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DAY THREE

Vestas, SGRE and GE lose out to Siemens Gamesa launches 5.8MW local players in 6GW China tender wind turbines

YUKI YU BERND RADOWITZ

he big three Western turbine Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy OEMs — Vestas, Siemens (SGRE) has unveiled two 5.8MW TGamesa Renewable Energy turbines — part of a new 5.X (SGRE) and GE — were left empty- platform that it says could conquer handed after bidding for a share of the a 30-35% share or new orders in world’s largest wind project, the 6GW coming years. Ulanqab facility in Inner Mongolia, “Today we are celebrating our China. second anniversary. I cannot The gigawatts on offer at state imagine a better way to do it than power giant SPIC’s tender — in by announcing the launch of this which 14 turbine makers took part new platform — tangible proof of — were split between five Chinese A wind farm in Siemens Gamesa’s commitment to Inner Mongolia, OEMs. Shanghai Electric came out China, where the innovation and R&D,” said chief on top, securing 1.4GW, Goldwind 6GW Ulanqab executive Markus Tacke at he project will be and Ming Yang each took 1.3GW, built product launch at the WindEurope while Dongfang Electric and CSIC show yesterday. Haizhuang picked up 1.1GW and There will be two 5.8MW models 900MW, respectively. said was a significant signal of new pressure on the developer, SPIC. The available, the SG 5.8-170 with a The Ulanqab tender — one of the openness to foreign manufacturers in three Western OEMs were among CONTINUED on Page 3 first held in China on a competitive, the Chinese wind sector. the four most expensive bids, and zero-subsidy basis — had explicitly But a source at SPIC told Recharge despite expectations that efficiency VISIT RECHARGE called for “global top-15” turbine that the subsidy-free nature of the and reliability could be factors in the at Stand 3-B22

Photograph | Getty Photograph makers to bid, in what commentators project heaped significant cost CONTINUED on Page 3

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AN INVESTMENT IN KNOWLEDGE ALWAYS PAYS THE BEST INTEREST Benjamin Franklin

RECHARGE has been reporting from of the renewable energy industry, the front lines of the renewables where only the ‘what’ is reported, industry on five continents since not the ‘why’ not the ‘how’, not the late-2008 led by an editorial mission market insight or intelligence. to bring depth and dimension to coverage of the news that matters, Intelligence is what our team of with the accent on analysis, opinion international journalists does best – and relevant in-depth features. and has done since our launch eight years ago. Read RECHARGE. Like Worldwide-webbed readers today the wider renewables industry, we access information in a medium espouse change for the better in the where free is the norm. But pause global energy system; as a business and question the value of this ‘news’, intelligence title, we aspire to do the especially in the speeding evolution same for energy journalism.

RECHARGE – Read it first at www.rechargenews.com WINDENERGYProduced HAMBURGby 2014 | RECHARGE | OFFICIAL EVENT DAILY RECHARGE | rechargenews.com MHI Vestas test plan spurs talk Two-piece blades to be of next step-up in turbine size offered for

BERND RADOWITZ 5.8MW model

HI Vestas plans to test CONTINUED from Page 1 a nacelle at Denmark’s 170-metre rotor, which the Mexpanded LindØ Offshore company said will be the largest Renewable Centre (LORC), chief in the onshore sector, and the executive Philippe Kavafyan SG 5.8-155, with a 155-metre revealed to Recharge, as the rotor. manufacturer kept industry The larger-rotor model will commentators guessing over give a 32% increase in annual designs it has for a larger offshore energy production (AEP) (at machine or new platform. a wind speed of 8 metres per LORC — on the Danish island second [m/s]), when compared of Fyn, close to MHI Vestas’ to manufacturer’s SG 4.5-145 nacelle factory — last month predecessor model, said SGRE. received DKr50m (€6.7m) from The smaller-rotor version will the Danish government for an boost AEP by more than 20% extension that will enable it to test (at a wind speed of 7m/s) when MHI Vestas chief turbines of up to 16MW. executive Philippe compared to the company’s SG “We are going to test something Kavafyan 4.5-145 model. at the LORC facility — but we The new platform launch are not planning to test a 16MW,” comes after rivals including GE, Kavafyan said in interview at working on a machine in the already has launched such a Enercon, Vestas and Nordex have the WindEurope conference 12MW-plus class, although it machine,” Jacob Pedersen, chief each unveiled new turbines in yesterday. hasn’t revealed yet what the financial analyst at Denmark’s the 5MW class amid a race in the “The precise characteristic of actual nameplate will be. Sydbank, told Recharge. industry to further push down the the testing [facility] is that it is up “But if it is a turbine of cost of wind energy. to 16MW,” he added, declining about 15MW, then that SGRE’s onshore wind chief to reveal further details of its If it is a turbine of about would be a big leap, and it executive, Mark Albenze, said he plans. would be a new platform. personally expects the 5MW class MHI Vestas’ current most 15MW, then that would Yet, it would cost a lot to to take a 30-35% share of orders powerful model is the 10MW develop that. in the 2021-23 period. version of its V164 offshore be a big leap, and it would “From MHI Vestas’s Ever bigger turbines, and the workhorse. The OEM so far be a new platform profit and loss statement, long blades that they fly, can be has been tight-lipped about the I cannot see how they dificcult to transport, so SGRE is possibility of bringing a larger could cover such a huge offering two design options for turbine to the market, as its rival “It is difficult to assess what cost at the current stage.” the 170-metre rotor — a one- GE is doing with the 12MW size they [MHI Vestas] will test The Danish-Japanese offshore piece blade and a segmented Haliade-X. at LORC. It doesn’t make sense OEM late last year said it will version, said onshore technology Offshore turbine market leader to bring a 12MW turbine to the recruit 50 new employees at its director Jose Antonio Malumbres. Siemens Gamesa has said it is market at this point, given GE Fyn nacelle plant. The company plans to install prototypes of the SG 5.8-155 and SG 5.8-170 in mid-2020 and Q3 2020, respectively, with Hopes dashed of great leap forward for foreign OEMs manufacturing scheduled to start in Q4 2020 and early 2021. CONTINUED from Page 1 annually, respectively. This price Western turbine makers. Albenze stressed that the outcome, price looks to have been cap for turbine maintenance is Vestas, the best-performing new platform is the first “truly the decisive metric. new in China, “putting a higher OEM in China last year, installed integrated Siemens Gamesa Shanghai Electric’s low bid of requirement on the OEMs to 584MW in the country in 2018, product” as it draws on proven less than 3,200 yuan (€424.23) improve turbine quality control, a share of 2.8%, according to technology from the two legacy per kW was 27% below the while continue lowering turbine Bloomberg NEF figures. companies — Siemens and highest bid, which came from costs”, a Chinese wind supply- Expectations of a potential Gamesa — and expertise from Vestas. chain source told Recharge. foreign winner at Ulanqab were various regions. The bids also had to include a Ulanqab was tendered in five stoked earlier this year when The new platform has a flexible 20-year turbine service agreement sections, and winning just one Vestas and Siemens Gamesa both power rating, he added. “We and warranty, for which SPIC would have represented a huge signed their first deals with SPIC, expect to build upon this modular would pay a maximum of leap forward in the Chinese covering small deployments design as we progress in the

Photograph | Recharge Photograph 25 yuan/kW and 10 yuan/kW market for one of the big three elsewhere. future.”

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ANDREW LEE Wind and solar dominated new ind and solar were the installations in 2018, according twin growth engines to Irena Wlast year as renewables expanded to account for a third of the world’s entire power capacity, according to new data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena). Wind and PV between them accounted for 84% of the 171GW of clean capacity added last year — an annual growth rate of 7.9% — as the world hit 2,351GW of renewables, says Irena’s Renewable Capacity Statistics 2019 report. Solar capacity grew by 24% in 2018, with 94GW added — almost double the 49.1GW of wind, which itself managed a respectable 10% year-on-year increase. Asia led the renewables charge in 2018, installing 61% of all new capacity (104.9GW), with Europe accounting for 13.8% (23.6GW) and North America Renewables now account for a 10.9% (18.7GW). China alone was responsible for 43.8% (75GW) of global renewables installations third of global installed power last year. China added 20.3GW of wind energy expansion has been “the main driving forces behind renewable power as the driver of in 2018 — more than Europe accompanied by 725GW of the persistent expansion in the global energy transformation,” (11.4GW) and North America non-renewable — fossil-fuel use of fossil fuels for electricity said Irena director-general Adnan (7.8GW) combined — taking and nuclear — capacity growth generation”, says the body. Amin said. “Renewable energy 41.3% of all new capacity. Asia since 2010, according to Irena’s “Strong growth in 2018 deployment needs to grow even as a whole installed 24.1GW — analysis. Asia and the Middle East continues the remarkable trend faster, however, to ensure that we 49.2% of the total. are the only regions where non- of the last five years, which can achieve the global climate However, Asia’s rapid clean renewables increased, and are reflects an ongoing shift towards objectives.”

TenneT to build Haliade-X design guru lands Poul la Cour prize pilot of artificial island wind hub DARIUS SNIECKUS Dutch-German transmission The 2019 Poul la Cour Prize has system operator TenneT is to been won by John T Olesen. build a pilot artificial island Olesen, chief engineer at GE in the North Sea as part of its plans to develop a “North Renewable Energy, was awarded the prize for his “unique and lasting Sea Wind Power Hub”, John T Olesen Recharge has learned contribution to the development of being presented The hub would be a large wind energy in Europe”. with the Poul la Cour Prize by manmade island that would Over a more than 35-year career WindEurope chief host a converter station in the European wind industry, executive Giles Dickson and potentially link multiple Olesen, who joined pioneering offshore wind farms to both turbine-marker Micon in 1983 the UK and the Netherlands, and worked for NEG Micon and “As difficult as it was to select a role in enabling wind energy to go and could even include Vestas Wind Systems until 2011, winner, given the quality of the from niche technology to become battery storage or green- hydrogen production. is currently leading the design nominations, John is a thoroughly a mainstream part of Europe’s Construction on the pilot team responsible for GE’s 12MW deserving one. energy mix”. would begin in the next Haliade-X, the largest offshore “He has worked tirelessly The prize, awarded by three to five years, but wind turbine in development. to push forward wind turbine WindEurope and Denmark’s Poul TenneT is yet to decide what WindEurope deputy chief technology. Throughout his la Cour Foundation, has been

| WindEurpoe | Vestas Photography equipment it would test. executive Malgosia Bartosik said: career, John has played a seminal awarded 14 times since 1992.

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A Big Brown bat Novel bat-deterrent method ‘boosts AEP’

DARIUS SNIECKUS for the wind industry,” said EDF’s wind farms but generally results reduction in bat fatalities of 54%. director of environmental strategy in a significant loss of energy “We added some additional nnual energy production Michael Azeka. production when curtailment is bat deterrent units and used a (AEP) from wind farms Testing of NRG’s system — implemented. slightly different configuration to Ain bat-infested regions which generates ultrasonic waves “The Pilot Hill trial is especially help get more ultrasound into the could see a significant boost while out to the blade tips that “jams” encouraging because it suggests rotors’ swept areas to see if more greatly reducing the number of the bats’ echolocation frequency that we can minimise bat impacts ultrasound — that was louder and creatures killed in turbine-rotor and so prompts them to forage in while increasing the amount of went further — would lead to a collisions, to judge by tests of an airspace outside the wind farm energy produced at wind plants greater reduction in bat fatalities. innovative deterrent technology site — was conducted “[Using this system being pioneered by US outfit NRG at the 103-turbine to improve AEP] Systems. development over We can minimise bat impacts goes a long way as Results from trials at EDF three months, with a it far outstrips what Renewables’ 175MW Pilot five-metre-per-second while increasing the amount of curtailment alone can Hill development in Illinois, cut-in speed (ie, the do — at least from an where a spread of 15 ultrasonic wind speed required energy produced at wind plants economic standpoint. acoustic systems were installed to start the rotor struggling with this crucial issue It has made a lot of on turbines last year, showed an spinning) applied at developers hopeful there overall improvement in AEP of the deterrent-equipped is now a tool that will almost 2% and a reduction in bat turbines. struggling with this crucial allow them to avoid curtailing fatalities of an average of 67%. The trials led to a “significant issue,” said Brogan Morton, [power production] where it “Our goal with this trial was to reduction” in kills of silver-haired senior product manager at doesn’t make sense, while meeting gauge the efficacy of combining bats (72%), hoary bats (71%), big NRG Systems. “This is a win for environmental impact objectives.” curtailment with NRG’s system brown bats (94%), and eastern red all parties involved, including The NRG system is currently to reduce bat mortality at wind bats (58%), as the creatures prefer developers and conservationists.” being rolled out in North turbines. The results of this trial not to fly in strong winds. The Pilot Hill tests were America, with the company are very encouraging and suggest Currently, cut-in wind speed preceded by a two-year study planning to run trials of the that this approach to minimising is the most widely used method at the Los Vientos wind farm technology in Europe later this

Photography | Getty Photography bat impacts is a compelling one for curbing bat mortality at in Texas, which saw an overall year.

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→ Individual session � ckets are available at the registrati on desk! Social events Side events 09:00 - 11:45 Wind energy in Africa – Level 5 Room 5 Perspec�ve for Mozambique, Programme overview Kenya and Nigeria HIGH-LEVEL OPERATIONS & ENVIRONMENTAL DIGITALISATION FINANCE GRID & MARKET HEALTH & POLICY & RESOURCE SUPPLY CHAIN TURBINE FLOATING WIND & PLENARIES MAINTENANCE IMPACTS, SOCIAL INTEGRATION SAFETY AND MARKETS ASSESSMENT & LOGISTICS TECHNOLOGY 09:00 - 13:00 Accelera�ng wind turbine Level 1 Atrium 1 nd ACCEPTANCE & SKILLS Poster session circularity 2 workshop SPATIAL PLANNING and awards edi�on HIGH-LEVEL OPERATIONS & ENVIRONMENTAL DIGITALISATION FINANCE GRID & MARKET HEALTH & POLICY & RESOURCE SUPPLY CHAIN TURBINE FLOATING WIND & PLENARIES MAINTENANCE IMPACTS, SOCIAL INTEGRATION SAFETY AND MARKETS ASSESSMENT & LOGISTICS TECHNOLOGY Workshop on FHP wind Level 5 Room 2 ACCEPTANCE & SKILLS 09:00 - 13:00 SPATIAL PLANNING curtailment mi�ga�on Wednesday, 3 April ROOM Thursday, 4 April ROOM 10:15 – 10:45 solu�on

Poster Area – Luxua, Level 3 13:00 - 15:00 ETIPWind Workshop Level 5 Room 1A Safety, Skills & Training Investing in people: delivering a just 13:30 - 16:00 GWO Stakeholder Forum 09:00 - 10:15 Level 4 Auditorium 1 Zone, Exhibition Hall 3 energy transition for all Europeans Join us to celebrate this year’s poster award winner and enjoy See the programme online: Financing offshore wind in an auction 10:15 - 10:45 Poster awards ceremony Level 3 Poster area 14:00 - 15:15 Level 4 Auditorium 1 some morning refreshments. environment windeurope.org/confex2019/networking/#side-events 10:45 - 12:00 Digitalisation - beyond wind Level 4 Auditorium 1 Electrification of the heating sector - *Open to all registered 14:00 - 15:30 Level 4 Auditorium 2 Innovative solutions for installation Coupling power and heating networks Level 4 Auditorium 2 participants and operations Exhibition halls Blades Level 3 Luxua 1 The market outlook in Europe Level 3 Luxua 1 HALL 1 Resource assessment - part 2 Level 3 Luxua 2 12:00 - 13:00 Lunch Exhibition Hall 3 Spanish wine at AEE 15:15 - 16:15 Poster viewing Level 3 Poster area Thought Leaders Brought to you by 13:00 - 14:15 Digitalisation: creating value in O&M Level 4 Auditorium 1 stand Finance and off-taker structures Forum 16:15 - 17:30 Level 4 Auditorium 1 12:00 in a merchant world Drivetrain monitoring: beyond SCADA Level 4 Auditorium 2 AEE stand 1-E20 9:45-15:45 Towards 100% renewables: market Repowering and lifetime extension: 16:15 - 17:45 Level 4 Auditorium 2 Level 3 Luxua 1 and system operation practices getting the right framework Join AEE for a taste of Spanish Offshore wind technology, markets Next-generation components wine and Iberian ham while chatting Level 3 Luxua 1 14:15 - 15:00 Poster viewing Level 3 Poster area for wind turbines about the Spanish wind industry. and finance Tomorrow’s wind farms: smart, Resource assessment - part 3 Level 3 Luxua 2 15:00 - 16:15 Level 4 Auditorium 1 collaborative, secure! See the programme online: 20:00 Gala Dinner - Guggenheim Museum Becoming circular: turbine Level 4 Auditorium 2 Euskadi/Basque Country windeurope.org/thoughtleaders components recycling Stand Reception Maintaining the competitiveness Level 3 Luxua 1 of the European supply chain 13:00 HALL 3 Basque Pavilion, Hall 1 Safety, Skills In association with SeeAlso the programme on Thursday online: Network over refreshments at the Basque Country stand. & Training Zone windeurope.org/confex2019/conference/programme/10:30 - 11:30 Regions: leaders in delivering Europeʼs Level 5 Room 4 Climate and Energy ambitions 10:45-16:00 10:45 - 15:45 Thought Leaders Forum Exhibition Hall 1 Skills Workshop 10:45 - 16:00 Skills workshop Safety, Skills & Training Programme subject to alteration. Visit the WindEurope Stand 3-E22 to meet the WindEuropeZone, Exhibition team, pickHall 3 up your copy of our industry-leading reports, try out our market intelligence FULL PROGRAMME HERE: 09:00 - 17:00 Kinderwind Exhibition Hall 1 See the programme online: See the programme online: tools and book your stand for WindEurope Offshore 2019. windeurope.org/confex2019/conference/programme/ And more! Check the What’s On pages for additional activities. windeurope.org/confex2019/networking/#social-events windeurope.org/trainingzone Delivering a clean economy for all Europeans

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‘Market-changing’ floating wind design lands EU funding

X1 Wind’s PivotBuoy floating wind design

DARIUS SNIECKUS commercial-scale wind farms. the Oceanic Platform of the 24MW array projects are to be “In the past decade, a number Canary Islands test site. built off France with installation panish floating wind of prototypes have successfully “The floating wind industry foreseen in 2020-21, following technology outfit X1 proven floating wind is technically is accelerating fast with the UK, green-lighting by the EU earlier SWind has reeled in €4m feasible, but costs need to be France, Portugal and Norway this year. to bring its innovative PivotBuoy reduced by at least 50%,” said X1 leading the way and other Portugal also has an array design to market, with the Wind chief Alex Raventos. countries like the US, Japan and project, the 24MW WindFloat ambition of helping to catapult “Technology disruption is Spain catching up,” said Raventos. Atlantic, under construction. the nascent sector into worldwide required to achieve large-scale “We are already seeing And back in the UK, the 2MW industrialisation. competitive floating offshore significant cost reduction when scout turbine for the 50MW The funding, from the EU wind. We plan to demonstrate scaling up to 8-10MW rotors as Kincardine array, off Scotland, Commission’s Horizon 2020 the advantages of our innovative well as with serial production of was moored last year. programme, will underwrite plans PivotBuoy system.” platforms. We expect to bring Ireland is the latest to join the to test a 1:3 scale version of the Raventos told floating wind build-out, technology in 40-50 metres of water Recharge that X1 with a first unit destined off the Canary Islands in 2020. Wind’s “redesign of for switch-on in 2022. The prototype, which will be the structural design X1 Wind calculates the Latest calculations from topped with an adapted 225kW of existing solutions PivotBuoy concept could pave WindEurope suggest some Vestas turbine, combines a takes advantage 350MW of floating wind tension-leg platform and so-called of being floating, the way towards floating wind capacity will be switched single point mooring system, to drastically cutting on in Europe by 2021 via allow the unit to “weathervane” the steel weight and cost reductions of some 50% a raft of projects off the with the prevailing wind, to better minimising active UK, France, Portugal and harness the resource. systems [and to Norway. X1 Wind calculates the allow for] scale up to even to another step-change to make From a single industrial-scale PivotBuoy concept, which could larger rotors [using] a downwind floating offshore wind competitive prototype in 2009, floating wind be 80% lighter than some first- configuration”. against current energy has progressed at a clip toward generation floating wind designs X1 Wind will head up a nine- technologies.” commercialisation. and moored in water depths of partner consortium, which The world’s first commercial- Many analyst forecasts, up to 1,500 metres, could pave includes EDP, ESM, WavEC, scale floating wind farm, including those of UK low-carbon the way towards cost reductions IntecSeA, the Danish Technical Equinor’s 30MW Hywind, was business development body of some 50%, translating to a University, DNV GL and Degima, brought on line in late 2017 off Carbon Trust, point to a fleet as

Image | X1 Wind €50/MWh cost of energy on for the three-year trial at Plocan, the Scottish coast. Four separate large as 15GW by 2030.

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KARL-ERIK STROMSTA

he political whirlwind sparked by the Green New TDeal (GND) is moving in ways that neither Republicans nor Democrats seem to fully understand — or be able to control — exposing vulnerabilities on both sides on the issue of climate change. One thing that is clear is the GND has struck a nerve on climate change like nothing else for many years in national American politics. Partly as a result, the US renewables industry may soon have the opportunity to shift to offence in Washington DC — after several years in a defensive crouch. Put forward last month by two liberal Democrats, the GND calls for a paradigm-shifting build-out of renewables, alongside various other progressive demands. It’s a non-binding resolution with no chance of becoming law, intended to be a conversation starter more than anything else. But its impact has been deep. One effect has been making the gulf between Democrats and Republicans on climate change appear wider than ever. For evidence, look to the gleeful vote the Republican-controlled Senate last week on the GND — a vote that was pure political theatre, designed to embarrass moderate Democrats. Many in the renewables business would have preferred out of the GND, but they are in The lack of an answer is a Reams, a Republican and the to see the GND’s call for danger of overplaying their hand. problem for Republicans, a reality executive director of Citizens for decarbonisation put forward It may be tempting to take a swing acknowledged even within their Responsible Energy Solutions, on its own terms, rather than at the GND, but knocking it down own ranks. a group focused on persuading being yoked to what many see begs the obvious follow-up: So “They’ll have their little vote... conservative lawmakers to as unrelated issues — such as what’s your plan? but what’s next?” asks Heather support clean energy. healthcare — a broadening that “We can’t hear crickets — then creates both political allies and it starts becoming a political enemies. liability,” she adds. The GND has “moved the It’s worth noting that the conversation” on climate in Democrats have not been an important way, says Sarah particularly aggressive on climate Webster, vice-president for change since they failed to pass government relations at Pattern a cap-and-trade system under Energy. the Obama administration. The “But it runs the risk of issue played little role during the alienating people on the other Democratic presidential debates side of the aisle — it already has in 2016. alienated them — because of But it’s a different world today.

the politics around it, and the Campaigners “This is an issue that’s going to linkage of clean energy to a larger in favour of the be hardwired into the DNA of Green New Deal political agenda.” marching in New every Democratic presidential Republicans see an immediate York City candidate,” says Morgan Gray,

AFP/Getty | Bloomberg/Getty | AFP/Getty Photography opportunity to make political hay legislative director for Senator

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US President Donald Trump shows his love of the black stuff at a rally in West ANALYSIS: Virginia Green New Deal is

— and few fruits hang lower than in 2017, but otherwise focusing changing the renewable energy. on quietly taking maximum Pattern Energy’s Webster says: advantage of the subsidies while “I don’t know how many times they last, and preparing for the I’ve been in conservative [Capitol] post-subsidy world of the 2020s. climate for US Hill offices — say with members But the day is coming when the of Texas’ [congressional] renewables industry will have to delegation — and behind closed throw its weight behind what sort doors they say, ‘We really love of federal policy it would like to renewables you. My constituents love you.’” Such Republicans have been reluctant to openly support renewables. But that could change It’s becoming a very quickly over the next few politically attractive years. It would not be a stretch for issue for a lot of Republicans to suddenly embrace Republicans Democrat the enormous success of wind Congresswoman development in states like Texas Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez at the and Oklahoma. In fact, it may see in the 2020s — a carbon tax? announcement only be a matter of time. Many of A cap-and-dividend system? A of the Green New Deal legislation their financial backers, including technology-neutral tax credit for big utilities, have already started zero-carbon energy sources? doing so. The great pendulum of Ed Markey of Massachusetts, districts — of the sort that will Since Trump’s election, the American politics is swinging co-sponsor of the GND be key to the 2020 presidential renewables industry has astutely back in the other direction. For all alongside media-genic freshman election — increasingly see adopted a lay-low strategy at the the controversy around the GND, Congresswoman Alexandria political advantage in taking a federal level — springing into a grand political consensus on Ocasio-Cortez. moderate stance on climate, says action to defend the tax credits renewable energy may be closer at Ironically, by veering so hard to Alex Flint, formerly a member of when they were under threat hand than many realise. President Trump’s transition

team, and now executive Green New Deal director of the Alliance co-sponsors Senator The GND may open Ed Markey and Ocasio- for Market Solutions, a Cortez greet each conservative group that other outside the US fertile ground in the Capitol supports a revenue-neutral political centre for a carbon tax. “It’s becoming a politically compromise on energy attractive issue for a lot of and climate change Republicans running in those districts,” Flint says. In recent years, the climate the left, the GND may open fertile issue has held many Republicans ground in the political centre back from openly supporting for a compromise on energy and renewables. But if the politics climate change under a future of climate change begin to shift president. at the national level, then the Republicans in competitive conversation will turn to solutions

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ANDREW JAMIESON The building in Yantai City where ffshore Renewable Energy TORC is being Catapult, the UK’s leading set up Otechnology innovation and research centre for offshore wind, has officially opened a £2m (€2.3m) joint UK-China offshore wind R&D facility in Yantai City, Shandong province. Andrew Jamieson The TUS-ORE Catapult Research is chief executive of the UK R&D Centre (TORC) will bring important centre Offshore benefits to both countries. Renewable Energy Catapult China’s rapidly-growing offshore wind market — predicted to become the world’s largest by 2030 — is opening up a whole new wave of opportunities for UK businesses to engage and compete on a global scale. Few in Europe will have heard of Yantai City, but the conurbation and Shandong province have come to symbolise the ambition and growth of the Chinese offshore wind market. Almost 100 million people live in the province, which is set to Haliade. Haliade. become the home of one of China’s largest offshore wind farms — the 300MW Huadian Shandong Jimo demonstration project. The Chinese Government is investing $100bn in wind power Why ORE Catapult has projects by 2020 and aiming to install 5GW of offshore wind in the South China Sea, with a further 10GW in built a joint-venture planning. This unprecedented growth presents huge potential for UK businesses to R&D centre in China export their products and services to China, and for the market there to of working with academia and financial matters, building a presence adopt novel technologies that can not businesses both large and small to in China as part of the incubation only speed up the rate of deployment, support technology development is a journey, and potentially seeing but also keep costs down. great fit with the TusPark approach, Chinese investment in their business. That’s why we’ve chosen to partner making them an ideal partner. It is truly fascinating to see how the with China’s Tsinghua University China’s ambitious growth targets TusPark incubation model creates an Science Park, or TusPark, which means they are very willing to adopt innovation buzz by building a cluster offers incubation services to high- new, innovative technologies, possibly of like-minded businesses with expert tech supply chain companies, and support, advice and guidance establish TORC in Yantai City’s to hand. growing commercial district. The China is very willing to There are lessons to be new facility will act as a leading learned for the UK from renewable-energy technology adopt new, innovative China’s proven supply-chain research and development incubation technologies, possibly faster incubation model. More centre, with unique links into both UK-based demonstrator sites the UK and China to support the than the European market would provide the platform growth of their respective offshore for companies to prove wind industries and providing new technologies in a real- opportunities for stronger UK and faster than the European market has world offshore wind environment, Chinese academic collaborations. traditionally been able to do. rather than trying to sell them to TusPark’s business incubation Through TORC, UK businesses established, full-scale commercial model is a proven cross-sector success developing new technologies can wind farms. story. It has expanded its support explore opportunities to export their What will success look like? For model to the UK, opening incubation products and services to the Chinese me, it will be a burgeoning Chinese centres in Newcastle and Cambridge market in a number of ways: for offshore wind market — underpinned and supporting giants such as BP example, by accessing expert advice by the best new products and services

Photography | ORE Catapult Photography and Microsoft. The Catapult’s model and guidance on technology, legal and the UK supply chain has to offer.

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