Wind Farm Operator News

A number of recent actions in the United States will better position the nation to meet its short- and long-term offshore wind energy targets, as outlined in the April 2023 U.S. Offshore Wind Report from Intelatus Global Partners.April brings with it the news that the U.S. federal government is seeking to accelerate and incentivize investment in offshore wind technologies and the supply chain, whether it be for bottom-fixed or floating wind projects, for the transmission of large amounts of electricity from offshore to an onshore grid that was not designed with this scenario in mind…

Offshore services firm Swire Energy Services (SES) said it has been awarded a contract from wind farm operator Ørsted for a routine maintenance campaign off the U.K. coast for Summer 2022.The new contract will see SES provide services including blade maintenance and the provision of service operation vessel (SOV) and crew transfer vessel (CTV) logistics for two of Ørsted’s wind farms off the coast of Cumbria.The contract is one of the first major blade service scopes SES has won since it acquired wind service company ALL NRG in August of 2021…

Norway-based crane maker Red Rock has won a contract with shipbuilder Vard to deliver equipment for three service offshore vessels (SOVs) Vard is building in Vietnam for the UK-based shipowner North Star Renewables. The vessels will be operating on the first two phases of what will be the world's largest offshore wind farm - the Dogger Bank wind farm in the UK North Sea.Red Rock will deliver 2 x 2T 3D Motion Compensated cranes, 1 x 5T 3D Motion Compensated crane, 3 x 2T Boat landing cranes, and 3 x 1T Shipboard crane.

Norwegian offshore vessel firm Island Offshore said Tuesday it had won a vessel contract at the Moray East offshore wind farm in the UK.With its Island Crown vessel, Island Offshore is providing the wind farm operator MOWEL with Walk-to-Work services.The Island Crown has already started the project for Moray East, operating out of Peterhead, north-east in Scotland.The vessel is used to accommodate and transfer technicians and equipment for work on the windfarm’s three offshore substation platforms."These operations are scheduled to last until the last part of June 2021, with potential extensions into July 2021," Island Offshore said in a social media post.Built in 2013, 96.8 meters long Island Crown can accommodate 100 crew members aboard.

As the traditional offshore oil and gas markets continue to struggle, the renewable offshore wind market is hot and getting hotter.As the cumulative maritime, offshore, port and logistics marketplace gears up for offshore wind energy on a huge scale, World Energy Reports (WER), in its report “2021 The Year When Offshore Wind Takes Off in the United States,” shows the anticipated growth trajectory. Service Operations Vessels (SOVs), which can commission and/or maintain turbines…

Norwegian shipbuilder VARD has won contracts to build three Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) for the UK-based North Star Renewables. The vessels, to be built in Vietnam, will operate on the Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the North Sea, the world's largest.The shipbuilding contract announcement comes three weeks after North Star said it had won a deal worth around $375 million to supply SOVs for the giant wind farm off the UK. The 3.6 GW Dogger Bank wind farm is being built  in three phases in the North Sea by joint venture partners SSE Renewables…

Aberdeen-based offshore vessel owner North Star Renewables has won contracts worth around £270 million (~$375 million), to deliver three service operation vessels (SOVs) to be used on what will be the world’s largest offshore wind farm, the 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the UK North Sea.North Star said its contract award followed a highly-competitive tender process, in which it had beat off strong international competition to secure the deal to design and deliver the three-vessel…

The UK-based High Speed Transfers (HST) has taken delivery of its fourth fast crew supplier (FCS) 2710, eighteen months after receiving its first, the HST 'Hudson'.HST received HST Hudson, in June 2018, which was followed by HST Sofia in March 2019 and HST Harri in October of the same year.The latest addition is named HST Euan and in mid-January 2020 she was loaded on to a heavy lift vessel at Damen Shipyards Antalya in Turkey bound for Rotterdam.The HST Euan replicates the features and layout of her sister ships. These include capacity for 26 passengers in safety and comfort and the ability to operate in wave heights of more than two meters.

The delivery of the third Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 2710 bought by Swansea, UK-based High Speed Transfers has taken place at Damen Shipyards Antalya. Named HST Harri, she joins the HST Hudson, delivered in May 2018, and the HST Sofia, which was handed over in March this year. A fourth FCS 2710 for High Speed Transfers, to be named HST Euan, is currently nearing completion for delivery in December.The HST Harri is booked to start immediately on a five-year contract in the North Sea with wind farm operator MHI Vestas…

Danish wind power giant Orsted sees surge in earnings from offshore wind, driving interim profits up 14 percent and earnings up 32 percent  for the first nine months of 2018.The world’s largest wind farm operator, formerly known as Dong Energy said that the positive results are due to its transition to a 100 percent green power business and with its third quarter financial results revealing a surge in earnings from offshore wind and a jump in its green share of generation. "Our green share of generation increased from 59% to 71%," said a statement.Danish energy group  said operating profits for the first nine months of 2018 were up 14 per cent to DKK10.8bn ($1.65bn)…

From a helicopter, it looks like just another North Sea oil rig, a grey cube supported by massive yellow pillars, 90 kilometres (56 miles) off western Denmark. But the DanTysk facility is the world's first accommodation platform for offshore wind, which is borrowing techniques and labour from the crisis-hit oil sector as it tries to cut costs and end an addiction to state subsidies. The wind industry is moving further offshore and into the deeper waters tamed long ago by oil companies to increase scale and capture stronger and more constant winds. "There's a lot of new-generation technology in the offshore wind industry, but when I'm out there…

Offshore wind farm development has been led globally by the UK, followed by Germany. Both countries have governments with long term commitments to renewable energy. Denmark, Belgium and The Netherlands are building wind farms, but they are a long way behind the leaders in offshore wind. In 2014 the UK accounted for over 50% of all the offshore wind energy generated globally. All of these countries border the North Sea, a notoriously stormy sea area, which has a high frequency of wind to drive the turbines. Traditional survey vessels are first to arrive in a potential wind farm area.

Strainstall, part of James Fisher and Sons plc, announced the completion of the world’s first Intelligent Fender System (IFS) trial with energy companies SSE and RWE at Suffolk-based wind farm, Greater Gabbard. The IFS is an in-house developed technology which aims to provide accurate and recordable data to improve safety and increase operational efficiency for vessel and offshore wind farm operators during transfer operations. The Greater Gabbard trial enabled Strainstall to…

Australia under pressure to fix renewable energy target deadlock; 45 wind farm projects stalled. Australian wind farm operator Infigen Energy Ltd is exploring the sale of 18 U.S. wind farms, worth about A$500 million ($409 million), so they escape impact from the uncertain future of Australian state rebates for renewable energy firms. Infigen has hired advisers to consider ways of splitting U.S. assets from its six Australian wind farms, so consequences suffered by Infigen from a political deadlock over the rebates would not filter down to assets on the other side of the world, Managing Director Miles George told Reuters on Wednesday. "We have contemplated ... the possibility of separating our Australian and U.S. businesses so that the U.S.

The master of a wind farm support boat has been made to pay £3,000 in fines and costs after breaching maritime collision regulations, informs the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Geoffrey Whinfrey was in charge of the Island Panther when it collided with a wind turbine in the Sheringham Shoal wind farm on 21 November 2012. Whinfrey had been requested by the wind farm operator - Scira Offshore Energy Ltd - that the Island Panther take off duty employees ashore due to the worsening weather conditions. It was dark and the wind was gusting up to 45mph, with driving rain and rough seas. Passage plans had not been completed for any part of the journey. Whinfrey attempted to navigate through the wind farm using the safety lights on the wind turbine towers, which is against company policy.

The master of a wind farm support vessel has today been made to pay £3,000 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to breaches of maritime collision regulations. Geoffrey Whinfrey was in charge of the Island Panther when it collided with a wind turbine in the Sheringham Shoal wind farm on November 21, 2012. Whinfrey had been requested by the wind farm operator - Scira Offshore Energy Ltd - that the Island Panther take off duty employees ashore due to the worsening weather conditions. It was dark and the wind was gusting up to 45mph, with driving rain and rough seas. Passage plans had not been completed for any part of the journey. Whinfrey attempted to navigate through the wind farm using the safety lights on the wind turbine towers, which is against company policy.

Bureau Veritas Certification France has released a comprehensive Guide on Offshore Wind Farm Project Certification, which allows industry players and experts to make sense of the complex rules applying to certification processes in the field of offshore wind farms. Bureau Veritas is attending the EWEA trade show from 4 to 7 February 2013 in Vienna (Austria). This exhibition will give visitors the opportunity to know more about a major Testing Inspection & Certification (TIC) player for the wind industry.