T h e E u r o p e a n w i n d i n d u s t r y m a g a z i n e

November 2010 Volume 29/No 5

I nterview Unravelling the grid Ti nA Birbili Greek Energy Minister Bringing wind power to the consumers REACTORS MINING FRONT END BACK END RENEWABLE ENERGIES & SERVICES

Wind power Designed for offshore

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THE EUROPEAN WIND INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

November 2010 Volume 29/No 5

letter from the editor 5 For a greater grid brussels briefi ng 6 The latest EU news country focus 9 A closer look at Croatia interview 11 Tina Birbili, Greek Energy Minister wind news 14 site visit 18 Scaling the heights of technology feature 21 A question of supply guest columnist 27 A change of mind wind bites & wind dates 29 focus 30 The grid that never sleeps Powering Europe: EWEA’s new grids report How does the grid work? Dr Klaus Rave on a citizens’ electricity network mini focus 42 The wind star state technology corner 46 Larger turbines: bigger and better? wind energy basics 48 Is wind energy competitive? run-up to COP16 51 “That was then; this is now”: the climate change hiatus Wind Directions is published fi ve times a year. EWEA news 52 The contents do not necessarily refl ect the views and policy of EWEA. EWEA welcomes new members 55 Publisher: Christian Kjaer Editor: Sarah Azau the last word 58 Writers: Sarah Azau, Chris Rose, Crispin Aubrey, Elke Zander, Bicycles, bands and bad guys Zoë Casey Design & production: www.inextremis.be Cover photo: Stiftung Offshore Windenergie

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B_91_538_AZ_Nordex_HH_A4_GB.indd 1 15.10.2010 12:54:24 Uhr | letter from the editor |

By Sarah Azau For a greater grid Editor

want you to imagine for a minute you are walk- Bits and pieces Iing on top of a cliff overlooking the North Sea. It is easy to think of a wind turbine as an The wind is so strong you can lean your whole object in itself, but it is of course made up body into it. Below, almighty waves, swept up in of different bits, or components, which each the gale, are crashing into the rocks. have to be manufactured and rigorously Now imagine you are in Spain, or perhaps Italy tested. This was brought home when I visited or Portugal. The sun is soaking into your skin. the Technology R&D headquarters of Vestas The sky dazzles with the intense southern light in Denmark in September and found out a that bounces glaringly off buildings and cars. little bit about the complex procedures that With such immense renewable sources of frame every stage of the design, building power to hand, it seems incredible that Europe and monitoring of every turbine (p. 18). is still forking out for fossil fuel imports. It is as Chris, meanwhile, was exploring how those though a farmer with a huge and fertile orchard components come together: who provides were paying an unreliable neighbour for fruit while the materials? How is it coordinated? What his own rotted in his back garden. materials make a turbine a turbine? His article The analogy is of course not quite accurate – on the supply chain is on p. 21. Europe is developing its renewables and fast, with Aside from all of this, we have an exclusive wind leading the fi eld for new power installations interview with the Greek energy minister Tina two years running. But if the abundant winds Birbili on p. 11, an exclusive extract from and the sunshine with which Europe is blessed a speech on grids by Dr Klaus Rave from are not connected to those who need the power Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein, the they provide – the electricity consumers – we will Technology Corner exploring larger turbines, remain dependent on polluting and expensive fuel and the usual other sections including the imports from outside. Country Focus, Wind Energy Basics, Brussels The grids question – and more specifi cally, the Briefi ng, Wind News and EWEA News, not to idea of a supergrid, laid over Europe’s current power mention articles from external contributors networks and stretching out into the seas and pos- Rolf De Vos and Mark Edwards. sibly the deserts of northern Africa – is discussed And as you read, perhaps by electric light, in this Wind Directions on p. 30. It is also the focus or on a computer screen, remember the of EWEA’s GRIDS 2010 event, being held from silent work of the grids that transported that 23-24 November in Berlin, and of our latest report: power to you. Often overlooked, grids are ‘Powering Europe: wind energy and the electricity fast becoming the key issue on which the grid’, which will be launched at GRIDS 2010. further development and use of wind energy Further away, but no less drenched in sunshine in Europe depends. We must ensure they and swept by the wind is the state of Texas, which are modernised and extended to guarantee has seized the lead in wind energy in the US, a secure, cost-effi cient and renewable-based reaching 9,410 MW of cumulative installed capac- energy future. ity by the end of 2009. Chris Rose travelled to More information on GRIDS 2010: Texas for Wind Directions to fi nd out more – read www.ewea.org/grids2010 ■ all about it on p. 42.

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 5 | brussels briefi ng | EU energy policy must be “bolder, more effective and more ambitious” says Commissioner

n a speech on the preparation of the in low-carbon energy so we can look IEU energy strategy 2011-2020, EU forward to a real energy revolution”, and Energy Commission Günther Oettinger to develop “large-scale production of stressed the need to take “urgent and renewables”. ambitious actions today” to be ready for Developing the power networks is a “low-carbon, effi cient and democratic key to this, said the Commissioner. We Photo: C-Power energy future”. must “completely renew our electricity One of the guiding principles of the networks to cope with a much larger energy policy should be the vision of a renewable production”, he said, and EU energy largely decarbonised economy by 2050, cited the need for “pan-European” energy he said, also warning that Europe risked infrastructure. ministers: grid losing its renewables leadership to the Commissioner Oettinger concluded US and China if action is not taken. his speech by announcing that a consul- interconnections Oettinger stated that he wants to tation on a 2050 Energy Roadmap would must be sped up “improve conditions for investments be opened in November.

rid projects of “European interest” Gshould automatically receive the New environment information tool for fastest possible realisation in each individual Member State, the Energy EWEA members Ministers proposed at a recent informal meeting. Having agreed on the need to improve interconnections to integrate the energy market properly, and shore up the EU’s energy supply, ministers stated that in many Member States there are severe delays for building energy transmission and distribution infrastructure. These de- lays could be reduced by putting projects considered to be of European interest into a fast track system. Ministers also agreed that the market should fi nance energy infrastructure projects, and that this should be made easier by simplifying the administra- tive procedures. One suggestion from the European Investment Bank was to support high risk energy infrastructure Photo: iStockphoto projects by a customised European fi nancing mechanism. “The energy ministers have correctly identifi ed the importance of improving eed to read the latest fi ndings on wind various potential impacts of wind energy, grid interconnections for an integrated Npower and bats? Want to show how both onshore and offshore. Browse energy market with more renewable wind turbine noise has changed over time? by category – birds, bats, marine life, energy”, said Justin Wilkes, EWEA’s All major studies on wind energy and landscape issues, light effects, noise, Policy Director. “Simplifying the red tape the environment can now be found on electromagnetic disturbance, and various involved will allow this to happen rapidly EWEA’s newly launched Environmental safety issues - search for the main docu- and help ensure the EU meets its renew- Impacts Information Tool (EIIT), exclusive- ments or look for the leading experts on able energy targets by 2020.” ly available for EWEA members. each topic to get in touch with directly. For more information please contact Justin Wilkes at The EIIT includes a review of the exist- The EIIT will be regularly updated with [email protected]. ing and most relevant literature on the the latest research.

6 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 | brussels briefi ng |

Pilot network code to be fi nalised in 2011

he European grid operators’ pilot Tnetwork code for grid connection re- quirements with a special focus on wind energy will be fi nalised in 2011, with stakeholder consultations being carried Photo: Gamesa out in the fi rst three months of the year, according to the body of European trans- mission system operators’ (ENTSO-E) EU-Africa renewable energy draft work programme for next year. The work programme, which has cooperation programme launched ended its public consultation period, also covers the plan that outlines future he EU is to contribute €5 million 10,500 MW of other renewables. They changes or additions to the power grid - Tto a renewable energy cooperation also cover giving access to “modern and the Ten Year Network Development Plan programme (RECP) which it recently sustainable” energy to at least 100 mil- (TYNDP). ENTSO-E’s work programme launched together with the African Union lion more Africans by 2020, and improving states that given the stakeholders’ mes- at a meeting of the Africa-EU Energy energy security by doubling the capacity sage of urgency on applying a “top-down Partnership (AEEP). The programme will of cross-border electricity interconnec- pan-European approach” to the TYNDP, help contribute to the EU-Africa renew- tions, the use of natural gas in Africa, and the Member States’ National Renewable able energy targets for 2020. African gas exports to Europe. Energy Action Plans (NREAPs) will be The targets include building at least The Renewable Energy Cooperation examined this year and, if they sug- 5,000 MW of wind energy and adding over Programme will run for ten years. gest a signifi cantly different generation scenario for 2020 from the pilot TYNDP, ENTSO-E will publish the results in mid-2011. Offshore grid gets EU Presidency “It is very encouraging that ENTSO-E is pushing ahead with the network code, boost and that it has listened to the wind industry’s calls to integrate the NREAPs n October, at a high level conference in create the North Sea grid which will im- into the TYNDP”, said Paul Wilczek, IOstend jointly organised by the Belgium prove security of energy supply and bring EWEA’s Regulatory Affairs Advisor. “It is Presidency and EWEA, representatives more competition into the electricity essential that the EU countries’ plans from energy ministries and industry market. Europe needs this international are taken into account so that suffi cient agreed the importance of developing infrastructure to connect offshore power grid upgrades are made to integrate the offshore electricity infrastructure. They to onshore grids.” planned amounts of wind and other re- were focusing on plans to build an off- On 2 December 2010 the “North newables and meet the 2020 targets”. shore grid in the North Seas. Seas Countries” – that is, Belgium, In another recently closed consulta- The Belgian Director General for Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, tion, the EU energy regulators (ERGEG) Energy, Marie-Pierre Fauconnier, ex- Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, asked about the so-called framework plained that “This intergovernmental Sweden and the UK - will sign a guidelines on grid connection require- initiative aims to create an integrated Memorandum of Understanding on ments. Framework guidelines are offshore electricity grid in the North Seas what is known as the “North Seas supposed to provide clear guidelines for [...] Building this North Seas offshore Countries’ Offshore Grid Initiative”. The developing network codes, contributing grid is essential to meet Europe’s future Memorandum of Understanding will pro- to the overall goals of non-discrimination energy needs – secure electricity supply, vide a framework for regional cooperation and effective competition, as set out free of carbon emissions, at an afford- to fi nd solutions to questions relating in the third Liberalisation Package. The able price - as it will connect Europe with to current and future grid infrastructure responses will go towards ENTSO-E’s its greatest domestic energy resource, developments in the North Seas. work developing the network code on offshore wind.” To date in Europe there are 948 grid connection requirements. Christian Kjaer, Chief Executive of offshore wind turbines in 43 fully opera- Find out more: www.entsoe.eu; EWEA told the conference: “It is vital tional offshore wind farms, with a total www.energy-regulators.eu that European countries work together to capacity of 2,396 MW.

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 7 MM100: Get the Maximum at low wind speeds

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In 2010, Wind Directions will take a look at a selection of the A closer look at developing wind energy markets with the most potential. Croatia... By Zoë Casey

tretching almost the entire length of Sthe Eastern Adriatic Sea, Croatia’s plentiful coastline and long coastal islands make it an ideal location for wind farms. Although the country leads the Balkans when it comes to wind power, it is a relative newcomer to the sector. Its fi rst farm with a total capacity of 5.95 MW was installed in 2004 on Pag, the fi fth largest island in Croatia. Situated in the northern Adriatic Sea, Pag – an island also famous for lace making - is buffeted by the Bora wind, which in pre-Slavic means ‘cruel wind’. In 2006 a second farm opened near Sibenik – one of the oldest towns in Croatia which was fi rst mentioned in 1066 in a Charter of the Croatian King Petar Kresimir IV. Currently, this farm – called Trtar Krtolin – is the largest farm in the country with an installed capacity of Photo: Thinkstock 11.2 MW. Croatia has a current total of 27.75 MW of wind power – the com- from gas, while hydropower also plays regulations, such as a lack of coordina- bined total of four wind farms across the a signifi cant role. In terms of renewable tion between energy and construction country. Two additional wind farms with a energies, Croatia is set to reach a 5.8% laws. A wind farm developer may also combined total of 51.2 MW are under- renewable energy share by the end of have to obtain several different permits going a trial run. In addition, there are 2010 (excluding large hydro), according to and have multiple contacts with different several projects under construction in the the Energy Institute Hrvoje Poznar. Wind state institutions before getting the green country with a combined total of 30 MW. power will provide the biggest contribution light for a farm. These farms are awaiting equipment de- in achieving this target, the Institute said. Croatia and its surrounding countries liveries, but they should be fully installed In order to encourage a greater devel- are also working on creating a regional by the end of this year. While wind power opment of renewables, in July 2007 fi ve energy market. In October 2005, Croatia, in Croatia is still small fry compared to regulations were enacted on incentives an EU candidate country, the EU and nearby Italy, its total capacity is on the to generate electricity from renewable nine other South-Eastern European coun- rise: back in 2007 Croatia had 17 MW sources, including feed-in tariffs. In 2010 tries – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, installed, rising only slightly to 18 MW by the feed-in tariff for wind power was Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic the end of 2008, EWEA’s fi gures show. €0.09/kWh. However, the Energy Institute of Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Looking at the overall power mix, the Hrvoje Poznar said that there are still Kosovo and Romania – signed the Energy country currently gets most of its energy some unresolved issues surrounding the Community Treaty. (Since then, Ukraine has also joined the Energy Community, while Romania and Bulgaria have be- Croatia – the wind energy facts come EU Member States.) This treaty, which was also the fi rst legally binding agreement signed by the South East INSTALLED CAPACITY ...... 27.75 MW European states since the 1990 wars, TRADITIONAL ENERGY SOURCE ...... Gas aims to create the legal basis for an SUPPORT MECHANISM ...... Feed-in tariff of €0.09 per kWh integrated European market for electricity and gas. ■

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 9  $ ?8C272>=CA>;  BHBC4A;3F834

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Modern Greek

25% of Greece’s electricity will come from wind by 2020, Photo: Greek Energy Ministry says the country’s energy minister.

ina Birbili has been Greece’s Minister for ambitious still realistic targets is a conscious “Boosting green TEnvironment, Energy and Climate Change political decision and our NREAP refl ects that and since October 2009. Dr. Ioannis Tsipouridis, CEO is fully compatible with that. development of PPC Renewables, asked her some questions looks as one on behalf of EWEA. What proportion of the 20% do you expect wind energy to meet? of our best Greece recently approved a bill raising its 2020 Our 2020 target for electricity from renewables is alternative renewables target to 20%. This is higher than 40%. Out of that 40%, wind will account for 25% the 18% target set in the EU Renewable Energy and the other 15% will come from other renewables. for gradually Directive. Why did you set a higher target? How This results in 10% wind contribution in the overall reshaping our has this affected your National Renewable Energy 20% fi gure, when it comes to the total fi nal energy Action Plan (NREAP)? consumption. economy.” We have indeed done so because we are con- vinced that investing in renewables, and clean What measures does Greece’s renewable energy energy technologies in general, is the most ef- bill include to help the wind energy industry meet fi cient way to achieve our medium and longer term this goal? national targets regarding energy, environmental There are two critical things. The fi rst has to do protection and economic growth. At this stage, in with the new legislative framework we established particular, boosting green development looks like by law in early June 2010 which a) accelerates one of our best alternatives for gradually reshap- permitting procedures, b) removes non-technical ing our economy, transforming it from a con- barriers for realising large projects, including grid sumption-based to a production-based one that interconnections, in order to exploit the huge wind also exploits indigenous resources. Thus, setting potential of our Aegean sea islands, c) foresees

The energy mix in Greece

As of 2005, 6.9% of Greece’s energy - 10% of In its National Renewable Energy Action Plan, its electricity - came from renewables. This 10% Greece stated that this 40% renewable elec- broke down into 8% hydro and 2% wind power. tricity in 2020 would break down into 24% from By the end of 2009, Greece had installed a wind, 9% from hydro, 4% PV, 1% biomass, 1% cumulative total of 1,087 MW. Wind currently geothermal and 1% CSP. provides around 4% of Greece’s electricity. In its 2008 ‘Pure Power’ report, EWEA Greece has to reach 18% of its energy predicted that Greece would install 6,500- from renewables (40% of its electricity) by 8,500 MW of wind power capacity by 2020, 2020 according to the 2009 EU Renewable providing between 22% and 29% of the Energy Directive. country’s power.

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 11 | interview |

years to one to 1.5 years and, most importantly, we have built a One-Stop-Shop in the ministry to accelerate the licensing procedures. We also did Wind energy-related some indirect work regarding public acceptance activities were organised by providing incentives, through the reduction of in Greece for this year’s their electricity bill, to people living close to wind Global Wind Day. farms. We are aware that much more has to be done regarding public acceptance and awareness and we plan to put additional effort into that.

What do the Greeks think of wind energy? Do you have any issues with social acceptance? NIMBY (‘not in my backyard’) is a universal dis- ease. We defi nitely face social acceptance issues as we already discussed earlier.

Greece has a lot of coastline. Are you planning to develop offshore wind? Yes, we have started doing so under a centrally coordinated scheme, as I already mentioned. We have concluded the preliminary sitting exercise and now we are quickly moving to the needed Strategic Environmental Assessment procedure. Photo: HWEA Although the sea in Greece is much deeper than it is in northern Europe, it looks like our country “New grid the possibility for an increased feed-in tariff for has some signifi cant offshore resource as well. extension, exploiting low wind potential areas and d) taking fi rst steps towards offshore development by The country is heavily reliant on coal and two reinforcement and employing a centrally coordinated licensing and new lignite plants will have been built by 2017. interconnection bidding procedure. The second has to do with the Surely this is cancelling out the positive steps grid. New grid extension, reinforcement and inter- taken developing CO2-free wind energy? actions are connection actions are now seriously planned for It is clear for us that lignite will continue to now seriously the short-medium and longer term timeline. contribute to our electricity mix as an important indigenous resource that we cannot just ignore. planned for the Greece had 1,087 MW of wind energy capacity Evidently, the technology we will use for our new short-medium installed by the end of 2009. What are the main power plants will be much cleaner and effi cient barriers to wind energy development in Greece? that it used to be before. Of course, this is not

and longer term How are they being tackled? solving the CO2 emissions problem. It is also clear, timeline.” The problems were always well known; the on the other hand, that the lignite contribution into complicated and unfriendly legislative framework, the energy mix will be continuously fading in the the grid inadequacy, and public acceptance. future and the resulting defi cit will be mainly substi- In all three of them we have now made some tuted by RES electricity. The two new lignite plants real efforts for change. For the grid we already replace others that will be shut down. discussed earlier. We have much improved the legislation in an attempt to shorten the licens- At the upcoming COP16 meeting in Cancun, coun- ing period from (practically speaking) four to six tries will again try and come up with a binding agreement on climate change. Do you think they will succeed? What needs to be included in the agreement in your opinion? Tina Birbili was born in Athens in 1969. She graduated with a degree This is a very diffi cult one. We went to in Physics from the University of Athens in 1990. After a Master’s Copenhagen under better global economic condi- course at Imperial College, University of London on Environmental tions than today and, still, we failed to achieve a Technology, she did a PhD on environmental management and eco- binding agreement. I don’t know how Cancun can nomics, completing it in 1995. do better in that. What I can say is that Greece is From 2004, she was advisor to the President of the Panhellenic a very strong supporter of the European position Socialist Party. that urges for such a binding agreement and we After the elections of October 2009 she was appointed Greece’s fi rst believe that it is just a matter of time that every ever Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Change. nation will streamline with this belief. But, per- haps, time is not enough. ■

12 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010

| wind news |

Parts of Brazil offer which each have a capacity of 3 MW, will POLAND a 50% wind energy be used in the Krackow wind farm project Further wind energy growth in capacity factor in Germany. They will be delivered by the southwest Poland beginning of 2012. Vestas is to supply 29 of its 2 MW More information: www.vestas.com turbines to subsidiaries of Polish Energy Partners S.A, for wind farms in Łukaszów Central German wind farm to and Modlikowice in the southwest of expand Poland. Delivery of the turbines is sched- GE is supplying three wind turbines uled to be completed in 2011. totalling 7.5 MW for the expansion of the More information: www.vestas.com wind farm Groß-Santersleben Süd near Magdeburg in central Germany, to add to SWEDEN the 12 MW currently in operation there. Sweden builds wind power More information: www.gepower.com technology centre The centre has been set up in Sweden to Upcoming 74.8 MW wind farm support the country’s wind energy sector. near Rostock The Swedish Wind Power Technology REpower is to deliver and install 22 of its Centre (SVTC) has total funding of nearly 3.4 MW wind turbines at the 74.8 MW €11 million from the Swedish Energy Hohen Luckow wind farm near Rostock, Agency, the wind energy industry and northern Germany. The farm, which is Chalmers university of technology. The

Photo: Suzlon being developed by German company centre will focus on wind power design Denker & Wulf, is expected to be built by and on training engineers. mid 2012. BRAZIL REpower has signed a 15 year con- UK Three wind farms to be built tract to service and maintain the wind World’s largest offshore wind Enel Green Power has signed a contract turbines, which have a hub height of 128 farm opens for three 30 MW wind farms to be built in metres. The 300 MW Thanet offshore wind farm, Brazil, at sites at Cristal, Primavera and More information: www.repower.de 12 km off the coast of Kent in the UK, Sao Judas (state of Bahia) where the opened in late September. The wind farm is capacity factor is nearly 50%. The wind INDIA made up of 100 of Vestas’ V90 3.0MW tur- farms should come online in the sec- 5,000 MW of wind power bines, which were installed in less than 100 ond half of 2012, doubling Enel Green Suzlon Energy Limited, India’s largest days. The turbines have a tip height of 115m. Power’s installed capacity in Brazil. wind turbine manufacturer, announced The Thanet farm boosts the UK’s More information: www.enelgreenpower.com it has now reached 5,000 MW of wind offshore wind energy capacity by nearly energy capacity in India. The installed one-third, and will produce enough power to

CANADA turbines avoid 8.5 megatonnes of CO2 supply more than 200,000 homes per year New rotor blade manufacturing every year. with clean energy. facility to open More information: www.suzlon.com More information: www.vattenfall.co.uk Siemens Energy intends to invest in setting up a new rotor blade manufactur- Tradition and modernity: India is installing more ing facility in Canada, which will cre- and more wind turbines ate up to 300 jobs, the company has announced. Siemens has also signed a framework agreement with Samsung C&T Corporation for the supply of wind turbines with a combined capacity of 600 MW to various projects in Ontario, which is suffi cient to supply power to the equivalent of 240,000 Canadian households. More information: www.siemens.com

GERMANY Developers order new Vestas turbines German developers PROKON have placed the fi rst ever order for the new V112

turbine from Vestas. The 17 turbines, Publishing Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Couls Photo: Keenpress

14 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 | wind news |

Hornsea offshore wind farm granted grid connection The fi rst 1 GW of the planned 4 GW Hornsea offshore wind farm, situated off the north-east coast of England in water depths of up to 70m, has been granted grid connection. The fi rst section will be built and connected in 2014, and the other 3 GW between 2015 and 2020. The Hornsea farm is owned by the SMart Wind consortium, led in a joint venture by Mainstream Renewable Power and Siemens Project Ventures. More information: www.mainstreamrp.com; The UK’s offshore sector www.siemens.com is expanding Photo: Keenpress Publishing Sisse Brimberg & Cotton Coulson Photo: Keenpress US Monitoring station opens in Growth planned for one of New factory to build offshore Oregon Europe’s largest wind farms foundations Iberdrola Renovables has opened The Whitelee wind farm in Scotland is to be Tag Energy Solutions, a UK company, Portland NCC, a renewable energy control expanded to 539 MW as from 2012, own- has secured fi nancing worth facility that will monitor the company’s ers Iberdrola Renovables have announced. €23.5 million in order to build an wind farms and substations in the US all 69 Alstom turbines will add 250 MW to the offshore manufacturing plant in year round, then story the information farm’s capacity. The wind farm should sup- Billingham, northeast England. The for analysis. Iberdola currently operates ply the equivalent of more than 300,000 factory is to produce monopiles for nearly 3,900 MW in the US, from 41 dif- households with power, while avoiding offshore foundations in the ferent wind farms. The centre will employ

840,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. North Sea. 25 members of staff. More information: www.iberdrola.es More information: www.tagenergysolutions.com More information: www.iberdrola.es ■

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WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 17 Representation at the highest level | site visit |

Inside the foam-covered electromagnetic capacity testing room Scaling the heights of technology

By Sarah Azau Photos: Vestas Wind Systems AS

eading trade news stories from the Bjarne Ravn Sørensen, President of frequency – and electromagnetic compat- Rwind energy sector, one could be Vestas Control Systems. “A 2 MW tur- ibility, which is checked in a room entirely forgiven for thinking that building a wind bine runs for 8,750 hours a year on aver- covered with foam pads and spikes, as farm is a simple matter. Order wind tur- age, with two maintenance visits, while a well as vibration, humidity and a lightning bines, pay money, get turbines delivered, car runs around 500 hours a year1 with simulator. There is also a “heavy duty put them up. Hey presto: more clean, two maintenance visits.” test centre” at Aarhus Harbour where free energy for consumers to enjoy. Of At the product laboratory, we had a they test complete systems. course, one of the things those stories practical demonstration of how “robust- simply do not have space to cover is the ness” is achieved, as engineer Niels Choosing your spot enormous amount of technology research Martin Henriksen showed us a chamber Finding the optimal turbine design with that goes into every component of each for testing components, and told us how the most robust components is one turbine design, and the extensive monitor- it is used. thing, but choosing where to install the ing of its performance once it’s up. “All products degrade over time, and a turbine is quite another. My recent trip to the Technology R&D turbine has a lifetime of about 25 years, “Turbines are not dropped randomly headquarters of Vestas, situated on the so we build in a ‘degradation margin’. like bombs: we put a lot of effort into east coast of the Danish mainland in the This means we overstress the product at planning where they go”, says Lars town of Aarhus, gave me a glimpse into the testing stage and make sure it can Christian Christiansen, Vice President of the extraordinarily advanced technolo- withstand conditions far more extreme Vestas Wind & Site Competence Centre. gies used to control and optimise every than it will ever encounter”, he explained. He explains that they have worldwide part of the development of a wind farm, “We can fi nd out in a day what would weather data going back ten years, and from siting to designing and building happen over the turbine’s lifetime; in the receive updates from the 33,000 meteor- to monitoring. lab, failure is knowledge”. ological stations around the world every In order to do this, the chamber contains six hours to have a complete overview of “In the lab, failure is knowledge” a platform fl oating on springs with ham- wind conditions everywhere over time. Where the wind turbine itself is con- mers that punch the component. The Showing us a wind map of the United cerned, Vestas’ technological expertise component is subjected to temperatures States, he demonstrates how unsuitable works towards two main goals: “robust- of 200°C which are then brought down to wind farm sites can be eliminated with a ness” and “reliability”. minus 100°C with liquid nitrogen. click of a mouse. “A wind turbine has to be ten times Other tests include resonance – to more robust than a car”, pointed out ensure no two turbines have the same 1 40,000 km at 80 km/hour.

18 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 | site visit |

Vestas Technology R&D is situated in the green heart of Denmark The height of modernity: inside Vestas Technology R&D

”I can have different options allowing from 16,000 turbines – is monitored even before it becomes one, and alerts me to eliminate any land that is over from here. the person in charge of the wind farm. 1,500 metres high – which makes wind Operations Engineer Helle Kirstine Since the system was installed a few turbines less effi cient, any areas where Lauridsen explains how it works. years ago the average time between wind speeds are less than 3m per “We base our calculations on a inspections has doubled. second, cities, national parks, airports ‘standard deviation’. That means we The Vestas customer is also able and so on. So I instantly see areas to compare the performance of the turbine to log on to the system and follow the avoid for my wind farm. I can then also against the standard performance of performance of their turbines, which is zoom in on a very precise spot and that model to see how far it deviates. updated every ten minutes. They also see the wind conditions there. The tool We have different deviation ratings so we access an FAQ section which shows all even allows me to calculate where I know how serious the issue is.” the faults there have previously been should position each turbine within a The beauty of the system, she says, with that type of turbine, and in what particular site”. is that it can often predict the problem proportion. Turning such highly detailed informa- tion into a user-friendly tool needs a Simulating a turbine powerful computer. ”In 2008 we bought a 9 metre long, So that engineers and technicians can familiarise themselves with the turbines 8 tonne computer that produced enough before they have to work on them, and customers see more of their purchase, heat for 18 Danish houses. That com- Vestas have developed a “virtual reality centre” which simulates what it is like puter is now too small and we have just inside the nacelle of a real machine. ordered one that is 40 metres long. It The “centre” is a replica nacelle of a V90 turbine, empty except for the screen costs $500 just to hit enter....” that covers the end wall. Stepping into it feels rather like stepping into one of the “simulators” of rockets or cars you sometimes come across at theme parks. Following through We put on 3D glasses as instructed, and as the screen comes on we see, Once the turbines are installed, they not the latest offering from Pixar, but a row of offshore turbines at sea. We need to be constantly monitored whiz towards them and fi nd ourselves in a nacelle, this time fully equipped and throughout their lives so that any errors functioning. or faults can be quickly fi xed or, prefer- As Visualisation Designer Rasmus Dejgaard Jensen works the controls, he ably, prevented. Vestas does all this explains that we are inside a 3 MW V112 turbine, which should go into serial from its global “performance and diag- production in the second quarter of 2011. In the simulator, we can explore the nostic centre”, which is also situated in different components and move around as though we were inside. Aarhus. A small, circular room, it seems The virtual nacelle is “lifesize” - that is, 14 metres long, and the real thing will unbelievable that 20% of the world’s weigh 230 tonnes. The V112 turbine itself will have a tip height of 175 metres. installed wind power capacity – 27 GW,

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 19 | site visit |

Q&A with Finn Strøm Madsen, President of Vestas Technology R&D

What is the most exciting technology trend for you right now? Our aim is not to go with any particular technol- ogy, it is to make wind the cheapest energy source on the planet. We are not religious about which type of technology we use to do this. What is essential is that the technology is reliable and lowest cost. When will onshore wind energy become the cheapest power generating technology? I expect to see it happen in the next fi ve to 10 years. The cost of onshore wind energy is going down all the time. Today, offshore is 2.5 times A sea of technology higher but the gap will close. Travelling from Aarhus to Brussels involves changing planes in Copenhagen. Photo: André Andressen What will be the main technology develop- ments that will help the industry get there? As we take off from Copenhagen airport, The developments that will help include substantially bigger rotors, the shape I peer out of the window at the wind of the blade, more advanced control system and software and the use of lighter turbines dotting the sea. It is diffi cult materials such as further development of carbon fi bre and other composites. to imagine the complex, cutting-edge Do you think it most important to focus onshore or offshore wind technology technology behind them as they turn development in the coming years? gracefully, yet nowadays this determines Both! We need to make onshore more attractive and bring down the costs everything about the wind turbines we of offshore. see, from their shape, to the materials used for them, to their location and their continued effi ciency.■

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A2SEA’s ‘Sea Jack’ vessel is specially converted for offshore wind turbine installation

Photo: Medvind A question of supply

Behind the booming wind power sector is a highly important supply chain. By Chris Rose

lthough photographs of wind turbines and another 7,000 around the world — an agreed to date. “We will not start Agracefully generating electricity have puts most major turbine components producing our turbines before we have a become the easily recognised icons of together except for gearboxes. signed order.” the wind energy sector, the success of He added, however, that Vestas gets the growing industry actually depends on many types of materials for its turbines Feeding the supply chain thousands of components and services. from various suppliers in different parts Supplying the growing wind power sec- Called the wind power supply chain, of the world. tor — both onshore and offshore — has these diverse ingredients — which Holm said that while the company become a huge business in recent years include grease, wrenches, computer does not rely only on single-source sup- as nations and companies around the printouts, test studies, minerals, metals, pliers, it does work hard at developing world try to tap into the emerging green plastics, trains, boats, trucks, concrete, sound relationships with its suppliers electricity market as a way of replacing fi bres and bolts and muscle power — so that materials and components are ageing fossil fuel and nuclear are vitally necessary on a long, arduous available when needed. By doing so, power plants. and expensive journey from the planning he added, Vestas — which expects to Indeed, in its 2009 annual report stage of a wind farm to grid connection achieve an EBIT (earnings before interest the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) completion. and taxes) margin of 5-6% and revenue noted wind power grew a staggering Michael Holm, head of the global of €6bn this year — attempts to keep 41.5% compared to 2008. press offi ce for Danish company Vestas warehousing costs to a minimum. “More than 38 GW of new wind power Wind Systems, says having a functional “This is an evolving industry and we capacity was installed around the world supply chain is the foundation of the work together with our suppliers,” he in 2009, bringing the total installed ca- wind power industry. said, adding that one challenge to having pacity up to 158.5 GW,” the GWEC report “If we don’t have a supply chain, we a universally seamless supply chain is said. “This represents a year-on-year don’t have a business,” said Holm. “It’s the fact that in some parts of the world growth of 31.7%.” that simple.” suppliers are not as fully developed as GWEC also noted that last year’s mar- Pointing out that the average wind tur- in others. ket for turbine installations was worth bine has approximately 9,000 different He added it is extremely important about €45 bn, and that they expect to components, Holm said Vestas — which to have a dependable supply chain that reach close to 200 GW worldwide by the has about 16,000 employees in Europe can deliver high-quality materials on end of 2010.

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 21 | Feature |

A 2009 EWEA report provides one way of component supply and full component large expansion of capacity in the compo- trying to understand wind power supply outsourcing to fi t their turbine designs.” nents during 2009, particularly in the chain costs. ‘The Economics of Wind According to a MAKE Consulting Supply Asia Pacifi c region.” Energy’ notes that about 75% of the total Side report published in May, last year’s The report said it did not expect short- cost of energy from a wind turbine is ongoing economic crisis ages of any of the main related to upfront expenses such as the created some diffi culties “The relationships wind power components cost of the turbine, foundation, electrical for the European and this year and in 2011. equipment and grid connection. American companies in between “Towards 2012 we Additionally, a recent draft EWEA the wind energy supply manufacturers forecast that bearings, research paper notes that the main chain, as orders dropped particularly main bear- materials used in wind turbines include by more than 40% over and their suppliers ings, may once again stainless steel, aluminum, copper, epoxy 2008 measured by MW have become become a key restraint and polyester resins, glass and carbon orders announced. for the industry and fi bres, foam, concrete, balsa wood and “Following years of increasingly crucial.” that increasing demand nickel. Many, if not all, of these materi- shortages of several important compo- for larger [wind turbines] could create als are also required in other industries, nents in the wind power supply chain, the bottlenecks for some of the large sized making a smoothly operating wind power supply balance shifted towards overca- components such as gearboxes and supply chain all that more important. pacity in 2009,” the report said. blades. Nevertheless, overall global The draft paper adds that the The report said this was from tight component capacity will be suffi cient to European wind power sector is “becom- project fi nancing, slowed development meet demand.” ing an increasingly important player in plans, a considerable number of wind The report also identifi ed several supply the raw materials market” as it con- turbines on the resellers market, and chain challenges in the next three years, tinues to grow in terms of capacity increased sales of existing wind farms by including increasing capacity to meet installed. distressed developers. Northern Europe’s offshore wind demand Supply chain management is key to Predicting that situation will improve for large and specialised components, wind turbine supply, says EWEA’s 2009 in the latter half of this year, the MAKE increasing capacity to meet Asia Pacifi c’s edition of ‘Wind Energy — The Facts’. report said the tremendous wind power demand for larger turbines and compo- “The relationships between manufac- growth in the Asia Pacifi c region in 2009 nents, and expanding the US supply chain. turers and their component suppliers largely shielded it from the fi nancial cri- Nicolas Fichaux, a technical consult- have become increasingly crucial,” the sis felt elsewhere in the global sector. ant with EWEA, agrees with the MAKE report notes. “Supply chain issues have “Overall, global supply capacity did report’s prediction that there will be no dictated delivery capabilities, product not experience any bottlenecks in 2009, signifi cant shortages in turbine compo- strategies and pricing for every turbine but wind power installations in 2009 nents before the end of 2011. suppler. Manufacturers have sought to approached the nominal annual capacity “What we see are the effects of the strike the most sustainable, competitive of bearings, forgings, and castings,” the fi nancial crisis,” Fichaux said, adding that balance between a vertical integration of report said. “However, there has been a he also agrees with MAKE’s suggestion

This 61.5 metre long blade will be installed on a 5 MW wind turbine at sea

22 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010

Photo: LM Wind Power | Feature |

the industry could start facing supply Europe’s offshore industry needs chain bottlenecks again after 2012. 12 new installation vessels to That’s because, he added, the industry is meet its 2020 targets continuing its shift towards offshore wind and increasing turbine size from 3 MW machines to 5 MW and larger.

Melding a company’s abilities with the needs of wind energy When people think of materials and serv- ice supplied to the wind power sector, it is a safe bet they likely do not focus on adhesives, glues and sealant products. Yet Sebastian Schilling, Henkel’s business manager for industrial adhesive technologies in the Benelux countries, says his company’s products are ex- tremely important elements of the wind power supply and material chain. Schilling said about 24,000 of Henkel’s 50,000 employees working around the world are employed in the company’s Adhesive Technologies unit, Photo: A2SEA which last year generated €6.2 bil- lion working with various industries, including the transportation, consumer products, electronics, packaging and aerospace sectors. There’s a good fi t between our company to approximately 43 GW of installed wind But dealing with the wind power sec- and the wind power sector.” power capacity. tor is an important part of the industrial He added he can not think of a wind Andersen also said more than 46,000 adhesives unit’s work, he said. energy company that Henkel does not wind turbines have been supplied with As an example, he said his unit helps supply. “I can’t imagine there is any braking systems over the past 20 years Hansen Transmissions with its gearbox- wind turbine in the world that is without and the company’s newly-created Service es. “Our products are used in different our product.” and Logistics division helps increase the parts of the gearbox production, such LM Wind Power, which is involved in lifetime value of the investment of wind as threadlocking, gasketing and retain- blade manufacturing, brake manufactur- farm owners. ing applications,” he said, adding that ing and service and logistics, describes Asked how competitive it is for a com- adhesives help protect against corrosion. itself as the world’s leading component pany to be involved in the wind power In a way, then, he said Henkel is a supplier to the wind supply chain, Andersen said competition “supplier of a supplier” turbine industry, says is increasing as the sector becomes since Hansen is well “The industry could the company’s sen- more mature and additional companies known for providing wind ior communications enter the industry. “LM Wind Power still power manufacturers start facing supply manager Helle Larsen has a strong foothold in the wind energy with its noted gearboxes. chain bottlenecks Andersen. market and we are determined to con- Schilling said the wind Headquartered in tinue to grow our market share.” power sector is a target again after 2012.” Kolding, Denmark, LM LM Wind Power is a good example market for his company Wind Power employed of a company growing and develop- — which, according to its website, also 4,676 people globally by the end of ing along with the wind energy sector. provides UV- and weathering-resistant 2009 and had annual revenues of Noting that LM Wind Power (at that time sealants for blades, nacelles and steel €777m, Andersen said. LM Glasfi ber) started producing blades in tower segments and anaerobic thread- LM Wind Power supplied rotor solu- 1978, Andersen said the blade produc- locking systems for mechanical engineer- tions to 28 and brake systems to 44 tion was a spinoff of the company’s ing — since it is always changing and wind turbine manufacturers worldwide activities within boat manufacturing. improving. “Also, the wind power market last year, he said, adding the more After continual product refi nements, he believes in sustainability and Henkel than 130,300 blades the company has said the company is now the leading wants to be as sustainable as possible. produced in over 30 years corresponds independent supplier of blades.

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 23 | Feature |

Employing and building special specially constructed barge loaded with equipment advanced equipment that enables off- Once materials for wind power compo- shore tasks to be carried out with great nents have been located and the various precision in deeper waters and high tidal parts have been manufactured and as- ranges, and a modern jack-up barge spe- sembled, the nearly-completed turbines cially equipped to operate offshore wind still need to transferred to the site where and install a wide range of equipment. they will fi nally be erected. A2SEA’s website also notes that it is For the onshore wind sector this having a “next generation wind turbine phase usually means using trucks or installation vessel” built that will be able The rotor is freight trains. For the offshore sector it to operate “in the more challenging con- about ready to means special vessels for transportation ditions that will be encountered further be hoisted into and installation. offshore and in deeper water.” position

Danish company A2SEA has installed Photo: LM Wind Power In keeping with EWEA’s ‘Oceans of 60% of the world’s offshore wind turbines Opportunity’ report published last year, since 2000, said Chief Sales Offi cer Lindvig estimated the value of A2SEA’s which emphasized that the European Kaj Lindvig. contracts with wind power companies offshore industry will require 12 new A2SEA’s project teams strive to com- last year at €80 million. installation vessels, each costing about plete every installation safely, on time, He said the only challenge A2SEA €200 million, if the sector is to meet a and on budget, Lindvig said. faces is having the right installation target of 40 GW by 2020, Fichaux noted With 220 employees in Denmark and equipment for the products being in- that construction on four new vessels another 20 around the world, the com- stalled or serviced. began earlier this year. pany is owned by DONG Energy but in Equipment and vessels the company “And there will be more of them,” June, Siemens invested €115 million to currently uses include two identical self- Fichaux predicted, adding the rapid buy 49% of A2SEA’s shares, putting the propelled crane vessels equipped with expansion of the UK offshore sector is value of the company at around four jack-up legs that are effective for driving much of the demand for the sup- €250 million. mounting turbines in shallow waters, a ply chain to come up with new ships. ■

24 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 25 The backbone of Europe’s energy future

Register online to attend this essential debate Photo: Chrétien Rudy

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SUPPORTED BY: ORGANISED BY: | guest columnist |

A change of mind

nfrastructure has fi nally made it to the top of myself: what would we do if humanity started Ithe agenda of policy makers and – what is all over again, on a new planet (because the even more important – of investors. It took quite resources on the old one would be used up)? some time to achieve that position. I still recall a With our current knowledge we would defi nitely specialist meeting in Amsterdam, some ten years optimise on sources like wind, solar, ocean en- ago, concluding that infrastructure is the key to a ergy, hydro pump storage, and in the end maybe sustainable energy supply. But during ten years even some fossil fuels. But we would have to dig since that meeting, no real development in this them up again, pffff…. direction has occurred in grids. That is about to So far for this little brain experiment; let’s go change substantially, and it is about time! back to reality and build on our former achieve- It is not hard to understand why knowledgeable ments. We defi nitely need to expand the grid and people came to the conclusion that infrastructure overcome some grid barriers right now. is a very important asset in an energy transition. So interconnections need to be improved and By Rolf de Vos Journalist at Ecofys International Building a sustainable energy supply is not simply cables need to be thicker. On a lower level, distri- By invitation a matter of replacing coal or gas-fi red power bution networks have to get smarter. If we want stations with wind farms, bio-energy power or pho- to harvest all renewable possibilities, we have to tovoltaics and connecting them to the grid. That start at the end-user and explore local opportuni- simply doesn’t work, because features of renew- ties fi rst, like local storage, demand control, and able power generation and use are quite different so on. And last but not least, we have to work on from fossil fueled energy generation. intra continental super-connections. Think of har- Grid investments lagged behind for a vesting energy from the oceans, solar power from number of years, especially in EU power grids. southern Europe, storage in Scandinavia, etcet- Liberalisation of the EU energy market caused era. These sources will fl ourish with a supergrid. “Grid a hiatus in the responsibility for the grids. In any case, the most important thing that investments Organisations like the International Energy Agency has to be applied to grids is a change of mind. and the European Union acknowledged the urgen- Instead of centering the grid on large central lagged behind cy of renewed investments to secure the reliable power stations, fueled by fossil fuels, grids have for a number of supply that we are used to. Several new initia- to be designed for many local and also many tives started, such as the trans-European energy central power generators, and for many small and years.” networks (TEN-E) project, coordinating a solution many large users. ■ for a number of bottlenecks in the EU. Do we really have to regret that investments lagged behind for so many years? Yes we have, but I am also quite sure that had we made investments previously, we might have invested in ‘old-fashioned’ types of grid which would possibly have ended up prolonging the lock-in situation in which we are at present. Looking at the TEN-E initiatives and other re- cent assessments like the Roadmap 2050 of the European Climate Foundation (ECF), new invest- ments in old infrastructure are still necessary. ECF’s analysis shows that analysed that a signifi - cant expansion of grid interconnection between and across regions in Europe will be needed to facilitate large shares of renewables by 2050. But while investing too little, we also saved some money to be spent in a more sustainable direction. We must work on intra continental When thinking about new development, super-connections it helps me to get ‘out of the box’ by asking Photo: iStockphoto

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 27

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“I believe that Northern Ireland “We need to do for energy what “The European needs, and is able, to move rapidly we have done for mobile phones: Union is a world to much higher levels of renewable real choice for consumers in one leader in wind electricity production and so am European marketplace.” energy but faces confi rming that Northern Ireland will José Manuel Barroso, European Commission serious competition seek to achieve 40% of its electricity President from China, the consumption from renewable sources United States, by 2020. I see this new target as a “The larger the renewables industry Japan, South Korea real challenge.” in Europe becomes, the sooner and India. I would hate to see Europe Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland Department of European industry can benefi t from losing out.” Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister economies of scale, ultimately making Christian Kjaer, CEO of EWEA renewables more competitive.” “Overall, wind energy continues to Paul Rübig, MEP “The 32 GW of installed capacity be a growth market, weathering the proposed by the offshore wind energy economic crisis much better than “Renewables have gone from being developers for 2020 would supply a some analysts had predicted.” a sideshow to being the key solution, quarter of the UK’s electricity needs. Steve Sawyer, Secretary-General of the Global Wind together with energy effi ciency, for the This means the UK will have a secure Energy Council transition to a low-carbon economy.” and low carbon electricity supply. In Willy De Backer, Head of the Greening Europe addition, the UK economy will benefi t “Scotland has Forum, Friends of Europe as offshore wind is a growth industry unrivalled green that will create new businesses and energy resources “Wind power really impacts the energy jobs as well as attracting inward and our new scenarios of today.” investment.” national target Ingmar Wilhelm, Executive Vice President of ENEL Roger Bright CB, Chief Executive of The Crown to generate Estate 80 percent of “Europe must do electricity needs whatever we can to “Europe must become more from renewables by 2020 will be protect and develop independent from energy imports.” exceeded by delivering current plans our stronghold Alejo Vidal-Quadras, centre-right MEP ■ for wind, wave and tidal generation.” within the energy- Alex Salmond, Scottish First Minister effi cient and renewables sectors.” “The Government has a very ambitious Connie Hedegaard, target of reducing carbon emissions European Commissioner for Climate Action by 80% by 2050. As we look to rebuild the whole of our energy infrastructure “Wind power is an opportunity for the development of wind is going to be Turkey. In order to exploit this poten- a very important part of that process tial, permitting procedures must be op- Something to say? both onshore and offshore and so it’s timised and the government must put critical towards achieving our goals in place a legal framework that offers Do you have something to say of low carbon energy and energy stability and certainty to those who about Wind Directions, wind energy, security.” want to invest for the next 15 years”. renewables, EWEA’s events or any- Charles Hendry, UK Minister for Energy Murat Durak, Chairman of the Turkish Wind Energy thing else? Write to Sarah Azau at Association (TÜREB) [email protected] with the “I fi rmly believe we should be subject title: Wind Directions letters harnessing our wind, wave and tidal “We are seeing real changes and a page, and your letter could appear resources to the maximum.” historical transition in low carbon in the next issue! Chris Huhne, UK Secretary of State for energy and technology.” climate change Nobuo Tanaka, IEA Executive Director

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 29 | focus |

30 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010

Photo: inmagine | focus |

The grid that never sleeps

When European Commission president José Manuel Barroso recently spoke to the European Parliament of the need to “complete the internal market of energy, build and interconnect energy grids”, he was voicing a point of view that is becoming ever more widespread.

By Sarah Azau

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 31 | focus |

hile it would be unthinkable for Europe Wnot to have the most modern telephones, motorways or aeroplanes, our power grids – infra- structure that is even more fundamental to our daily lives – are embarrassingly out-of-date and old-fashioned. The links carrying power between countries – known as “interconnectors” – are few in number and unable to handle much electric- ity. As a result of this, variable renewable ener- gies like wind power are not exploited properly and there is little cross-border trade in electric- ity. As Eddie O’Connor, CEO of wind developers Mainstream Renewable Power points out, “95% of power in Europe is consumed in the country in which it is produced”. An updated, Europe-wide power grid, with stronger, more numerous interconnectors, would allow wind power to be transported from wherever in Europe it’s blowing to wherever in Europe the consumers are. It would also mean power could be traded Photo: Hemera “95% of power in an internal electricity market. Think what it would mean if you could only buy shoes made in Europe is by one company: you would pay whatever price consumed in was set. Opening up the power market in Europe “Supergrid is not an extension of existing or would have a far greater impact on thousands planned point to point HVDC interconnectors the country of consumers, bringing prices down as fuel- between particular EU states”, it says. “Even the in which it is free wind power and other renewables would aggregation of these schemes will not provide be preferred by the market to fossil fuels with the network that will be needed to carry marine produced.” unpredictable costs. renewable power generated in our Northern seas Yet the theory is of course surrounded by a to the load centres of central Europe. Supergrid is host of practical questions. What has to be done a new idea.” fi rst? How and who by? Who will pay? What needs This notion is supported by Konstantin to be built? Where does the material come from? Staschus of European grid operators’ body And who is in charge of the process? ENTSO-E, who says a supergrid would be “over- laid” on Europe’s existing infrastructure, work- Supersizing the grid ing together with the current grid and the entire “The grid at EU level need to develop in a more electric system. ENTSO-E is developing a work coherent way and focus especially on intercon- programme to plan for a 2050 supergrid, and nection to integrate large amounts of wind and says it intends to take a lead role in developing a renewable energies,” says José Luis Mata from pan-European supergrid. Spanish transmission system operator (TSO) Red O’Connor, who is involved in FOSG, was one of Electrica. Or as President Barroso put it in his the fi rst to launch the idea of a pan-European and speech: “We need to make frontiers irrelevant for offshore network in which the different national pipelines or power cables.” grids would be linked together at points called One of the most talked about grid concepts ‘supernodes’, and baptise it the ‘supergrid’, in of the past few months is what is known as a around 2001. ‘supergrid’. This ‘supergrid’ is not just a bigger “We saw a research paper from the University version of the grid we have had for years, but a of Kassel in Germany that pointed out that the whole new concept. The ‘Friends of the Supergrid’ wind is always blowing somewhere, and we (FOSG) - a group of companies who have come to- realised that if we could smooth out the fl uctua- gether to lobby for, and work towards, a supergrid, tions we would solve the intermittency issue,” he explain this clearly on their website: explains.

32 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 | focus |

The wind is always blowing somewhere

The supergrid is essential for integrating large HVDC network – which would provide interconnec- amounts of wind energy in the long term, agrees tion between different countries, which is how it Mata. would work in a supergrid - than to connect each “The EU is pushing for renewables, which farm directly to shore as is currently the case. means we have to go and pick For O’Connor, this direct the electricity where it is – for to shore, or ‘point to point’ example wind energy from the connection is illogical. “It’s North Sea, solar energy from rubbish!” he says. “It makes the desert – and take it to the “We need to make no sense to connect each consumption points. We need frontiers irrelevant for offshore project individually to a supergrid for that.” land – in the UK they only get Frans Van Hulle, consultant pipelines or power 40% use out of a wind farm for EWEA, believes that for the cables.” like that. They need to think time being, reinforcing what about what they’re doing.” we currently have should be O’Connor believes the fi rst step. the supergrid could dra- “There is no economic case for a high voltage matically change the amount of use of renewa- direct current (HVDC) overlay grid1 or ‘supergrid’ bles by linking together far-fl ung sources of today, but we do need – in the short and me- carbon-free energy. dium term - an intelligent solution for connecting “If we build the fi rst leg from Norway running offshore farms in Northern European waters”, he down to Scotland and the UK coast, going into says, and refers to the IEE-funded OffshoreGrid German waters and fi nishing in the Rühr, we can project (see box p. 38) which is investigating the have Norway with its hydro capacity as the bat- best way, technically and economically speaking, tery, Scotland can develop its offshore wind, and to integrate offshore wind into an offshore grid trade and system reliability will be boosted, with using computer-based models. the countries selling electricity to each other. We Van Hulle points out that the OffshoreGrid should get 90% utilisation of the lines.” project has already shown that it is more econom- ical to connect offshore wind farms in a ‘meshed’ 1 See section on ‘A technical matter’.

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 33 | focus |

Better interconnection is essential to create an internal electricity market in Europe Photo: Thinkstock

A technical matter However, using DC offshore would necessitate The vision painted is certainly attractive, but ques- highly sophisticated and expensive “breakers”, tions remain on the practicalities, such as which to convert it back into AC for the onshore grid. cable technology to use. Currently, high-tech Financing, when discussing any aspect of the turbines are plugged into one of Europe’s ageing supergrid, is key. Building a new power line is not onshore grids - Finn Strøm Madsen, President like putting up a wind turbine. It takes an aver- of Vestas Technology R&D, describes this as age of seven years in the EU and it is a major in- “like plugging your new laptop into a switchboard vestment. EWEA’s new report ‘Powering Europe’ from the 1940s”. When electricity from offshore estimates the investment cost of a transnational turbines is being carried 30km or more just to get offshore grid to be €20 to €30 billion up to to land, the power loss from traditional cables can 2030. An entire supergrid would of course cost be considerable. far more: according to O’Connor, between €300 As reported in ‘Science Corner’ in the and €600 billion, but he stresses that prices will September issue of Wind Directions, new types go down. of cables – known as High Voltage Direct Current “Grids are really fairly cheap, considering or HVDC – are being developed which promise a they are permanent and low maintenance. Once good deal. These have far less power loss than they’re under the ground, it’s unlikely they’ll have the traditional alternating current – AC – cables, to be dug up again”. while being able to carry far more power. The tech- And of course, the benefi ts the supergrid would nology is far more expensive, but once the cable bring in terms of security of supply would mean in question is longer than about 80 kilometres, a good deal less European money going towards the power losses avoided by HVDC justify the ad- fuel imports, and the increased use of renewables ditional cost. would bring power prices down. The people I spoke to were generally cautiously positive on HVDC. Ownership matters “I can’t speculate too much on it, but we are Eventually, it seems certain that the cost of the “It makes currently talking about putting 40 or 50 GW of new lines would be paid for by the consumer, power in the North Sea, while we currently have but who would make the initial investments, and no sense to cables which carry just 1 or 2 GW”, says Crouch. above who should own the supergrid, is a matter connect each “We should not underestimate the challenge!” of some debate. Strøm Madsen and O’Connor are more af- “When talking about an offshore super- offshore project fi rmative. “We need to create superhighways grid, the ownership question is one of the real individually of HVDC”, says Madsen. O’Connor states that challenges”, says Mata. “Should each power “A wide DC grid will open Europe up to being producer build his own wind farms with his own to land.” energy-independent”. link, or should they really all sit down and plan

34 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 | focus |

it? Should the new lines be decided nationally or For O’Connor, the next steps are above all politi- in a pan-European way? Some TSOs – such as cal – a policy debate on the supergrid should Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK and Germany – be launched by the industry with the EU and are trying to sit down and do this together – but national decision-makers, he says. He believes they have no mandate to do so.” that the supergrid “must be thought out in the O’Connor suggests several pos- next four years, and we need to sibilities for the ownership of the start building in 2015 to 2020. fi rst leg of the supergrid, including “When talking Otherwise, there’s no way coun- the grid companies or a consor- about an offshore tries like the UK can meet their tium of private companies. offshore 2020 targets”. Staschus believes that the Supergrid, Others are slightly more cau- TSOs should own the supergrid as the ownership tious when they look to 2020. they are responsible for operating “We’ll have the same grid as and planning it. In the immediate question is one of now”, says Mata. “But it will be future, however, ENTSO-E are, with the real challenges.” reinforced, better connected, and their ten-year network development without the main constraints we plan (TYNDP) – which includes currently have”. all new grid lines and projects up to 2020 and is “In 2020 Europe should have an improved, updated every two years - providing all grid stake- modernised transmission network with increased holders with a valuable insight into what is actually capacity and some additional lines”, says Van planned in terms of upgrades and new lines. Hulle. “At distribution network level, there will Martin Crouch from the European energy regulators also be increased use of “smart grid principles”, group, CEER, stresses that the TYNDP is key for which include more active network management seeing what the next steps are. through enhanced communication and demand “Although the TYNDP is certainly not a super- response, assisted by smart meters”. grid plan, it’s essential for improving the current network, and seeing the weak grid points to be A 2050 vision reinforced”, says Mata. By 2050, according to Mata, there could well be Van Hulle also thinks that one of the crucial ac- a supergrid “overlaid on the current grid, taking tions to be taken rapidly is to reinforce points on the power long distances to where it is needed”. grid where there are bottlenecks, meaning the line is This timeframe is backed up by ENTSO-E’s work at times unable to transport enough power. He points on a 2050 supergrid roadmap. out that the IEE-funded TradeWind project identifi ed While it is perhaps impossible now to specu- 42 points in the European transmission network, late too far ahead, what is certain is that great mainly interconnections between different countries, change is afoot for Europe’s grids, which have that need to be strengthened and found that this for too long been ignored by the modernisers. would bring about savings of €1,500 million per year, The wind industry, which has lobbied legislators justifying investments of around €20 billion up to to upgrade and extend the network for many 2030. The European transmission system operators years, is now being listened to. Legislation like (TSOs) need to act quickly to ensure the European Commission’s up- this happens. “The onus is on the coming infrastructure package TSOs”, agrees Crouch. “The TYNDP is is a sign that grid development The TSOs themselves – in the is being taken seriously. form of ENTSO-E – are working essential for It is essential that the towards a “Roadmap towards improving the remaining questions are ironed a pan-European power system out by the decision-makers, 2050”, which will involve consulta- current network, and and that they ensure the fund- tion with grid stakeholders and the reinforcing the weak ing is available for the new European Commission. In their infrastructure so that it can be preparatory work, ENTSO-E have grid points.” built in time to integrate large identifi ed three categories of issue amounts of wind energy and to address – technological (for example, technical other renewables to meet the EU’s 2020 targets, feasibility and voltage levels), economical/fi nancial as well as boost Europe’s energy security and (which includes realisation and ownership of the ensure it has a fully liberalised electricity mar- supergrid and electricity prices) and political/socio- ket. Only that way can Europe have a properly political (such as the legal and regulatory frame- modern power system adapted to the needs of work and permitting processes). the 21st century. ■

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 35 | focus | Powering Europe:

EWEA’s new grids report Photos: EWEA

t its GRIDS 2010 conference in Berlin this What are the report’s conclusions? ANovember, EWEA is releasing its new report The report’s main conclusions are that the capac- on Europe’s power grids. The report is called ity of the European power systems to absorb ‘Powering Europe: wind energy and the electric- signifi cant amounts of wind power is determined ity grid’. Sarah Azau spoke to Paul Wilczek, more by economics and regulatory frameworks Regulatory Affairs Advisor for EWEA and one of than by technical or practical constraints. It is the contributing authors. harder to add larger amounts of wind power to the grid barriers not because of the wind’s variability, Why did EWEA decide to release a report on grids? but because of inadequate infrastructure and EWEA released a fi rst complete report on grids interconnection, as well as electricity markets back in 2005. Since then the topic has gained where competition is neither effective nor fair. Paul Wilczek real political momentum in Europe with new Already today, it is generally considered that wind legislation ensuring renewables have priority grid energy can meet up to 20% of electricity demand access and opening up the internal electricity on a large electricity network without posing any market. We now have a body that represents the serious technical or practical problems, as shown grid operators, ENTSO-E, that will provide the fi rst for example in Denmark and Spain, and we need EU-wide grid management rules and a vision of to pass this message to the key decision makers. European grid development. Electricity market in- tegration is ongoing in Europe and the North Sea What is its main message for political Countries are working together on an offshore grid decision-makers? in the North Sea. Policy makers have to work to build a suitable With all this change, it was time for an update regulatory framework and importantly, enforce of the report. Grids is THE bottleneck if we want the framework once it’s in place. For example, we to achieve the 2020 targets in a cost-effective have now the EU’s third Liberalisation Package manner, and as it takes a lot longer to build a new which contains useful tools in terms of binding power line than to put up a wind turbine, we have network codes and newly established bodies such no time to lose. as ENTSO-E. However, the debate now needs to move on to clarify which policy options can be ac- tually followed in order to implement the Package. A suitable legal and regulatory framework is Mapping the grid required not only to trigger the actual grid invest- As part of its new report, EWEA has ments but also to enable the effi cient use of the produced fi ve grid maps, in order to infrastructure. show the evolution of wind energy and other renewables in the future What is its main message for stakeholders in the 2050 European renewable energy power sector? power system. Transmission and distribution system operators The maps show the main areas and owners are the ones who will have to build renewable electricity will be pro- and run the grid in Europe. Important decisions duced and consumed, as well as will be still up to them, such as what types of the main corridors in which power technology to use to integrate large amounts of would fl ow. wind power. What is needed is a shift towards a The main goal is to show the way power system characterised by fl exibility and with towards an integrated, green and lots of wind and other renewables, rather than one in which large-capacity fossil and nuclear reliable European power system by Glória Rodrigues 2050, with wind energy playing a plants, which are slow to switch up or down, pro- major role. vide the bulk of base power. System operators You can see the maps for 2010 - the current situation - and EWEA’s must be open to following measures that make vision for 2050 on the next page, and EWEA’s Head of Policy Analysis, system operation with large shares of variable Glória Rodrigues, explains what’s going on. renewables reliable and cost-effi cient for the power system.■

36 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 | focus |

2010

“This map shows the current role of renewable Hydro energy production area energy sources in a fragmented power system. Ocean energy production area After hydro, wind is the largest renewable pow- Biomass energy production area er generation source, with around 4.8% of EU Solar energy production area electricity demand. Wind energy already has a Main consumption area considerable share in the Northern German, Power corridor Danish and Iberian power systems.”

Wind energy production area

Hydro energy production area

Ocean energy production area

Biomass energy production area

Solar energy production area

Main consumption area

Cyprus Power corridor

2050

“In 2050 the system operates with 100% Wind energy production area renewables, with the necessary grid infrastruc- Hydro energy production area ture in place and full market integration. Wind Ocean energy production area power will meet up to 50% of Europe’s electric- Biomass energy production area ity demand, dominating in the North Sea and Solar energy production area

Baltic Sea areas, and the Iberian Peninsula, Main consumption area

Southern France and Central Italy. Variable Power corridor renewables will be balanced with hydro power production in Scandinavia, the Alps and the Iberian Peninsula. Photovoltaic and concen- trated solar power will play a crucial role in the Southern European power market, and biomass generation in Central and Eastern European countries.”

Wind energy production area

Hydro energy production area

Ocean energy production area

Biomass energy production area

Solar energy production area

Main consumption area

Cyprus Power corridor

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 37 | focus |

How does the grid work? Talking griddish – some key network Photo: iStockphoto words

All the talk of power grids, interconnections, hubs and Base load: The unvarying portion of the electric demand cables can be confusing, but how it works can be explained Capacity: The maximum amount of power a reasonably simply. system can carry Curtailment: A reduction in the power he grid is made up of two types of network: produced Ttransmission and distribution. The transmis- Gate closure: The deadline for when the sion cables move electrical power with a high volt- power producers must tell the system age over long distances, and sometimes across operator the amount of power they expect to international borders. produce in the next chunk of time. The distribution network is what the consum- Interconnection: A link between two parts of ers are connected to: when you turn on your a power system television, that’s where the current is coming Transmission System Operator (TSO): A from. The voltage level in the distribution network company responsible for operating, maintain- is lower. ing and developing a power system The two networks are connected by a substa- tion, which is where the high voltage power from the transmission lines is turned down to the - Designing the power system to be as fl exible as distribution voltage level. Once it reaches its fi nal possible in order to manage the increased vari- destination, the power is stepped down again to ability of renewables. the required local level. - Introducing shorter “gate closure times” – that However, the grid is only one element of the is, the amount of time ahead for which the whole power system. There are various other producer has to forecast his power output, to concepts that in EWEA’s view are fundamental to allow wind energy output to be predicted more help integrate large amounts of wind power, which accurately. are discussed in detail in EWEA’s new report - Harmonising the technical requirements for ‘Powering Europe: wind energy and the electricity putting wind on to the grid (known as “grid grid’ available on www.ewea.org (or see section codes”) across Europe so developers don’t on ‘EWEA’s new grids report’, p. 36). Some of the have to meet different requirements in different most crucial are: countries. ■

Projecting a grid

EWEA is involved with several EU- into an offshore grid, using computer- of wind energy and other renewables funded projects that explore the devel- based models”, explains EWEA’s are fully integrated. opment of the power grid. Sharon Wokke, who is managing “TWENTIES will use six demonstra- Offshore Grid, funded by the EWEA’s tasks in the project. tion projects to collect its results, Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) pro- In its second phase, it will go on to focusing on different areas from gramme and coordinated by 3E, is look at the Mediterranean area, and offshore HVDC networks to dealing analysing offshore grid infrastructure the fi nal report will be published in with stormy weather”, says Filippo and the power market, and aims to October 2011. More information on Gagliardi, EWEA’s Project Manager. produce a selection of blueprints www.offshoregrid.eu. “We will identify what needs to be for an offshore grid in the Baltic and Another project is TWENTIES, done to improve the pan-European North Sea. funded by the EU’s seventh Framework transmission network, releasing our “The project will aim to fi nd the Programme (FP7) and coordinated by recommendations in 2013. This will best way, technically and economically Red Electrica. It will explore how to op- allow us to fully exploit the potential of speaking, to integrate offshore wind erate grid systems once large amounts wind energy”.

38 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 | focus |

A citizens’ electricity network

Dr Klaus Rave, Managing Director of Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein and chairman of the Global Wind Energy Countil (GWEC) uses examples from Germany to argue for smart, Europe-wide grids. Photo: Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein Photo: Investitionsbank

hours a day, seven days a week and 365 years old. We have to think about a grid for the “In the USA 24days a year, largely unnoticed by the public, 21st century. However, fi rst let’s look at the “old costs caused highly-qualifi ed, specialised staff are at work manag- world”, which still represents the status quo here ing the electricity grid. In Germany alone, thousands in Germany. The German electricity grid is divided by blackouts of engineers and technicians work to make sure into four control areas, which were operated by the are estimated that every household, factory and football stadium sister energy companies Eon, RWE, Vattenfall and has constant access to an alternating current of 50 EnBW, two of which have sold their grid operations to be around Hertz. Germany has the lowest number of power to investors. US$150 billion failures in the world, an average of 21.53 minutes Traditionally, the German system falls back upon per consumer per year.1 This fi gure is of outstand- so-called base-load, medium-load and peak-load per year.” ing economic importance. In the USA costs caused electricity generation plants. Electricity fl ows from by blackouts are estimated to be around US$150 the power station to the consumer along a one- billion per year.2 way street. That is the supply side. But what about An excellent energy infrastructure is of great demand? importance for Germany’s economic position in the If we want to face up to the challenges of the world. We at Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein future, this one-way street must not become a are aware of this fact. We focus on promoting dead end. The electricity highway of the future infrastructure, especially for energy and information will optimise the balance between supply and technology. demand and thereby overcome traditional barri- Pathetic as it may sound, our entire civilisation ers. Renewables are unsteady and stochastic, but depends on energy services, especially electricity. an intelligent grid will stabilise them and optimise Recently The Economist published the following their economic value. statement from America’s National Academy of We face the battle against climate change, the Engineering: “Neither the car nor the computer have fi niteness of fossil fuel supplies and the dangers of been the biggest engineering accomplishments of nuclear energy. The solution lies in the development the 20th century, but the large distribution of electric- of renewable energy sources, integrated into a new ity via national grids.”3 grid confi guration. The EU has a concrete goal: 20% Now, we are living in another century, and we are renewables by 2020.4 The plans of the German gov- facing a fundamental change in the way grids are ernment are 30% renewables within just 10 years designed, built and managed. only.5 And two recent scenarios – one for Germany, Three mega trends are forcing that change: glo- one for the EU – look to 100% renewables by 2050. balisation, decentralisation and decarbonisation. But without a renewed grid infrastructure, renewables will not reach their full potential. This is Intelligent networks already achievable with today’s technology, for exam- The design of the electricity grid is of fundamental ple through the implementation of highly developed importance. Bringing the grid issue to the interna- sensors. Let us built a “Smart Grid” and implement tional level and making it more intelligent will bring “Smart Metering”. vast amounts of renewable energy to consumers, reducing CO2 emissions and linking decentralised Towards polyphony systems to a large power house. The grids will be truly “smart” when the one-way Without electricity, information technology is unim- streets have been transformed into an intelligent aginable, and something new will come from this communication network. In this grid, there would merger between IT and electricity: an intelligent grid. be variable usage tariffs, car batteries for storage The confi guration of our electricity grid originates capacity, electric appliances automatically switched from the era of industrialisation, and is over 100 off when not needed and “virtual power plants”. The

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 39 | focus |

Opening up new perspectives for renewables. A further technology is essential for modernising electricity distribution in Europe: high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electric power transmission, which enables the transfer of energy over long distances with little loss of power. This technology has been around for a long time, especially in China and India: electricity from the Three Gorges Dam is

Photo: Stiftung Offshore WindEnergie transported hundreds of kilometres with HVDC. Currently, the most powerful HVDC long-distance transmission systems are in China.13 In Europe the “North Sea Super Grid” is a promising project. On an inter-regional, even a transcontinental level, the potential of HVDC is enormous. The Desertec project (www.desertec.org) should be able to demonstrate this: companies such as Münchner Rück, Siemens, Deutsche Bank and RWE consider Renewable energy has a huge impact on employment new grid infrastructure and energy generation to be feasible. Moreover, if the Desertec project is con- nected to a European Super Grid, solar power from “Pathetic as Energy Agency NRW has estimated that 20- 25% of the Sahara desert could be combined with offshore energy could be saved per household.6 wind power from the North Sea: desert power it may sound, With the adoption of the “Smart Meter” – intel- plus coastal power. Hydropower from the Alps and our entire ligent electricity monitors – Italy has been a pioneer Scandinavia can serve as the storage capacity our in Europe since the year 2000. Recently, Sweden systems need. civilisation made it obligatory to use Smart Meters. In Germany, Not only does the north-south axis open up op- depends both Smart Meters and offers for time- or demand- portunities. In the east-west direction, considerable variable tariffs have been compulsory since 1 energy resources lie within the grids. “If we were to on energy January 2010 – but hardly anything has happened combine the European and Russian electricity grids, services, since then.7 […] an exchange of power across ten time zones We are still in the stage of testing and experi- would be possible.” especially menting: interesting as these schemes are, the time If the technology is available and the potential electricity.” has come for the real thing and the large scale. By is enormous, why are these things not yet a large- using information technology, the coordination of scale reality? There are established “structures” energy generation and energy consumption as well that oppose those who advocate change: too much as the integration of decentralised renewable energy money is made by too few power players. sources can be optimised.8 Admittedly the route to a Smart Grid is not easy. Monopolising the situation As one expert said, “In the Smart Grid, we have to The electricity grid is a natural monopoly. Separating conduct a large, multi-faceted orchestra, which has transportation and production of energy goods, the a lot of individuality.”9 Polyphony instead of monoto- so-called “unbundling”, is essential for more com- ny. Sounds good to me. petition and an open and transparent market. The A real problem is that in the electricity market transportation of electricity is a different business “there are 360 different communication standards from the generation and sale of electricity. or protocols.”10 These hidden barriers are diffi cult to In my home state of Schleswig-Holstein, around overcome. 40% of electricity already comes from wind power.14 An intelligent grid can work! Of course investments Remarkably, the state government wants to increase are needed to set it up. On the other hand, costs the designated area for wind power plants from 1 to linked to peak-load electricity generation plants 1.5%, to supply 100% of electricity from wind power can be saved.11 However, electricity producers and by 2020.15 This requires an installed capacity of salesmen have different business interests. Grid 8,000 to 9,000 MW. As Schleswig-Holstein cannot operators are following a different agenda. absorb such capacity all the time the case for a When it comes to renewable energies Europe further expansion of the electricity grid in Germany has a fi rst mover advantage. But the next competi- – according to a “Windtest Kaiser-Wilhelm-Koog” tion is about the grid of the 21st century. The US study – is compelling. administration of President Barack Obama has Incidentally, in Berlin’s current coalition agree- promised $3.4 bn for the development of the smart ment there is a commitment to “the further grid.12 In order not to lose its advantage, Europe development of the legal requirements for a should join the race. comprehensive modernisation of energy grids into

40 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 | focus | intelligent grids”. Furthermore, the agreement installed power plants, followed by gas; photo- “In Schleswig- says, “we want to campaign for the German power voltaic was third. Holstein, grids to be merged into an independent and So why not initiate a new, attractive invest- money-market compatible grid cooperation.”16 ment opportunity? After all, everyone is an around 40% Up to now, we have let energy grid opportuni- electricity customer! What would it be like with a of electricity ties pass us by - German Reunifi cation, the “Baltic “citizens’ grid”? With a legally fi xed rate per kwh, Ring” and “Viking Cable” projects to name a few. the Renewable Energy Law is the driving force already However, the opportunities linked to the further behind investments in wind, solar and biomass comes from development of the “single European market” power plants in Germany. Citizens’ wind farms are also encouraging. Crucial – according to have offered an excellent investment opportunity wind power. EWEA and EURELECTRIC – to the large scale and are not only extremely popular but a much The state deployment of renewable energy in this regard admired model for the world. is a European approach to grid planning and the There are other examples: the wind farm op- government integration of wholesale markets. erators on the German island of Fehmarn joined wants [...] to forces to build a grid and the island now is com- The crucial role of Europe pletely cabled. And all within eleven months! supply 100% of By the end of 2010 the Commission will propose Grids are natural monopolies; they are reli- electricity from an Energy Infrastructure Package that will form the able and offer long-term profi table assets in basis for infrastructure and interconnection develop- a regulated market with defi nitive return. That wind power by ment at European level. I believe the EU must aim is – especially these days – much better than 2020.” for an intelligent electricity grid in the form of a hold- a savings account! And local resistance to grid ing company that would effectively promote competi- extensions or new grids can be overcome by tion, security and climate protection. ownership involvement. We need a truly European approach and solution New ownership, new technologies, new dimen- that takes into account the necessary technological, sions constitute a powerful challenge and a real environmental and economic criteria. opportunity: let’s not miss it. ■ The trademark of Germany as a business location is a modern infrastructure. To keep it that way new grids are needed – in particular for This article is based on a speech given in July 2010 at the Summer Academy “Energy and the Environment“ 2010 in a ses- Northern Germany with its offshore potential. sion entitled ‘Sustainable Energy Transmission – Challenges and Northern Germany has considerable opportunity Visions’. for growth: with more than €50 billion being invested as capital expenditure by 2030, its wind power industry will emerge as one of its most im- Notes portant industries.18 The overall economic effects 1 www.ewerk.hu-berlin.de. The Federal grid agency’s monitoring of the wind sector are remarkable. report (Period: April 2007–April 2008). Renewable energies have a very positive im- 2 The Economist, 10.10.2009, pg.69 (US$ 80bn according to pact on employment – between 2004 and 2006, their records). 3 The Economist, 10.10.2009, pg.69. the Renewable Energy Report recorded a 45% in- 4 EWEA Wind Watch June 2010. crease.19 Germany currently has a high economic 5 Freie Bahn für Hochspannung, in Energy 2.0 5/2010. potential in the fi eld of green technology. This 6 Earn money with Smart Metering, in: energiespektrum 10.2009, pg. 39. has been tellingly demonstrated in a recent study 7 Articles 21b & 40 of the Energy Industry Act. from the German Institute for Economic Research. 8 www.etelligence.de. With regards to environmental and climate protec- 9 ABB, from wind to HVD via CHP. 10 Dr. Christian Feißt, Cisco Industry Lead Utilities Internet tion commodities, there is a signifi cant demand Business Solutions Group. of approximately €75 bn in Germany today. This 11 The Economist, 10.10.2009, pg.13. could increase to €171 bn by 2020: an increase 12 Smart Grids – Ein Jahrhundertprojekt, in: Energy 2.0, 5/2010. 13 Wikipedia’s list of HVDC plants. 20 of almost 10% year on year. 14 Federal Association for Wind Energy. 15 Schleswig-Holstein’s coalition agreement, 17th legislative Talking money period, pg.15. 16 Draft coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU and FDP, 17th As a banker, I know that structural changes legislation period, pg.21-22. require capital fl ows – in particular in times 17 Stock taking document – towards a new Energy Strategy for of fi nancial crisis. This capital needs to come Europe 2011-2020. 18 Hans-Gerd Busmann, according to a German Press Agency not just from economic stimulus packages and report. development banks, but also the private sec- 19 FES: The Green New Deal, October 2009, pg.8. tor. In 2008, private investments in renewable 20 Klaus F. Zimmermann: The start of the green boom? In: Cicero 10/2009, pg.95. energy sources worldwide were, for the fi rst time, 21 Amory Lovins (RMI): Interview “It’s easy being green“, in: The larger than in fossil fuels.21 In Europe in 2009, American Interest, pg.47. wind power was the number one source for newly

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 41 | mini focus | Texas’ 1999 Renewable Portfolio Standard required energy companies to develop a certain percentage of renewables

The wind star state

The state of Texas has more installed wind energy capacity than any EU country except Germany and Spain. Chris Rose travelled to the city of Sweetwater to fi nd out more.

Photos: EON

hen Jim Wilks looks out on the horizon of his by Iowa with 3,670 MW, California (2,794 MW), Wfamily ranch, he sees the same countryside Washington (1,980 MW) and Minnesota he witnessed when he was a six-year-old boy tak- (1,809 MW). ing part in his fi rst cattle round-up. Texas has far more installed capacity than any But in addition to the mesas, the wide-open of the EU27 nations except Germany, which had spaces and the deer Wilks, now 73, also sees the 25,777 MW at the end of 2009, and Spain with wind turbines that grace property belonging to him 19,149 MW. and his neighbours. Signs of this new “wind rush” are everywhere “This town has three “I’m happy to look at them — from the ubiquitous turbines, to the cover of new hotels here we because of the cheques,” Wilks the local phone book that features a galloping said, adding land belonging to him horse and a turbine, to the local newspaper that wouldn’t have without and four other ranchers became the promotes wind turbines as part of its logo, to the the wind and we’ve got region’s fi rst wind farm in 1999. corporate identity of Sweetwater town itself. Consisting of 100x1.5 MW A lawyer who keeps about 65 cows, Wilks another restaurant or turbines, the Trent Wind Farm owned says he can not see any negative benefi ts to two we wouldn’t have by American Electric Power was the wind power, which makes both landowners and precursor of a trend that has trans- local tax districts wealthier. without the wind.” formed Sweetwater — located on Wilks remembers when the wind company rolling fl atlands about 300 kilometres fi rst approached him with the idea of paying him west of Dallas — from a dying community to one money for a 25-year lease to use part of his facing a brighter future. property for turbines. It is representative of an amazing success “I thought it would be a wonderful idea if we story that wind power has enjoyed in parts of could lease the rocks and the wind,” he said. Texas, where seemingly endless turbines turn “I just don’t see any downside to it. It’s made wind into electricity and money. some people out here some money. Indeed, Texas has for several years far out- “I’m sure the town is better off with wind paced all other American states in its amount of power than without it “, he added. “We have installed wind power. The American Wind Energy three new hotels here we wouldn’t have without Association notes that at the end of 2009, Texas the wind and we’ve got another restaurant or two had 9,410 MW of installed capacity, followed we wouldn’t have without the wind.

42 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 | mini focus | The land surrounding United States Roscoe’s 627 turbines is also used for producing cotton

Roscoe Sweetwater

TEXAS Austin

Wind energy’s kiss of life A primer on Texas Ken Becker, executive director of the Sweetwater Enterprise for Economic Development, agrees • Texas is known as the Lone Star State and its capital is Austin. with Wilks. • With close to 25 million people, Texas borders Arkansas, Louisiana, Becker says the fi ve counties surrounding New Mexico, Oklahoma and Mexico. Sweetwater, which has a population of 11,415 • Texas is the second largest state in the US — it covers 678,054 km2, people, contributed 11% of the 35,159 MW of wind making it slightly larger than France — and its elevation ranges from capacity in the US by the end of 2009. All of Texas, sea level at the Gulf of Mexico to 2,667 metres at Guadalupe Peak. he said, contributed 27% of the national MW total. • An independent nation from 1836 to 1845, Texas is a leader in “We’re fortunate as we are a diverse commu- cattle, agricultural products, petrochemicals, energy, computers and nity but now we [also] have the wind; it’s really electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences. come in and taken hold and is doing quite well,” • In terms of wind energy, Texas remained the leading US state with Becker said. more than 9,400 MW of total installed capacity at the end of 2009. Asked why, Becker said that in 1999 the state • During 2009, work was completed on the world’s largest wind farm de-regulated the power industry and opened it up to near Roscoe, Texas, with an installed capacity of 781.5 megawatts competition, there was an under-utilised transmission (MW), generating enough electricity to power more than 230,000 line running all the way to the huge population centre homes. of Dallas-Fort Worth, there were wide open spaces, farmers and ranchers were open to leasing their land, and there were dependable levels of wind. A catalyst for wind power was the state’s 1999 However, Texas has committed to spending “We have people Renewable Portfolio Standard, which required en- about $5 billion (€3.6 bn) on almost doubling its ergy companies to include in their portfolios the transmission capacity to 18,500 MW and the fi rst out here who development or purchase of a certain percentage phase of the expansion should be completed by have been able of wind power and other renewables energies. late 2011. Most of that new transmission capac- Unfortunately, said Becker, as more wind power ity is already earmarked for wind power. to save their companies began erecting turbines in west Texas, Greg Wortham, mayor of Sweetwater and farm or ranch the under-utilised transmission line became over- the executive director of the Texas Wind Energy utilised to the point that wind power now can’t get Clearinghouse, is also an enthusiastic cheerlead- because of the on about 20% of the time. er for the growing wind sector. wind income.”

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 43 | mini focus |

“Sweetwater Wortham estimated there are about 10,000 jobs in Tatiana Rodriguez, the 26-year-old managing Texas related to the wind industry, including lawyers, editor of the daily Sweetwater Reporter, has has evolved steel workers, truck drivers and port workers. lived in the town all her life and witnessed a lot from being Those are well-paying jobs. “They are paying of improvements since wind power companies twice the taxes per capita we used to have,” began arriving. known as the Wortham said, adding recent studies indicate “I think it’s great,” Rodriguez said. “It’s defi - home of the total employment related to the wind power sector nitely boosted the economy around here.” is now equal to the aviation and computer indus- Most of the local residents are in favour of world’s largest tries in Texas. wind power because it is emissions-free and it rattlesnake Wind power in Texas has benefi ted from a has brought a lot of business to Sweetwater, she stream-lined state regulatory structure that allows said, adding some people now call the town the roundup to for reasonably fast decision making, he said, add- “clean energy capital of the world.” being the wind ing consistent federal policies for production in- Acknowledging Sweetwater’s boarded-up shops centives for renewable energies has also helped. and decaying buildings represent a declining energy capital “Wind is a future,” he said. “It’s an energy economy, Rodriguez said she feels the recent infu- of the world” future, it’s a global future.” sion of wind power money is helping to build the town up again. Trying to transmit As an example, she said one local man has Patrick Woodson, the development manager for just started his own business repairing wind owner E.ON Climate & Renewables, which has turbines, and the nearby Texas State Technical 11 wind farms in Texas with installed capac- College has been offering a wind power technician ity of close to 1,800 MW, said one of the most course for the past three years. pressing problems for the continued growth of John Kirgan, an antique dealer who’s also lived wind power in Texas is increasing transmission in Sweetwater all his life, had watched his town capacity. stall and fade until, in the past 10 years, it began “The transmission situation is the most press- to experience a new lease on life with the growing ing problem,” he said, adding that challenge wind power sector. should cease in the next few years once the “When the windmills came in, they generated transmission capacity is roughly doubled from the a lot of money in town,” Kirgan, 65, said. “The near 10,000 MW that exists today. “I think Texas money they made in Sweetwater has to have will remain a vibrant market for wind power.” made a difference.” Asked why wind power has done so well in Texas is such a short period of time, Woodson Rattlesnakes, ranches and said the state has a very good regulatory market renewables for wind, it has lots of available land, and the Faith Feaster is a local lawyer who helps land- ranchers and farmers are already used to using owners negotiate leases with wind power compa- their land for a variety of purposes such as oil nies for the use of their land. and gas. “They have already had multiple expo- Feaster said the wind energy sector has given sures to their property.” landowners and the community a “huge econom- Woodson was also asked if there are any les- ic boost” that has been much appreciated since sons Europe’s policy makers and the wind power the oil and gas industry began drying up. sector can learn from the Texas experience. “The She said that in 2003 Nolan County, which most compelling part of the Texas wind story is if Sweetwater is a part of, was described as the you create an environment where the market can “fastest declining community in Texas; popula- proceed . . . you can move very quickly.” tion and economic growth.” But then the wind power companies began arriving. Feaster said landowners can expect to be Texas’ 781.5 MW Roscoe wind paid between $6,000 and $10,000 (€4,400 to farm is the largest in the world €7,300) per turbine per year depending on the electricity produced and transmitted. Most of the leases are for a minimum 25 years. “We have people out here who have been able to save their farm or ranch because of the wind income,” she said. “Most of our clients are thrilled.” She said one of the clients of the law fi rm she works for, Westel & Carmichael, has 80 wind tur- bines on his property and is getting set to have an additional 80 turbines added.

44 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 | mini focus |

A paper prepared by Feaster’s law fi rm for the 2010 Wind, Solar and Renewables Institute in February in Austin highlighted some of the recent history facing the exploding wind power sector in Texas. “The landscape of west Texas has changed signifi cantly in the past decade,” the paper noted. “The exponential growth of the wind industry in the area has evoked vivid memories of the oil booms during the 1950s and early 1980s.” The paper added that, like in any other boom, speculation was rampant and landowners had to decide who to trust. It also said the west Texas area was attractive to wind developers because there was adequate wind capacity, close proxim- ity to high voltage transmission lines, many wide open spaces, and it was reasonably close to a major centre of consumption, Dallas-Fort Worth. “In the years between 2002 and 2006 Sweetwater evolved from being known as the home of the world’s largest rattlesnake roundup to being There are about 10,000 jobs in Texas the wind energy capital of the world with two of the directly related to the wind industry world’s largest wind farms,” the paper said. ■

Welcome to Roscoe, the biggest wind farm of them all

First time visitors to the fl at farmland, rolling hills and rocky both onsite and at E.ON’s control centre 365 kilometres terrain surrounding this sleepy 120-year-old town can be for- southeast in Austin, Texas. The North American headquarters given for thinking that not much is here besides blistering sun, for E.ON, which has 10 other wind farms in Texas and one cattle and snakes. each in New York and Pennsylvania, is in Chicago. It is a sub- And yet Roscoe, with a population of just 1,378 people at sidiary of E.ON of Dusseldorf, Germany. the beginning of this decade, boasts an astonishing interna- Each of the four wind farms in the Roscoe complex have a tional record — the largest onshore wind farm in the world. substation and they all connect at E.ON’s Kiowa substation. “We’re proud we have the title for now,” said Patrick From there, the power is transferred onto the state’s ONCOR Woodson, the development manager for owner E.ON Climate transmission line at the adjacent Tonkawa substation. & Renewables. The four facilities include the Roscoe wind farm, which Forming the Roscoe wind complex, a 781.5 MW facility that has 209 1 MW Mitsubishi turbines, the Champion wind farm, E.ON estimates is worth about $1.5 billion (€1.09 bn), are which has 55 Siemens machines of 2.3 MW each, the Pyron a total of 627 turbines sprawling over a 32 by 13 kilometre wind farm, which uses 166 GE 1.5 MW turbines, and the chunk of semi-arid land that also produces wheat and cotton. Inadale wind farm, which has 197 Mitsubishi 1 MW machines. The amount of emissions-free electricity created by Woodson said all wind farms in west Texas have access the complex — located about 60 kilometres southwest of to the state grid only 15% to 20% of the time because of in- Abilene — is said to be capable of powering 235,000 aver- adequate transmission capacity. He added, however, that this age American homes and displacing approximately 520,300 should change once a doubling of state transmission capacity

tonnes of C02 emissions per year. in the windy area is completed by the end of 2013. Woodson said E.ON — described as the world’s largest Robin Ham, E.ON’s site supervisor for the Champion and investor-owned utility — bought the complex assembled over Pyron wind farms, worked in the oil and gas industry before four different sites from developer Airtricity towards the end he became interested in the wind power sector about a of 2007. decade ago. He said about 1,400 workers were employed during Ham, who has a science degree, said wind power initially construction, which began in the spring of 2007 and ended in interested him because of its ability to help lower US depend- July 2009. E.ON currently has about 15 full-time employees ence on foreign oil and because it can also mitigate climate on site while another 45 maintenance workers represent the change caused by burning fossil fuels. three companies that manufactured turbines used at the “I was thinking this will be something that’s going to be complex. the future,” Ham said, adding both his son and son-in-law now Wind speed, voltage, current and other aspects of the gen- also work in the wind power sector. “I think it’s going to be a eration process at the wind farm complex can be monitored good future for wind power.”

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 45 | technology corner |

Larger turbines:

bigger and better? By Crispin Aubrey

As the best on land sites in some European countries Most attention has been paid to the dramatic pro- begin to fi ll up, and the industry moves offshore for new posal by US company Clipper to develop a 10 MW turbine known as the Britannia. Supported by the opportunities, turbine manufacturers are once more looking British government with a grant of UK£4.4 million at designs which push the boundaries of size and capacity. (equivalent to about €5.1 million), this involves extending some of the principles that have been successfully deployed in the 2.5 Liberty design. The Liberty employs a lightweight two-stage “Some o far, only three offshore wind turbine models helical design with four permanent magnet Sof 5 MW capacity or greater have been manu- generators instead of the usual single-wound designers are factured as a commercial series – by the German rotor-induction model. This multi-drive approach now looking at suppliers REpower and Bard, and the Areva Wind. radically decreases individual gearbox component REpower has now installed 23 of its 5M machines loads and therefore reduces overall gearbox size machines both on land and offshore, Bard is currently and weight. The Clipper gearbox would weigh just of up to erecting 80 of its 5 MW design on tripod founda- 36 tonnes, compared with up to 70 tonnes for tions far out in the North Sea, and Multibrid has a more traditional turbine. Other elements, such 10 MW installed ten M5000s, including six at the Alpha as the use of carbon fi bre in the blades, will also capacity or Ventus offshore German test site. contribute to an overall predicted weight of 500 On land, Enercon has installed more than 20 tons for the nacelle mass, the company says, even more.” of its E-126 6 MW direct drive turbines, each of about the same as for a machine of half the ca- which can generate 18 million kilowatt hours of pacity. Keeping weight under control is one of the electricity per year, enough for more than 5,000 crucial factors in scaling up turbines to a multi- households. megawatt level. Not content with this progress, however, some Encouragement from the UK government designers are now looking at machines of up means that Clipper has been building a new to 10 MW capacity or even more. For offshore factory on the river Tyne in north-east England to use the motivation is that foundations are much manufacture the blades, which will be 72 metres more expensive and larger capacity individual long and weigh over 30 tonnes. The gearbox turbines therefore offer economies of scale. On system is being developed by UK company David land, where pressures of space are beginning to Brown. When complete the fi rst prototype turbine emerge, the attraction is to pack more punch into would be purchased by the Crown Estate, the a particular location by erecting a single turbine body responsible for overseeing the development that can supply an impressively large quantity of all offshore wind projects in British waters, and of power. could be installed in one of the large “Round 3” offshore sites. Progress may depend, however, on a resolution to Clipper’s recent fi nancial problems. Wind turbine models above 5 MW capacity The other company developing a 10 MW de- sign is the Sway consortium from Norway, whose Manufacturer Turbine Capacity Rotor diameter Status partners include energy businesses Statoil, Enercon E-126 6 – 7.5 MW 127 m Commercial production Statkraft and Shell, together with engineering REpower 6M 6.1 MW 126 m Prototypes and infrastructure specialists Lyse and Inocean. Vestas - 6 MW 130-140 m Development The main focus here is on the offshore support Clipper Britannia 10 MW 150 m Development structure, in this case a fl oating tower anchored Sway/Areva Sway up to 10 MW n/a Development to the seabed and considered particularly ap- Siemens - 6 MW - Prototypes propriate for very deep waters. The Sway tower is counterweight ballasted so that it stays virtually

46 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 | technology corner |

upright but will sway slightly (hence the name) in response to wave movements. Sway has been working with Areva Wind to adapt the company’s existing 5 MW turbine for use on the fl oating tower, but is also considering a larger 10 MW version. This is being supported by Enova, a company set up by the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy to diversify the country’s energy supply. A grant of NOK 137 million (€17 m) has been made by Enova to help develop a prototype. The Areva Wind design has similar features to Clipper’s, with synchronous permanent magnet generators and a compact drive train mid-way between direct drive and a conventional multi- stage geared system. As a result of its compact integrated slow-rotating drive train, single-stage gearing and a single main bearing (no main shaft) Areva Wind’s 5 MW turbine has a nacelle and ro- tor weight of just 349 tonnes. The prize for successfully developing the Sway design is greater energy capture. At 50 km off the coast of Norway, the consortium says, where the water depth is typically between 100 and 300 metres, power production from each turbine Steady as she goes: the REpower 5 MW turbine is put into place would be 20-30% higher than the same machine located at the Horn’s Rev wind park, 15 km from Photo: REpower the Danish coast. Other turbine suppliers are concentrating on the art” 5 MW designs will offer any cost/perform- moving more gradually upwards from the exist- ance advantages. “In the energy industry, econo- ing 5 MW plateau. REpower, for instance, already mies of scale generally lead to larger designs for has a 6.1 MW design at the prototype stage, cost-effectiveness,” Takis Chaviaropoulos from with three turbines installed on the German- the Greek Centre for Renewable Energy Sources, Danish border and plans for 48 to go offshore in an UpWind partner, told this year’s EWEC in the Nordsee Ost wind park from 2011 onwards. Warsaw. “But it is not obvious that this applies Vestas, the largest player in the market, has after a certain size. Economies of scale can be also announced its intention to develop a 6 MW negated by increases in rotor and nacelle costs.” turbine with a 130-140m rotor diameter, although Longer blades can be particularly sensitive to no further details are available. buckling and fatigue failure, he added. Enercon, meanwhile, the German pioneer of UpWind is looking at three specifi c areas large-scale turbines, continues to expand the plat- where technical advances are needed to reduce form of its largest direct drive design from 6 MW costs. One is the need for increased availability, up towards 7.5 MW. “We have tried and proven therefore more reliable designs and effective “In the energy that we can operate the E-126 safely and with the monitoring of the turbine’s operating condition. industry, required reserves, even at 7.5 MW rated power,” Second is improvements in aerodynamics and the company’s Arno Hildebrand announced at the control systems to make best use of the available economies beginning of 2010. wind. The third is weight reduction through new of scale The challenges facing developers of these manufacturing techniques and improved load cal- multi-megawatt turbines are being assessed by culations. “It is certain that substantial R&D and generally the UpWind research project, which receives fund- industrial effort is still needed to conquer these lead to larger ing under the European Union’s Sixth Framework technical barriers,” Chaviaropoulos concludes. ■ Programme. Its conclusions so far are that while designs for both manufacture and installation of these large For more information: www.areva-wind.com; www.repower.de; cost- turbines are feasible, this does not mean that up www.bard-offshore.de; www.enercon.de; www.sway.no; to 20 MW capacity versions of current “state of www.vestas.com; www.clipperwind.com; www.upwind.eu effectiveness.”

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 47 | wind energy basics |

Is wind energy competitive?

In 2010, Wind Directions is going back to basics. Each issue this year will take a closer look at one of the

fundamentals of wind energy. By Elke Zander Photo: Thinkstock

s it true that wind power is not fully competitive EU’s annual gas import bill whereas in 2008, wind with conventional power technologies? power avoided fuel costs of €6.5 billion and CO I 2 Up until now, energy costs have been calculat- costs of €2.3 billion. According to EWEA’s sce- ed using one-sided methods that have not taken narios as set out in the 2009 ‘Pure Power’ report, into account all the costs, benefi ts and risks of this will constantly increase in the future for both each power generation technology. avoiding carbon costs (€8.3 billion in 2020 and Conventional power sources like coal, oil and €15 billion in 2030) and fuel costs (€27.7 billion

gas produce varying amounts of CO2. The cost in 2020 and €55.5 billion in 2030).

to society of CO2 and other pollutants has not With its low marginal cost, wind power can fur- traditionally been considered. But as from 2013, ther reduce the electricity price, pushing out more the European power sector will have to buy all its expensive power generating technologies from emissions allowances, rather than getting them the market. Naturally, this affects the electricity

for free as is currently the case. The more CO2 price that goes down with large amounts of wind emitted, the more the producer will pay. power integrated into the grid. For a more detailed Conventional fuels also need to be imported explanation of this, see EWEA’s recently released into Europe in vast quantities – Europe imports ‘Powering Europe: wind energy and the electricity more than half its energy, a fi gure that is expected grid’ report. to climb to 70% in the next 20 to 30 years. The The capital-intensity of wind power is also prices of these fuel imports are unpredictable. constantly decreasing with the trend towards The cost of wind power can be predicted with larger turbines. The economic consequences of

great certainty. It produces no CO2 and requires no this trend and improved cost-effectiveness are fuel. It is a capital-intensive technology with 75% clear. For a coastal site, for example, the average of the costs paid upfront, whereas in conventional cost has decreased from around 9.2 c€ /kWh fossil fuel fi red technologies such as a natural for the 95 kW turbine (mainly installed in the mid gas power plant, as much as 40-70% of costs are 1980s), to around 5.3 c€ /kWh for a fairly new related to fuel, and operations and maintenance. 2,000 kW (2 MW) machine, an improvement of From that point onwards, because of wind more than 40% (using constant €2006 prices). power’s zero fuel costs and zero carbon costs, This means that in reality, the cost of wind power it is a low-risk investment – conventional power can become lower than natural gas and only sources depend on fuel imports from politically around 10% more expensive than coal. unstable regions and at unpredictable carbon and Finally, the European wind industry is a world fuel prices. These uncertainties of future fuel and leader. Investing in wind energy means that

CO2 prices imply a considerable risk for future money going to fuel-exporting nations is put to generation costs. work at home. In 2008, European manufacturers That means for example that when analysing had a 60% share of the global market for wind the optimal energy mix, one must include the turbines. ■ fuel price risk as well as the price of carbon – if they rise, the competitiveness of wind-generated power increases. For more information on wind energy and competitiveness, see The increase in the price of a barrel of oil from EWEA’s report ‘The Economics of Wind Energy’, free to download on $20 to $80 has added $45 billion (€32 bn) to the www.ewea.org.

48 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 EWEA Events: the winning formula

www.ewea.org/events

EWEA events: high quality conference + targeted exhibition + unique networking opportunities = the winning formula

The industry is still growing rapidly, creating exciting and professionally organised events in Europe. The success opportunities for new and existing businesses. Year of EWEA events mirrors the booming wind industry and after year, the European Wind Energy Association, EWEA, they are considered“un-missable” for any business serious continuesWIND DIRECTIONS to serve | November the 2010wind industry with the most valuable about its future in the wind energy sector. 49 Give Europe a breath of fresh air

Europe possesses an energy source which could power it seven times over: the wind. European companies are world leaders in wind power, generating thousands of jobs. Wind energy reduces Europe’s dependence, and spending, on imported fossil fuels. It

lowers electricity prices and emits no CO2.

Over the next 12 years, Europe must build new power capacity equal to half the current total. We must use this opportunity to construct a modern power system that meets the challenges of the 21st century. Breath of FRESHAIR Give Europe a breath of fresh air by adopting a wind turbine at www.ewea.org/freshair www.ewea.org/freshair

50 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 | Run-up to COP16 |

A parched area of Namibia, where climate change has brought terrible droughts “That was then; this is now”: the climate change hiatus

In the run-up to COP16 in Cancun, Chris Rose reviews the progress made so far on an international binding treaty on climate change, and examines the next step.

Photo: Thinkstock

t has been almost a year since the were published, giving global warming “It feels like being back two years ago Iworld anxiously waited for the interna- sceptics a viral propaganda victory as before the Poznan meeting (COP-14) where tional community to complete negotia- the illegally-obtained messages ap- everybody knew everything should be tions in Copenhagen on a new treaty to peared to cast doubt on elements of decided in Copenhagen and no progress limit and reduce toxic greenhouse gas the scientifi c consensus. Months later needed to be made too early,” Gruet said. emissions caused by burning fossil fuels. the scientists were exonerated but the As a result of this government inac- But shortly before the annual United damage had already been done to the tion, Gruet predicted little progress would Nations Conference of the Parties on cli- Copenhagen summit. be made on the most important climate mate change — also known as the COP By the time heads of state began change issues at the UNFCCC meeting in — could convene early last December, arriving in Denmark, supposedly to sign October in Tianjin, China. expectations had already begun to off on a binding global plan to limit And that doesn’t bode well, he added, unravel. temperature rise to a somewhat manage- for the UN’s COP-16 climate change Two years prior to the Copenhagen able 2°C, business-as-usual and national meeting in Cancun from 29 November to meeting, at a COP meeting in Bali, ne- self-interests were back in vogue. As de- 10 December. gotiators agreed a new treaty to replace veloped and developing nations opposed Gruet pointed out the Mexican govern- the Kyoto Protocol in 2012 would be each other, a number of countries agreed ment made it very clear that a binding relatively easy to achieve by late 2009. to a vague and non-binding “Copenhagen international agreement on limiting And, at a 2008 meeting in Poznan, nego- Accord” designed as a stopgap measure greenhouse gas emissions should not be tiations were still on track to reap a new until nations could ratify a new treaty expected in Cancun. agreement in Denmark. this December at the UN climate change It seems likely that the world will have But then it all began to fall apart. conference in Cancun. to wait until at least 2011, when COP-17 In autumn 2008, the worst recession Rémi Gruet, Regulatory Affairs Advisor is held in Johannesburg, for a new bind- since the Great Depression in the 1930s for EWEA, said that no substantive ing treaty on climate change. reared its ugly head — crushing stock progress on the vitally important sub- Gruet said that acting on climate portfolios, bankrupting fi nancial institu- jects of emission-reduction targets and change now will be far cheaper and less tions, destroying equity in houses by as fi nance mechanisms occurred at three environmentally damaging than waiting much as 50% and affecting nearly every UNFCCC meetings earlier this year in until the problem gets even worse. country in the world. Bonn. “The economic crisis is also the Climate change started slipping off According to Gruet, nations seem opportunity for economic infrastructure the top of the public agenda. to be distancing themselves from the change,” he said. “The crisis will bring And then, just before the Copenhagen Accord and reverting back benefi ts to those who adapt to the future Copenhagen conference began, leaked to entrenched positions from before the energy market: one driven by wind, re- e-mails from climate change scientists COP-15 summit. newables and low-carbon technologies.” ■

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 51 | EWEA news |

EWEA staff hard at work on Car Free Sunday

EWEA campaign: thousands of Photos: EWEA/Jason Bickley The ‘Hard Rain’ exhibition took place outside turbines adopted around Europe the European Parliament

The competition to win a weekend in ‘Hard Rain’ packs a punch Debating the future Copenhagen or the Swiss Alps is grow- EWEA’s ‘Breath of Fresh Air’ campaign From clowns to commissioners, the ing fi erce as more and more people continued to make waves in the EU quar- second campaign debate, entitled “Wind are adopting a wind turbine as part of ter of Brussels in September with the of Change – how Europe can benefi t EWEA’s ‘Breath of Fresh Air’ campaign, hard-hitting photo exhibition on climate from reducing emissions by 30%”, took and voting for their friends’ turbines. change, “Hard Rain”. place in Brussels on 13 October. Connie “Over 8,000 people have now shown The photos, which are coupled with Hedegaard, EU Commissioner for their support for wind energy by adopting the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s classic song Climate Change, Jo Leinen MEP, Chair or voting for a wind turbine”, said Elke “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”, depict the of the Environment Committee, Teresa Zander, EWEA’s Campaigns Offi cer. “Also, devastating impacts of climate change. Presas, Chairwoman of the Alliance for many of them are visiting Working with the exhibition organiser a Competitive European Industry, ACEI www.ewea.org/freshair to fi nd out more and photographer Mark Edwards, EWEA and Arthouros Zervos, President of about wind energy. It is great to see the counterbalanced them with images of EWEA, were on the panel.

public’s enthusiasm for learning how we clean, CO2 free wind energy to show the The debate, which was moder- can give Europe a breath of fresh air!” real difference it can make. ated by Financial Times Environment The exhibition ran from 13 to 25 Correspondent, Fiona Harvey, covered September directly outside the EU questions such as what is the link be- Parliament, and on Brussels’ annual ‘car tween Europe’s competitive advantage free Sunday’ on 19 September, EWEA staff in green technology and climate leader- members were on hand to give out fl uo- ship? How can Europe benefi t from rescent cycling vests, mints and leafl ets reducing emissions by 30%? How can explaining the exhibition and campaign to we quantify the true economic gains of the many people cycling and walking by. tackling climate change and what invest- Further music and entertainment was pro- ments are needed? And in the lead up vided by a band, whose members dressed to the COP16 in Mexico, what respon- up to represent wind energy. sibility does the EU have in promoting “With the exhibition we wanted a re- constructive dialogue and leading by ally visual message on how wind energy example? can help against climate change, and we A pamphlet based on the debate and timed it to coincide with the European looking at the theme of climate change institutions’ return after the summer and and a 30% emissions reduction target the car free Sunday to communicate both for Europe will be available soon, and with the decision-makers and the wider the next campaign debate, on grids, is public”, explains Elke Zander, EWEA’s scheduled for 2 December. ■ EWEA gave out cycling vests for free to passers by Campaigns Offi cer. More on EWEA’s campaign: www.ewea.org/freshair

52 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 | EWEA news | Making connections at EWEA’s 2011 event

Over 10,000 wind energy professionals EWEA’s annual events throughout the years will be fl ocking to Brussels for four days of debate and business development in EWEC 2003 early spring next year. The EWEA Annual in Madrid Event (formerly known as ‘EWEC’) 2011 will be held in the heart of Europe from 14 to 17 March. The conference and its high profi le speakers will cover all the hottest topics affecting the wind energy industry in Europe and beyond, from fi nancing, to EWEC 2004 grids, technology, social acceptance, re- in the UK search and more. Alongside the more than 50 conference sessions and side events, there will be many opportunities to network and make new business contacts, includ- ing themed receptions and a gala dinner. EWEC 2006 On 13 March, a pre-conference seminar in Athens will be held, focusing on ‘Wind Energy – The Facts’. On 15 March, a ‘Belgian Day’ will centre on the wind energy industry of the host country, Belgium. Due to huge demand, the parallel exhibition has been expanded, and will be the biggest yet. Covering a total of almost 13,000m2, it will feature key players in wind power from Europe, North America and Asia – the world’s foremost manufacturers, developers, engineer- EWEC 2009 ing and construction companies, power in Marseille generators and utilities. “EWEA’s Annual Event is the major meeting for the European wind energy market, connecting the key players together: corporate leaders, investors, fi nanciers, policy makers and scientists,” said Michel Helbig de Balzac, President of Edora, Fédération de l’Energie d’Origine Renouvelable et Alternative (the Renewable and Alternative Energy Federation). In 2011, EWEA’s annual event is “It represents a unique combina- coming back to the heart of Europe Photos: EWEA tion of business opportunities, techni- cal discussions, political debates and networking. For EWEA 2011, Brussels is a strategic place to promote the growth EWEA annual event is coming to of the wind energy sector in Europe, and will make a crucial contribution to Copenhagen in 2012: save the date! the implementation of EU objectives on renewable energy production.” Europe’s premier wind energy event is coming home to Denmark, one of wind “EWEA 2011 in the heart of Europe energy’s pioneers, in 2012. EWEA 2012 conference and exhibition will run from will confi rm the ambition of the wind Monday 16 to Thursday 19 April in the Danish capital’s Bella Centre, and will industry to deliver a vast amount of cover all the key aspects of wind energy from technical and theoretical to policy Europe’s power needs,” agreed Chris and practice. Derde, President, ODE - Organisatie Exhibition space is now open to buy: it will be snapped up quickly so don’t Duurzame Energie (the Organisation for hesitate to contact Sanna Heinonen on [email protected] or tel: +32 2 213 1837. Renewable Energy), Flanders. ■ More on EWEA 2012: www.ewea.org/events Registration is now open: www.ewea.org/annual2011

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 53 Anti-icing and De-icing technologies Problem solving Grid connection Risk Assessment

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WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 55 Raise your profi le among key wind industry players

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Wind Directions is published by the European Wind Energy Association and read by 10,000 wind energy sector professionals, European institutions, local governments, academia and media. Wind Directions is mailed to over 60 countries including the EU 27, Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Norway, Switzerland and the US. It is also distributed at all the major wind energy events. Editorial Calendar 2011 - Focus*: January 2011: Big in Brazil: samba, football and wind energy March 2011 (EWEA Annual Event): What’s next? Looking past 2020 June 2011: Portugal: the quiet wind energy star September 2011: The awakening of the African giant November 2011 (Offshore): Into the sea: the power offshore Book now your 2011 advertising for 2010 rates Fill in the booking form pg.57

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SIZE EWEA Member (€) Non Member (€) Double Page Spread 5040 5544 € ...... Full Page 2520 2904 € ...... Half Page Horizontal 1512 1742 € ...... Half Page Vertical 1512 1742 € ...... Quarter page (portrait format only) 840 968 € ...... Inside Back Cover 2856 3291 € ...... Inside Front Cover 3024 3485 € ...... WD eMag URL link to your advertisement 500 700 € ......

ISSUE Booking deadline Copy deadline Distribution Issue 1 29 November 2010 3 December 2010 - Issue 2 3 February 2011 10 February 2011 EWEA 2011 - Windpower 2011 Issue 3 26 April 2011 3 May 2011 International Conference on Wind Engineering (ICWE 13) Issue 4 21 July 2011 28 July 2011 Eolica Expo 2011, Renewable UK 33nd annual conference & exhibition Issue 5 6 October 2011 13 October 2011 OFFSHORE 2011

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DEADLINES: All advertisement information must be received by the Copy Deadline. After this deadline, inclusion of your advertisement in the publication cannot be guaranteed and no refund will be given. CANCELLATIONS: Requests for advertisement cancellations must be made in writing. For cancellations made 2 months prior to the Copy Deadline (of the target issue), 50% of the advertisement rate will be reimbursed. For cancellations made after the Copy Deadline, no reimbursement will be given.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS For more information on advertising, please contact: DIMENSIONS Trimmed size Bleed Type area Christi Newman, Business Development Manager Double page spread 410 x 297 mm 430 x 307 mm 410 x 287 mm European Wind Energy Association asbl Full page 210 x 297 mm 220 x 307 mm 200 x 287 mm Rue d’Arlon, 80, 1040 Brussels, Belgium Half page horizontal 210 x 148 mm 216 x 154 mm 200 x 138 mm Tel.: +32 2 231 1807, Fax: +32 2 213 1890 Half page vertical 105 x 297 mm 110 x 307 mm 95 x 287 mm E-mail: [email protected] Quarter page (portrait only) 105 x 148 mm 115 x 158 mm 95 x 138 mm Advertising copy material should be sent to: DIGITAL FORMAT Iga Niewiadomska, Business Development Intern You can send advertising copy in digital format only. Wind Directions is an A4 size European Wind Energy Association asbl publication, printed with 4-colour process throughout. Digital copy should be pro- Rue d’Arlon, 80, 1040 Brussels, Belgium vided as a high-resolution PDF file. We accept CDs, memory sticks and e-mailed zip files under 5 MB. You must send the digital copy with a printed version and indicate Tel.: +32 2 213 1846, Fax: +32 2 213 1890 “Wind Directions” and the Issue the advert is intended for. E-mail: [email protected]

WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 57 | the last word |

Bicycles, bands and bad guys

Photographer and organiser of the ‘Hard Rain’ exhibition on climate change, Mark Edwards, describes his visit to Brussels on the city’s Car Free Sunday 2010. Photo: EWEA Jason Bickley

“The is designed to renew the ambitions for change in a large cross-section of the public and encourage po- transformative litical and business leaders to take bold, long-term power of decisions to secure our gains and avoid disasters that appear increasingly imminent. This venue and poetry, the the collaboration with EWEA made this a key event urgency of in the Hard Rain diary. I was particularly keen to see EWEA’s own exhibition with stunning images of photography wind energy as a solution to the climate problem. and street We timed my visit to coincide with ‘Car Free Sunday’ on 19 September, when all cars theatre are banned from the centre of Brussels from made this 9am to 7pm. It was great to see Brussels – normally choked unique.” with cars – taken over by cyclists and pedestri- ans. I was greeted at the Place du Luxembourg, where the exhibition was set up, by various smil- ing members of the EWEA team including Julian Scola, Communication Director and Elke Zander, Campaigns Offi cer. They had set up a stand from which they were explaining the exhibitions while giv- Mark Edwards (left) by the ing out leafl ets about ‘Hard Rain’ and the ‘Breath Hard Rain exhibition in of Fresh Air’ campaign, along with mints and fl uo- Brussels on Car Free Sunday rescent vests, to the passers-by. The photo banners were arranged all around the grassy centre of the square. It’s hard hitting but family after family cycled or walked along the had been working with EWEA to prepare the procession of images which illustrate each line of I‘Hard Rain’ exhibition for its two week display Bob Dylan’s lyric, ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’. in front of the European Parliament in Brussels Elke and the team had also organised for some for several months, so I was very much looking great entertainment to attract people to the exhibi- forward to seeing it for myself. tion. A brass band dressed up as “wind energy” The exhibition shows climate change and the characters, in blue and white with “turbine” hats, global problems that contribute to the problem. It played music while chasing off the bad guys: Mr Coal, Mr Gas and Mrs Nuclear. They drew a huge crowd! The transformative power and real precision of Taking a breath of fresh air poetry, the urgency of photography and street thea- EWEA brought the ‘Hard Rain’ exhibition to Brussels as part of its tre made this opening unique. The message that ‘Breath of Fresh Air’ campaign, which aims to communicate on the ben- we have the tools to deal with our problems makes efi ts of wind energy. Hard Rain all the more poignant. Let’s hope the You can take part in the campaign by going to www.ewea.org/freshair EU MPs take it on board and support real action in and adopting your very own turbine, and then asking your friends to vote favour of the future. ■ for it. If you get the most votes, you could win a weekend to Copenhagen

or the Swiss Alps, including a visit to a wind farm! The Hard Rain tour of the US begins in April 2011. Find out more on www.hardrainproject.com.

58 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 Make the right connections European Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition (formerly known as EWEC)

14-17 March 2011, Brussels, Belgium

Exhibition space extended to 13,000m2. Book your stand now

Discover new business opportunities and nurture relationships with your existing clients Year after year, EWEA annual events keep on growing. Europe’s leading wind energy conference and exhibition offers a comprehensive overview of the latest developments and vibrant networking opportunities.

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WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010 59

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60 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010