WindEurope Bulletin
WindEurope Bulletin February 2019
11 February 2019
Giles Dickson
CEO Foreword
Dear WindEurope Member,
We’re gearing up for our major event of the year: the annual WindEurope Conference and Exhibition in Bilbao on 2-4 April. The event covers both onshore and offshore wind. Registrations are now open and as a WindEurope member you get a 30% discount.
It’ll be a great event. We couldn’t have chosen a better venue, given the buoyant state of the Spanish market right now, the expansion of the industry there (9,000 new jobs this year and next) and the key role Bilbao and the surrounding region play in that. There’ll be Ministers for 5 different countries there. And a dinner in the Guggenheim.
The conference programme is here. Do take a look at it. The theme of the event is ‘Delivering a clean economy for all Europeans.’ There are 3 angles to this:
- The “just” Energy Transition: from political vision to practical reality
Top policy makers and industry leaders on how to work together to deliver the transition and the huge increase in wind power it entails. And how to ensure all of Europe’s citizens benefit from the transition. The Spanish and Portuguese Energy Ministers are both coming, as is Michal Kurtyka, the Polish Minister who chaired the last UN climate talks in Katowice. We also have Ministers from Croatia and Norway. - Grids: how to support a wind-based energy system
We’ll look at the emerging transformation of Europe’s grids and energy system and markets to integrate the rising penetration of renewables. - What wind means for people:
Wind energy provides the affordable and reliable power people want. We’ll look at how wind benefits local communities, at the people who work in our industry, and the challenges around manpower, skills and qualifications. And at the local and broader political support for the continued expansion of wind.
As always there’ll be numerous side events beyond the main conference. Allow me to flag the following:
- On 1 April, the day before the event starts, we will be hosting a roundtable on zero-subsidy bids with the European University Institute.
- Also on 1 April we have our annual Members’ Reception, hosted this year by Iberdrola at the top of the iconic Iberdrola Tower.
- On 2 April there’ll be a Gala Dinner in the Guggenheim Museum.
There are still some spaces left on the exhibition floor, so do let us know if you want to take part.
The Bilbao event comes 7 weeks before the European Parliament elections. We will use the opportunity to communicate how instrumental the EU has been in driving the growth of renewables, the key role that the European Parliament has played in that – and how society has benefitted as a result. The underlying message will be how important it is that people go out and vote in the elections in May.
The EU’s big policy challenge right now on renewables are the 28 National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) for 2030 that have to be finalised this year. Most countries have now sent their first drafts to the EU Commission.
You can find 19 of the draft Plans here. They vary hugely in content, format and quality. Our overall analysis of them is:
- They’re not too bad on new installation volumes; but
- They are very thin on policy detail. Especially on planning for renewables that reach end-of-life before 2030, on measures to push electrification and on the removal of existing barriers to the expansion of renewables.
Fortunately the Commission is determined to push for improvement in the Plans over the coming months. They’ve had a first closed door meeting on them with national Governments and will send formal responses to each Government in April. We are feeding into the Commission recommendations of key points to pursue for each of the 28 parallel negotiations they’ll be having with national capitals.
Our main goals for the Plans are that Governments should:
- commit to ambitious volumes for new wind build;
- show how they’re going to support investments in repowering and lifetime extension of existing wind farms;
- define measures they will take to push the electrification of heating, transport and industry; and
- use the Plans to remove barriers in their existing laws to further the expansion of renewables (current barriers to corporate PPAs, for example).
Finally, it’s that time of year where we publish statistics for wind energy in Europe in 2018: new installations; new investments; and the share of wind in the power mix. Last week we released the offshore data: “Offshore Wind in Europe: Key trends and statistics 2018”. Headlines: 2.6 GW new installations; €11bn new investments announcements (covering another 4.2 GW); and offshore wind is now 2% of Europe’s power.
We will publish the combined onshore and offshore stats on 21 February and will do a webinar on them on 26 February. You can register for that here – it’s free.
That’s all for now. Do remember to register for Bilbao!
Giles Dickson
Policy News
WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson gives update on EU’s new Market Design rules
The EU has just agreed new rules on Market Design. In this video, WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson breaks down and discusses the new rules with Vincent Verbeke, Head of Energy Transition Services & Short Term Power with Engie.
Member’s Interview
This month, we bring you an interview with the chair of our new Working Group on Electrification: Simone Diodato Antonelli, Head of Regulatory Affairs for Central and Eastern Europe with Enel Green Power.
Read the interview
Members’ News
Tecnalia develops “LEO” system to extend life of damaged shafts in wind turbines
New predictive maintenance system ensures 96% of the useful life of the low speed shaft
The durability of low-speed shafts in wind turbines is limited to the action of fatigue mechanisms. If the design of the low-speed shafts is correct, it is not necessary to repair or substitute them during the life cycle of the wind turbine. However, unforeseen events (corrosion processes, assembly damage, geometric errors, etc.) may occur, dramatically reducing fatigue life.
In 2009 Tecnalia began to monitor the structural integrity of the low-speed shafts of 100 wind turbines potentially affected by a fretting-fatigue mechanism. This meant implementing a predictive maintenance procedure, based on manual inspections.
In light of the budget cuts that affect the maintenance of wind turbines, Tecnalia launched the LEO (Life Extension in eOlics) project. This on-board system works in an autonomous and self-managed way in the three tasks of predictive maintenance: ultrasound inspection, evaluation of results and action on the wind turbine in case of risk to structural integrity.
At the end of 2017, 100 LEO devices were installed. The project concluded in March 2018, after demonstrating in the field the main functionality of the equipment: a crack was detected in one of the shafts; six months after this first detection, the wind turbine continues to operate, thanks to LEO, with the crack evolving as expected while awaiting the replacement of the shaft.
The numerous improvements that LEO introduces as an on-board predictive maintenance system include:
- Minimum use of 96% of the useful life of the shaft.
- As the crack progresses, the system informs of the need to manage the stock and the scheduling of the stop.
- Automatic inspections without stopping the wind turbine.
- Small annual maintenance cost to be made by the operator.
- Equipped with self-diagnosis and measurement assurance systems, it ignores non-relevant cracks, thereby eliminating false positives.
- Allows remote monitoring.
- Programmable system and adaptable to different pathologies and models.
- Fast return on investment by eliminating manual inspections and stops.
Has your organisation had any recent successes you’d like to share with the wider wind energy community? Every month we feature success stories in our Bulletin, reaching an audience of over 6,000 people.
Interested in submitting a success story? Contact us today
Events
WindEurope 2019 Conference & Exhibition: registrations now open and final stands available
When: 2 – 4 April
Where: Bilbao
Join Event Ambassadors Iberdrola, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and TPI for WindEurope’s annual conference and exhibition, taking place in Bilbao this April.
With the right policies and vision in place, wind energy can breathe life into the sort of future people want. That’s why, in advance of the European elections, Europe’s most important on- and offshore wind energy event will be gathering in Spain.
PLEASE NOTE: Most of the exhibition space has already been sold. Book your stand today
At the WindEurope 2019 Conference and Exhibition, we will be focusing on the benefits wind energy brings to people on a local, regional and national level.
Spain is a clear example of how, with the right policy and vision in place, wind energy can deliver power to people. Spain’s vibrant supply chain already employs 22,000 people, and this is set to grow: more than 4 GW of onshore wind are planned by 2020, Spain is making new forays into offshore wind (including floating), and the government plans to build 2.5 GW wind a year up to 2030.
Join more than 8,000 delegates to learn, network and shape the vision for the future you want.
Save the date: Resource Assessment 2019
When: 27 – 28 June
Where: Brussels
The 5th Edition of WindEurope’s Resource Assessment Technology Workshop will take place on 27-28 June in Brussels.
The Resource Assessment Workshop will focus on the following main topics:
Topic 1: reducing uncertainty in data analysis and processing
- Uncertainty quantification – in individual WRA steps and propagation of uncertainties through the workflow;
- Time series modelling. What stops us from wider implementation of time series calculations as opposed to frequency based?
Topic 2: reducing uncertainty in measurements using LiDARs
- LiDAR and site suitability? TI measurements with LIDARs.
- Shear adjustment for measurements campaigns including short masts and LIDARs?
- Acceptance, validation, correction strategies.
- Do we need to calibrate LiDARs against masts?
- Applications of scanning LiDARs: how can the wind industry best benefit from this technology?
Topic 3: improving simulations and modelling with regards to levels of uncertainty
- How to set a modelling hierarchy based on Uncertainty Quantification?
Topic 4: forecasting
- What are the barriers to improving the accuracy of forecasts?
- Do upwind wind speed measurements improve accuracy?
- For power trading we need to know the demand, where is the industry?
Topic 5: wakes
- Can wake steering improve production?
- Do we need to include blockage effects due to closely spaced turbines?
- Are turbines with large rotors on short towers underperforming?
Save the date: Europe’s leading sustainable innovation event comes to Paris this October
When: 3 – 4 October
Where: Paris
Over 150 start-ups and innovation assets supported by InnoEnergy will exhibit at The Business Booster (TBB) on 3-4 October in Paris. Investors, industry, and policymakers from over 40 countries will come and connect with the innovators who are translating scientific theories into world-changing, commercially viable solutions.
It’s this type of progressive thinking – clear-eyed innovation leading to jobs and world-changing technology – which will be on the agenda at TBB. The event will feature a line-up consisting of industry representatives, financial communities, policy makers, regulators, start-ups and press.
Wind energy will be a major presence at the event: the modern wind industry was effectively kick-started by small start-ups only a few decades ago, and is now expected to be the top provider of electricity in Europe within the next decade.
In the current climate, EU investments are key to unlocking the potential of wind energy to deliver on the promise of a cleaner, greener Europe. This year’s event will focus on the importance of continued funding for innovation from the EU: EU investments lead not only to economic benefits across the continent Europe (jobs, competitiveness, etc.) but also have a direct impact on greenhouse gas emissions, energy security and supply.
FOWT 2019: the world’s largest event dedicated to floating offshore wind
When: 24 – 26 April
Where: Montpellier
FOWT 2018 gathered over 800 participants of 25 different nationalities in Marseilles. Now preparation for FOWT 2019 is actively underway.
Why attend?
1. The best in the floating offshore wind turbine sector
FOWT brings together the foremost experts, researchers and industry leaders in the sector, over 3 days to exchange information and advance progress.
2. The latest trends and innovations easily accessible
2 days of conferences and networking dedicated to accelerating the commercial deployment of floating offshore wind turbines at a global level.
1 day dedicated to the latest R&D analysis of the environment, digital tools and modelling and technology.
3. An ideal place for business meetings / B2B
Take part in targeted business meetings with our ‘1000 B2B/Meet the buyers’ programme with the major contractors in the sector.
What we’re reading
In this new section of the WindEurope Bulletin, we share some of the key wind energy publications of the past month.
- The Economist, The truth about oil and climate change
- Eurostat, Energy consumption in the EU increased by 1% in 2017, Eurostat figures confirm
- Agora Energiewende, Sandbag, The European Power Sector in 2018
- ENTSO-E, Power Facts Europe 2019
- Microsoft, Orrick, Resurety, Proxy Generation PPAs
- Blix, Study into LCOE of variants for wind farm site boundaries of Hollandse Kust (west)
