-term monitoring provide intelligence to make better-informed decisions throughout the life of an underground carbon storage project.

Figure 3 An overview of multidisciplinary geological data utilised to study lithium resource potential for exploration in the renowned lithium triangle in South America.

them considerable assistance. The storage of CO2 requires very specific subsurface conditions. Geologically, a viable underground storage site needs to be deeper than 800 m, the depth at which the gas goes into a supercritical or dense phase state – but it cannot be too deep. It needs a good reliable cap rock and must have retained enough pore space in the host rock to provide the necessary capacity for CO2 to be stored in the future.

Smarter exploration to bridge the critical minerals supply gap

The growing global demand for critical minerals to support the energy transition highlights the urgent need for expedited resource discovery. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that lithium demand will increase approximately sixfold by 2030 compared to 2020 levels, driven by the rapid expansion of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy storage. Similarly, copper demand is expected to double by 2040, fuelled by its critical role in renewable energy infrastructure, as its conductivity makes it essential for wind turbines and solar panels. Efficient and sustainable extraction of these minerals begins with the proper identification of viable deposits. Advanced geoscience technologies and specialised geological expertise in mineral systems are crucial to these discoveries. Subsurface imaging, geoscience data analysis, and machine learning technologies provide deeper insights during mineral exploration, allowing mining companies to pinpoint high-potential deposits more effectively. This also allows them to reduce risks and costs associated with exploration and accelerate discoveries. As an established regional prospectivity evaluation partner, Viridien offers technology-driven solutions that optimise early-stage exploration and minimise the uncertainties in resource development, helping to navigate the complexities of mineral exploration to meet growing demand.

One major challenge for selecting carbon storage sites is a lack of subsurface information near big industrial hubs. During its long history, Viridien has accumulated extensive subsurface data, and these can be used to advise companies and provide the insight needed to confidently pursue underground CO2 storage. Existing technologies make it possible to extract the most value out of the data, whether through re-imaging existing seismic or by extracting key subsurface and engineering data for even more informed decisions.

Ideally, the storage site also needs to be relatively close to the industrial emitter; carbon storage is effectively waste disposal and hence there is no intrinsic value in it, so any significant transportation requirement only adds to the project costs. The company recently demonstrated how its technologies can help solve this problem. A client in the US suspected it could not store CO2 underground near its facility, but Viridien ran a rapid high-level screening process and demonstrated a potential storage location within 30 km of its operations.

A number of technology companies have begun to work together to create solutions for the carbon storage sector. A good example of this is Viridien’s recent collaboration with energy technology and engineering specialist, Baker Hughes, which will bring together leading-edge technologies across the whole carbon value chain, from direct air capture, surface engineering and infrastructure and subsurface characterisation, to storage and long-term measurement, as well as monitoring and verification programmes.

Government policies are pushing industrial emitters towards net zero, and there also appears to be an increasing drive for change from both the public and shareholders, so this business will continue to grow.

Identifying critical minerals

Critical minerals, as the name suggests, are important for the energy transition, from manufacturing batteries and electric vehicles to wind turbines and solar panels, but at the moment they are only mined in select geographies across the world. As demand grows, this is cause for concern for both government and industry. Ensuring a reliable and responsible supply is fundamental to achieving global energy transition goals, so the continuing search for new sources is vital.

Energy technology companies have already developed many products that have been effective in accelerating the discovery of significant oil and gas resources worldwide and the search for critical minerals has many similar challenges to oil exploration. These companies can offer global datasets and expertise for mineral exploration and advanced imaging technology for mine development and production. Exploration for new sources of lithium, for example, has been

Figure 4 Map of investigated screening locations for lithium brines.

developing fast recently, particularly in regard to looking for places where the mineral might be extracted from brine. This is especially exciting because it ties in with geothermal energy production, since hot geothermal fluids often have high concentrations of lithium, so co-production is a possibility, thus reducing costs.

Global demand for lithium is projected to exceed 700 000 t for batteries alone by 2025, with total demand potentially surpassing 1 million t when accounting for non-battery uses. Meeting this demand requires innovation in discovery and extraction. Viridien, a leader in lithium exploration, combines advanced geoscience workflows, machine learning, and subsurface imaging to pinpoint and assess high-potential deposits. These capabilities enable the identification of resources in regions like South America’s palaeosalars while supporting sustainable practices. By delivering actionable insights, the company helps bridge the gap between growing demand and supply constraints, ensuring clients remain ahead in the critical minerals race.

In South America, there is considerable potential for finding lithium, including extracting it from ancient, buried salt plains known as palaeosalars. Identifying such geological features can be helped through the analysis of previously acquired data. Viridien recently assessed the regional potential for lithium and potash mineralisation in Argentina for a client after conducting multi-client screening studies for lithium salars and palaeosalars in South America. It has also been selected by the French government as a technical partner to support the LiMongolia project, a joint initiative by the National Geological Survey of Mongolia and the French geological survey, BRGM, to evaluate the regional prospectivity of Mongolia for critical minerals, particularly uranium and lithium.

Driving efficiency in mining

Although more familiar to the general public, copper is also a mineral critical to the energy transition. For a number of reasons, including its use in batteries and cars, the world urgently needs to bring new supplies online. To find significant ore deposits, mining companies will need to look deeper, which is where technologies like subsurface imaging, developed for oil and gas exploration, will play a vital role.

In addition, it is important to ensure that the best use is made of those ore bodies already discovered, and techniques used for petroleum exploration lend themselves to assisting in this area. Mining organisations have had access to seismic data in the past but have not necessarily benefitted from the algorithms that have been developed by the energy technology companies to define and image the most complex geologies. Miners predominantly use tightly spaced drilling to identify where the minerals lie and quantify the resource size, but there is now potential to fully delineate ore bodies using subsurface imaging techniques like Full-Waveform Inversion (FWI), which will, ultimately, reduce the number of boreholes required, thus lowering costs. Energy technology companies are now working in partnership with major mining companies and have shown

the value they can bring to the sector. A recent example of this came from Australia, where Viridien applied high-end FWI technology to help a mining giant redefine the orebody in a copper mine and enabled a greater understanding of the main controlling fault along which the fluids carrying the copper had travelled. This allowed the client to design a more efficient production plan and bring the resource to market more quickly.

A place for hydrogen?

There is much debate at the moment about natural hydrogen and whether it can be found in the subsurface in viable quantities; if so, it would substantially change the energy debate. Expertise from the oil and gas sector is being used in the hunt for commercial hydrogen, using multiphysics and subsurface data, and in the future, seismic will be critical if this industry is successful. Viridien recently undertook a worldwide screening project to better understand why and where hydrogen is produced, using time-lapsed satellite imagery, subsurface geological information and geochemical data, as well as the company’s high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities.

An exciting future for energy technology

With their core capabilities based on many decades of experience in the oil and gas sector, Viridien has seen how technology companies can support the mining industry to optimise their operations – but what if new materials and new batteries that reduce or even eliminate our reliance on critical mineral resources could be discovered? Research is already underway into designing such substances using physics-based simulations, and the HPC capabilities and experience that Viridien has built up to solve its own physics-based business challenges make it an ideal partner in such research. Applications and simulations can be run much faster, helping accelerate the discovery of these exciting new materials.

The use of technologies like subsurface imaging, data processing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and HPC developed for use in the oil and gas industry have huge potential to help companies accelerate breakthroughs in many markets, from carbon storage and conventional mining to finding critical minerals or even the development of completely new substances.

A time of transition

This is an exciting time in the energy industry and one that is bringing many opportunities to technology companies looking to grow beyond the boundaries of their core business areas to accompany transformational changes across society, including the challenges of the energy transition, and really make a difference.

Oil and gas technologies are making change happen and the future is bright.

References

1. ‘Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2024’, International Energy Agency, (2024), www.iea.org/reports/global-critical-minerals-outlook-2024

Figure 1 As one of Indonesia’s largest, continuous geothermal projects, the Sorik Marapi geothermal field holds the potential to produce 240 MW of geothermal energy.

39 exploration and development wells with depths of up to 2715 m and temperatures up to 617˚F (325˚C).

These high temperatures present big challenges in geothermal wells. The harsh drilling environment, characterised by extreme heat and hard, abrasive rock, poses risks to equipment. The intense temperatures can cause wear and potential damage, and drilling through the tough rock requires tools specifically built to withstand the harsh forces. Hot, corrosive fluids known as acidic geothermal brines impact equipment integrity as well. When operators conduct geothermal drilling, they encounter lost circulation zones, which can impact well stability and result in tool failures mid-operation.

The Sorik Marapi field lies in an active tectonic zone, and operators must prepare for seismic vibrations from earthquakes and tremors to observe activity. These vibrations stress wellbores and equipment. Permeability variations throughout the geothermal field mean that some areas allow efficient fluid flow, while others resist it. Operators must adapt their drilling strategies for the variations.

The ability to understand geological formations is also important; operators must decipher subsurface intricacies and use tools to identify permeable zones, fault lines, and fractures. Only then can operators position wells in the most strategic places to maximise energy extraction.

Geological assessment of the formation poses challenges

Operators evaluated the geological formation in the Sorik Marapi field with traditional methods when they drilled the original 39 exploration and development wells. These methods involved measurement-while-drilling (MWD) and steerable motors. However, basic telemetry from these methods restricts data availability in geothermal environments; operators only gain access to data from directional, pressure-while-drilling (PWD), temperature, and vibration sensors. This creates data gaps and excludes data on parameters such as resistivity, porosity, and fluid composition. Operators need this data since:

> High resistivity often corresponds to impermeable rocks, while low resistivity indicates more porous formations. Changes in resistivity can signal the presence of fluids within the rock.

> High permeability and fractures in geothermal reservoirs assist in the movement of geothermal hot brines. However, high permeability also causes the loss of drilling fluids in the formation.²

> Knowledge of fluid composition helps identify the type of geothermal resource available, such as liquid-dominated or vapour-dominated. Fluid composition affects mineral deposits (scaling), corrosion within wells and surface equipment, and impacts energy conversion efficiency.

The lack of comprehensive data led to several challenges that threatened to increase the cost of geothermal exploration in the Sorik Marapi region. For instance, total circulation loss, where drilling fluid escaped into the formation instead of returning to the surface, hindered progress and increased costs. Unpredictable drilling conditions and more complicated instabilities of wellbores arose with the intersection of the Sumatran Fault System into the geothermal field created a complex fracture network. Alteration mineralogy and well test results revealed a two-phase zone in the field, where both liquid vapour phases coexist, which affected pressure and temperature conditions in the well.²

Insights to drive geothermal success

The circulation losses highlighted the need for better drilling techniques, more advanced drilling fluids, and lost circulation materials to manage fluid loss. Fault networks and two-phase zones underscored the importance of thorough geological surveys before drilling, as well as comprehensive subsurface knowledge to improve well design and adjust drilling and well completion strategies.

Given the unique challenges of the Sorik Marapi field and the requirements for data points to guide geothermal exploration, reservoir management, and operational decisions, operators must rely on more advanced tools and measurements to assess the formation. This will help ensure successful drilling and production.

For example, massive circulation losses at the reservoir’s upper section complicated drilling and impacted well stability. Volcanic formations and the risk of severe vibration also influenced borehole stability. Permeability varies a lot in different field areas, from high-temperature zones with good permeability in one pad, to cooler less permeable conditions in another. One of the wells provided a prime example of this process with unique mineral formations and an impermeable barrier that hinders fluid movement within the geothermal field. In addition, the presence of hydrothermal alteration minerals affects operators’ interpretations of subsurface conditions.

Figure 2 Advanced logging while drilling tools can help operators pinpoint high-permeability areas and potential loss zones, which helps provide more effective drilling outcomes.

SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY

For successful exploration and development of the Sorik Marapi geothermal resource, operators looked for specialised drilling techniques and equipment. They recognise the significance of the identification and mapping of drilling challenges against the different geothermal formations. This improves subsurface comprehension, optimises drilling and geothermal resource production, and helps avoid drilling failures experienced prior to the ability to obtain high-quality data and measurements. A comprehensive profile of the formation helps operators deliver services under high-temperature conditions and optimise drilling and geothermal production.

LWD solutions can provide more effective drilling outcomes

Logging-while-drilling (LWD) offers a cost-effective solution for geothermal operators. These tools enhance knowledge about formation-specific challenges within the field, such as permeability variations, and help operators address those challenges in an effective manner. Through analysis of real-time data, operators can pinpoint high-permeability areas and potential loss zones. Swift adjustments to drilling parameters and the use of tailored lost circulation materials become possible.

LWD services monitor downhole conditions on a continuous basis and provide measurements of density, porosity, and other formation properties. This real-time data enables operators to make proactive decisions that help maintain the integrity of drilling equipment and prevent wellbore collapses or stability issues. In addition, LWD solutions assess formation resistivity and other indicators of permeability changes to help optimise well placement and refine reservoir characterisation. They detect shifts in formation composition and the presence of alteration minerals, which increases operators’ knowledge of subsurface conditions and allows them to adapt the drilling process accordingly.

Through proactive management of drilling challenges with real-time LWD data, operators can reduce operational disruptions. Here is how an operator in Indonesia used advanced technology, which includes LWD solutions, to assess and mitigate problematic conditions encountered in the region.

Case

study: LWD caliper and drilling mechanics reveal distinct formation characteristics

In the Sorik Marapi field, the operator embarked on a more thorough geothermal formation evaluation through the procurement of a minimal LWD application. This approach aimed to enhance cost-effectiveness in drilling operations in static temperatures of up to 617˚F (325˚C). The operator recognised the requirement for deeper insights into formation-specific challenges and devised a dual strategy: data acquisition amid drilling and reservoir tests.

Data acquisition at the well

The operator focused on a single well to gather formation data while it supplied steam and hot water to the power plant under development simultaneously. Real-time measurements

from a Halliburton ultrasonic acoustic caliper sensor equipped with three transceivers captured temperature and other critical parameters. A pressure-while-drilling sensor with quartz transducers monitored internal (bore) and external (annular) pressures. This data facilitated equivalent circulating and static density monitoring, crucial to help anticipate kicks and blowouts, the avoidance of formation damage, and the optimisation of drilling efficiency.

Directional insights and project optimisation

Accelerometers, magnetometers, and gyroscopes enhanced the operator’s knowledge of the subsurface conditions. Accelerometers capture vibration data, while magnetometers and gyroscopes measure rotational speed (the ‘stick-slip indicator’). One set of sensors detected changes in the X, Y, and Z-axis that reflect impacts between the bottomhole assembly and the borehole wall. Another set of sensors combined accelerometers and magnetometers to provide data for directional drilling, recording total gravity, magnetic field, and dip angle measurements.

These measurements allowed the operator to refine directional insights and achieve more precise drilling paths, optimise targeted hits to the appropriate reservoir areas, and map the underground landscape for improved project planning.

The addition of caliper measurement capabilities and a high-resolution vibration sensor helped illuminate the unique challenges of each well drilled. The operator could classify the different types of vibration and assess borehole quality.

Paving the way for a sustainable energy future

As the geothermal energy sector gains momentum around the globe as a viable source of renewable baseload power, its growth relies on technological advancements that enhance the cost-effectiveness and reliability of geothermal drilling. Challenges posed by high temperatures, abrasive rock, and lost circulation zones, as observed in Sorik Marapi, extend beyond Indonesia to resonate across geothermal fields worldwide.

For the geothermal industry to scale and meet growing global energy demands, advanced LWD solutions can offer a blueprint for addressing the geological and operational hurdles that have historically limited geothermal development. Precise data on subsurface conditions provided by these tools reduce the risks associated with drilling and enhance the ability to tap into previously unreachable geothermal reservoirs.

Geothermal energy, harnessed through innovative solutions and strategies, can pave the way for a sustainable and resilient energy future.

References

1. ‘Plans Underway for Pertamina Geothermal to Acquire PT Sorik Marapi’, World-Energy, (15 September 2023), www.world-energy.org/article/36412.html

2. SARMIENTA, Z., BJORNSSON, G., LICUP, A., ESBERTO, M., INDRA, T., BALTASAR, A., MANEJA, F., OMAC, X., VILLAREAL, M.J., and CHANDRA, V., ‘Update on the Exploration and Development Drilling at the Sorik Marapi Geothermal Field, North Sumatra, Indonesia’, KS Orka Renewables Pt Ltd, PT Sorik Marapi Geothermal Power, and FEDCO, (2021).

With more than 70 years of global geothermal experience, Halliburton has the services and technology to help mitigate risk in geothermal exploration and well construction projects. We collaborate to help reduce time to ROI and provide solutions designed to support long-term well integrity in extreme geothermal environments.

Together, we can engineer the future of energy.

Learn more at halliburton.com/geothermal

he energy storage industry stands at a crucial moment in its evolution. No longer the ‘new kid on the block’, the technology has delivered on its early promise and is quickly accelerating towards becoming a maturing sector. The initial rush to build new storage capacity, marked by enthusiasm for revolutionising renewable energy, is now giving way to a new set of challenges: optimisation, maintenance, and long-term operational excellence.

As storage projects age and more operational data becomes available, the industry is broadening its focus. Now that these assets are up and running, the challenge is more than simply continuing to build more capacity, but is instead about ensuring that it is delivering at its peak. Just like wind and solar, battery storage is establishing itself as a core component of the energy mix.

The key question of today is no longer “how fast can we deploy?” but rather “how do we optimise and manage these systems over their lifecycle to maximise potential?”

Jason Goodhand, Global Business Lead for Energy Storage, Energy Systems at DNV, outlines how energy storage has grown over the years, from deployment to operation.

The state of play for the sector

As 2050 and global decarbonisation targets come into view, the role of energy storage will become increasingly important. Pumped hydro is the primary method both historically and at this moment, but its development is limited by geographical constraints.

It is here – at the juncture between technical need, commercial readiness/adoption, and scalability – that lithium-ion batteries really come into their own, with DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook predicting that their capacity will surge to 1.6 TWh by 2030 and 22 TWh by mid-century. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) currently represents over 95% of the storage projects DNV is involved in.

Challenges in a maturing market

The global battery energy storage market is expanding rapidly, with capacity crossing the significant milestone of 100 GW in early 2024, and expected to exceed 150 GW by the end of the year. While the numbers are impressive, the reality is that most of these projects are still young and the majority of these assets have been in operation for less than two years. Put simply, the industry is only beginning to understand the full scope of operational challenges, such as those related to degradation and availability.

The former is one of the most pressing and immediate hurdles. As anyone with a mobile or cell phone can attest, batteries naturally lose usable energy capacity over time, a factor that operators must anticipate. Battery cells in electric vehicles (EVs) and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects typically expect to have a useful life – the period for which the battery can provide the functions (charge and discharge) it was intended – in the range of 10 – 20 years.

But degradation is influenced by a variety of factors, including operating conditions and the specific technology used. Some projects have developed strategies to mitigate this – such as overbuilding initial capacity to account for future losses or adopting an ‘augmentation strategy’, which involves adding more batteries after several years. Yet, as the industry starts to see its first significant wave of battery augmentations, there are still many unknowns.

To mitigate this, DNV produces a yearly Battery Scorecard report that provides information about the performance and safety

of battery cells used in EVs and energy storage systems (ESS). It examines such questions as:

> How do batteries degrade?

> What is a battery’s useful life?

> What makes some batteries safer than others?

These questions quite often do not have straightforward answers and require a comprehensive understanding of battery technology, system integration and control, testing strategies, manufacturing, and the energy storage market.

DNV uses this information to develop and modify augmentation strategies that rely on other factors such as future battery cost and performance (technical), future incentives and cost of capital (economic), and the potential uncertainty of operations.

Another challenge for operating storage assets is availability. Like wind and solar, where downtime and maintenance issues can significantly impact revenue, battery storage systems must also grapple with unplanned outages or technical issues. Early-stage assumptions about performance, made before large scale operational data was available, now have the opportunity to be verified, changing sentiment from ‘early assumptions were incorrect’ to ‘let’s see what the data says’ are now being tested.

As systems age, issues such as inverter failures or inaccurate state-of-health readings can cause unexpected downtime, leading to underperformance and revenue loss. The problem is compounded by the fact that battery storage involves complex software systems that manage energy discharge based on fluctuating market demands. When that software underperforms or fails, the impact on revenue can be substantial depending on ‘when’.

These operational challenges are not limited to a single market. Countries like the UK and the US, where commercial battery projects have been in operation for several years, are starting to face these issues. At the same time, markets like Spain, Chile, Germany, and Australia are in the early stages of large scale battery deployment, benefiting from lessons learned in more mature markets.

Indeed, in 2024 alone, DNV has supported the development of a BESS in a variety of countries stepping into mainstream storage (for example Canada and the Philippines), conducting feasibility studies, providing support during bid evaluation and contract negotiation, as well as general due diligence services.

Opportunities for optimisation and innovation

Despite the challenges, this juncture presents tremendous opportunity. The growing availability of operational data is opening doors for more sophisticated asset management practices. Companies that can harness and analyse this data effectively will be in a prime position to optimise their assets and capture more value.

One area ripe for improvement is degradation management. As more data on battery performance becomes available, operators will be able to refine their strategies, potentially outperforming initial forecasts. Some suppliers have already introduced new battery technologies that claim to resist degradation for the first five years,

Figure 1 . The battery storage sector now stands at a crucial point in its evolution.

a significant leap forward. These advancements could extend the useful life of BESS projects and reduce or postpone the need for costly augmentations.

The industry can also take lessons from the more established wind and solar sectors. Wind and solar operators have faced many of the same operational hurdles that battery storage is now encountering – downtime, maintenance, and efficiency losses. While the technologies are different, the approach to optimising long-term operations is not. Battery storage operators can learn from these experiences, borrowing best practices for predictive maintenance, monitoring systems, and performance analytics to ensure their assets remain profitable and reliable throughout their lifecycle.

The use of intelligent software platforms to maximise revenue is another frontier where battery storage stands to gain. Unlike wind and solar farms, which primarily focus on capturing as much renewable energy as possible, battery systems are increasingly managed by artificial intelligence-driven platforms that optimise how and when energy is stored and discharged based on market conditions. The smart deployment of these systems could significantly boost profits for operators, but it also introduces new risks. Betting on unproven software or overly optimistic forecasts could leave operators vulnerable to financial shortfalls. An area DNV is sometimes called upon for help is to analyse whether these systems did what they were intended to? And if not, what is at fault?

A bright future

Looking towards 2050 and the broader goal of a decarbonised energy grid, the importance of battery storage cannot

Structural Health Monitoring – SHM

Lasting fitness – turbine monitoring from head to toe

Long-term performance

Minimize the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) and maximize yields – all while extending turbine lifecycles (LTE)

Digital twins

Predict the impact of new functions and improvements without interrupting operations

Investment security

A key building block for strategic decision making and the successful, long-term operation of turbines and wind parks

be overstated. Energy storage will play a critical role in balancing intermittent renewable energy sources like wind and solar, as well as ensuring a stable and reliable power supply. The success of the energy transition depends on getting the management of these assets correct.

Early data suggests that some of the expected challenges –like frequent fires or catastrophic failures – have not materialised at the rates originally feared. As battery technology continues to improve, there may be further enhancements in durability, efficiency, and cost.

Ultimately, the energy storage industry is entering a new phase of maturity. As industries gather more data, refine operational strategies, and adopt new technologies, energy storage will become an even more integral part of the global energy mix. The companies that can navigate this evolution, optimise their assets, and mitigate risks will be the ones that thrive in the long run.

For the sector, there is a lot to be excited about in the coming years with strong growth, technological advancements, policy drivers, improved safety, and increased motivation to support the energy transition away from carbon-based fuels.

Indeed, according to DNV research of the wider energy industry, 40% of all respondents say their organisations are actively researching and/or piloting energy storage opportunities, whilst all the senior energy executives surveyed (89%) believe that rapidly increasing energy storage will be crucial to keeping their country/region on track to meet its net-zero targets.

The time has now come for energy storage to take that next step and leap forward from deployment to refined operation.

Frank Fladerer, Bachmann Electronic GmbH, Germany, details how to achieve turbine lifetime extension with structural health monitoring and retrofitting.

significant number of Europe’s onshore wind turbines are ageing, with many more than thn 15 years old. As the typical design lifetime period is 20 years, operating licenses will begin to expire in the coming years. Operators are questioning whether these turbines need to be decommissioned or if they have the potential for a lifetime extension (LTE). The basis for assessing this question is structural health monitoring (SHM).

In Germany alone, around 12 GW of installed capacity will have to be taken off the grid in the next few years without an extension of the operating license – almost one-third of the total capacity.

In Spain and Denmark, more than half of existing turbines will soon reach the end of their design life. SHM is a technical process that can be used to extend the service life of a wind turbine in many cases. The term refers to the monitoring of the condition of a turbine’s tower and foundations.

Condition monitoring systems (CMS) was originally understood to mean monitoring the condition of the drivetrain. As the number of turbines has increased in recent years, monitoring the condition of the rotor blades has also become increasingly important – SHM then joined the CMS family as the newest member.

Run for a longer period

When the service life specified in the type test is reached, the operating license of a turbine expires. This raises the question for its operators: What to do? Dismantle without replacement or build a new turbine, ideally with a higher output that is now available? The keyword here is repowering; however, this will only be possible at very few locations.

Ambitious climate protection targets also require the rapid conversion of the world’s energy supply to renewable sources. This means that the sustainable use of existing generation capacities is playing an increasingly important role. Although the probability of fatigue-related damage increases at the end of their design life, plants often still have lifetime reserves. If data from a CMS is available, the operators can run their systems for longer in many cases as part of a so-called LTE.

Expert assessment

Achieving a lifetime extension permit involves an expert report, compiled by authorised experts in two stages. First, recurring inspections during operation serve as the practical part. Second, specialists investigate factors influencing the installation’s resilience, examining planning presumptions against real-world results, checking the feasibility of LTE while addressing risk factors, tailoring maintenance plans, and eventually recommending approvals to officials granting permits.

In the analytical part of the LTE test, the experts can use suitable data to prove whether a component has experienced less load than was assumed when it was designed.

If such data is not available, the site-specific loads since commissioning must be determined based on the wind conditions, the available information, and by applying high safety factors, for example from the SCADA system. Although this conservative approach often enables the LTE in compliance with conditions, residual service life potential usually remains unused, for example the replacement of components and recurring inspections.

Combining diverse datasets reveals previously overlooked relationships, informing improvements to operational practices. Periodic reviews enhance decision-making capabilities, pinpoint areas needing attention, and validate prior choices. Trends emerge over time, providing valuable feedback on evolving patterns and underlying causes. Ultimately, these findings contribute to increasing efficiency, productivity, and safety, making the most of the turbine’s service life.

The role of SHM

Specialists compute external conditions using statistical values extracted from several sources. Data points range from weather characteristics to traffic flow and community activity levels. Combined with internal performance indicators, analysts develop holistic views of operational environments, adjusting strategies to accommodate changing conditions.

Figure 1 Numerous wind turbines are faced with the threat of being decommissioned in the coming years. By condition monitoring and intelligent retrofit solutions, operators can often extend the service life as part of a lifetime extension process.

Figure 2 . Drive train, turbine, tower, and substructure, as well as rotor blade, are the components on which automation specialists can monitor the parameters of a wind turbine.

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The lifetime reserves assigned by the manufacturer in the type certificate are in part required by standards, but they also leave room for variation in plant design. Ideally, the on-site loads for an individual plant should be lower than the loads in the type test, resulting in potential remaining useful lifetime.

The aim of an LTE process is to reduce the calculated safety factors through a measurement data-supported analysis and to make optimum use of existing design reserves. However, a precise analysis is only possible if most accurate knowledge possible of the reality at the wind turbine site is available. This is where the recording of load measurement data using condition monitoring and SHM comes into play.

Extending service life

Modern wind turbines are equipped with systems that monitor drivetrain vibration and, increasingly, rotor blades. This is an established method for avoiding catastrophic failure of rotating components and does not differ dramatically from the methods applied to SHM.

The installation of CMS and SHM sensors during turbine construction captures the entire load history. While retrofitting sensors after construction has its limitations, operators still see major benefits from collecting this data instead of relying solely on SCADA data and theoretical wind model.

This means the lifetime potential can also be exploited by retrofitting. If operators only collect measurement data temporarily, perhaps for six months, they cannot fully reconstruct the past. But even then, the operators have a much better database than if they rely exclusively on SCADA data and theoretical wind models.

Experts have developed special algorithms to evaluate the data by using artificial intelligence methods. The basis for this is existing data, for example from the plant’s condition monitoring system, as well as measurement data from special sensors for recording structural vibrations. This can be a triaxial accelerometer, which records values in all three dimensions. The signals from such sensors can be used, for example, to assess rotor blade imbalances (mass and aerodynamics), monitor the structural condition, and evaluate the natural frequency of towers.

USA vs Europe

In contrast to Europe, there are no universally adopted legal regulations for the LTE of wind turbines in the US. Instead, local laws govern this process in different regions. Achieving an LTE permit in the US does not always involve the preparation of an expert report. Whether a permit is needed or not depends on the jurisdiction and, in some cases, they can be operated until the owner deems it not financially viable.

Despite the lack of federal regulation, the technical procedure for LTE remains fundamentally the same. If an expert report is needed it is compiled by authorised experts in two stages. First, recurring inspections during operation serve as the practical component. Second, experts assess factors influencing the turbine’s durability.

The potential of wind turbine retrofitting

When retrofitting old systems, it is often necessary to replace not only the sensors but also the entire control system to continue to meet the requirements. A good example of this is a turbine retrofit in which Bachmann Electronic recently made Clipper Liberty 2.5 wind turbines in the US fit for continued operation – the longest a complete retrofit took was just three days.

In this project, 58 Clipper plants were equipped with a new, modular turbine controller.

Figure 3 Thanks to fully prepared swing panels, a retrofit solution like this can be installed in no time at all. This ensures a safe and reproducible introduction, even if many systems have to be retrofitted.

Figure 4 . The swing panels of this retrofit solution can be installed quickly and easily.

The turbines themselves were state-of-the-art but spare parts were no longer available due to manufacturer insolvency. Therefore, the new control system facilitates longer service life and, at the same time, spare part availability is secured for years to come. In addition, the solution enables the adjustment of turbine parameters, for example to reduce load on the turbine as it ages.

Retrofitting success story

The software has also been updated to the latest technology; it now provides efficient, on-site turbine visualisations via any web browser, and a SCADA system allows remote web-based turbine control and monitoring. Speed, pitch, and power setpoint can be easily adjusted according to current wind loads and matched with grid capacity via a power plant controller. Furthermore, the wind tracking system and rotor brake now can be manually controlled. Remote reset and self-start routines automatically restart turbine operations following any malfunctions.

A fully integrated CMS for the entire drivetrain improves predictions about future turbine condition and optimises operation and maintenance (O&M) strategies, thereby reducing visits to the site. Transparent engineering tools improve efficiency during maintenance and reliable load data is now available for at least part of the wind turbine.

Low cost, but longer lifetime

In this case, as are often used with retrofit solutions, low-cost 2D MEMS sensors were installed. These transducers can detect movements in two dimensions: They precisely measure vibrations, inclinations, and accelerations to enable accurate monitoring of turbine operation. By using 2D MEMS sensors, wind turbine operators can collect important data to plan maintenance work, prevent breakdowns, and extend the service life of the turbines. Furthermore, the use of additional sensors, which can be positioned at different levels within the supporting structure (tower, transition piece, and foundation), enables an even more detailed assessment of the condition of the wind turbine.

Less than three days

Installation and commissioning of the Clipper retrofits was completed in less than 72 hours. Pre-prepared control cabinet panels were partly to thank, facilitating a simple plug-and-play installation. This ensured a secure rollout of all turbines that could be implemented with minimal downtime. An intelligent installation application supported the install team with a quick, reliable employment. Technicians were guided step-by-step through the installation and commissioning process, at the same time documenting their progress and creating an acceptance protocol.

This example shows that an efficient retrofit solution can ensure the productive and fully

compliant operation of existing wind turbines for many more years. Thanks to a flexible hardware concept, operators can expand the implemented controller functions whenever they choose: Additional I/O channels are available, for example, for the integration of more sensors to realise sophisticated control algorithms and further optimise the power curve.

A crucial step for the energy transition

The LTE of wind turbines beyond their planned end of duty not only allows the pace of the energy transition to be maintained in times of resource scarcity, but also preserves the economic benefits of existing plants and reduces waste from decommissioning.

The expert assessment of wind turbines is therefore of great importance. The more precise the basis on which experts can base their analyses, the easier and more reliably they can identify potential that allows to continue operating the turbine. SHM and retrofit solutions provide decisive added value here.

5 . Cost-effective 2D MEMS acceleration sensor provides the vibration data in the most basic configuration. Furthermore, the use of additional sensors, which can be positioned at different levels within the load-bearing structure (tower, transition piece, and foundation), enables a more detailed evaluation.

6 . High-precision structural health monitoring (SHM) or condition monitoring solutions, as well as intelligent retrofit solutions, can extend the lifetime of wind turbines in many cases. Here, a service engineer installs an acceleration sensor, which plays an important role in data acquisition, especially with the SHM.

Figure

Figure

Peter Wilson, Executive Industry

Consultant, Asset Lifecycle Intelligence Division, Hexagon

, highlights why dealing with ageing wind turbines is critical for improving resilience in the renewable energy industry.

At the COP28 summit, world leaders committed to tripling the world’s renewable energy capacity by 2030. This objective is central to the fight against climate change: the energy sector is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), with the industry said to be responsible for around 40% of global carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. When it comes to public perception, the massive increase in renewable energy capacity is often viewed as a matter of building new wind farms or solar plants. But what is just as critical, and often overlooked, is maintaining or replacing existing installations.

Combating Ageing

In the coming decade, large investments will be needed to address this challenge – and this situation could underline the renewable energy industry’s current fragility and the need to boost its resilience.

One in five turbines is over 15 years old

As the wind power industry becomes more mature, so do wind turbines. Today, about one-fifth of Europe’s 90 000 onshore turbines are 15 years old and above. In countries that were early adopters of wind power in the 1990s, such as Spain or Germany, the number rises to above 50%.

Since the effective life expectancy of a wind turbine is typically between 20 – 25 years, replacing these turbines will be a central concern in the coming decade, at a time when Western countries want to boost wind power and reduce carbon emissions using renewables. It will also represent a significant financial burden for owners and operators. The industry is under pressure with newer projects hampered by supply chain issues and additional

costs at a time of high rates of inflation, so there is a real onus at the present time to ensure that existing pieces of turbine infrastructure are utilised in the most efficient way.

So, what are the options for ageing turbines?

The decision to repair or replace ageing turbines is trickier than it seems. A good place to start would be with the challenges associated with maintaining ageing turbines.

Data-driven approaches, such as reliability-centred maintenance (RCP), have proven effective in prolonging the equipment’s life expectancy but can still present several problems. For example, some older turbines are simply impossible to fix because the necessary spare parts are no longer manufactured. In addition, those that can be fixed remain more likely to experience other failures in the future and require additional maintenance, leading to increased expenses and downtime for an already fragile industry.

There is also an opportunity cost associated with repairing older turbines, which have generally been built in what is prime real estate for wind power. In Spain, for example, these older turbines account for the consumption of 3 – 6 million households. Since these turbines are more prone to failure and unavailability, they require a larger land area for the same output – making the use of the land less productive than newer turbines.

Offshore wind farms help bypass this problem by providing additional prime space, but they are also much costlier, with offshore costing over £100/MWh to provide of electricity vs £63/MWh for onshore, according to Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

A third solution exists in the form of repowering – disassembling older turbines to replace them with new ones. Repowering can be useful when older turbines become less efficient or when the energy production capacity of a wind farm needs to be increased. While simple on paper, it comes with costs, risks, and complexities of its own, such as resistance from local communities or having the necessary finances.

The challenges of implementing newer turbines

Due to advances in manufacturing, newer wind turbines can be larger and generate much more power. A new mega-turbine can have a diameter of more than 200 m and generate enough electricity for 20 000 households. As an example, a wind farm in Galicia, Spain, managed to shift from 69 older turbines to seven new ones and double its output in the process.

Figure 1 Wind turbine construction.

But the challenges for newer turbines can be numerous. Local communities are sometimes hostile to the implementation of such behemoths and the pylons to connect them; increasingly taking their cases to the streets or to the courts. Fostering local acceptance is therefore essential, whether by sharing economic benefits, developing local skills and jobs around recycling, or powering remote communities – including repurposing the turbines being replaced.

The question of what to do with the components of the turbines that are replaced is also thorny. Turbine blades, for example, are manufactured from a diverse range of materials that are hard to extract or recycle. Countries such as Ireland have tried to lead the way, organising competitions to repurpose the blades, for example as footbridges. But the sheer volume of the turbines to replace means that systematic solutions, rather than piecemeal ones, are needed.

Finally, the timing to invest in such massive replacements is particularly bad: several industry actors have experienced major financial difficulties in the past two years. The current economic context, marked by high-interest rates and strained supply chains, also makes the outcomes of these investments particularly uncertain.

A fragile industry faced with complex dilemmas

To add to the complexity, operators often lack the tools and data to compare the decision to repair or repower and the differences in risk and financial implications.

Repairing or decommissioning a turbine falls into OPEX. It is often a straightforward decision that is backed by a wealth of historical data obtained from maintenance software such as an enterprise asset management platform.

Repowering, on the other hand, is a new project that is typically carried out by a developer. It represents significant CAPEX with different implications on tax and cash-flow, but also the potential subsidies and tax credits the operator obtains. The type of risks it entails are also substantially different – from securing financing to anticipating supply chain disruptions and budget overruns.

Comparing the decisions to repair or repower can therefore feel like comparing apples and oranges. While tools such as enterprise project performance can help assess different scenarios and levels of risks, it is a capacity many operators lack.

The role of governments in achieving carbon reductions

The responsibility to carry out repowering to achieve carbon reduction objectives does not fall on

operators alone. The UK Government has pledged by law (2008 Climate Act) to reduce GHG emissions by 100% of 1990 levels by 2050 and other countries such as France, Germany, and Spain have also set legally binding targets. In the coming decades there will therefore be huge pressures on individuals and businesses to do their bit.

Recent failed auctions in the UK (no new projects secured in the September 2023 auction) and the US, have raised concerns that governments would not adapt price support and revenue stabilisation mechanisms to the current economic context – tipping the risk balance the wrong way for operators to commit to new developments, as organisations look to mitigate the impacts from economic uncertainty. The same applies to the question of permits that can jeopardise a repowering project’s ability to generate financial returns.

Furthermore, at this crucial juncture for the wind power industry, supporting repowering – and the investments it depends on – through financial support and fast-tracked permits will be central if governments intend to deliver on their net zero and COP28 commitments.

An industry facing challenges on numerous fronts

It is a challenging time for the renewable energy industry and in particular, the wind power sector. Ageing wind turbines pose a real challenge and there are multiple options available but each comes with its own risks. In addition, current economic conditions are making it more difficult for price support to be obtained and organisations are looking to mitigate risks. Operators often lack the tools and data to compare the decision to repair or repower by investing in technologies that can provide a wealth of data, they can be both better prepared and informed to make those challenging decisions.

Figure 2 . Engineer surveying a wind farm.

Vessel versatility Vessel versatility

Jessica Stump and Alain Wassink, NOV, discuss how a versatile installation vessel can enable the commercialisation of floating offshore wind farms.

s the global energy landscape continues its transition with the addition of renewable sources, offshore wind has emerged as a key driver of this transformation. One of the promising technologies within the offshore wind sector is the rapidly evolving floating offshore wind. With ambitious renewable energy and emissions reduction targets set by countries across the globe, the commercial scale deployment of floating wind has become essential. Multiple small scale and demonstrative floating wind farms are operating, focusing on proof concepts, and mitigating safety and financial risks. Europe, for instance, has played a leading role in the development of this technology. In 2017, Hywind Scotland became the world’s first floating wind farm, while in 2020, Portugal’s WindFloat Atlantic became the world’s first semi-submersible floating wind farm. More recently, Equinor’s Hywind Tampen became the world’s largest and the first floating wind farm to power offshore oil and gas platforms – Snorre and Gullfaks – in the Norwegian North Sea.

With commercial scale projects expected by the next decade, the vast potential of wind energy in deeper waters, where wind resources are reliable and abundant,

provides a considerable opportunity. Unlocking this potential, however, comes with its own set of challenges, which require a holistic approach. One of the major challenges for the commercialisation of floating wind farms will be the installation and maintenance phases.

Challenges

Floating wind farms are farther from shore, in deeper waters, and in rigorous environments. Due to the various environmental and geographical conditions, each project demands a tailored approach. Although floating wind installations are similar in scope to floating production unit installations in the offshore oil and gas industry, they are on a much larger scale. Each project is expected to require dozens of the upcoming 15+ MW offshore wind turbines.

Moreover, all the components of a floating wind farm are new, larger, and more complex, and vessels equipped to handle their transport, installation, and maintenance are limited. Current legacy design vessels are not optimised for the future massive offshore wind turbines needed to scale floating wind. Installing and maintaining this extensive and intricate infrastructure in dynamic and harsh environments – stronger winds, higher waves, and rougher seas – requires not only robust installation strategies but also a new class of vessel(s).

Industrialising the installation process is key to developing commercial scale floating wind. NOV’s GustoMSC has developed the Enhydra floating wind installation vessel (FWIV) concept to facilitate this process. Integrating technologies from across NOV, this versatile vessel streamlines complex offshore operations in harsh environments and deep waters.

A new class of vessel

A major aspect of the Enhydra FWIV concept is the focus on operational specifications, rather than just design specifications. The vessel, which incorporates insights and requirements from developers, vessel owners, and contractors, is not merely engineered to meet a set of design parameters but is tailored to specific operational requirements of floating offshore wind installations. Flexible mission equipment packages enable rapid mobilisation, ensuring logistical and operational efficiency. This approach is crucial, as the sheer scale and pace of floating wind farm deployments demand vessels that can reliably and repeatedly perform complex offshore tasks.

Inspired by the sea otter’s (Enhydra Lutris) adaptability and use of tools, the Enhydra vessel series utilises its flexible lay-out and sea-keeping to facilitate and perform various operations with advanced, integrated technologies in diverse environments.

The FWIV, the second variant in GustoMSC’s Enhydra offshore wind support vessel series, is designed to execute the full range of subsea construction tasks associated with floating wind, including the installation and hook-up of the various foundation types, mooring systems, and dynamic power cables.

Figure 1 . Equipped with integrated NOV technologies, the versatile Enhydra floating wind installation vessel (FWIV) streamlines complex offshore operations in deep waters and rigorous environments.

Figure 2 . The Enhydra FWIV’s flexible deck layout accommodates all types of mooring systems and their installation equipment.

Figure 3 The Enhydra FWIV’s versatility enables the campaign-driven methodology.

Foundations, mooring, and dynamic cables

Floating wind farm installations will be delivered using a campaign-driven methodology. The majority will have two or more defined campaigns. The first will pre-install the mooring systems, including wet storage of the mooring lines. This will be followed by the hooking up and tensioning of the mooring system to the floating offshore wind turbine, as well as the installation and connection of the dynamic cables to the turbine. By combining the capabilities of subsea construction vessels and anchor handling tug supply vessels with logistical efficiency, the Enhydra FWIV is a strategic asset that enables this methodology.

Floating wind requires floating foundations to be anchored in deeper waters where environmental and seabed conditions vary. While there are more than 120 floating foundation designs in the market, they can be categorised into three main types: semi-submersible, spar, and tension leg platform (TLP).

Semi-submersible floating foundations, such as NOV’s Tri-Floater, achieve stability through buoyancy. Their columns are anchored to the seabed using a mooring system in a catenary, semi-taut, or taut configuration. Spar floating foundations, such as Hywind Tampen, gain stability through ballasting. They feature a vertical buoyant cylinder ballasted at the bottom with a deep draft and anchored to the seabed with a spread mooring system. Meanwhile, TLPs attain stability through mooring tension. These floating foundations use columns and pontoons anchored to the seabed with a taut mooring system, which prevents vertical motion (heave) as well as rotational motion (pitch and roll). The anchors used to moor these floating foundations can be driven piles, suction anchors, or gravity anchors.¹

The mooring system configuration further depends on several factors, such as the foundation type, water depth, and environment.

The Enhydra FWIV’s flexible deck layout accommodates all types of mooring systems and their installation equipment, from pile templates and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to winch packages. Its open deck provides a stable platform to carry three sets of mooring systems and optimising logistics.

Meanwhile, the 400 t electric AHC subsea crane from NOV’s Lifting and Handling group enhances precision while minimising the environmental impact offshore. An advanced electric motor system improves control, which boosts operational smoothness, reduces downtime, and ensures the crane’s reliability. This also allows for the recovery of potential energy from loads, such as anchors, lowered to the seabed, supporting onboard use or storage. The modular design and components contribute to ease of maintenance, ultimately leading to lower operating costs.

Moreover, the constant motion of the wind turbine platforms requires the use of flexible and durable dynamic power cables. These cables must withstand continuous mechanical stresses, as well as potential fatigue and wear from the perpetual motion. Additionally, these cables will require large buoyancy modules to maintain their positioning and stability.

The Enhydra FWIV is designed to install these dynamic power cables in various water depths and environmental conditions with vertical, horizontal, and in-lay options from NOV’s Remacut group. This versatility ensures the dynamic cables can be precisely installed to meet the unique demands of each project, thereby enhancing the overall reliability and efficiency of the power transmission system.

Future developments

Another critical factor in ensuring the long-term performance and profitability of commercial scale floating wind farms is operations and maintenance (O&M). The added complexity of floating wind, with its two moving objects in a more dynamic offshore environment, will prove more challenging to manage than fixed wind.

Access, standoff, and additional maintenance scopes for floating wind will require specialised vessels and strategies that cannot simply be copied from the fixed wind playbook. More stable platforms will be needed to maximise the operating window and accessibility to floating wind turbines.

However, major component exchange (MCE) is challenging for both fixed and floating wind. Two strategies are being explored for MCE in the floating wind market: a tow-to-port solution and an in-field solution. The tow-to-port approach requires vessels that can disconnect the floating turbine from its subsea infrastructure, have the bollard pull to tow it to shore for maintenance, and then hook-up and reconnect it to the wind farm. The in-field solution demands innovative motion-compensated cranes with high, safe working loads or self-erecting cranes.

GustoMSC is developing these tailored solutions to tackle unique O&M requirements. For instance, a variant of its Enhydra modular service and operations vessel (MSOV) concept addresses the accessibility challenges for walk-to-work operations, while offering a ready tow-in/tow-out capability.

Conclusion

Floating wind plays a pivotal role in increasing offshore wind’s contribution to the global energy mix by enabling large scale renewable energy production. This expansion reduces global greenhouse gas emissions and strengthens energy security. By engineering versatile, integrated solutions for floating wind foundations, mooring systems, dynamic cables, and installation/maintenance strategies, NOV is enabling the industrialisation of floating offshore wind. Vessels like the Enhydra FWIV, tailored to the unique operational requirements of commercial scale floating wind, will be essential to streamlining complex offshore operations and ensuring the long-term reliability and profitability of these projects.

As the floating wind market continues to evolve and garners momentum, the deployment of these integrated solutions will be crucial to unlocking the full potential of this renewable energy source and advancing the transition to a lower-carbon future.

Reference

1. ‘Market Overview Report 2024: Floating Foundations Overview’, TGS, (2024).

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Javonte Woodson, Evident, USA, explores how portable borescopes can advance wind turbine inspections.

lobal wind energy continues to grow, driven by increasing support for renewable energy around the world. According to the Global Wind Energy Council’s Global Wind Report 2024, the world added a record 117 GW of new wind energy capacity in 2023, a 50% increase compared to the previous year. This means wind turbines are becoming a

vital component of the global energy infrastructure but, as the demand for wind energy grows, so does the need for effective turbine inspection solutions.

Keeping wind turbines operating safely and efficiently requires regular inspection and predictive maintenance. Yet, inspecting the inner workings of a wind turbine can be challenging. Many of the crucial components that need regular monitoring, such as gearboxes and generator components, are hard to access. Expensive and time-consuming disassembly is sometimes necessary to perform a satisfactory inspection. However, in recent years, portable video borescope technology has emerged as a game-changing tool that can make wind turbine inspections easier.

Offering the ability to navigate through confined spaces and enable remote visual assessments, ultra-portable borescope models help inspectors visualise critical turbine components without the need to disassemble them. This remote visual inspection leads to a major reduction in turbine downtime, minimising revenue loss. Improved safety is another advantage, as the ability to perform remote visual inspections limits the time personnel spend in cramped and high-risk areas.

Wind power maintenance needs

Gearboxes are one of the systems used in wind turbines to multiply the rotational speed and transmit the power to the power generator. The wind turbine blades have a slower rotational speed, so the gearbox helps the turbine achieve a higher rotational speed. Without the gearbox increasing the rotational speed, the generator

connected to the turbine cannot attain any meaningful electricity frequency. Mechanical systems have higher efficiency at a lower rotation per minute (rpm), and electrical systems have greater efficiency at a higher rpm. Because the wind turbine is dealing with an incredible amount of energy, gearbox inspections are critical.

The amount of pressure on the bearings and gears means that the smallest issue can suddenly turn into a catastrophic and expensive problem. These problems include fires, crashes, and other safety concerns, as well as a complete shutdown of the wind turbine.

Fatal gearbox damage leads to a several-month downtime and a huge cost for gearbox replacement. To prevent an unplanned outage, inspectors must identify and monitor conditions such as abnormal wear on each gear stage and bearing for fatigue, cracking, fretting, and pitting.

Remote visual inspection is an effective method for inspecting these gearboxes, maintaining their quality, and ultimately extending the life of the wind turbine.

What inspectors look for in a wind turbine gearbox

During a visual assessment of a wind turbine gearbox, the inspector uses a borescope to navigate around the gearbox. Here, they examine the roller bearings, gear teeth inside the gears, and other bearings/gears. When they find these locations, the inspector investigates the damages on the surfaces of the bearings and gears. These damages include flaking damage, cracks, colour changes, and pitting damage (Figure 1). Most of these damages are caused by the immense pressure placed on the parts.

These damaged locations can compound and cause major concerns. Figure 1 shows stress and wear and tear have a significant effect on these parts.

Wind turbine inspection challenges

The first challenge that wind turbine inspectors face is having to climb up to the nacelle on the top of the turbine to reach the gearbox. The inspector needs a portable borescope that is easy to carry to the gearbox location and enables them to perform an inspection with comfort and efficiency.

Another challenge is performing the inspection through the gearbox lubricant oil. All the bearings and the teeth of the gearbox are covered in a light lubricant oil for smooth movement. This oil is particularly light and thin to fit through tight spaces. Consequently, the oil often attaches to the optical lens of borescopes, causing blurry observation images during the inspection.

Figure 1 Bearing with flaking damage (left) and gear teeth with pitting damage (right).

Figure 2 . Gear teeth image without illumination from an LED guide tube (left) and gear teeth images with illumination from an LED guide tube (right).

To keep images clear enough for the inspection, inspectors need to clean the exterior/interior of the optical adapter during the inspection. The oil also attaches itself to the insertion tube of the borescope, so the inspector must take the time to clean the insertion tube thoroughly after the inspection.

The last challenge is the large space in the housing of the wind gearbox, which makes visibility a challenge if the illumination emitted from the borescope is insufficient. Inspectors take a long time to reach the targeted inspection areas in a dark space, so the inspection can become time-consuming and inefficient without enough light. As a result, bright illumination is required for gearbox inspection.

Solving the challenges of wind turbine inspection

Modern borescopes have become extremely portable, removing the hassle of carrying heavy equipment up the wind turbine for inspections. Handheld and lightweight borescopes make this technology easy to use in the confined space of the nacelle. Due to the lightweight and compact attributes of modern borescopes, inspection efficiency has increased over the years.

Adding to this are the smaller diameter inspection tubes that can fit into the tight spaces encountered in the gearbox of wind turbines. For example, inspectors can use scopes with a diameter as small as 2 mm to look for damage in tight spaces.

Oil-resistant coatings have also been pivotal in improving the inspection process. An oil-resistant coating on an insertion tube enhances its tolerance against oil and eases the process of wiping off the oil on the scope after the inspection. As a result, inspectors can spend minimal time cleaning after the inspections.

Oil-clearing optical tip adapters, such as those designed by Evident, are another useful technology for the oily environment of gearboxes. These adapters draw away the lubricant oil attached to the scope’s lens during the inspections, enabling personnel to obtain clear, high-quality observation images.

To avoid the risk of oil residue collecting beneath the tip adapter when changing tips, a fixed mid-focus optical tip adapter enables the inspector to examine the target area clearly from 4 mm and farther away with enough light. This fixed option can reduce the inspection time and clean-up while still maintaining the image quality in near-focus and far-focus observations.

LED guide tubes are another key technology making wind turbine inspections more efficient. The LED light mounted on guide tubes illuminates the wide area in a large gearbox for smooth scope navigation. It also provides enough rigidity for navigation through difficult-to-reach inspection targets while enabling observation of gear teeth in deeper areas (Figure 2). This combination of visual inspection equipment can

provide better inspection results, helping to ensure defects and damage are detected to extend the life of the wind turbine.

Case studies in wind turbine inspection

Today, modern borescope solutions for wind turbines are empowering inspectors to complete their work with good results, even in hard-to-access spaces or oily environments.

At Invenergy, Wind Technician, Mitch Meadows, uses borescopes to examine gearboxes, wind turbines, and main bearings. He offered insights on how portable and adaptable video borescope technology has contributed to the wind energy industry.

Meadows finds that the flexibility of the video borescope helps technicians get into the tight spots required for the inspection. When in tight spaces, video borescopes help get the job done efficiently.

He also noted how smaller diameter insertion tubes have made it easy to perform better inspections, as the scopes can manoeuvre through these tight spots.

Meadows commented that the cost of overhauling wind turbines can become very expensive between the maintenance and labour. This adds to the reasons why performing frequent inspections on these turbines reduces the wind company’s service costs down the line.

At Vestas-American Wind Technology, Juan Sanchez, has been a wind turbine inspector for four years. When he inspects turbines, he looks for several types of defects. The enhanced image quality of video borescopes helps him perform these inspections as the high-resolution cameras makes the pictures very clear. As he is looking for gouging, cracks, broken metal, and other defects, the resolution of the cameras really helps him see everything he needs to.

Oil-resistant technology and other modern features are also critical for wind turbine inspections. Sanchez believes that without the new technology of video borescopes, these inspections would be impossible. The video borescopes can easily deal with all the oil that is encountered during these inspections.

Conclusion

Remote visual inspections are pivotal for maximising the life and efficiency of wind turbines. These assessments play an important role in sustaining this technology as global energy infrastructure moves to wind power and other renewable energy sources. Evolving borescope technology, such as brighter illumination, oil-clearing tip adapters, and ultra-portable designs, has made the wind turbine inspection process more efficient and reliable to meet this demand. Video borescope manufacturers will continue to develop this technology, enabling inspectors to perform these visual examinations with even greater confidence.

he UK’s solar story kicked off in earnest back in 2013 with the launch of the Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs). The government scheme subsidised green energy and supercharged investment into the sector.

Conor Cowden, Portfolio Manager, Foresight Solar Fund, considers the challenges and innovations experienced by the solar energy sector in the UK.

Today, the UK boasts thousands of ROC-supported solar sites – including those operated by Foresight Solar –generating terawatt hours of green energy and powering homes across the nation.

Nearly a decade since their construction, many of the UK’s early solar plants have racked up the wear and tear of equipment with a finite lifecycle.

The ageing infrastructure presents a challenge for operators and investors striving to maximise efficiency and returns. One thing, however, is clear: asset management teams are becoming even more relevant, tracking and tuning kit across the country so that production remains high, and costs stay under control.

The nuts and bolts

Solar farms are, in principle, very simple. The panels or modules capture the sun’s energy to create a direct current (DC). An inverter changes this into an alternating current (AC), and a transformer raises the voltage so that it is ready to join the grid. A switchgear connects the solar farm to a substation and regulates the flow of electricity into the wider network.

Despite being relatively straightforward, maintaining and upgrading these vital pieces of infrastructure can present challenges.

One such example is sourcing inverters, a key component of any solar farm. Like many electrical products, inverters use semiconductors which became scarce after a confluence of macroeconomic events triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic caused a global supply chain crisis and raw materials shortage.

Supply chain pressures have always been present in the industry. They were a challenge in the early 2010s and became even more prevalent in recent years following the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in some manufacturers facing one of two fates – consolidation or collapse.

With the number of suppliers and products available reduced, lead times for these parts skyrocketed.

It is a similar story for other key components. Transformers, for example, have seen their lead time increase from 14 weeks back in 2019 to up to 40 weeks today.

Meanwhile, the panels have seen significant technological advancements in the years since installation on early sites.

While many of them would have been purchased with 25 year warranties, a decade on, many suppliers or parts no longer exist.

In addition, modules being produced nowadays are two or three times larger than those manufactured a decade ago – which were roughly 1 x 1 x 0.5 m.

This is creating an issue beyond the supply chain as the site configuration will likely need redesigning to accommodate new panels in due course. It is a whole new dynamic for owners and operators.

Proactive solutions: Spare parts programmes and repowering

A famous quote from Benjamin Franklin comes to mind: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

In this instance, failure is not so definite, but, clearly, a component unexpectedly breaking may have significant impact on electricity production and revenue.

So, how are asset owners supposed to stay ahead of potential issues? Creating a spare parts programme is an effective way to minimise disruption and limit downtime.

By finding commonality across assets in a portfolio, operators can strategically purchase components, accounting for factors such as lead time and lifecycle.

For example, in 2019, a voltage transformer which failed at Foresight Solar’s Port Farm was replaced in just three days – compared to the 6 – 8 week expected lead time – thanks to the spare parts programme. This swift resolution saved up to £800 000 in costs.

When specific parts are unavailable, repowering sites – which involves replacing all inverters or modules – can generate additional spares for the wider portfolio.

This approach, while initially costly, can enhance portfolio performance and yields significant cost savings in the long run.

In the case of the modules, Foresight Solar is considering the potential benefits of repowering over the next five years as its farms progress.

Figure 1 . The Foresight Solar team visiting one of its solar farms in Bournemouth, the UK.

Figure 2 Foresight Solar’s 17 MW Longreach solar farm in Queensland, Australia.

Case study: Potential-induced degradation at Spriggs solar farm

Spriggs solar farm, a 12 MW site located in Essex, England, was one of Foresight Solar’s first acquisitions – connecting to the grid back in 2014.

Early during its operation, the site experienced systemic module potential-induced degradation (PID).

For those less familiar, PID is a manufacturing issue that affects the performance of photovoltaic modules whereby stray currents caused by a high potential difference between various components can lead to significant power loss.

In this case, performance dropped by almost 10%, having a notable impact on electricity production and revenues.

It was clear that significant work would be needed to remedy the defect.

Foresight Solar was able to draw upon the expertise of Foresight Group’s technical team (the investment manager), who undertook testing of the modules to identify degradation areas and conducted due diligence to identify top-tier component suppliers used across the portfolio.

Ultimately, the asset management team found an engineering solution for the PID. This consisted of installing float controllers on the site, which prevent further degradation occurring and allow for the full recovery of the affected modules.

Alongside fixing the issue, this process meant the plant was standardised to other solar farms within our portfolio and able to benefit from our spare parts programme.

Now, Spriggs is one of the company’s best-performing assets, consistently outperforming by as much as 10% and sees improved returns on investment.

Looking beyond the electronics: Ecological considerations

A solar farm is more than its component parts; maintaining the land on which it sits is just as integral to the effectiveness of the asset.

Vegetation management, for example, is important to prevent shading the panels and is often easily achieved with animal grazing. In practice, this means the plants are occasionally visited by sheep, who munch away on the grass

surrounding the arrays. This has a multitude of benefits: bringing farmers revenue from leasing the land to solar farm operators and helping to integrate the site into rural areas, while also supporting nature.

While many responsible operators were already working to increase ecology on site, the recent implementation of mandatory biodiversity net gain (BNG) – a requirement for new infrastructure projects to deliver a 10% increase in biodiversity once completed – has given impetus to developers to strive for even more.

Solar farms, like other renewable energy sites, offer comparatively undisturbed environments and long-term ownership or lease agreements, making stakeholders uniquely positioned to contribute to biodiversity and nature recovery efforts.

However, Solar Energy UK found in its 2024 Solar Habitat Report that monitoring solar farms has not been applied consistently across the UK, making comparisons between sites difficult.

Whether establishing a new solar site or enhancing an existing one, carrying out an ecological baseline survey is important for understanding the condition of existing habitats that support biodiversity and monitoring improvements over time.

Earlier this year, Foresight Group issued a blueprint in collaboration with the Eden Project and Natural England to provide land managers, developers, asset managers and operators with a framework needed to integrate nature-positive processes. The report effectively provides a working list of best practices and how to apply the most relevant options to each site.

While already intrinsically linked to decarbonisation themes, the ability to create thriving ecosystems on solar farms helps justify the importance of their place in the landscape.

A testament to innovation and resilience

As the UK continues its journey towards a sustainable future, the evolution of its solar infrastructure stands is testament to the industry’s innovation and resilience.

From the early days of the ROCs to the sophisticated spare parts programmes and biodiversity initiatives of today, the solar sector has shown remarkable adaptability.

By addressing both technical and environmental needs, developers and operators ensure that solar farms not only contribute to making the UK a green energy superpower but also enhance local ecosystems and positively contribute to local communities.

The lessons learned and the strides made in the solar sector will undoubtedly serve as a blueprint for further advancements, solidifying the role of solar energy in the UK’s lower carbon economy.

Looking ahead, the solar energy sector will play a crucial role in achieving the UK’s net-zero ambitions. The industry’s evolution highlights the importance of proactive planning, technological advancement, and ecological consideration in maintaining and expanding the nation’s green energy infrastructure.

Figure 3 Animals grazing at Foresight Solar’s 72 MW Shotwick solar farm in Wales, the UK.

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Figure 1 . The sunniest place on Earth is in Chile.

However, whether someone lives in Chile or Connecticut, they are likely increasingly looking to the skies as a source of power as traditional fossil fuels continue to be phased out. Whilst solar has been a viable power source since Bell Labs first produced practical photovoltaic (PV) cells in the 1950s, and it was used to power a radio transmitter in the Vanguard I satellite in 1958, it has only gathered momentum as a key household power source in the past decade.

Increasing solar panel ownership

As of 2024, approximately 6% of single-family owner-occupied homes in the US have solar panels installed. This figure is seen across the world and one that is steadily increasing. Partly, this is due to advancements in solar technology and partly this is due to supportive government policies like the 30% federal tax credit for solar installations.

Like most other Western territories, the US residential solar market continues to expand rapidly, with projections suggesting that the number of homes with solar panels will more than triple by 2030. The growth in solar panel installations is, of course, particularly prominent in locations with abundant sunlight and supportive regulatory environments.

The growth in solar panel ownership in recent times has also been buoyed by the decreasing costs of solar installations, a multitude of government led incentives, and increasing awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of solar energy. Plus, there has been the great advancements in battery technology.

Battery improvements

Battery technology has improved rapidly and continues to do so. It has been driven by advancements in materials science, manufacturing processes, and the growing demand for efficient energy storage solutions. Its importance to the optimisation of solar cannot be underestimated.

One of the key areas where battery technology has evolved is in energy density. Modern lithium-ion batteries have far better energy density than in the past, allowing for longer-lasting batteries in smaller, lighter packages. Then there is the emergence of solid-state batteries that use a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid one, offering higher energy densities, improved safety, and longer lifespans.

Another key area of improvement to batteries in recent times has been in charging speed. Innovations in battery chemistry and thermal management are enabling much faster charging times. In fact, some new technologies allow batteries to reach 80% charge in as little as 15 minutes. Current research into alternative materials and designs, such as supercapacitors and advanced lithium-ion configurations, also promise even faster charging rates in the future.

Additionally, modern solar batteries have a longer lifespan, are more resistant to degradation, are safer than ever before, and often have in-built smart battery management systems (BMS) that can monitor battery health, optimise charging and discharging cycles, and predict potential failures.

Grid stabilisation

Enhancements in battery technology is timely. Increasingly volatile extreme weather patterns, the data centres

Figure 2 . Solar power is instrumental to building a greener future.

Figure 3 Maximising the effectiveness of a solar energy system is imperative.

required to power the new era of artificial intelligence (AI), population increases in urban areas, and the popularity of electric vehicles are all putting a greater load on the power grid than ever before. In fact, there has been nearly a 10% growth in grid levels y/y in the state of Texas alone.

Advancements in battery technology have paved the way for batteries to play a crucial role in a wide range in large scale renewable energy storage and, therefore, grid stabilisation. Not only are enhanced battery technologies being integrated into the grid to store energy from renewable sources such as solar to smooth out supply fluctuations. But those being used in end user residential and commercial solar power systems allow users to store solar energy for use at night or other times when the sun is no longer reaching the panels. Plus, such efficient battery storage has made it easier for end users to push excess energy back to the grid at opportune times. This is helping to level off the grid and mitigate the threat of outages.

Maximising effectiveness of solar energy systems

Whether an end user gets 12 hours of sunlight a day or 12 minutes, maximising the efficiency and effectiveness of the solar energy system is imperative. Solar optimisation involves a wide variety of strategies and technologies aimed at improving the performance to ensure the system generates the maximum possible amount of energy.

The first key aspect of solar optimisation is, unsurprisingly, ensuring that the angle and direction of the solar panels are adjusted to capture the most sunlight. Typically, panels are oriented towards the equator (south in the northern hemisphere and north in the southern hemisphere) and tilted at an angle that maximises exposure to the sun. Using tracking systems so that the panels can follow the sun’s path from east to west during the day can make them even more effective. Of course, it is important to ensure that any solar panels that are used are placed where they will not be shaded by trees, buildings, or other obstructions throughout the day.

Using advanced PV technology to increase the conversion rate of sunlight to electricity can also help. As can regular cleaning of the panels to remove dirt and debris that would otherwise reduce their efficiency.

How technology can help

In addition to ensuring optimal placement and physically maintaining any solar array, there are several ways that technology can also help optimise solar energy systems. Software and Internet of Things (IoT) devices can be used to monitor and track the performance of solar systems in real time. In addition, AI and machine learning (ML) can be used to analyse huge data sets on weather conditions and average cloud coverage to ensure that an end user gets the most out of their system. Also, data analytics can be used to predict and prevent potential issues before they impact system performance.

Then there is the aforementioned BMS’ that can store excess energy generated during peak sunlight hours so it can be used during cloudy periods or at night. Or devices that convert DC electricity from solar panels to AC electricity, optimising energy flow and storage.

Another important consideration with the design of any solar array is to make sure that the energy produced by the system at the balances with the energy consumption patterns of the end user, although batteries help alleviate this potential issue. Plus, to ensure that the system is flexible enough that it can be expanded upon in the future if energy needs change.

Keeping it smart

Of course, the increased proliferation of smart meters is also helping to enhance the effectiveness and management of solar power systems. By utilising the real-time data on both the energy produced and energy consumed, the user can better understand usage patterns and adjust accordingly to optimise their solar systems.

Plus, by monitoring the performance of the solar power system, any drop in expected production can be quickly identified, prompting troubleshooting to ensure the system operates efficiently.

Unfortunately, many consumers still do not fully understand the advantages of smart meters and certain Western territories are lagging behind initial estimates. Therefore, more needs to be done by the industry to educate them. Regrettably, the bureaucratic elements of the industry do not help.

Building an energy community

This needs to change. An important component to ensure effective solar optimisation is the energy industry itself. Whilst government incentives are welcome, it is also important that suppliers reward customers who embark upon a journey towards a renewable future. Energy suppliers need to do all they can to encourage end users to use their batteries effectively so that any excess energy produced can find its way back to the grid. It is important that we work together to build a renewable energy community for all.

After all, it is a win-win situation. In addition to the obvious environmental benefits, the more end users can help with energy production, the more consistent energy supply will be. This means suppliers – and in turn the end users themselves – will not be as exposed to higher prices.

Solar power is instrumental to building a greener future and a preferable solution. Wind is far more volatile. Plus, the setup costs are far higher. Thankfully, the advancements of solar panel and battery technology, has massively enhanced the overall efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of solar energy systems. This has made such systems a much more viable and attractive option for both residential and commercial applications. This, in turn, is helping to reduce the strain on an ageing power grid, reduce the chance of blackouts and reduce the need for the industry to build additional power plants.

GLOBAL NEWS

Iberdrola obtains production licence for Portugal’s largest wind farm

Iberdrola has received a production license from the Portuguese Directorate-General for Energy and Geology of Portugal (DGEG). Located in the districts of Vila Real and Braga, in northern Portugal, with a total investment of around €350 million, this project reinforces Iberdrola’s commitment to environmental goals, being the first to combine wind and hydro energy. This implies sharing of the connection point and the evacuation line of electricity produced, which will include an expansion of the substation, already foreseen in the initial design of the project.

With an installed capacity of 274 MW and a production capacity of 601 GWh/y, equivalent to the consumption of 128 000 homes, the infrastructure will be integrated into the Tâmega Electroproduction System (SET). Taking advantage of the existing connection point in Ribeira de Pena, the project will sign a long-term supply contract, also known as power purchase agreement (PPA).

The project, formed by the Tâmega Norte and Tâmega Sul wind farms, is part of the agreement signed with the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, managed by Norges Bank Investment Management. The incorporation of wind energy into the SET will increase the contribution of clean, competitive and low-cost energy to the Portuguese electricity system, ensuring the supply of the maximum amount of green energy, originally authorised for each project, for as long as possible.

The wind project has been awarded to Vestas and will include the installation of 38 Vestas Enventus V172 turbines.

Proserv’s cable monitoring system to improve reliability at Dogger Bank wind farm

Proserv’s advanced Electro Cable Guard (ECGTM) will de-risk offshore wind operations at Dogger Bank C wind farm by identifying signs of transmission cable failure far earlier, allowing proactive measures to be carried out to avoid costly outages.

Under a contract with DEME, Proserv will deploy its proprietary technology at the third phase of what will become the world’s largest wind farm once operational, enhancing asset reliability through earlier failure detection and prevention.

Using passive electrical sensors to monitor inter-array cables and terminations, ECG delivers early fault detection that traditional systems overlook, transforming maintenance strategies and strengthening resilience in offshore operations. It works by permanently and synchronously monitoring the combined effect of electrical and mechanical stresses on power cables and terminations to identify failure precursors far earlier, providing real-time insights into transmission system health.

Proserv’s ECG is wind farm agnostic, and addresses up to 90% of common cable system failure modes, particularly at cable terminations, a leading cause of where faults arise.

This cable monitoring technology has been developed in collaboration with Synaptec, a specialist in power system monitoring in which Proserv is a shareholder.

bp and JERA joining forces to create global offshore wind joint venture

bp and JERA Co., Inc. have agreed to combine their offshore wind businesses to form a new standalone, equally-owned joint venture that will become one of the largest global offshore wind developers, owners, and operators.

The combination will create a global business, to be called JERA Nex bp, with a balanced mix of operating assets and development projects with total 13 GW potential net generating capacity. Formation of JERA Nex bp is intended to accelerate development from the combined pipeline and bolster access to competitive financing. Supporting this, the partners have agreed to provide capital funding for investments committed

to before end of 2030 of up to US$5.8 billion.

The companies will contribute interests comprising operating assets with around 1 GW net generating capacity, a pipeline of high-quality development projects with around 7.5 GW capacity, and further secured leases with 4.5 GW of potential capacity. JERA Nex bp will pursue value-driven development of competitive projects, as well as optimising its extensive combined portfolio. Initially it is expected to focus on progressing existing projects in North-West Europe, Australia, and Japan, and to continue to mature the development pipeline of significant longer-term opportunities.

GLOBAL NEWS

SAE brings full power to MeyGen tidal stream site

SAE has announced that, following the deployment of turbine 4, the world leading MeyGen tidal stream site now has all four turbines fully operational. This means that the site is now at full power for the first time, delivering 6 MW of predictable, renewable power.

Since deployment in 2016, the turbines operated by MeyGen have undergone several upgrades and enhancements to increase system efficiency and cost reduction. The site continues to support the innovation and development of the turbines to unlock further phases and further technological upgrades.

The deployment of the turbine was carried out alongside Proteus Marine Renewables (PMR), with whom SAE recently announced it had started discussions to supply turbines for future phases of MeyGen. PMR, alongside its partners SKF Marine and GE Vernova, are developing a 3 MW turbine which could be used at MeyGen for the next 59 MW.

The turbine was taken to site from the MeyGen Operations base at Nigg Energy Park aboard the Maersk Involver. The deployment operation was supported by MWaves as the project Marine Warranty Surveyors and completed without incident.

Diary dates

Energy Storage Summit 2025 17 – 19 February 2025 London, UK

https://storagesummit.solarenergyevents.com

Intersolar & Energy Storage North America

25 – 27 February 2025 California, USA https://www.intersolar.us

Large Scale Solar Europe 2025 25 – 26 March 2025 Lisbon, Portugal https://lss.solarenergyevents.com

Energy Storage Summit USA

26 – 27 March 2025

Texas, USA https://storageusa.solarenergyevents.com

First grid-connected array in the Middle East

Eco Wave Power Global AB has announced that the Israeli Project was officially ‘switched-on’ by Israel’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Eli Cohen, the Minister of Environmental Protection, Idit Silman, and the Mayor of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Ron Huldai, and is now exporting electricity into Israel’s power grid. The Israeli National Electric Co. (IEC) is the purchaser of all the clean energy produced by this project. The project is the second grid connected Eco Wave Power plant and the only wave power plant anywhere in Middle East, operating under the terms of a power purchase agreement entered with IEC, as part of the project’s recognition as a ‘Pioneering Technology’ by the Chief Scientist of the Energy Ministry, Government of Israel. This is the first array of wave power generators to be connected to an electricity grid in Israel and in the Middle East. The innovative Eco Wave Power floaters move up and down with the movement of the waves and create pressure which is driving a hydro motor and a generator. The technology also provides smart automation system that controls the power station’s storm-protection mechanism and stable transmission of clean electricity to the grid.

Solar & Storage Live London 2025

02 – 03 April 2025 London, UK www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/solar-storage-live-london

Pulse 2025

03 – 04 April 2025

Madrid, Spain https://ratedpower.com/pulse

WindEurope 2025 8 – 10 April 2025 Copenhagen, Denmark windeurope.org/annual2025

The smarter E Europe 2025 07 – 09 May 2025 Munich, Germany www.thesmartere.de/home

GLOBAL NEWS

Qair commissions first solar PV farm

Qair has announced the commissioning of its first fully developed solar photovoltaic (PV) farm in Italy. Located in the Marrubiù industrial estate in the Province of Oristano, Sardinia, the 8.2 MWp facility is expected to generate 12.7 GWh of renewable energy annually, which represents the annual consumption of 3000 households and the equivalent of 350 tpy of CO2 emissions avoided. This milestone marks a significant step forward in Qair’s expansion in Italy, increasing the company’s total installed capacity in the country, until now solely comprised of acquired projects, to 21 MW.

The authorisation for the Marrubiù solar power plant was granted in September 2021, with construction commencing in June 2023. Built on municipal land, the project exemplifies the harmonious integration of renewable energy infrastructure and community benefits. The municipality will receive annual rental income from the land for the next 30 years, reinforcing the plant’s long-term value to the local economy.

Swedfund and IFU invest in renewable energy development in Southern Africa

Swedfund and the Danish Investment Fund for Developing Countries, IFU, have partnered with Sturdee Energy to accelerate the expansion of renewable energy in Southern Africa, with a primary focus on South Africa, a country heavily reliant on coal-fired electricity.

To support the green transition and the development of increased energy capacity from renewable sources, Swedfund and IFU are equally committing a total of US$44 million in direct equity investments to support Sturdee Energy’s growth initiatives.

Sturdee Energy currently operates 31 MW of solar power in Namibia and Botswana and is constructing 20 MW of solar power in South Africa. The company is advancing a portfolio of more than 200 MW to financial close across four countries. The new wind and solar power plants add more than 600 GWh of renewable energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 500 000 tpy.

Swedfund and IFU have developed an Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) to further strengthen the work around human rights and labour standards inclusively throughout the project lifecycle.

RWE successful with two projects in Italian advanced agrivoltaics auction

RWE was successful in the Italian Resilience and Recovery Plan auction, awarding contract for difference tariff and up to 40% return on investment for advanced agrivoltaics. The 9.8 MWac Morcone and 9.3 MWac Acquafredda advanced agrivoltaics plants, located in the province of Benevento in the Campania region, were awarded. Construction of the more than 32 500 solar modules is scheduled to begin in early 2025, with commissioning scheduled for the end of next year.

The agrivoltaic projects will use elevated tracker systems: the solar modules are elevated on a 3 m high tracker structure with a movable axis, increasing the energy yield of the PV system. Crops will be harvested below the panels in a fully integrated energy-agri system, increasing agricultural production while optimising land use. The panels provide protection against hail, frost, drought, and heavy rain. The performance of the two advanced agrivoltaic systems, including meteorological and agricultural yield data, will be monitored by RWE to help improve agrivoltaic technology.

THE RENEWABLES REWIND

> GazelEnergie and Q ENERGY commission 35 MW energy storage system in France

> Root-Power secures planning approval for 50 MW BESS site

> AFRY to design Greenko’s large scale Shahpur pumped storage project in India

> Ocean Winds selects Føn Energy Services for Moray O&M works

Follow our website and social media pages for more updates, industry news, and technical articles. www.energyglobal.com

GLOBAL NEWS

ANDRITZ to modernise Governador Parigot de Souza hydropower plant in Brazil

ANDRITZ has been selected by Companhia Paranaense de Energia (COPEL) to refurbish and modernise the Governador Parigot de Souza hydropower plant in Curitiba, Brazil. The value of the order will not be disclosed. The modernisation encompasses a comprehensive upgrade of the plant’s key components, including Pelton turbines, generators, protection valves, and overhead cranes. ANDRITZ will also supply state-of-the-art electrical systems, automation solutions, protection systems, and instrumentation auxiliaries to enhance the efficiency and reliability of the plant.

ANDRITZ has successfully completed several projects for COPEL in the past. This project further strengthens the long-standing partnership between the two companies. The modernisation will be carried out by ANDRITZ Hydropower in Brazil, leveraging the local expertise built up over 30 years of experience in the Brazilian market.

GE Vernova secures US hydropower modernisation order

GE Vernova Inc. has announced that it has secured an order with Dominion Energy South Carolina for the modernisation of two hydropower units installed at the Saluda hydro power plant located on the Saluda River in the south-eastern region of the US, approximately 10 miles west of the city of Columbia, South Carolina.

This modernisation project will help extend the lifetime, reliability, performance, and operational flexibility of the power plant that has been generating sustainable and reliable power for almost a Century.

The modernisation project will also help to better maintain the water quality of the Saluda River by increasing dissolved oxygen through the implementation of GE Vernova’s patented aerating turbine technology. This new equipment oxygenates the water and ensures a minimum level of oxygen, contributing to protect aquatic life and the state’s natural resources. Aerating turbines is one of many examples of how innovations are being applied to an established industry like hydropower.