RWE welcomed local MPs Lia Nici and Martin Vickers to its expanding Grimsby Hub, a new state of the art operations and maintenance facility, currently under construction at the company’s existing site in Grimsby’s Royal Docks. During the visit, the MPs took a tour around the facility, met with staff
Inch Cape Offshore Limited, a joint venture between Red Rock Power and ESB, has appointed Vestas as the preferred wind turbine supplier for the 1100MW Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm in Scotland. Both Red Rock Power and ESB are Vestas clients for onshore wind projects, and with this new commitment,
K2 Management, a leading international renewable energy consultancy, will consult on the development of a pipeline of offshore wind projects in the Baltic Sea, after signing a framework agreement with Sunly, the independent power producer in the Baltic States and Poland. K2 Management will undertake pre-development studies and research for
The world’s largest offshore wind farm off the coast of East Yorkshire has produced clean renewable energy for the first time. Once completed, Hornsea Project One will be almost double the size of the world’s current largest offshore farm. All of the 174 turbine blades for the wind farm are being
Plans for a community-owned wind farm in Cornwall have been submitted by UK-based, green energy proponent, Good Energy. If approved, it will be one of few in the nation that doesn’t rely on either financial backing or government subsidies and could mark the dawning of a new era in renewables
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
RWE welcomed local MPs Lia Nici and Martin Vickers to its expanding Grimsby Hub, a new state of the art operations and maintenance facility, currently under construction at the company’s existing site in Grimsby’s Royal Docks. During the visit, the MPs took a tour around the facility, met with staff and had the opportunity to hear more about RWE’s future planned investment in the region. RWE is responsible for operating the existing Humber Gateway and Triton Knoll offshore wind farms from the Grimsby Docks as well as the construction of the Sofia offshore wind farm and the development of a further two offshore wind farms on Dogger Bank in the North Sea. Once fully operational, the Grimsby Hub will be the operations base for Triton Knoll and Sofia as well as hosting RWE’s Centralised Control Room (CCR), where technicians will oversee the operation of the vast majority of the company’s UK offshore portfolio, further reaffirming the Humber’s role as a leading location for the UK’s offshore wind sector. Humber-based firm Hobson & Porter is responsible for the construction of the multi-million pound facility, which is expected to accommodate around 140 RWE employees in total. The Grimsby Hub has the potential to bring around 70 new skilled jobs to the region, plus indirect jobs required in support. Although still under construction, recruitment is well underway with the opening of over 20 technician roles in support of the Sofia offshore wind farm. The location of the Grimsby Hub at the Royal Docks was chosen because of its proximity to existing and future projects and its deep-water quayside, which is suited to the use of Service Operations Vessels (SOVs). Construction is due to complete next year and will include a joint control room offering 24/7 monitoring of multiple sites, new shared office space, and separate warehouse facilities. Guy Middleton, RWE General Manager for the Grimsby Hub, hosted the visit and said: “It was fantastic to welcome Lia and Martin to the Grimsby Hub to discuss our investment plans for the local region, which will bring plenty of skilled roles and provide many opportunities for the regional supply chain.” RWE’s newly appointed Director for Net Zero East Coast UK, Corinne Barry, added: “It is a hugely exciting time for RWE in the Humber with all the new investment proposed, and I cannot wait to see our plans progress. The Humber has gained an enviable reputation in supporting the country’s net zero ambitions and RWE is proud to be a part of its future!” During the visit, the MPs also discussed RWE’s plans for a new carbon capture CCGT power station near Stallingborough which could generate up to 800 MW of decarbonised, secure, flexible energy, enough to potentially power the equivalent of around one million homes. The new power station would be fitted with carbon capture technology andwould make a significant contribution to the UK’s energy security and support our transition to a net zero economy. RWE is working with Harbour Energy to explore options for transporting and storing the captured carbon through its Viking CCS network from both its proposed new power station and its existing Staythorpe power station in Nottinghamshire. Lia Nici MP thanked the team for the visit and said: “It was great to see RWE’s continued investment in its Grimsby Hub offshore wind base, which is set to be a central location for the management of many of the company’s offshore wind farms across the UK – bringing high-quality job opportunities to Grimsby and reinforcing the town’s position as a leader in the sector.” Martin Vickers MP added “The visit also gave us an opportunity to hear about RWE’s wider investment plans in the region, which includes not only further offshore wind projects, but carbon capture investments at its regional power stations, linked to the Viking Carbon Capture and Storage network, which was recently awarded Track-2 development status by the Government.” RWE is the leading power producer in the UK, accounting for around 15% of all electricity generated in the UK through its diverse operational portfolio of onshore wind, offshore wind, hydro, biomass and gas. Between 2012 and 2021, RWE delivered a 43% reduction in carbon intensity for the electricity produced across its operational portfolio in the UK (0.52 to 0.30 tCO2/MWh). Overall, and including its committed investments in projects already under construction, RWE expects to invest up to £15 billion in new green technologies and infrastructure in the UK by 2030. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Inch Cape Offshore Limited, a joint venture between Red Rock Power and ESB, has appointed Vestas as the preferred wind turbine supplier for the 1100MW Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm in Scotland. Both Red Rock Power and ESB are Vestas clients for onshore wind projects, and with this new commitment, these partnerships now continue offshore. The project, located 15 km off the Angus Coast on the East of Scotland, will feature 72 V236-15.0MW turbines. The agreement also includes a 15-year Operations and Maintenance (O&M) contract, which will provide a multi-year solution to service the wind farm when operational. President of Vestas Northern & Central Europe Nils de Baar said: “Offshore wind projects are evolving rapidly, and Vestas is proud to play a leading role in this expansion with our industry leading offshore technology. “We are honoured to have been selected as preferred supplier by Inch Cape Offshore Limited, enabling us to support Scotland and the UK’s net zero ambitions, while increasing the security of energy supply. “Inch Cape is a landmark project, and to be a part of it is a proud achievement for all our employees, who work with great dedication to develop reliable, resilient, and sustainable offshore technology all around the world.” Inch Cape Offshore Limited secured a contract for difference in the UK’s fourth CfD allocation round, which concluded on July 7, 2022. Ir recently announced the Renewables Hub at the Port of Dundee as its intended pre-assembly site and the Port of Montrose as the project’s O&M base. If and when the agreement with Inch Cape becomes a firm order for Vestas, Vestas will disclose the order in a company announcement in accordance with the company’s disclosure policy.
K2 Management, a leading international renewable energy consultancy, will consult on the development of a pipeline of offshore wind projects in the Baltic Sea, after signing a framework agreement with Sunly, the independent power producer in the Baltic States and Poland. K2 Management will undertake pre-development studies and research for Sunly’s offshore wind projects and will advise the offshore developer strategically and tactically in the Baltic Sea, including in the coming auctions. According to WindEurope, the Baltic Sea could host as much as 93GW of offshore wind by 2050 and while Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden have made some inroads, a significant opportunity lies ahead for the Baltic States to enter the offshore market. “The Baltic States are in an excellent position to deploy offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea, but the countries have yet to tap into this significant offshore wind potential. This is about to change, and K2 Management is proud to provide its technical expertise, while leveraging its global offshore wind experience to make that happen,” said Lars K Hammershøj, the Co-founder & Owner of K2 Management. Priit Lepasepp, the CEO and Co-founder of Sunly commented: “We believe that now is the time to deliver big-scale renewable energy projects that both improves energy security and contributes to the green transition. That is why Sunly’s experienced team is developing offshore wind parks in the Baltic region, and we are happy that K2 Management will be part of this journey.”
The world’s largest offshore wind farm off the coast of East Yorkshire has produced clean renewable energy for the first time. Once completed, Hornsea Project One will be almost double the size of the world’s current largest offshore farm. All of the 174 turbine blades for the wind farm are being manufactured by Siemens Gamesa at its facility in Hull’s Alexandra Dock. “The UK renewables sector is thriving. Last year we saw the world’s largest wind farm open off the coast of Cumbria, and today it’s joined by an even bigger one starting to produce power for the first time. British innovation is central to our modern Industrial Strategy and our upcoming sector deal will ensure UK offshore wind is a global leader as we transition to a greener, smarter energy future,” said Claire Perry, Energy & Clean Growth Minister. Located 120km off the East Yorkshire coast, Hornsea Project One will consist of 174 Siemens Gamesa turbines. The first turbine blade for the wind farm left Hull on February 5, and was installed just five days later. The wind farm is a joint venture between Ørsted, a global leader in offshore wind, and Global Infrastructure Partners. “Hornsea One is the first of a new generation of offshore power plants that now rival the capacity of traditional fossil fuel power stations. The ability to generate clean electricity offshore at this scale is a globally significant milestone, at a time when urgent action needs to be taken to tackle climate change,” said Matthew Wright, UK managing director at Ørsted. “Ten years ago, the thought of a project of this size was just a dream, but thanks to continued innovation, a determined effort from both the industry and supply chain to drive down costs, and the natural geographical benefits that surround us, the UK has positioned itself as a world-leader in offshore wind. Our company’s vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy, and this flagship project is a significant step on that journey, proving that large-scale renewable energy is not just an idea of the future, it’s here, right now,” Matthew added. So far, 172 out of 174 monopile foundations have been installed at the site, with turbine installation expected to continue until late summer 2019. The electricity generated by the turbines will pass via undersea cables through one of three massive offshore substations, before reaching shore at Horseshoe Point, Lincolnshire. The electricity is then transported via underground cables to the onshore substation in North Killingholme, where it connects to the UK National Grid.
Plans for a community-owned wind farm in Cornwall have been submitted by UK-based, green energy proponent, Good Energy. If approved, it will be one of few in the nation that doesn’t rely on either financial backing or government subsidies and could mark the dawning of a new era in renewables technologies. The project will see the construction of 11 turbines with a generating capacity of 38.5MW near Bude in Cornwall. It is currently being considered by the Planning Inspectorate and will be reviewed in respect of is local impact, as well as global impact. Good Energy has remained open-minded about investment into the project, dubbed “Big Field Wind Farm”, and hopes the project will be be majority-held by local investors and residents. Juliet Davenport, Founder and CEO of Good Energy described plans as a “bold and innovative response” to last year’s Autumn Statement and Spending Review which has had disastrous consequence for the renewables sector. She continued to say that it would provide local people that opportunity to do their bit for the sustainability agenda, as well as representing great financial reward. With local ownership, all of the wind farm’s turnover will remain in the area and can be re-invested in the development of Cornwall. Back in 2014, plans were rejected by planners owing to the lack of clarity on government spending. Designs has since been re-drawn and will see the site increase its generating capacity by 50% whilst retaining the maximum height of the turbines at a proportionate small 125m. The revised plans also detail how the farm will be self-sufficient, operating exclusively on the payback from electricity generated. “Big Field Wind Farm” is hoped to provide power to over 22,000 homes local to the region. The concept of community ownership came in acknowledgement of the findings of a public opinion poll last September. The survey found that three quarters of all UK households were keen to support renewable energy projects providing profits directly benefited the local community.
