Wind power News for April 2009

Wind power News Archive

Tough times for wind energy whereas solar power is rising in 2009

The year ahead will be tough for wind energy whereas solar power will experience an uptick in 2009, according to analyst Emerging Energy Research (EER).

AWEA annual wind energy report shows strong growth in 2008

The American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) annual wind energy industry rankings report shows that wind energy leaders in several categories maintained their number one positions, while 24 states saw new wind turbine and component manufacturing facilities opened, expanded or announced in 2008.

Vestas to scale back production facilities in Europe

One of the world's largest wind turbine manufacturers is to shed 1900 manufacturing jobs in the UK and Denmark.

Intel tops list of USA green power purchasers

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a list of the USA’s top green power purchasers.

LM Glasfiber’s revenues up 53% in 2008

LM Glasfiber saw a 53% jump in revenues to €885 million and recorded an operating profit of €91m in 2008.

Green light for renewable energy development on the US Outer Continental shelf

US President Barack Obama has announced that the Department of the Interior has finalised a long-awaited framework for renewable energy production on the US Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

Noble Environmental Power receives long-term capital from GE for NY windparks Noble Environmental Power receives long-term capital from GE for NY windparks

Noble Environmental Power has received long-term capital for its 330 MW wind power projects in western and northern New York State, with more than US$200 million from GE Energy Financial Services.

Airtricity and Fluor form Round 3 offshore wind consortium

Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) subsidiary Airtricity and Fluor Ltd are creating a new consortium to bid for the exclusive rights to develop windfarms under The Crown Estate's Round 3 Offshore Wind Farm Development Programme.

Windfarm in Northern Sweden gets go-ahead

Markbygden windfarm will consist of 101 wind turbines along a 50 km long and 10 km wide area in Markbygden, West of Piteå in Northern Sweden.

First Wind seeks environmental permit for its Oakfield Wind project

First Wind has filed a permit application with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to build a proposed 51 MW wind project in the town of Oakfield in Aroostook County, Maine, USA.

UK wind industry ready to pump £2.5billion "direct into UK economy"

The UK's wind power industry has given a thumbs up to a £525 million support package in Budget 2009, and believes that this will enable the industry to unlock up to £10bn of private sector investment in wind and marine energy projects over the coming few years.

UK Budget 2009: reaction

How has the industry reacted to the 'low carbon', renewable energy provisions in the UK's Budget 2009?

UK 2009 budget latest: offshore wind and energy efficiency the early winners UK 2009 budget latest: offshore wind and energy efficiency the early winners

The UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling has delivered his latest budget, which includes £1.4 billion of extra targeted support in the low carbon sector, including offshore wind, energy efficiency, and small scale renewables.

Renewable Energy Focus to twitter

Renewable Energy Focus has now joined the twitter network...

Siemens supplies 13 wind turbines to Turkey

Siemens has received a turnkey order for the supply of 13 of its SWT-2.3-101 wind turbines from EnerjiSA Power Generating Company for Çanakkale-Mahmudiye windfarm in Northwest Turkey.

Energy Composites Corp acquires wind turbine blade manufacturing land

Energy Composites Corporation has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the City of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, USA, to acquire a 54 acre parcel of land for a 350 000 ft2 composites fabrication plant for manufacturing wind turbine blades.

Energy Composites Corp launches WindFiber strategy

Energy Composites Corporation has launched a composites-in-wind-energy programme, WindFiber™, under which it will carry out wind-related innovation, engineering, customer proposition, production and services planning, and logistics activities.

First Wind secures loan for Cohocton Wind power project in New York

Wind power developer First Wind has secured a non-recourse term loan from HSH Nordbank AG and NORD/LB for its 125 MW Cohocton Wind power project in Cohocton, upstate New York.

Multibrid supplies 80 offshore wind turbines for Global Tech 1 windfarm

Multibrid, a subsidiary of AREVA, will supply 80 M5000 5 MW offshore wind turbines for the 400 MW Global Tech 1 windfarm 90 km from the coast in the German North Sea.

RSPB: UK can have both wind power and wildlife RSPB: UK can have both wind power and wildlife

Could the UK greatly increase the number of its onshore windfarms without destroying wildlife? According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the answer is yes.

AGL constructs 132 MW Hallett 4 windfarm in South Australia

AGL Energy Ltd has entered into agreements for the construction of the 132 MW Hallett 4 windfarm at North Brown Hill in South Australia.

DONG Energy installs first offshore wind turbine at Gunfleet Sands

DONG Energy has installed the first offshore wind turbine at its Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm project in the Thames Estuary off the East coast of England.

StatoilHydro and Statkraft to develop Sheringham offshore windfarm

StatoilHydro and Norwegian utility Statkraft will develop the 315 MW Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm off the coast of Norfolk in the UK, representing a total investment of NOK 10 billion.

Vestas supplies 228 MW of wind turbines to Romania

Vestas will supply a total of 76 units of the V90-3.0 MW wind turbine for two projects in Romania.

BWEA funds research on aviation obstacles to wind energy

The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) and its member companies have built up an industry fund of £3.2 million for advanced technologies designed to solve issues such as wind turbine interference with radars.

UK must act now on wind energy, says influential report

The Institute for Public Policy Research (Ippr) has said that without a rapid expansion of offshore wind capacity the UK will struggle to achieve its legally-binding target of 15% of renewable energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Iberdrola increases Q1 wind production, clarifies UK position

Iberdrola Renovables has increased its wind power production by 20% in the first quarter of 2009 (year-on-year growth), to 5,398 million kilowatt hours (kWh).

Morphic Technologies rationalization to focus on fuel cells, wind

Swedish-based Morphic Technologies has initiated a restructuring program, to focus on the group’s core businesses of wind and fuel cells.

Students scoop building award with system that uses hydrogen and renewables

The Hydrogen Education Foundation, part of the National Hydrogen Association, has announced the winners of the 2008-09 Hydrogen Student Design Contest.

Nanoscale capacitors pack in the power

Feynman's famous 1959 proclamation “There's plenty of room at the bottom” largely referred to the untapped storage ability for information at the nanoscale.

South Africa introduces feed-in tariff for renewable energies

South Africa is introducing feed-in-tariffs (FiTs) for renewable energies, according to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).

UK offshore renewables get financial support

Marine and offshore renewable technologies will now receive financial support in the UK after an overhaul of the system for supporting renewable energy.

UK Government must help renewables during credit crunch

Targeted Government intervention is needed if the UK is to meet its renewable energy targets, according to the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA).

Vestas delivers 74 MW of wind turbines to Italy

Vestas will deliver 37 x V90 2 MW wind turbines to EDF Energies Nouvelles for Sardinia, Italy, in 2009 and 2010.

Electricity from renewables rise 11.7% in UK

Electricity supply from renewable energies including wind and hydro in the UK rose by 11.7%, or 2.2 TWh, to 20.7 TWh in 2008.

Graco exhibits wind energy manufacturing equipment

Graco® will exhibit its fluid handling equipment for wind energy manufacturing applications at the WINDPOWER 2009 Conference and Exhibition on 4-7 May, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Windfarm with REpower 6M wind turbines fully erected Windfarm with REpower 6M wind turbines fully erected

REpower Systems AG has completed the first windfarm consisting exclusively of REpower 6M wind turbines, at the Westre civic windfarm.

MAG automates composite wind turbine blade production MAG automates composite wind turbine blade production

MAG is introducing rapid material placement and quick-cure moulding systems that reduce lay-up infusion and curing time by 50%, double throughput and increases quality for wind turbine blades.

Closer to plugging offshore wind energy into the UK grid

Plans to connect large amounts of future offshore wind energy to the UK national grid have been firmed up.

MarineWind Alliance seeks Round 3 offshore wind energy rights

The MarineWind Alliance consortium of wind power, maritime operations and renewable energy investment companies has submitted a joint bid for exclusive rights for Round 3 offshore windfarm rights from the UK Crown Estate.

Mainstream Renewable Power builds 500 MW wind in South Africa

Mainstream Renewable Power has signed a joint venture (JV) deal with South African windfarm developer, Genesis Eco-Energy, to build an initial pipeline of over 500 MW of wind energy in South Africa by 2014.