WindEurope Bulletin
WindEurope Bulletin June 2021
7 June 2021
CEO Foreword
Dear WindEurope Member,
You may have seen we announced last week that our WindEurope Annual Event 2022 will take place in Bilbao on 5-7 April.
That gives us two full physical events to look forward to, with our 2021 event, WindEurope Electric City 2021, taking place in Copenhagen on 23-25 November.
After more than a year of virtual meetings, webinars and get-togethers, we’re hugely looking forward to being able to meet together in person.
Both the Copenhagen and Bilbao events will comprise an exhibition and conference. The exhibition in Copenhagen is pretty much full, but thanks to the new hall that will be ready for us, there’s still some space available – and you can book but cancel for free until 23 August. The floorplan is available here.We’re now opening the bookings for Bilbao – let us know if you want to reserve your space. For enquiries on both events contact the Sales team.
On the conference side, the call for abstracts for the technical programme for “Electric City” is complete. We’ll be finalising the full programme over the summer. For Bilbao we will open a call for abstracts after the summer.
Both the Copenhagen and Bilbao events are designed and delivered by the industry for the industry with the proceeds going back into WindEurope to support the work we do on your behalf.
A big focus of both events will be the demand side – who is going to be buying the huge amounts of wind energy that the EU want us to produce. Electric City will focus on how wind can help electrify industry, transport and buildings. Industrial and corporate consumers of energy will have a major presence at both events.
How wind can help electrify the energy system will also be the focus of our annual flagship report which we will publish tomorrow. We’re launching it at a webinar with the EU Commission and the Portuguese and Greek Governments on 8 June at 15:00-17:30 CEST. You can still register here. And make sure to read the report on our website tomorrow at 15:00 CEST here.
Permitting remains our number one priority. All the nice talk about electrifying industry is for the birds if we can’t build the new wind farms in the first place. The EU law requiring permit decisions to be taken within two years (and one year for repowering) comes into force on 1 July. We are working closely with the EU Commission to make sure they enforce it rigorously. Please let us know where these deadlines continue not to be met.
At a national level Germany committed last week to implement its 18-point plan for the simplification of permitting and (finally) to have a proper repowering strategy. They also increased their onshore wind target for 2030 from 71 GW to 95 GW. Poland meanwhile announced that they hope to legislate in their Parliament in the autumn to soften their 10h distance law.
We’ve recently made an important step forward on the dismantling and decommissioning of wind turbines. The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) have endorsed our proposal for a technical specification for a global standard on dismantling and decommissioning. They’ll now start defining the standard. It’s a 2-year process, and we’ll be working closely with the IEC to get the detail right.
Finally, the WindEurope Ports Platform published a new report last week on the essential role of port infrastructure in offshore wind: 2030 Vision for European Offshore Wind Ports: Trends and Opportunities. It sets out the €6.5bn of investments needed in Europe’s ports to support the expansion of offshore wind. And it explains the role ports will play as hubs for renewable hydrogen development and green energy – helping to electrify hard-to-abate sectors. More on the report here.
I wish you an enjoyable read.
Kind regards,
Giles Dickson
Members’ Successes
X1 Wind prepares PivotBuoy floating wind platform for Canaries deployment
X1 Wind is preparing to deploy its ground-breaking PivotBuoy® floating wind technology in the Canary Islands after successfully completing the assembly and load-out of a fully-functional prototype in early May. The prototype has been developed through the €4m PivotBuoy Project awarded through the European Commission H2020 programme. It will be installed at the PLOCAN test site with full exposure to open ocean conditions in a bid to demonstrate the efficiency of the innovative structural design and mooring system.
The pan-European PivotBuoy consortium, led by X1 Wind, includes internationally recognised companies EDP NEW, DNV, INTECSEA, ESM and DEGIMA and world-class research centres WavEC, PLOCAN and DTU. The PivotBuoy Project is aiming to substantially reduce the current Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of floating wind by demonstrating the advantages of the PivotBuoy system, namely a reduced floater weight, a faster and cheaper installation process and a more reliable operation.
Fitted with a Vestas V29 turbine, the 1:3 scale prototype (X30) will be stationed at a 50 m water depth through a single point mooring system in a downwind configuration – creating a “weathervaning” solution which maximises the use of passive systems. Portside testing of all subsystems will be performed over the coming weeks, before PivotBuoy is installed in the PLOCAN test site and connected via a dynamic 20kV cable, later progressing to the commissioning phase – the timing of which will be determined by environmental conditions.
X1 Wind CTO and Co-Founder Carlos Casanovas emphasised that “Throughout the process we were able to mobilise and engage local supply chains, which is a key feature of our future fabrication and deployment plan for full-scale units. Local manufacturing, assembly and load out supports the development of local economies and job creation in the offshore wind sector, while also avoiding long transit times and saving costs and carbon emissions for future projects. Importantly, our floating wind technology offers a lighter design requiring less steel – which also reduces carbon emissions during fabrication – and requires a significantly smaller footprint on the ocean floor when compared to catenary systems. The scalability of our technology further enables us to transition easily up to 15 MW mega-turbines operating at depths of 500 m or more.”
X1 Wind CEO & Co-Founder Alex Raventos added that “This is a significant step forward for X1 Wind, preparing the way to demonstrate how our innovative technology can deliver dramatic cost savings and firmly position floating wind as a competitive green energy resource. We have a clear trajectory with funding secured to design and certify our technology at full-scale. This will allow us to move swiftly in the short term through the pre-commercial phase.”
- For further information about X1 Wind, visit www.x1wind.com
- For further information on the PivotBuoy Project, visit www.pivotbuoy.eu
Covestro and ENGIE sign supply agreement for green power in Belgium
Covestro will be covering almost half of its future electricity demand in Belgium from wind energy. The company concluded a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with ENGIE, the largest producer of renewable energy in the country. From 1 April 2021, the energy provider is going to supply around 45% of the electricity demand of Covestro in Antwerp from 15 wind turbines in four newly constructed onshore wind farms.
The new agreement, known as a Corporate PPA, covers a capacity of 39 MW. This accounts for the energy supply of about 30,000 private households and reduces Covestro’s carbon footprint in Belgium by more than 38,500 metric tonnes of CO2, which is equivalent to the emissions of almost 20,000 cars per year.
More energy efficient production
Production in the chemical industry is traditionally energy-intensive. Covestro sees this as an incentive to take responsibility and minimise both energy demand and CO2 emissions from production plants and processes. With its various innovative process technologies and a licensed energy management system Covestro has already significantly increased energy efficiency and reduced emissions from its production. The company has set itself the goal to halve its specific carbon dioxide emissions by 2025 compared to 2005. In addition and in line with its new vision, Covestro wants to obtain most of the remaining energy from wind power.
“The new supply agreement is a milestone in the conversion of our production to the use of renewable energies,” says Georg Wagner, Managing Director at Covestro in Antwerp. “Wind energy, together with the use of sustainable raw materials and innovative recycling technologies, are important steps towards realising our vision of becoming fully circular and achieving the climate goals of the European Green Deal. We are pleased to have found a partner in ENGIE to take this next step, with which we support our customers and the corresponding value chains to produce more sustainably.”
Largest supplier of renewable energies in Belgium
Vincent Verbeke, head of ENGIE Global Energy Management in Belgium, says, “Being the largest renewable energy producer in Belgium, ENGIE acts to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral world, by supporting its clients in reaching their sustainability goals. We are proud to help Covestro meet their environmental goals and to facilitate their consumption of onshore wind energy. This contract also illustrates ENGIE’s strong ambition to increase renewables’ development in Belgium.”
Covestro already signed a major industrial customer supply contract with energy provider Ørsted to cover a significant proportion of the electricity requirements of the German sites for a long-term period from 2025 onwards. The current contract with ENGIE will make Antwerp the first Covestro production site to be more than 50% powered by wind energy.
At its Antwerp site, Covestro produces the high-performance plastic polycarbonate, which is used in car headlights, electrical and electronic components, LED lights, medical technology and many other applications. It also produces polyethers and the important industrial chemical aniline. The latter is eventually processed into methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), a raw material for rigid polyurethane foam, which has proven to be an efficient insulator for buildings and in the cold chain.
Members interview: WindESCo
Blair Heavey, CEO of WindESCo
This month, we sat down with Blair Heavey, CEO of WindESCo, to discuss their role as a provider of wind turbine performance analytics and optimisation.
Wind Intelligence Platform
Our featured report this month:
A 2030 Vision for European Offshore Wind Ports: Trends and Opportunities
Events
RE-Source Calling! – Pricing trends and managing price risk for PPAs in Europe
When: 7 June, 15:00-16:00 CEST
Corporate renewable PPAs can be set up with a variety of pricing structures and understanding the best approach can be complex. Join us as our panel discusses PPA pricing trends in Europe and opportunities for using alternative pricing structures to fixed price – in particular to manage price risk.
Getting fit for 55 and set for 2050: Electrifying Europe with wind energy
When: 8 June, 15:00-17:30 CEST
How much of our energy demand can we electrify with renewables? What investments are needed in energy infrastructure? The EU wants wind to be half of our electricity in a much more electrified energy system. Do we have the technology and business models to deliver that?
These are the questions policymakers are asking today. Getting the answers and decisions right is key to achieving climate neutrality in 2050. Starting with the “Fit for 55” package that the European Commission will unveil shortly.
Join us on 8 June at 15:00 CEST when we’ll present a new ETIPWind and WindEurope report “Getting fit for 55 and set for 2050: Electrifying Europe with wind energy”.
WindEurope Technology Workshop 2021 Pre-event Webinar: Digitalisation & Integrating new technologies in wind turbines
When: 9 June, 15:00-16:00 CEST
As a prelude to our Technology Workshop on 8-10 September, join us for this kick-off discussion! Among other topics, we’ll be covering digitalisation, integrating new technologies into wind turbines, control strategies and balancing electricity through wind energy.
WindEurope Technology Workshop 2021 – CREYAP Exercise
Interested in testing the performance of your model?
Our fifth edition of the CREYAP exercise (Comparison of Resource and Energy Yield Assessment Procedures) is organised by Ørsted and the Danish Technical University (DTU) and will look at model performance in predicting net energy yield at the Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm, accounting for wind speed variations over time. In particular, this year’s exercise seeks to focus on:
- Significance of wind farm size and turbine interaction losses.
- Stability effects on energy yield and wake loss.
- Time series of energy production.
The datapack containing instructions and the data for the exercise is available on this dedicated page on the Technology Workshop website.
Make sure to complete the exercise by 28 June! The results will be presented at a dedicated session during the Technology Workshop, on 10 September.
Webinar: How Europe can ensure that it meets its wind energy goals
When: 23 June, 15:00-16:00 CEST
Europe is preparing for the next stage of the renewable energy transition. The EU has increased its 2030 emission reduction target from 40% to at least 55% and this will require higher ambition on renewables for 2030 too.
This Sofa Talk will focus on the challenges that need to be tackled to ensure Europe meets its wind energy goals. How to simplify and speed up permitting. How to build out and upgrade the electricity grids. How to ensure the necessary levels of investment in port and road infrastructure. How to repower existing wind farms when they reach end-of-life. What we need in turbine technology development. And crucially how government policy can support all of this.
Join the Belgian Energy Minister, Tinne Van der Straeten, and our panel of industry experts to find out more.
Annual General Assembly
When: 24 June, 16:00-16:50 CEST
We would like to invite you to take part in WindEurope’s Annual General Assembly, which is taking place virtually on 24 June from 16:00-16:50 CEST. If you’d like to participate, please click the link here to register. Do join us if you can!
WindEurope Electric City 2021 – Over 70% of stands sold
When: 23-25 November
Where: Copenhagen
We’re counting down the clock to Electric City in Copenhagen on 23-25 November, and we can’t wait to meet you all there!
A reminder that less than 30% of our exhibition spots are still free. Make sure to book while you still can! You can do it risk-free with no down payment or cancellation fee before 23 August. Get in touch with our Sales team to secure your spot.
Also make sure to check out some of our event features:
- Innovation Park: our space for fresh voices and fresh ideas – ideal for start-ups or EU projects participants!
- Safety, Skills and Training Zone: bringing together the industry’s health and safety community for a range of demonstrations, debates, exhibitions, and the final ceremony of the GWO Training and Safety Awards.
Presenting – WindEurope Annual Event 2022 (Bilbao)
When: 23 June, 15:00-16:00 CEST
We’re already looking forward to seeing you this November, at WindEurope Electric City 2021 in Copenhagen. And now we’ll have another chance to meet up properly – at our Annual Event in Bilbao in April 2022! After more than a year of virtual get-togethers, there is so much to share, talk about and bond over.
We’ve learnt a lot during the pandemic. We worked out how to do business on Teams and Zoom and got used to doing online webinars. But when it comes to networking and developing partnerships, nothing compares to an onsite event. Not least in a stunning and friendly location like Bilbao.
You can count on us to deliver the best networking and business opportunities on the exhibition floor and elsewhere. There’ll be lots of good learning opportunities too in the conference and the educational programme which we’re developing with our Research and Innovation partners. All the latest on the science and technology on onshore and offshore wind. And the latest market and policy developments with top speakers from industry, government, finance and elsewhere.
All of WindEurope’s events are developed by the industry, for the industry. The industry designs and delivers the programme. And every euro you spend at our events goes back to the association, enabling our advocacy and our efforts to put wind at the centre of the European energy mix.
We are very eager to see you in person again!
Partner events
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy: Unlocking the green hydrogen revolution
When: 9 June, 13:00-14:00 CEST
On 9 June, Siemens Gamesa will launch an industry white paper that will outline how to accelerate the availability of green hydrogen and help the most carbon intensive sectors meet their net zero ambitions by 2050. The paper will set an ambitious target to drive down the cost of green hydrogen, and identify how industry, government and investors can work together to unlock the potential of green hydrogen within the next ten years.
Siemens Gamesa is at the forefront of green hydrogen development, with its Brande Hydrogen pilot site already producing fuel and building a use case for industry development; and its announcement earlier this year to develop a fully integrated offshore wind-to-hydrogen turbine.
This one-hour virtual event will bring together experts from across the renewables sector and policy environment, all focused on how green hydrogen can be produced cost-effectively and at scale to deliver a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future.
20th Wind Integration Workshop from 27 Sept – 1 Oct 2021 in Berlin
The call for papers for the 20th Wind Integration Workshop has been extended until 13 June! The international workshop on Large-Scale Integration of Wind Power into Power Systems as well as on Transmission Networks for Offshore Wind Power Plants will take place from 27 September to 1 October in Berlin!
If you wish for your work to be featured at this event, be sure to submit your abstract by 13 June 2021! The abstracts will then be reviewed by the International Advisory Committee and the Workshop agenda will be based on their evaluation. All authors will be notified of the acceptance of their submissions for presentation no later than 23 June 2021.
Our Partners
Offshore wind is set to play a pivotal role in future decades. Giving kids a chance to learn about it will make a huge difference going forward.
We’ve been working closely with OffshoreWind4Kids, an exciting new educational initiative which aims to get kids interested in science, engineering and renewable energy. They’ve been busy organising Demo Days – letting kids test out offshore wind prototypes and learn the basics of green and renewable energy. And they’ve a lot of other exciting plans in store, including academic challenges and learning hubs to reach a wider range of kids and young people across Europe and beyond.
