WindEurope Bulletin
WindEurope Bulletin November 2023
27 October 2023
A word from the CEO
Dear WindEurope Member,
You’ll have seen that the EU Commission just unveiled the Wind Power Package that they promised last month in Ursula von der Leyen’s annual State of the Union speech.
The Package is a game-changer for Europe’s wind industry. It’s a set of 15 concrete actions that can be taken quickly, at EU and national level, to get the European wind industry back on track.
Here are some of the main points:
- a strong push for stricter pre-qualification criteria in auctions, notably on data and cybersecurity, environmental protection and project delivery;
- a clear instruction to National Governments that they should fully index their auction tariffs;
- a clear message to National Governments that auctions with negative bidding are bad, and that they need to discuss with the Commission if they want to do it;
- a doubling of EU grant money for clean tech manufacturing through the Innovation Fund;
- the European Investment Bank to set up a counter-guarantee scheme for performance bonds within 6 months. Separately, the EIB has changed its rules so that it can finance factory investments and not just wind farms;
- a clear signal to National Governments to make more use of the state aid flexibility the Commission has already given them to support clean tech manufacturing and infrastructure;
- a big push on the digitalisation of permitting processes, with EU money to support the deployment of relevant software (and the Commission have in mind the EasyPermits tool that WindEurope have developed and piloted); and
- a clear commitment from the Commission to take action as and when necessary against unfairly subsidised non-European competitors, using their full range of legal tools.
So what happens now? Well, the Package says Member States and industry should come together to endorse it in a new Wind Energy Charter by the end of 2023. So getting national Governments on board is now key. The idea is that national Ministers should sign the Charter in the margins of one of their meetings in Brussels in December.
We are now actively working with the national wind energy associations to get the support of their Governments for the Package. If you would like to get involved, please get in touch with the WindEurope team. It’s vital that Governments should be getting joined-up messages from whoever is talking to them.
You can read the Package itself here. And here’s a quick four-minute video with myself and Pierre running through the basics of the Package – and the next steps to look out for.
Kind regards,
Giles Dickson
WindEurope Intelligence Platform
Wind Turbine Orders Monitoring – Q3 2023
This report summarises wind turbine orders that were placed between 1 July 2023 and 30 September 2023. WindEurope tracks announced wind turbine orders on the basis of publicly available information on commercial transactions and future deals, categorising them into firm orders and conditional orders.
Members Successes
X1 Wind reports groundbreaking results in its pilot project, opening new paths to accelerate cost reduction in floating wind
The PivotBuoy project, developed by X1 Wind in collaboration with eight industry and R&D leaders (EDP, DNV, INTECSEA, DTU, WavEC, PLOCAN, ESM, and DEGIMA), finalised its offshore demonstration with excellent results – confirming its potential to accelerate cost reductions in floating wind.
The project aimed to demonstrate the innovative configuration which combines the advantages of a SPM (Single Point Mooring) with a small TLP (Tension-Leg Platform). The pilot was tested in full operational conditions in the Canary Islands, from October 2022 to May 2023, feeding its electricity to PLOCAN’s platform via a 20kV subsea cable and becoming the world’s first fully functional floating wind TLP. The project successfully validated its lightweight and stable floater, structural behavior, passive alignment capabilities, simplified installation process and minimised impact on the seabed.
X1 Wind CEO Alex Raventos said that “The PivotBuoy Project marked an important phase in the development of our innovative technology. It allowed us to retrieve large amounts of data for a sustained period of time in full operational conditions. This data was collected from multiple sensors installed across the platform through a dedicated and proprietary SCADA called Floating Management System. These findings have provided crucial insights which are now being incorporated into X1 Wind’s ongoing commercial-scale projects, including the NextFloat Project.”
The most striking result is that data showed very good alignment with the wind using its passive orientation system. The platform showed better alignment than publicly available data for traditional active yaw systems for strong winds (>7.5m/s) and a similar alignment for lower wind speeds (<7.5m/s).
In terms of power production, energy generated by the modified Vestas V29 – which operates in a downwind configuration – was well-aligned with theoretical models, with no sign of power loss or increased 3P vibration due to the tripod shadow. The results confirm that X1 Wind’s streamlined tripod arrangement eliminates the known drawbacks typically associated with downwind operation.
In addition, the platform overcame harsh storms, with maximum wave heights reaching up to 6.7 metres, equivalent to more than 20 metres at full-scale. During these extreme events, the unit behaved well with motions and accelerations matching the predictions in simulation models.
Mr. Raventos added that the decommissioning process, which was a requirement after the end of the EU funded project in March 2023, also proved to be another milestone for the industry. “We have shown that a TLP mooring can be easily installed, decommissioned and towed-to-port in case a maintenance operation is needed. This is especially relevant since TLPs provide many advantages but historically have been very difficult to hook and un-hook. The X30 platform was towed to Arinaga Port for its full decommissioning, removing the key elements for further analysis, and offering some parts to the Instituto Técnológico de Canarias (ITC) for educational purposes at its facilities in Pozo Izquierdo.” he said.
Share your successes with us!
Is your brand bringing new, ground-breaking solutions to the wind industry? Have you recently launched a major project in your field? Do you have positive business news to share?
Then make sure to get in touch with us here at WindEurope – we’ll be happy to promote your success story as part of our monthly Bulletin! This is a chance to share your accomplishments with thousands of others from right across the wind energy value chain – a major visibility boost.
Please be aware that this service is only available to members from the categories C3 and above. Publication of stories is on a first come, first served basis.
Get in touch with our Membership team now to send in your news!
Events
EoLIS 2023 – See you in Rotterdam in a few weeks!
When: 22-23 November 2023
Where: Rotterdam
Sustainability is the name of the game. The turbines we install should be recovered and recycled whenever possible. And the principle of circularity needs to be reflected in our design – from beginning to end.
WindEurope is back in less than a month with our annual End-of-Life Issues & Strategies Seminar, where you’ll hear all about the different options and outcomes for Europe’s wind turbine fleet. 15+ conference sessions, together with 50+ speakers and 300+ other turbine enthusiasts eager to network and do business – at a venue in the dynamic seaport of Rotterdam. Check out these videos of our session chairs, to hear what you can expect to learn at the event.
Whether you’re an operator, a developer, an innovator, researcher or component buyer – this debate has ramifications for the whole industry. So make sure to come and get plugged-in on the latest in wind energy sustainability. You can register here – see you in a few weeks!
Innovation Fund Webinar – Recordings in the Members’ Area
With the Wind Power Package unveiled this week and the renewed focus on European clean-tech manufacturing, our recent discussion on the Innovation Fund is more timely than ever. The Commission wants to double the money available under the Innovation Fund’s next call – up to €1.4bn. This call is expected to open next month – so time is of the essence here.
Did you miss last week’s webinar? No problem – the recording and the presentation are now accessible through the Members’ Area.
If you don’t have an account, you can create one here. Please consult this guideline video for a step-by-step walkthrough.
If you’d like to apply for the Personalised Advisory Sessions, please submit your proposal by filling in this form and emailing it to us no later than 27 October. The sessions are scheduled to take place on 10 November. Find out more in the Members’ Area.
Technology Workshop 2024 – see you in Dublin!
When: 10-11 June 2024
Where: Dublin
WindEurope’s annual gathering looking at turbine yields, resource assessment, and analysis of operating wind farms is back once again next June. This time, we’ll be heading to one of Europe’s windiest cities – and a hub for future offshore wind expansion – Dublin, Ireland!
You can expect the same overview of the big breakthroughs, pitches from innovators and thought-leaders, and in-depth discussions on the biggest challenges facing wind farm operators. Plus plenty of networking opportunities with experts from across the technical field.
We’ll be opening a call for abstracts later in November to help shape the scope of the Workshop. More info on this very soon!
Windflix
Giles & Pierre – Episode 20: The Wind Power Package – a game-changer
This week the EU Commission unveiled its Wind Power Package. This is a game-changer for Europe’s wind energy industry – and will help to ensure Europe’s clean-tech future is “made in Europe”.
In this 4-minute video, Giles & Pierre summarise the Package and what it means.
