Power Wind Marine Delivering marine expertise worldwide www.metoc.co.uk re News Part of the Petrofac group www.tnei.co.uk RENEWABLE ENERGY NEWS • ISSUE 226 27 OCTOBER 2011 TAG on for Teesside spoils TAG Energy Solutions is in negotiations for a contract to fabricate and deliver a “significant” proportion of Reunification monopiles for the Teesside offshore wind farm. PAGE 2 Middlemoor winning hand in south Wales Vestas is in pole position to land a plum supply RWE npower renewables with Nordex for 14 N90 middle when two contract at one of the largest remaining onshore has thrown in the towel 2.5MW units and has landowners decided in wind farms in England, RWE npower renewables’ at an 11-turbine wind roped Powersystems UK 2005 to proceed instead 18-turbine Middlemoor project in Northumberland. farm in south Wales and to oversee electrical with Pennant. offloaded the asset to works. Parent company Years of wrangling PAGE 3 local developer Pennant Walters Group will take ensued between Walters. care of civil engineering. environmental regulators Huhne hits the high notes The utility sold the The 35MW project is due and planners in Bridgend Energy secretary Chris Huhne took aim at “faultfinders consented four-turbine online by early 2013. and Rhondda Cynon Taf and curmudgeons who hold forth on the impossibility portion of its Fforch Nest The reunification of who were keen to see of renewables” in a strongly worded keynote address project in Bridgend and Fforch Nest and Pant-y- the projects rationalised to RenewableUK 2011 in Manchester this week. is in line to divest the Wal brings to an end a using a shared access remaining seven units if decade-long struggle and grid connection. PAGE 4 approved at public inquiry. between rival developers Bridgend council Pennant is incorporating and landowners at an eventually approved all Thanet cables swap job Fforch Nest into its upland plot straddling a 14 turbines in its Red7Marine is gearing up to replace two inter-array neighbouring 10-turbine local authority boundary jurisdiction in 2009 but cables at the 300MW Thanet offshore wind farm Pant-y-Wal scheme and in Ogmore Vale. the planning conditions originally installed by the now-defunct Subocean. has already reached Fforch Nest was imposed on Pant-y-Wal PAGE 5 financial close with originally developed as a and Fforch Nest were Lloyds TSB to build out single farm by RWE’s said to be too onerous to Rebuilding UK supports the first 14 machines. predecessor National be co-ordinated by two Government unveils plans to trim wind sector’s sails The Welsh developer Wind Power but the site developers with but give marine energy development a long-sought has signed a contract was split down the separate sets of 3 leg-up in its Renewables Obligation banding review. NEWS FOCUS STARTS ON PAGE 6 SSE pulls Ballast for West Islay bid the plug on Independent renewables developer DP Energy has Waterhead teamed up with Rolls-Royce TGL to pursue a 30MW SSE Renewables has tidal energy array off West Islay in the Western Isles. spiked plans to build a PAGE 72.5MW wind farm at 13 Waterhead Moor in North Ayrshire. Installation vessel new tack The utility said the A2Sea and partner Teekay are finalising designs for a site near Largs faced “a next-generation jacket installation vessel that could range of construction hit the market in the first quarter of 2014. and planning challenges” PAGE 14 and was complicated by Mabey Bridge in the saddle its post-application The first completed turbine tower sections to leave Wales chorus of disapproval designation as a special Mabey Bridge’s £38m manufacturing facility in The Welsh government has come under a barrage of protection area. Chepstow have been delivered and installed in South criticism for its onshore wind track record at the SSE originally applied Yorkshire. A dozen sections were erected at Banks National Assembly’s ongoing energy inquiry. to build Waterhead in Renewables’ 8MW Marr wind farm on behalf of PAGE 17 2004. It then replaced turbine supplier Repower. Photo: Mabey Bridge those plans with an Renewable energy consultants evolved design in 2010. “Having listened to the concerns of the key consultees we (decided) end-to-end solutions for the to focus elsewhere,” renewable energy industry said director of onshore renewables Dave Gardner. Technical by nature... 2 offshore reNews 27 October 2011 Deep Diver standing tall for return to Kentish Flats Double grid Fugro Seacore has good progress prior to steel leg section sheared incident and has now completed repairs on its this with about two- when the jack-up barge engaged experts to tie-in deal jack-up barge Deep Diver thirds completed,” said was raising its four advise on how to after an accident at Kentish Flats extension supporting legs. proceed,” said Loman. for Dogger Vattenfall’s proposed project manager Goran The severed section Separately, Vattenfall Kentish Flats offshore Loman. remains embedded 1.5 submitted its pre- Bank zone wind farm extension. “Deep Diver… will metres below the application for the up to Forewind has signed two The 30-metre vessel return to the area to seabed. 51MW extension to the 1GW network connection lost part of a leg while continue surveys shortly “Vattenfall has Infrastructure Planning offers with National Grid carrying out geotechnical with the work due to be informed the Marine Commission. for projects planned for surveys at the site but is completed towards the Management The IPC will decide the 9GW Dogger Bank now ready to leave end of October and early Organisation, the Port of whether to validate the offshore wind Round 3 Lowestoft harbour. November.” London Authority and application by the zone. “The survey had made He explained that a the Crown Estate of the middle of next month. The consortium said that, subject to technical studies, the TAG in frame to share Briefs links would be located at • Seaway Heavy Lifting an existing substation at has been awarded a Lackenby near Teesside monopile job foundation installation Middlesborough in TAG Energy Solutions is job would be TAG’s first wind farm’s 27 Siemens contract at the Riffgat Teesside. in negotiations with significant fabrication 2.3MW turbines are wind farm off Germany. The offers are in Dutch company SIF to contract since it opened expected to be fully The company will tackle addition to a 1GW grid fabricate and deliver a its £20m, 6920 square- operational by end-2012. monopiles at EWE and offer already signed for “significant” proportion metre fabrication facility TAG has meanwhile Enova’s 30-turbine a connection at the of monopiles for the at the end of September. joined 18 other project next summer. Creyke Beck substation Teesside offshore wind Contractor Van Oord companies to form local Riffgat will feature in the East Riding of farm. selected SIF to supply supply chain initiative Siemens 3.6MW turbines Yorkshire. Talks over a sub- the 62MW wind farm’s Energi Coast. at a site some 15km off Forewind head of contract for the north- monopiles earlier this The renewables group the island of Borkum. electrical systems David east England outfit to month. features MPI Offshore, Water depths are up to Flood said the Dogger produce some of the Dutch company JDR Cables, Tata Steel 23 metres. partners “will now be project’s 27 foundations Smulders was awarded and Heerema, among able to proceed with are expected to the contract to others. • Transmission operator determining the conclude in the near manufacture the It was set up to TenneT has kicked off optimum onshore cable future, sources said. transition pieces. ensure the region wins initial permitting for the routes and coastal cable One added the deal is A2Sea jack-up vessel its fair share of the Borwin 3 and Dolwin 3 landfall points to “right on the cusp” of Sea Jack will install the supply chain market as next-generation grid connect the two 1GW being finalised. foundations in the first the UK moves towards connections in the offshore wind farms to If secured the half of next year. The Round 3. German North Sea. the electricity network”. Marine round-up • Marine renewables is wave and tidal will be made available for to gain the full level of new board of directors. to receive a £35m cash “improve capability and supply chain ROCs available”, which The company, whose injection from the infrastructure.” development. requires state aid 80-tonne demonstration Scottish government, The government will approval. unit capsized and sank including an £18m fund consult with industry • Hammerfest Strom has off Southwold in 2009, is to support the roll-out of over the nature of kicked off subsea cable • Wave developer developing a direct drive early arrays. projects to be supported works at the European Trident Energy has system to harness wave Holyrood’s largest by the £18m pot. Marine Energy Centre’s relocated from Suffolk to energy at the base of ever commitment to Additional resources will Fall of Warness tidal test Glasgow and appointed a offshore wind turbines. site in Orkney ahead of a Shipping 1MW turbine installation. Handling • DECC will seek European approval to Transport allow marine energy projects to access both Renewable Obligation certificates and capital support. Route surveying The department wants T: +44 1422 255233 Reporting for EIA’s recipients of the planned E: [email protected] Swept path analysis £20m Marine Energy I: www.collett.co.uk ‘Test drive’ of routes Array Demonstrator Supporting Offshore Wind Project management (MEAD) fund to “be able www.bnoffshore.com 27 October 2011 reNews news 3 Double grid Briefs Vestas winning hand tie-in deal • Maritime technology new 40kW PowerBuoy for company SMD has installation at its at 54MW Middlemoor for Dogger teamed up with Blade Santoña wave site in Vestas is in pole position another month.