Renewable Technologies News

Despite short-term obstacles driven by high inflation and interest rates coupled with supply chain issues, we maintain that the foundations supporting long-term offshore wind activity remain solid. As we prepare for the new year, let us look at 10 factors that will shape the offshore wind sector in 2024.1. A Continuously Dynamic Energy TrilemmaThe dynamic relationship of the three key drivers of affordable energy, energy security and energy transition was clearly evident in 2023 as energy affordability and security were generally more prominent themes than the transition.

The Port of Corpus Christi Authority has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as part of the Port’s commitment to decarbonization and energy transition initiatives.The agreement between the two parties is intended to advance collaboration between the Port of Corpus Christi, NREL and Port tenants by identifying scalable energy transition and decarbonization projects that require techno-economic-analysis, modeling, testing and validation efforts unique to NREL’s capabilities.

Holland Shipyards Group recently delivered a newbuild hybrid ferry Gaarden to Schlepp- und Fährgesellschaft Kiel (SFK) in Germany. The vessel will operate as a cycle- and footferry within the waters of the Kieler Fjord.Gaarden, measuring 32.4 by 8.8 meters, is equipped with a hybrid drivetrain that can be powered by either generators or by means of a battery bank. The battery system will be used for sailing within the city center.The order contract for the vessel signed in May…

Italian industrial giants, energy firm Eni and shipbuilding group Fincantieri have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore innovative initiatives in the field of decarbonization and circular economy, including offshore renewable technologies.According to Eni, the activities will focus mainly on waste to energy, production and transport of energy carriers as natural gas, methanol or hydrogen, fuel cells applications, the development and deployment of offshore renewable technologies.Over the three years of the previous agreement…

The Scottish Government announced that it has awarded engineering company Orbital Marine Power GBP3.4mln (USD 4.1million) in funding for its floating tidal turbine, which is the world’s most powerful.The Scottish engineering company is the first recipient of the Scottish Government’s GBP10 million Saltire Tidal Energy Challenge Fund.The funding will be used to deliver the next generation O2 2MW Floating Tidal Energy Turbine, capable of powering more than 1,700 homes per year.Scotland’s Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: “We have established a world lead in marine renewable technologies and this project represents a significant step forward in technological development.

US-owned renewable energy company Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) announced that the Company's PB3 PowerBuoy deployed in the Adriatic Sea has produced more than one MegaWatt-hour (MWh) cumulative energy to date. The cost-effective ocean energy solutions provider said that the PowerBuoy has been deployed for six months, operating continuously and error-free while being controlled remotely from OPT’s NJ facility.George H. Kirby, OPT’s President and Chief Executive Officer said, “We are excited to announce this major power generation milestone for our PB3 PowerBuoy deployed in the Adriatic Sea. Since the contract began in March of last year…

Using HEPR solutions satisfies regulatory compliance, sustainability initiatives and performance demands. There are numerous factors that are driving global environmental regulatory growth and the growth in renewable lubricant technologies, such as natural resource constraints, standardizing requirements due to globalization, public opinion and pressure, increase in climate change concerns, new technologies, new evidence from research and overall growing Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) concerns…

A new battery storage solution for offshore wind energy will be piloted in the world’s first floating wind farm, the Hywind pilot park off the coast of Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Batwind will be developed in co-operation with Scottish universities and suppliers, under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Edinburgh on 18 March between Statoil, the Scottish Government, the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and Scottish Enterprise. Battery storage has the potential to mitigate intermittency and optimise output. This can improve efficiency and lower costs for offshore wind. The pilot in Scotland will provide a technological and commercial foundation for the implementation of Batwind in full-scale offshore wind farms…

ARENA’s Research and Development (R&D) program supports R&D projects that will advance the commercial deployment of renewable energy technology in Australia. ARENA is providing $21.5 million funding for 12 cutting edge projects through the first round of the R&D program, which is focused on solar excellence. ARENA is keen to facilitate greater collaboration between the research sector and industry in the next round of the R&D program in 2015. ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said building and maintaining strong links between researchers and industry – including manufacturers, generators and distribution companies – would help meet the challenges facing Australia’s energy market and future energy supply.

The world’s first drive train test facility for tidal turbines and marine renewable technologies at the UK’s National Renewable Energy Centre (NAREC) is powered by a state-of-the-art ABB drive system. The $20 million facility is part of the UK’s National Renewable Energy Centre (Narec) in the north of England. Narec is a government-backed center for researching, developing and testing renewable energy and low carbon power generation technologies such as wind, solar, tidal and wave.

RES Offshore has signed an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) services contract with Forewind for two met masts in the Dogger Bank Round 3 zone. These met masts are the furthest offshore of any in the UK and RES will be delivering scheduled and unscheduled maintenance for the structures and instrumentation systems including all work on the masts together with project management and procurement of vessels and subcontractors. The Dogger Bank Zone is in the North Sea, located between 125 and 290 kilometres off the east coast of Yorkshire.

The rapid expansion of renewable technologies is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak assessment of global progress towards low-carbon energy, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in an annual report to the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM). “The drive to clean up the world’s energy system has stalled,” IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven told the CEM, which brings together ministers representing countries responsible for four-fifths of global greenhouse-gas emissions. To illustrate this inertia, the report, Tracking Clean Energy Progress, introduces the Energy Sector Carbon Intensity Index (ESCII), which shows how much carbon dioxide is emitted, on average, to provide a given unit of energy.

Renewable power generation is expected to continue its rapid growth over the next five years, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency<http://www.iea.org/> (IEA) that acknowledges the coming-of-age of the renewable energy sector. The report says that despite economic uncertainties in many countries, global power generation from hydropower, solar, wind and other renewable sources is projected to increase by more than 40% to almost 6 400 terawatt hours (TWh) - or roughly one-and-a-half times current electricity production in the United States. The study, released, marks the first time the IEA has devoted a medium-term report to renewable power sources, a recognition of the dynamic and increasing role of renewable energy in the global power mix.