PRODUCED BY RECHARGE OFFICIAL SHOW DAILY DAY ONE Vestas exec: Nordics show how all The era of fast- falling turbine countries will become subsidy-free prices is over, BERND RADOWITZ says Nordex boss Nils de Baar, Vestas’ president he Nordic countries are leading for Central and BERND RADOWITZ Northern Europe the way into a future where Tsubsidy-free onshore wind will The fast and damaging decline of be the norm, Vestas’ Northern and wind turbine prices that has troubled Central Europe president Nils de Baar the industry in recent years has told Recharge. stopped, José Luis Blanco, chief “We believe all markets will go executive of the Nordex Group, told through the same transformation Recharge. from having a regulated feed-in “We see that the rapid decrease in tariff, to going into auctions — prices has come to an end. They are which we see now in a majority of stabilising,” he said. markets — [before] ending up in “We have highly-competitive new merchant environments,” de Baar products tailored for volume as well said in an interview. as for growth markets, and we are “If planning policy allows us to positive that we, and the industry, install the latest and most efficient can expect better prices in the technology with scale, then we coming years.” believe the technology will take us to most economic source of energy. We an order for a merchant project in His view is supported by Wood merchant onshore wind projects. believe that will be the future.” Finland last year. CONTINUED on Page 3 Vestas | “Some countries will take longer, De Baar’s comments came after Subsidy-free projects in but eventually all will get there. Vestas announced first orders for neighbouring Sweden and Norway VISIT RECHARGE That’s based on the fact we see now subsidy-free projects in the UK and are “just around the corner,” he at Stand 3-B22 Photograph Photograph across the board, that wind is the Denmark. The wind OEM received CONTINUED on Page 3 5.X VISIT US MW AT BOOTH N149/5.X # 3–C40 EVEN MORE FLEXIBILITY. 5.6 EVEN MORE POWER. MW 5.1 VISIT RECHARGE MW at Stand Xxxxx The next step in the evolution of Delta4000 190315_Nordex_Anzeige_100x230_RZ.indd 1 27.03.19 12:24 SG 4.5-145 On the way to the next generation The SG 4.5-145 onshore turbine is the latest addition to the Siemens Gamesa 4.X platform. This model integrates a new state-of-the-art control system and enhanced blade aerodynamics to achieve greater efficiency and reduced LCoE. Thanks to OptimaFlex technology, we go beyond the traditional off-the-shelf approach that results in products that are sub-optimal for many sites, and we deliver a uniquely tailored solution that is perfect for our customers’ specific needs. www.siemensgamesa.com 2 rechargenews.com Turbine prices stabilising as machines get MHI Vestas more powerful CONTINUED from Page 1 lands record Mackenzie Power & Renewables research director Luke Lewandowski, who said: “Global 50MW floating turbine pricing remains relatively stable quarter-on-quarter, if not increasing in certain markets. wind catch “Demand for new turbine models ahead of policy expirations and targets has started to fill order books as OEMs transition production lines, which has caused a modest uptick in pricing.” The 2MW ‘scout’ Blanco told Recharge that one of turbine installed at the Kincardine the reasons for stabilising turbine project last year prices is that newer, more powerful machines are on the market. At the conference this week, DARIUS SNIECKUS confirms our long-term construction giant ACS Cobra. Nordex will present its first 5MW commitment to commercial scale, The first 2MW unit installed last turbine, the N149/5.X — an HI Vestas has been tapped floating offshore wind projects in autumn — on the reconditioned upgrade of its Delta4000 platform to supply the turbines to the future,” said MHI Vestas chief WindFloat 1 semisubmersible of 4-5MW turbines that will be Mbe installed at Scotland’s executive Philippe Kavafyan foundation that had been installed available in several power ratings 50MW Kincardine floating wind The turbines are due to be off Portugal from 2011-16 — from 5MW to just below 6MW. array, setting the seal on the rebirth installed in spring next year and meant the project just qualified That puts Nordex on par with of a project that came close to be serviced and maintained by by the UK’s lucrative Renewables other Western OEMs that also being iced last year. MHI Vestas for ten years. Obligation Certificates. already offer machines in the The deal with Spanish developer Kincardine, located in 60-80 Spanish joint venture 5MW class, such as GE, Vestas or Cobra Wind International for five metres of water 15km off Navantia-Windar will build the Enercon. 9.5MW V164 machines — which Aberdeen, has had a rollercoaster semisubermsible foundations for Offering a greater capacity per will join the 2MW scout turbine ride to get to this point. the five MHI Vestas machines. turbine (at presumably similar moored last year — marks the first First hatched by Scottish The world’s first commercial- per-unit prices) comes on top of order for 9MW-plus machines for developer Pilot Offshore scale floating wind farm, company efforts to a stringent a floating wind project. Resources in 2014, the project Equinor’s 30MW Hywind, was programme to reduce purchasing “Bringing our technology was later taken over by Cobra, brought on line in late 2017 off costs in recent years, the Nordex and experience to Kincardine... a subsidiary of Spanish the Scottish coast. boss stressed. The likes of Germany will follow Nordics ‘for sure’ GE wins first order for Cypress model CONTINUED from Page 1 market design and innovation will public opinion supporting green added, helped by the fact that still evolve, increasingly leading to energy, as well as the possibility GE Renewable Energy has support granted in the two combined hybrid set-ups for wind to install the latest technology booked the first order for Scandinavian countries is already and solar. all have contributed to make Cypress, the platform it relatively low. Sweden and Norway last the Nordic markets particularly launched last September “So many fundamental elements year were particularly good promising for wind power, de to take its onshore wind are in place in the Nordic markets for Vestas, and despite Baar stressed. business into the 4-5MW markets, which give wind such a their relatively low number of An example of latest technology arena. German developer competitive edge,” he said. “The inhabitants were, respectively, the is the very thin, cable-stayed Prowind will deploy three Nordics are a shining example of company’s third- and sixth-largest turbine tower, that Vestas will 4.8MW Cypress turbines MHI Vestas | how the future will look in a lot of markets in terms of worldwide install later this year. “As the with 77-metre two-piece markets eventually.” order intake. construction is held upright blades made by its LM Larger markets such as Sound policies granting a by three steel cables, the tower Wind subsidiary at the Germany will “for sure” follow, reliable legal framework for is very lean, allowing for cost Elfershausen project in Photography Photography de Baar reckons, but added that renewables, good wind resources, savings,” he said. Bavaria, Germany. rechargenews.com 3 RECHARGE | OFFICIAL EVENT DAILY Australia’s 2GW offshore project clears its first licensing hurdle ANDREW LEE Plans for Australia’s first offshore wind farm cleared a big hurdle when the country’s government granted an exploration licence for the 2GW Star of the South project. The licence allows the development team to carry out technical and environmental studies in federal waters at the proposed project site off Gippsland in the state of Victoria. Star of the South — which is backed by global offshore wind investor Copenhagen President Andrés Manuel López Infrastructure Partners (CIP) — Obrador, widely wants to deploy turbines 10-25km known as AMLO off the coast in the Bass Strait, to supply energy to demand centres including Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city. Mexico state utility seeks retroactive Star of the South chief executive Andy Evans said: “While it’s still early days for the project, these changes to 7GW of tender contracts crucial investigations will help us move forward and understand how we might progress an offshore ALEXANDRE SPATUZZA three-hour press conference. the costs of transmission and of wind project in Australia.” The 83-year-old CFE chief baseload generation needed to The granting of the licence took tate-controlled power did not specify what form any make up for variability of solar longer than expected, prompting company CFE is looking to revision could take. But he said and wind generation. anger in some quarters. The S“revise the conditions” of CFE‘s new strategy will mean “This is the support that CFE Maritime Union of Australia in deals agreed with 7GW of wind building generation capacity gives to ensure the delivery of February claimed the delay was and solar projects during Mexico’s this power, and this support is a result of “ideological hatred” clean-energy tenders. not paid for... CFE was forced to of renewables in the country’s CFE — the sole offtaker in the buy power from its competitors Coalition government. auctions held under the previous and this doesn’t make sense. They government — said the changes carried out true dumping [on are justified as the recently-elected CFE],” he claimed. left-wing administration of However, Bartlett insisted: World first for President Andrés Manuel López “Does this mean we will move on-turbine Lidar Obrador (AMLO) has made away from renewables? No it major changes to the country’s doesn’t.” Wind-reading Lidar laser energy policy.