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SOLAR
SOLAR GLOBAL NEWS
Suntrace and Innosea collaborate on floating solar project
Innosea has been appointed to a consortium led by German Suntrace GmbH (Suntrace) and tasked with the development and tender support of a marine floating solar photovoltaics project (FPV) in the Maldives.
Innosea will team up with Suntrace as well as Renewable Energy Maldives (REM) and two environmental and social consultants to work on this forward-looking project.
The assignment encompasses technical support to the Maldivian government to develop floating solar in seawater near various islands within the archipelago. As such, Innosea will provide preliminary estimates of the potential for FPV in two regions of the archipelago, proposals on international best practices for FPV development, support to the upcoming tendering process, and co-ordination for the deployment of a 12-month site-specific data collection.
The project is part of the Accelerating Renewable Energy Integration and Sustainable Energy (ARISE) programme – an initiative funded by the World Bank to accelerate the integration of renewable energy sources in the Maldives and in particular island states, to overcome challenges caused by climate change.
The project also includes a 12-month current and wave measurement campaign to qualify site conditions and allow for further site selection and FPV plant design.
Suntrace will provide technical and advisory services across all project phases from origination to operation.
JTC and Shell sign solar MoU
JTC Corp. and Shell Singapore have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) supported by the National Environment Agency and Energy Market Authority to jointly explore developing a solar farm on part of Semakau Landfill, south of the Singapore mainland.
If successful, the solar farm would reduce the country’s carbon emissions and meet its growing clean energy needs. The solar farm will also be the first large scale solar project in Singapore where a sanitary landfill is also used for clean energy generation. This project is aligned with Singapore’s target to increase solar deployment to at least 2 GWp by 2030.
The solar farm is expected take up an area of 60 ha. and have a capacity of at least 72 MWp, sufficient to reduce CO2 emissions by 37 000 tpy. The energy produced can power up to 17 500 households for a year.
Shell’s Pulau Bukom Energy and Chemicals Park is close to Semakau Landfill, located approximately 2 km northwest of it. Working together allows an innovative integration of an intermittent renewable source to Bukom.
Tan Boon Khai, CEO of JTC said, “JTC is piloting new sustainable energy innovations with Shell to maximise the use of renewable energy solutions for our industries. This project is an example of how we are tapping available land to double up for solar generation to maximise renewable energy generation.
“Such close collaborations is part of our SolarLand initiative to optimise available land for solar generation in support of Singapore’s clean energy switch.”
Gransolar Group awarded contract for Australian hybrid project
Grupo Gransolar, a business group in the development, construction, and supply of photovoltaic (PV) plant components, has been awarded the sole contract to carry out the 5 MW Dalby Hybrid Power Plant EPC.
Located in the Dalby region of Queensland, Australia, the BESS facility will feature 2.7 MWdc of PVs and a 2.5 MW/5 MWh energy storage system. According to the company, once connected to the grid, the project will supply power to Ergon, a grid service provider in the region.
The plant’s technical solution is designed to provide maximum flexibility with the ability to access the maximum number of markets and revenue streams, including arbitrage and FCAS services. Grupo Gransolar supplies the plant controller/energy management system, which has already been tested in different electricity systems and is capable of operating under different grid codes and providing different applications such as energy arbitrage, ancillary services, and/or microgrid control, among others.
Keeping with its commitment to creating jobs in the local communities where it operates, Gransolar reports that approximately 50 workers will be employed throughout the construction of the Dalby Hybrid Power Plant.
The Dalby Hybrid Power Plant is expected to be operating at full capacity by early 2022.
WIND GLOBAL NEWS
Vattenfall starts construction of Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm
The construction of the 1.5 GW Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm started on 5 July 2021. The first vessel transporting foundations to the construction site departed on the same day. Over the next two years, the subsidy-free offshore wind farm will be built off the Dutch coast. The fossil-free energy generated by the wind farm will benefit both households, businesses, and industrial partners.
The construction works for Hollandse Kust Zuid start with the installation of monopile foundations. Each foundation is designed specifically for the location where it will be installed. The heaviest and largest monopile weighs 955 t and is 75 m long, while the lightest and shortest foundation still weighs 735 t and is 62 m long. The monopiles will be installed in water depths varying from 17 - 28 m.
An installation vessel transports the foundations to their offshore location and positions itself at the exact location. The ship’s crane then lifts the monopile into the water and lowers it until it reaches the seabed at a depth of 17 - 28 m. Once the foundation is in position on the seabed, a hydraulic hammer is used to drive the pile to the desired depth.
Vattenfall is building Hollandse Kust Zuid together with its recently announced partner BASF. The wind farm will be located approximately 18 km off the coast of The Hague and Zandvoort, the Netherlands, with the furthest turbines located 36 km offshore. When fully operational, Hollandse Kust Zuid will be one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world. The 140 turbines have a combined installed capacity of 1.5 GW.
Vallourec takes part in Hywind Tampen project
As the provider of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services, Aker Solutions commissioned Vallourec to provide seamless hot formed hollow sections for Equinor’s Hywind Tampen floating wind project.
Hywind Tampen is an 88 MW floating wind power project intended to provide electricity for the Snorre and Gullfaks offshore field operations in the Norwegian North Sea. It will be the world’s first floating wind farm to power offshore oil and gas platforms.
For this cutting-edge project, Aker Solutions required pipe material direct from an approved and audited pipe manufacturer. Having already undergone mill and product auditing in 2014, Vallourec fit the bill. “Aker Solutions needed 13 different pipe sizes for the various boat landings and service decks they were building, and we were able to meet that demand,” said Stephan Scherf, Sales Manager of Global Onshore and Offshore Construction Projects at Vallourec.
In total, Vallourec supplied 340 t of seamless hot formed hollow sections in square, rectangular, and round shapes, partly blasted, and coated and in accordance with NORSOK standard M-120, Material Data Sheets Y27 and Y07. The Vallourec Plug Mill in Rath-Düsseldorf, Germany and the Continuous Mill in Mülheim, Germany, produced the range of 13 sizes needed for the project.
Vallourec has already supplied over 20 000 t of hot formed seamless hollow sections for offshore wind farm projects around the world.
Ørsted, Falck Renewables, and BlueFloat Energy forge new partnership
Ørsted has announced a partnership with Falck Renewables and BlueFloat Energy to participate in the upcoming ScotWind leasing round.
The consortium is set to apply for seabed leases in sites which lend themselves to the deployment of large scale floating wind technology in Crown Estate Scotland’s upcoming ScotWind leasing round.
Since pioneering one of the first offshore wind farms in 1991, Ørsted has developed and built more offshore wind projects than any other company in the world. Combining this track record with BlueFloat Energy’s knowledge and experience in developing, financing, and executing floating wind projects and Falck Renewables’ track record in global project development and community engagement in Scotland in particular, the consortium is well placed to deliver successful floating offshore projects.
Unlike more traditional bottom-fixed offshore wind technology, where the turbine is mounted on top of a structure fixed to the seabed, floating wind projects use a floating foundation anchored to the seabed by mooring lines, allowing projects to be sited in deeper waters further away from the coast.
BIOFUELS GLOBAL NEWS
ScottishPower Renewables launches biofuel pilot project
ScottishPower Renewables has launched an innovative pilot project to reduce its carbon emissions by using waste vegetable oil to help power crew transfer vessels working on its flagship East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm in the UK.
Supporting the company’s commitment to net-zero, the renewable vessel fuel, HVO30 – made from 30% hydrogenated vegetable oil and a marine gas oil fuel blend – will be used to power two crew transfer vessels provided by Great Yarmouthbased NR Marine Services.
Compared to standard marine gas oil, HVO30 is predicted to result in approximately a 30% reduction in equivalent CO2 emissions from the two vessels. The renewable fuel is created from 100% waste vegetable oils and holds a proof of sustainability certificate from the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) system.
Versalis and Saipem team up on sustainable bioethanol technology
Versalis and Saipem have signed an agreement to internationally promote PROESA®, Versalis’ proprietary technology used to produce sustainable bioethanol and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass.
Versalis and Saipem will provide integrated and technologically advanced solutions for the sustainable production of bioethanol. The PROESA process does not use crops intended for human consumption as a raw material, but rather produces second generation bioethanol (referred to as advanced biofuel in the EU) through a process of hydrolysis and subsequent fermentation of agricultural biomasses available in abundance, such as agricultural waste, wood chips, and energy crops.
Versalis will manage the commercial aspects relating to the granting of licence rights of the PROESA technology and will provide engineering, assistance, and training services. Saipem will be responsible for all the stages of production plant developments, from design to construction. Furthermore, the two companies will collaborate with a dedicated joint team to further developments in the industrial process.
Bedeschi to supply equipment for Albioma’s biomass transition
Albioma has developed a unique partnership with the sugar industry over the last 25 years, for the use and combustion of bagasse (a fibrous residue from sugar cane), which significantly contributes to the energy autonomy of the French Overseas islands, which burn bagasse in their energy thermal plants during six months of the year (coal burning being used for the other six months).
Albioma has now begun a new project at its thermal plant of Bois Rouge in La Réunion, which will have a significant impact on the environment by converting the existing boilers from using bagasse and coal to fully green energy combustion. This plant, which produces more than 20% of the island’s electrical power, will fully give up coal and replace it with biomass combustion by the end of 2023, thereby contributing to the increase in the renewable energy quantity of La Réunion’s total energy mix from 35% to 51%.
Bedeschi’s scope of supply involves Albioma installations at the Port of La Réunion, which will allow the unloading and storage of imported wood pellets from vessels. Bedeschi services are realised on a turnkey basis. They include two eco-hoppers, belt conveyors for transporting wood pellets to the domes of 45 000 m3 each, with a flow capacity of 1200 m3/hr. Moreover, Bedeschi will supply underground conveyor systems with a capacity of 1000 m3/hr to load the trucks.
THE RENEWABLES REWIND
> ARENA to fund RayGen’s ‘solar hydro’ power plant > COSCO and Kongsberg sign wind energy agreement > IEA: Hydropower is the forgotten giant of clean electricity
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WAVE GLOBAL NEWS
Wave energy companies secure project funding
Projects led by Apollo Offshore Engineering, Blackfish Engineering Design, and Quoceant have secured funding from Wave Energy Scotland. The projects will demonstrate technology to enable the quick connection and disconnection of wave energy convertors, reducing operating costs and improving offshore safety.
The three companies will share nearly £1.8 million for projects that aim to bring down the cost of wave energy.
Apollo’s PALM connector uses a passive locking mechanism that provides the connection and load transfer between the wave energy convertor and its moorings. This function is purely mechanical and requires only the input of a suitable deck winch on the installation vessel.
Blackfish Engineering Design’s C-DART provides a remote installation system for a WEC or other floating system. The system allows quick connection and disconnection of a wave energy convertor to an offshore buoy, providing both a mechanical mooring and electrical connection.
Quoceant’s Q-Connect design is a set of modular subsystems that can be combined in different configurations to provide quick, safe, and low-cost connection for wave and tidal energy devices. The system can cater for slack and taut moored devices on the surface or subsea.
Sustainable Marine’s tidal turbine rotors pass rigorous testing
Sustainable Marine’s new turbine rotors have proven they can survive for two decades in the field, following rigorous tests at a leading European marine energy centre.
The firm joined forces with the MaREI Centre at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway), through German engineering partner SCHOTTEL Hydro, to test its new ‘ultra-durable’ turbine rotors. The project was delivered under the Marinet2 – Horizon 2020 programme supporting offshore renewable energy testing across the EU.
Sustainable Marine’s floating tidal energy system uses a common drive train and two different rotor diameters, measuring 6.3 m and 4 m, to suit requirements at different resource sites. Having completed extensive tests on the 6.3 m rotors at NUI Galway, the company returned to the Irish facility to assess the performance of its shorter 4 m rotors, specifically designed for stronger resource sites.
The laboratory carried out accelerated lifetime testing, subjecting the rotors to conditions equivalent to 20 years of operation in the field, in just a matter of weeks.
Sustainable Marine is currently preparing to deliver the world’s first floating tidal energy array in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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