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Head Lines

Wind Generation_181

Offshore Wind Drives 6.1 GW Of European Wind Installations In First Half Of 2017

6.1 GW of extra wind energy capacity was installed in Europe in the first half of 2017, according to figures released by WindEurope. The figure puts Europe on course for a bumper year for installations, although hides some worrying trends. WindEurope Chief Policy Officer, Pierre Tardieu, said: “We are on track for a good year in wind capacity installations but growth is driven by a handful of markets. At least ten EU countries have yet to install a single MW so far this year. Although this won’t translate into lower installations for another few years, the industry needs clarity on volumes for the post-2020 period to maintain the current cost reduction trend”.

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Major Realignment In Motorsport As Porsche Prioritises Formula E Over Le Mans

Significant changes in motorsport are taking place as Porsche implements its strategy to develop a combination of pure GT vehicles and fully electric sports cars, such as the first fully battery-powered Mission E road car. “Entering Formula E and achieving success in this category are the logical outcomes of our Mission E”, says Michael Steiner, Executive Board Member, R&D at Porsche AG. “For us, Formula E is the ultimate competitive environment for driving forward the development of high-performance vehicles in areas such as environmental friendliness, efficiency and sustainability”.

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EV Revolution To Hit Global Auto Industry Even Harder And Faster Than Expected

Electric vehicles will make up the majority of new car sales worldwide by 2040, and account for 33% of all the light-duty vehicles on the road, according to new research published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). Tumbling battery prices mean that EVs will not just have lower lifetime costs, but will also be cheaper to buy than internal combustion engine cars (ICE) in most countries by 2025-29. Colin McKerracher, lead advanced transport analyst, BNEF, said: “We see a momentous inflexion point for the global auto industry in the second half of the 2020s.

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35% Of German Electricity Consumption Now From Renewables: Grid Challenges Ahead

The Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research in Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) have stated in an initial assessment that electricity generated from clean energy accounted for 35% of Germany’s consumption in 1H 2017. It’s the first time that this mark has been reached. The total share of electricity generated from renewables was up 2% from last year. The growth from onshore wind was 13.6%; offshore wind saw the steepest growth at 47.5%; growth from biomass increased by 2.2%, whilst the growth from PV systems was 13.5%, compared with the 1H 2016.

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Invenergy, GE Renewable Energy Announce 2GW Facility: Largest Wind Farm In US

Invenergy and GE Renewable Energy have announced a 2GW wind farm that will be the largest in the U.S. and second-largest in the world, once operational, in 2020. The Wind Catcher facility is under construction in the Oklahoma panhandle and will use 800 state-of-the-art GE 2.5 MW turbines. It will link more than 1.1 million customers with wind energy harvested domestically, saving them more than $7 billion, and will support 4,000 direct and 4,400 indirect jobs annually during construction and 80 permanent jobs once operational. “Wind Catcher shows American leadership in bringing low-cost clean energy to market at Giga scale,” said Invenergy’s Founder and CEO Michael Polsky.

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Vestas Seals Massive 557 MW Fleet-Wide Service Deal in Australia with Infigen

Infigen Energy and Vestas have signed fleet-wide long-term service agreements for 557 MW of Vestas and Suzlon turbines. With the deal, Vestas will provide maintenance to Infigen’s entire operating fleet until the end of their design life, including all their Suzlon turbines.
The agreements are effective from 1 January 2018 for a period of between 7 and 15 years, depending on the wind park. “Vestas has a proven track record, developed over many years, for delivering high-quality service and optimal asset performance”, said Ross Rolfe, Infigen’s Managing Director.

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Next Generation Of Methanol Fuel Cell Vehicles See The Light Of Day

With the aim to develop a cost efficient and environmentally friendly vehicle, the Danish methanol fuel cell manufacturer SerEnergy is now launching a commercial reformed methanol fuel cell vehicle with a driving range up to 800 km on a tank of methanol. The engineers and mechanics at SerEnergy’s mobility development centre, located in Aalborg, Denmark, has developed a reformed methanol fuel cell (RMFC) vehicle based on the Nissan e-NV200 electric car platform, a car that is being sold in large numbers worldwide.

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Indian Firm Wins 1.8GW Sweihan Order; The Largest Solar PV Project In The World

Indian company Sterling and Wilson has won the contract for the world’s largest single location solar PV project. The Sweihan project in Abu Dhabi is for turnkey EPC as well as O&M; and is jointly developed by Japanese investment firm Marubeni, Chinese solar company Jinko Solar, and Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA). It will deliver a capacity of 1177 MWp, surpassing the current largest 850 MWp single location plant in China. In March 2017, Marubeni and Jinko had signed a 25-year PPA with ADWEA on a tariff of $0.0242/kWh, making Sweihan also the plant with the lowest electricity price so far.

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Solar Power Exceeds Wind Installations; Can Surpass 80GW In 2017, 1TW In 2021

SolarPower Europe (SPE) has launched the ‘Global Market Outlook for Solar Power 2017-2021.’ The report confirms 2016 as another record year for solar, with global annual additions for solar growing by 50% with 76.6 GW installed. There’s now a total worldwide solar power generation capacity of 306.5 GW. James Watson, CEO of SPE said: “When looking at solar, the cost reductions experienced and predicted outstrip all other power generation technologies. Today, utility-scale solar is already cheaper than new gas, coal and nuclear power plants.”

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US: Clean Energy Now Providing More Electricity Than Nuclear For The First Time

The latest issue of the U.S. Energy Information’s (EIA) “Electric Power Monthly” reveals that – for the first time since the beginning of the nuclear era – renewable energy sources are now providing a greater share of the nation’s electrical generation than nuclear power. “Renewable energy is now surpassing nuclear power, a major milestone in the transformation of the U.S. energy sector,” said Tim Judson, Executive Director of the NIRS. “This gulf will only widen over the next several years, with continued strong growth of renewables and the planned retirement of at least 7% of nuclear capacity by 2025.

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Emerging Markets Catching Up Fast To Germany, UK, China As Top For Investments

Allianz Climate and Energy Monitor, which assesses the low-carbon investment climate in G20 countries, has revealed that over the past year, most G20 states improved low-carbon energy investments conditions, with several emerging market countries rapidly catching up to the leaders. Policies supporting solar and wind investments are starting to pay off and India, South Africa, Brazil and Indonesia emerge as high-need hotspots for renewable energy investments. The rapid development of the renewable energy sector is a crucial success factor for meeting the Paris climate goals.