Transmission Systems News

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will initiate an environmental review of Vineyard Northeast’s proposed offshore wind energy project, located 29 miles offshore Nantucket, Massachusetts at its closest point. BOEM estimates the proposed project would generate up to 2,600MW of electricity, enough to power more than 900,000 homes with clean renewable energy. The approximately 132,370-acre Lease Area is located some 29 miles (mi) from Nantucket and approximately 39 mi offshore Martha’s Vineyard…

How the Maximum Contingency of 2,200 MW Was Recast to a 1,200 MW CeilingAs policy makers and energy developers look to develop and interconnect large offshore wind projects in the most economically efficient and least environmentally impactful way, an issue has developed. A relatively recent limit, set in place by the grid operator in New England in a planning process document, states that no single system loss of energy, or “contingency”, can be larger than 1,200 megawatts (MW). This 2016 addition to ISO New England’s (ISO-NE) Planning Procedure No.

The 2023 Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS) will be held Nov. 14-16, 2023, as an in-person event, hosted by Maritime College, State University of New York (SUNY) at the Maritime Academic Center. The theme of the 14th annual event is “Managing Impacts of Supply Chain Disruptors, Renewable Energy, Emerging Technology on the Maritime Transportation System (MTS)” with a focus on offshore infrastructure risk and disruptors. Founded in 1874, Maritime College is the oldest maritime college in the United States, providing mariner training for 150 years.

A sailor aboard an oil tanker anchored off Venezuela's coast died on Saturday, three people with knowledge of the incident said, marking the second death in less than a week involving personnel aboard ships serving the crisis-stricken OPEC nation.Juan Carlos Navarrete, a 58-year-old Cuban national serving as a helmsman aboard the Petion Panamax tanker, died after falling overboard while the tanker was anchored in Amuay Bay in western Venezuela, one of the sources, union leader Ivan Freites, said on Sunday.Neither Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA, nor its oil or information ministries, immediately responded to requests for comment.Both the Petion and its operator…

The Irish power grid operator EirGrid has awarded NKT a service contract for the interconnector connecting Ireland and Great Britain.The cable and cable accessories supplier to the energy sector has been awarded a five-year service agreement by the Irish power grid operator EirGrid for cable related services including repair works for the East West Interconnector.The 200 kV HVDC power cable with capacity of 500 MW between Ireland and Great Britain is connecting the countries power grid ensuring the high transmission security needed to power modern life.For NKT, the agreement marks the first contract including the company’s recently launched 10 days vessel mobilization guarantee.

E-ferry Ellen, the world's largest all-electric ferry,  made its first commercial trip connecting the ports of Søby and Fynshav (Denmark).Switzerland-based battery system provider Leclanché SA has powered the vessel, capable of carrying approximately 30 vehicles and 200 passengers,  with a capacity of 4.3MWh.Participating in this event celebrating the first scheduled ferry service between the two Danish islands were the respective mayors of the two municipalities, Ole Wej Petersen of Aerø and Erik Lauritzen of Søndeborg.E-ferry Ellen is expected to be fully operational within a few weeks. E-ferry is part of the Danish Natura project…

The global offshore wind cable market is estimated to grow at CAGR above 16% over the forecast time frame 2019 to 2026 and reach the market value around $3 billion by 2026.The demand for offshore wind cables has seen significant development due to the paradigm shift towards fresh renewable techniques with increasing consciousness of carbon emission limits, said a report by Acumen Research and Consulting."Offshore wind turbines are rapidly growing, with a higher capacity production more than onshore wind generation. In addition, offshore wind wires play a major part in the transport of fresh produced electricity from offshore wind farms to the coast.

Norway-based global maritime industry group Wilhelmsen Ship Management (WSM) has announced the acquisition of a 50% stake of NorSea Wind and it’s subsidiaries to expand its offerings in the the renewable wind energy market.NorSea Wind, founded in 2016 as a subsidiary of  Norsea Group, provides project management and logistics planning throughout all stages for on and offshore wind farm projects.It is the focal element within Norsea Group where it integrates all service offerings for the wind energy segment as it’s go-to-market strategy. Its accumulated expertise and experience combined with proven track record globally provide a market…

Asia-Pacific's offshore wind capacity will rise 20-fold to 43 GW in 2027, said new research from global natural resources consultancy Wood Mackenzie. Future offshore wind prices will be competitive with traditional thermal prices, it said.Leading the charge is China, which is expected to see offshore wind capacity grow from 2 GW last year to 31 GW in the next decade.Next is Taiwan which will account for 20% or 8.7 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2027, making it the largest offshore wind market in Asia-Pacific excluding China (APeC) by 2020."Taiwan presents the biggest offshore market in APeC due to a relatively stable regulatory regime…

As of 2020, Rolls-Royce will launch a range of completely integrated MTU hybrid ship propulsion systems onto the market. The propulsion systems will be made available for yachts, workboats, ferries and patrol boats in a power range extending from around 1,000 kilowatts to 4,000 kilowatts per powertrain.“The combination of diesel engines and electric motors, in addition to batteries, will offer our customers significant benefits in a variety of marine applications. The most important being efficiency…

NSG Wind and Wilhelmsen Ship Management have together won a five year frame agreement with TenneT, a leading European electricity transmission system operator. NSG Wind and Wilhelmsen Ship Management have secured a frame agreement running until 2022. The framework agreement is to provide a complete technical maintenance solution for TenneT’s off- and onshore transformer stations and AC electricity transmission systems. Dennis Jul Pedersen, CEO of NSG Wind, says: “The offshore wind market is moving from niche to being one of the leading sources of renewable energy. The project is expected to commence in 2018. Wilhelmsen Ship Management will be undertaking the technical maintenance on components of the grid connection system including the secondary and auxiliary systems.

Wärtsilä has been awarded the contract by Gdansk Shiprepair Yard Remontowa S.A., to supply a scope of engines, propulsion machinery, integrated automation systems, and gas handling systems required for the mid-life upgrading of two RoPax ferries and their conversion to operate on LNG fuel. The ferries, the Spirit of British Columbia and the Spirit of Vancouver, are the flagship vessels of British Columbia Ferry Services based in Victoria, Canada. The work will be carried by the Remontowa Shiprepair yard in Poland. The contract with Wärtsilä was placed in March 2016.

According to a new report from Navigant Research, the global submarine electricity transmission market is expected to grow from $16.8 billion in 2015 to $24.8 billion in 2024. “Over the past several years, two market drivers have emerged as dominant forces shaping this market: connecting offshore wind generation to the mainland and reconfiguring or expanding interconnections between states, countries, and regions,” says James McCray, senior research analyst with Navigant Research. “Submarine technologies are helping to address changing electric generation mixes and isolated national grids are also being interconnected for security, balance, and the sale of excess electricity in cross-border exchanges,” James added.

Binsfield Engineering’s TorqueTrak telemetry instruments measure torque, RPM’s and power data. Binsfeld Engineering specializes in transmitting sensor signals from rotating machinery and has been designing wireless, noncontact data transmission systems since 1974. Today, its TorqueTrak telemetry instruments are commonly used to measure true mechanical Torque & Power on rotating propeller shafts in all types of ships and marine craft. Specialized data acquisition hardware and software from business partner…

The Marine Propulsion Course this autumn is almost sold out. In this course you will be trained to understand the specific characteristics of ships, engines, transmission systems, electrical systems and propulsors and what to look for when they are matched, says Christina Syropoulos at 'Netherlands Maritime Technology. "The course consists of 5 separate modules and takes place at a university level. Theoretical laws and design regulations are related to practical applications. If you want to participate, register now! Bergum in The Netherlands is the stage for this unique high quality course. exercises. Module 5: Matching Propulsion…

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won an order worth about $35 million from Hydro-Québec to upgrade the 350 megawatt (MW) Madawaska high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission link, that connects the grids of New Brunswick and Hydro Québec in southeast Canada. The order was booked in the second quarter of 2014. The project scope includes installation of ABB’s MACH control and protection system and the upgrade of the valves and valve cooling system. The back-to-back converter station has been in operation for more than 25 years and the modernization is expected to significantly improve grid reliability and help reduce maintenance needs. The new station is scheduled to go into full operation in 2016.

Rolls-Royce and Hispano-Suiza (Safran) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an exclusive long term joint venture (JV) for the development of world-leading accessory drive train transmission systems. The new business will be a 50:50 JV which addresses the entire product lifecycle of Rolls-Royce civil aero engine applications. The JV will have activities in France, UK and Germany, as well as a competitive production facility. The headquarters will be in France. The JV will call on the complementary resources and expertise of its two parent companies. The MoU was signed by Norbert Arndt, EVP - Structures and Transmissions of Rolls-Royce and Hélène Moreau-Leroy, Chairman and CEO of Hispano-Suiza.

The two energy providers discussed the possibilities of co-operation in supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) particularly from the Baltic LNG project to the European and Latin American markets, during a recent meeting at Gazprom HQ. Russia's Gazprom inform that the meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Company's Management Committee and Marcelino Oreja, Chief Executive Officer of Enagas also noted that Spain had a potential to become one of the major consumers of LNG from the project.

Tideland Signal's self-contained SolaNOVA-65 lanterns mounted on Floatex elastic beacons are being used in Genoa University's Arion Life project designed to protect dolphins swimming in the Mediterranean. The main objective of the project is to improve the conservation status of bottlenose dolphin, as well as other cetaceans and turtles that are protected by habitat legislation but very exposed to threats from human activity and resource exploitation. The project is designed to address the dangers posed by commercial and leisure craft, including collisions and noise pollution.

First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, officially opened subsea installation contractor Bibby Offshore’s new purpose-built headquarters, Atmosphere One. The company recently relocated from Aberdeen Harbour to the new office facility at Prospect Park, Westhill, to provide Bibby Offshore with the additional capacity necessary to support its significant increase in staff numbers and services, as Bibby Offshore’s operations expand both in the U.K. and internationally. Bibby Offshore…

HVDC is a key enabler for the efficient and reliable integration of offshore wind energy, explains HVDC busness manager. Offshore wind power generation is one of the world’s most promising renewable energy sources, and is set to play an increasingly significant role in our economic growth, energy security and environmental protection. Strong, steady winds at sea where there are no obstructions mean wind turbines can generate substantially more energy offshore than onshore. As promising as they are…

The Inland Marine Underwriters Association (IMUA is to hold a New York seminar covering key issues for underwriters. ·         The role of testing/listing parties and certificated vs. In making the announcement IMUA President and CEO, Kevin O’Brien, noted: “"This important session will give underwriters the tools to assess criminal risk and evaluate the adequacy of the security system. This in-depth analysis will take place on Thursday, February 21, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with breakfast and registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. EST. The cost is $90.00 per person or $75 per person as a remote distance learner. To register online click here.

Broadband for applications at sea is an area that is experiencing rapid growth and one that demands increasingly fast data transfer speeds. Levels of use are blossoming as communication, control and monitoring are increasingly being carried via onshore operative nodes. Inmarsat and Iridium, the two transmission systems currently in use, have reached their saturation point, and the next generation of satellite communication for the maritime industry is now starting to take shape. Several satellite operators are on the verge of launching global capacity to cover the world's seas.