energyengineering

issue thirty five 2011

power for the future

Sun city
Solar gains

Action plans
Heating up

Wind swept
Weather reports

Making connections All-Energy 2011

RES Offshore
EXCELLENCE IN PROJECT DELIVERY
RES Offshore offers development, engineering, construction and O&M services for utility-scale renewable energy projects. From offshore wind to wave and tidal, we bring to projects the considerable skills and experience that we have acquired over 25 years in the renewables industry.

OFFSHORE WIND

WAVE ENERGY

TIDAL ENERGY

info@res-offshore.com www.res-offshore.com

Contents

4 6 18 21 24 27 31

Mark Northey on legal risks in the marine renewables sector Mike Farish reports on the latest developments in the offshore wind market An update on Scotlands renewable energy industry Theone Wilson reports on the offshore wind supply chain How energy storage technology is advancing An energy consultancy that has a lot to offer Intellectual property and how it affects you The energy vessels of the future Michele Grassi discusses the deployment of his new prototype Whats happening in the world of rotor bearing supports ABB explains its tried and proven technologies Whats in store at Renewable Energy World Europe Analysis of wind speed in a number of regions Dr Claire Hinton discusses the marine environment An overview of progress in the renewable heat industry

Viewpoint News Offshore law New identity

Close collaboration Balanced outlook

Saving up

Untitled-4 1

34 37 40 42 45 47 55 59 62 65 68 71 74 76 79 87 90 92 95

Growing demand

Commercial gains Load factors

9/5/11 17:08:21

Cover image courtesy of CHPV. www.chpv.co.uk energyengineering magazine www.energyengineering.co.uk

Managing Editor Steve Welch Consulting Editor Mike Farish Senior Sub Editor Theone Wilson Contributors Dr David Clarke, Mark Northey, Michele Grassi, David Appleyard, Dr Claire Hinton, Hayley Myles, Michael Hawkins, Barney Butterell, Alistair Welch Design Hannah Reid Business Development Manager Ann Goldthorp 2011 Steve Welch Media Published by Steve Welch Media, 6A New Street Warwick CV34 4RX United Kingdom +44 (0)1926 408244 Fax: +44 (0)1926 408206 e: info@energyengineering.co.uk Annual subscription rates UK: 65 Europe: 95 Rest of world: $170/115

Strong contender

Meeting the challenge

Ready for connection now The renewable agenda Site statistics

Coasting along

Moving forward

How lubricants can make the wind energy sector more cost-effective We speak to a new director at the Highlands and Islands Enterprise Barney Butterall on a new solar project The latest on tidal turbine development News from the Austrian pavilion Our guide to the renewable energy event Bolt securing systems explained Anaerobic digestion and the potential it offers Theone Wilson interviews Anna Botten of Siemens

Taking wind turbines to new heights Exporting expertise Showing potential Blade runner

Advantage Austria All-Energy 2011 Safe and sound

Going for growth

Career development Megawatch

www.energyengineering.co.uk

98

Dr David Clarke discusses what is needed in the energy systems of the future

A small is beautiWhen
s the price of oil continues to rise and the cost of building new nuclear power stations gy systems of the future to be clean, secure Increasing roll-out of offshore renewables means looks likely to increase, the need for the enerimproving the commercial benefits case by reducing costs and increasing energy yields. ETI is making a and above all affordable, is more crucial than ever. The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), a partnership between global industry and the UK Government, is at already invested over 10million in next generation the forefront of addressing the engineering challenges facing the country as we seek to upgrade our energy system. Since its formation in 2008 the ETI has invested over 62million in projects covering offshore wind, marine energy, distributed energy, buildings, energy storage and distribution, carbon capture and storage and road transport. Another 100million will be invested in projects in these areas and in bioenergy in the year ahead. At the ETI we are addressing key risk areas, accelerating technologies essential for bringing down costs and tackling new projects on a huge scale.
4

ing effective projects combining bioenergy with CCS.

step-change in investments to reduce the cost of electricity from high wind speed, deep water sites. We have designs. Our next projects will be around 25million each, targeting floating platforms and technology for very long blades to take advantage of strong winds while reducing the costs of installing giant structures. Widespread energy efficiency improvements bring the combined risks of consumer acceptance of new technologies and creating effective logistics for delivering house retrofits on a mass scale. In our buildings project we are designing supply chain solutions to improve the energy efficiency and energy management in the 26million homes expected to be still in use by 2050. For nuclear the immediate challenge is largely in supply-chain capacity and manufacturing capability - not in a need for major new technologies. World demand for new plants is likely to lead to supply constraints that may drive prices upwards if we cannot create effective competition. The UKs energy strategy is evolving and much will depend on the Electricity Market Reform outcomes. The implementation of new developments will be led by industry and, given the necessarily large scale of investment and equipment installation, it must be a very wide cross-section of industry. ETI projects are helping to bring new entrants into the sector and grow the UK industry base ready for wide-scale technology deployment. Reaching the UKs 2020 and 2050 targets is a huge wealth creation opportunity and a huge economic investment challenge. Getting to 2020 is expected to cost over 200billion and our analysis at the ETI suggests the annual cost of the UKs energy system in 2050 will be over 300billion. Through the ETIs work we can see viable engineering solutions for the UK. The national challenge now is to make sure the implementation strategy - the government policies - give us economic benefits that outweigh the investment costs and continue to create an assured position for industry and investors.
Dr David Clarke is Chief Executive of the Energy Technologies Institute.

The ETIs in-house UK energy system model highlights the technologies, supply-chains and cost implications of implementing engineering solutions to get the UK to the 2050 climate change targets. Its not a question of picking one technology over another but identifying those that will have the greatest impact on the overall UK energy system across power, heat, transport and infrastructure. Our strategic modelling points to the top five issues for the UK power sector in getting the country to 2050 as carbon capture and storage, bioenergy, offshore renewables, energy efficiency and nuclear. These all have technology risks which need to be understood and managed if they are to attract investors and industrial suppliers but the immediate technology risks are quite different in each case. In CCS it is storage - how much, where, and with what risks? At ETI we are creating a national database of the sites available for storing carbon dioxide underground off the coast of the UK. We are also commissioning projects developing lower cost capture technology for both coal and gas fuelled power plants. In bioenergy it is crop science and soil chemistry - will moving to bioenergy crops release more CO2 from the soil than we gain in emissions reductions? To address this ETI is launching field trials on land use change and sustainability and the potential for operat-

Ensuring renewable energy for this generation. And the next.

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news
Sustainability

Holy orders
The first zero-carbon vicarage in the UK is to be fitted out by building services provider J S Wright. The Birmingham company has teamed up with top developer/contractor Galliford Try in a 300,000 deal to design and build the mechanical services for the vicarage, which will be built in the grounds of St Johns Church in Wembley, West London. J S Wright is to design and install underfloor heating linked to a ground source heat pump and a domestic water service that incor6

are delighted to have been appointed to lead the way in greener housing by fitting out such an imaginative development to Level 6 of the Government Code, especially as it is expected that all grant-funded

social housing will have to meet the exacting standard by 2016. The vicarage is to be the new home for the resident vicar, the Reverend Francis Adu-Boachie.
www.jswright.co.uk

porates rainwater harvesting. It will also be providing all the properties with ventilation and above ground drainage. Marcus Aniol, Managing Director of J S Wright, comments: We

Software
products before they are built, to accelerate time to market and to innovate more rapidly. The marine energy sector is still in its earliest stages, almost a generation behind wind energy in terms of its development. The focus is on experimenting to find devices that will reliably capture energy, says Erwin Burth, Business Development

Time saver
Autodesk, Inc has announced that growing numbers of businesses across the marine technology, wave and tidal power sectors in Europe are using its solutions, following

Manager for Clean Tech at Autodesk the launch of its Clean Tech Partner Program across the region in 2010. The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program provides Digital Prototyping software, including Autodesk Inventor, to clean technology start-ups to design, visualise and simulate in Europe. That is why Autodesk design software can be key to helping pioneering companies in this sector to test out their ideas and find innovative solutions to the most pressing marine energy challenges.
www.autodesk.co.uk/cleantech.

UNITED BY OUR DIFFERENCE

WSP CAN TAKE YOU FROM CONCEPT TO REALISATION

WSP is a global energy, environmental, sustainability, design and engineering consultancy. We advise parties on all sides of the table for renewable energy schemes and through all stages of the project development cycle.
Feasibility analysis Site screening and selection Compliance strategies Engineering design Impact assessments Health and safety Integrated energy strategies Offshore foundation design

Electrical engineering Environmental planning Resource assessments Technology reviews Portfolio assessments Sourcing scheme investment Technology life cycle analysis Project management

Environmental Advisor of the Year 2010 and 2011 NCE/ACE International Consultant of the Year 2011

www.wspgroup.com/futureenergy

We have a track record.

Were working for major renewables developer Forewind on Round 3 Offshore, supporting a strategic grid reinforcement review

We are working with Scottish & Southern Energy on their 400kV transmission line that will connect the Highlands to Central Scotland

We worked on the UK Graylingwell residential development which includes 750 net zero carbon homes and 15,000 sqm of PV

We assessed two onshore wind farms in Romania on behalf of EDP Renovaveis to deliver EBRD / IFC compliance

We are working with Dalkia and Diageo on their Scottish Bio-energy facility which will replace 80% of electricity and 98% of natural gas that Diageo buys

We are technology neutral.

Reinforcement

scale Grid Developers Wave

Grid Connections Offshore Grid Global projects Renewable energy schemes Lenders & Investors EDP Corporations Government Small scale Wind Tidal Owners & Operators Scottish & Southern Energy Solar Biogas Landfill gas to energy Biomass Biofuels Geothermal Waste to energy Fuel Cells Masdar Hydro Large
Transmission Line Connections

Onshore

news
Foundation

Twisted thinking
The SMart Wind consortium has installed the first met mast at its 4,000MW Hornsea zone. The consortium is led by Mainstream Renewable Power and Siemens Project Ventures, who have now signed all contracts. The mast, which is due to be installed in August, will use the new twisted jacket foundation, designed by Keystone Engineering. This novel foundation design aims to significantly reduce foundation capital expenditure costs. The project received grid con10

ing a full spectrum of environmental surveys, bird and mammal observations, geophysics, geotechnical investigation, marine ecology and deployment of metocean measuring devices to record wind and waves. Andy Kinsella, Chairman of SMart Wind, comments: We are delighted to be installing our first met mast at Hornsea. This is another significant milestone on the path to delivering our first project into construction by 2014. Reducing the cost of energy is a key focus for SMart Wind and by using the new twisted jacket foundation we are clearly demonstrating our commitment to real cost reductions and innovation.
www.mainstreamrp.com

nection for the first 1,000MW in September 2010 and over the past 12 months has been undergo-

SeaStates
Home Metocean Forecasting Operational Toolkit Data Management My SeaStates Contact us

World Meterological Organisation Sea State Code

Sea State Wave Height (metres) Characteristics Key

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0m 0-0.1m 0.1-0.5m 0.5-1.25m 1.25-2.5m 2.5-4m 4-6m 6-9m 9-14m > 14m

Calm (glassy) Calm (rippled) Smooth (wavelets) Slight Moderate Rough Very Rough High Very High Phenomenal

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news
Engineering

Mission accomplished
Engineering firm Mabey Bridge has completed the first section of an 80m wind turbine tower from its new 38million factory in Newhouse, Chepstow. The milestone means that its state-of-the-art factory is now operationally complete. This is the first tower section to pass through every stage of production. All that remains is for internal fittings such as cable trays, ladders, and landing stages to be inserted.
12

Peter Lloyd, Managing Director of Mabey Bridge, comments: This marks the culmination of two years hard work and effectively means we are now operationally complete. The first painted tower section has now passed through every stage of the factory process. This landmark shows we are delivering on our 38million investment and proves that Britain can produce wind turbine tower towers indigenously. The message is that we are well and truly open for business and stock is rolling off the factory floor.
www.mabeybridge.co.uk

news
Environment

Making a statement
ABPmer has been commissioned to prepare the marine elements of an environmental statement in support of Associated British Ports (ABP) proposed Green Port Hull development at Alexandra Dock, Port of Hull. This follows the announcement in January that Siemens has selected Hull as the preferred location for a new offshore wind turbine manufacturing facility. Bill Cooper, Managing Director at ABPmer, says: We are delighted to be working on such an exciting port development for our parent
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company. ABPmer has 60 years port-related research and consultancy practice and understands that successful design and operation of ports is dependent on understanding both the marine environment and operational requirements. ABPmer has been supporting the

renewable energy sector in gaining offshore wind marine consents for over a decade. The Green Port Hull project finds us assisting the sector further in securing a waterside site for UK turbine manufacture, close to three of the largest UK offshore zones.
www.abpmer.co.uk

Leading the way in supporting renewables

TAG Energy Solutions is creating the UKs first offshore wind turbine tubular foundation production plant. It will be located in the North East of England. This exciting, 20 million facility is being developed with support from DECC, One North East and investors Platina Partners and Environmental Technologies Fund. The new plant will be online in the spring of 2011. TAG Energy Solutions and its partners are helping the region lead the way in supporting renewables. T: 01642 565500 E: enquiries@tagenergysolutions.com

www.tagenergysolutions.com

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news
Research

Growth and change

Cranfield University and Peterborough City Council launched a new partnership in March, aimed at developing education and research in renewable energy and bio-fuels to support future economic growth in the city. The partnership includes a donation of 60,000 from Peterborough Renewable Energy Ltd (PREL) and will involve appointing a Professor of Renewable Energy, who will create and establish a Centre for Renewable Energy and Bio-Fuels. This will be located at Cranfield, which is renowned in this field, and will also have a significant presence at PRELs Energy Park Peterborough, which when constructed, will be Europes first truly sustainable biomass power plant. Professor Minoo Patel, Director of Development at Cranfields School of Engineering, says: Cranfield is delighted to enter into a partnership with Peterborough which will help establish the city as a leader in environmental innovation, renewable energy and bio-fuels. Cranfield will work with Peterborough on developing a range of renewable technologies including wind power, bio-fuels from algae and waste to energy. An exciting aspect of this partnership will be the opportunity to establish demonstrator sites for these technologies in the Peterborough area as a launch pad for wider industrial take up.
www.cranfield.ac.uk

VERSATILITY
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Installation vessels

Overseas adventure
MPI Offshore Limited (MPI) has received delivery of a wind turbine installation vessel to Qidong, in China. The MPI Adventure is a wind turbine installation vessel designed to transport, lift and install wind turbines and their foundations. She is highly advanced and efficient in terms of jacking speed, deck space, lifting capacity and positioning capabilities. She is the first of two state-of-the art wind turbine installation vessels to be built at the Cosco Qidong Shipyard. The second vessel, MPI Discovery, is scheduled for delivery later this year. Paul Gibson, Chairman of MPI Offshore Limited, says: This is truly a proud day for all at MPI, Vroon and the Cosco Shipyard, plus the many other parties who have worked tirelessly for the last three years to bring about the delivery of such an impressive piece of engineering. I have no doubt that, once in service, MPI Adventure will soon demonstrate that she really is a class act! She is a welcome addition to the MPI fleet and will serve to consolidate our position as a world leader in the construction of offshore wind installations.
www.mpi-offshore.com

T: +44 (0) 1274 531034 E: post@centa-uk.co.uk

www.centapower.co.uk

Business

Offshore law
peoples minds in planning offshore operations, it is important that they are considered. Failure to make provision for potential issues early on can mean funding is difficult or impossible to obtain, costs may rise and there is a risk of criminal prosecution or civil claim. There is a difference between risks during development and risks for those technologies that are operational and are being deployed on a commercial
18

Mark Northey, Partner at Ashfords LLP, discusses legal risks in the marine renewables sector
hilst legal issues are, understandcope with the power being brought ashore. Contracts for the transmission and offtake of power are with an Offshore Transmission Owner (OFTO). There is a competitive regime for the award of OFTO contracts and, since the regime is relatively new, there have been some problems to overcome. Currently, lenders are preoccupied with two major issues. Firstly, the Energy White Paper has not (at the time of writing) been published and, therefore, there is uncertainty as to the level of renewable support available in the new Feed-in Tariff for offshore schemes. Given that offshore schemes are considerably more expensive to install and maintain than onshore schemes, this is of obvious concern. Secondly, contractors are not prepared to wrap the construction phase as a turnkey contract and, therefore, separate contracts have to be let which adds to the risk of delivery (the riskiest phase so far as lenders are concerned). The Health and Safety Executive and the Marine and Coastguard Agency have overlapping responsibility for safety at sea. They do have a memorandum of understanding between them dividing this responsibility and as a result, working on a ship would be a MCA responsibility and on an offshore structure a HSE responsibility. Having two responsible bodies tends to add to costs and risks. Additionally, Trinity House and its equivalents in Scotland (Northern Lighthouse Board) and Northern Ireland (Commissioners for Irish Lights) are responsible for maintaining their own navigation aids and inspecting and auditing private ones around the UK coast. There are many other users of the seas including the Ministry of Defence, fishermen, shipping (commercial and leisure) and the oil and gas industry. If the proposed installation is to be close to land, there may also be opposition from local residents. Despite the sea being a vast expanse, parts of it are intensively used. International regulations for preventing collisions at sea apply and, although a marine contractor will take this into account when planning installation and maintenance, there is some evidence that the power companies are not as aware as they should be of the problems of operating at sea. Ships and marine operations are far more subject to the elements than operations on land and even the most careful planning can be ruined by the tide or weather. If a ship runs into your properly charted installation, although there could be potentially expensive damage to repair and loss of revenue, much of the cost should be for the ship owner, charterer or insurers. But if your device breaks from its moorings and creates havoc in the shipping lanes or manages to cause damage somewhere else, that could be your risk and expense. None of these risks are insurmountable as the offshore windfarm programme proves. Some should be relatively simple to resolve, but they do all need early consideration.
www.ashfords.co.uk

ably, not typically at the forefront of

scale. Here we discuss the latter, but there are obvious synergies. The Crown Estate is only responsible for seabed licences - it is not responsible for offshore planning. Under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, the Marine Management Organisation is starting to take responsibility for offshore planning in English waters. The MMO, which has equivalents in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, is also responsible for the protection of marine life, either specifically (for instance seals) or through marine conservation zones (still being planned with full designation by 2012). The first marine conservation zone is off Lundy Island.
Ashfords LLP is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The information in this note is intended to be general information about English law only and not comprehensive. It is not to be relied on as legal advice nor as an alternative to taking professional advice relating to specific circumstances.

In a recent case demonstrating the importance of complying with on and offshore planning regimes, an offshore windfarm was delayed due to the local planning authority rejecting the design of the landfall. Naturally, there is still the issue of whether the onshore grid is able to

The development of marine or wet renewable energy systems poses a series of challenges for their designers. Converteam has many decades of experience in designing electrical equipment and systems for hostile environments, such as those found in our offshore wind energy business and in our offshore oil & gas business, so we know how to mitigate those challenges particularly with respect to reliability and maintenance which are exceptionally demanding in a subsea installation. Converteams advanced power conversion solutions position us to provide device developers with the best technology and the strongest technical assistance to move from concept to reality. For more information visit Converteam at All Energy 2011 Stand K80 - 18 and 19th May - Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre

www.converteam.com

Condence
Reduce exposure to risk with accurate and reliable weather information Optimise resource planning and decrease costs Protect people and assets by minimising health and safety risks Improve operations and maintenance planning Make the best use of available weather windows

Met Ofce at All-Energy UK 2011:

Exhibition: AECC, May 18 19, Stand AB14 Offshore Wind technology updates a presentation

on How far modelled data sets and remote sensed data products can be applied within the offshore renewables sector on 19 May at 13.45.

Site visit to Met Ofce Centre in Aberdeen, 20 May

To nd out how we can help your business, come and talk to us at All Energy 2011. Alternatively call +44 1224 407575 or email marine@metofce.gov.uk, quoting reference EE2011. www.metofce.gov.uk/marine

To sign up for a free technical tour of our Marine Centre of Excellence in Aberdeen on Friday 20 May, visit www.all-energy.co.uk/Technical_tours.html
Met Ofce FitzRoy Road, Exeter Devon, EX1 3PB United Kingdom Tel: 0870 900 0100 Fax: 0870 900 5050 Email: marine@metofce.gov.uk www.metofce.gov.uk/marine Produced by the Met Ofce. Crown copyright 2011 11/0121 Met Ofce and the Met Ofce logo are registered trademarks

Offshore wind

New identity
Mike Farish talks to Beverley Walker of WSP Group about the latest developments in the offshore wind market

21

in particular as the UKs Round 3 and Scottish Territorial Waters programmes move towards their formal project consenting stage companies servicing the market are seeking to define unique identities for themselves based on their perception of real market requirements. One such is global

s the pace of develop-

consultancy operation WSP Group, which has established its Future Energy division with the specific remit of providing whole project life cycle engineering and environmental services to the worldwide energy supply and transmission sectors. A key player within the set-up is Beverley Walker, Head of Offshore Renewables for the company, who joined WSP last year as the latest stage in a career that started as a

biologist in her native Australia over 30 years ago. Having worked in the renewable sector in Europe and the UK for the past 10 years, she now works out of offices in Edinburgh, appropriately close to the North Sea where much of OWF development will be focussed. Walker explains that WSP Future Energy is intended both to coordinate and further develop existing energy-related activities on the part of the com-

ment in the offshore wind market relent-

lessly ramps up and

Offshore wind

pany that already generate around 30million of revenue each year. Initially at least it will mostly comprise a management team that is able to draw on relevant resources within the wider company. She estimates that in the immediate term this will put around 900-1,000 of the Groups 9,000 or so employees at its disposal. But Walker also stresses that WSP Future Energy is set on global growth, whether organically or through acquisition, and has been provided with the autonomy to make its own decisions about how best to pursue that goal through its own efforts. We have our own budget and targets, she confirms. Much of how it does so in the UK
22

crucial areas of expertise needed at this stage. Those that are currently relevant include: *offshore health and safety. *insurance risk analysis. *environmental impact assessment (EIA) and consent permitting. *foundation design *offshore HVDC competence. A favoured tactic for dealing with this situation by developers in the sector has been to pool their resources through various forms of business alliance. It is a market with a lot of mergers and joint ventures, Walker observes. In addition, the market is currently dealing with high initial capital expenditures and clients are pushing to drive those costs down. This can only come from innovation and experience, Walker claims, and it is this type of expertise that is influencing our recruitment and expansion. WSP Future Energy is looking for smart alliances that can offer this skill base to the UK market. Just last November it entered into a formal agreement with its sister company in Norway, Multiconsult WSP has a 25 percent share of this engineering consultancy, which has 35 years of deep water experience to work together on offshore projects a deal that Walker says should add to WSPs resources in terms of experience in foundation and jacket design, electrical design and HVDC cable routing. Notwithstanding initial

reservations from UK clients regarding skills and resources arriving from another country, we are finding that experience is becoming an increasingly easier commodity to price and sell. Walker adds that WSP has already developed a system to exploit the deal in a way that should make those highly sought after technical resources available to clients in a cost-effective manner. What is certain, though, is that a clock is ticking and that the first formal consenting applications for Round 3 are likely to be submitted as early as next year. The new streamlined consenting processes contained in the Planning Act 2008 will be administered by the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) established in 2009. WSP has recruited Martin Broderick, an experienced EIA practitioner and part-time registered IPC Commissioner, to help pave the way and provide support to clients with key advice. For the moment Walker merely notes that theoretically at least those processes should be more flexible than previously, though it is evidently an issue to which she has given a good deal of thought. In short the market is one in which technology, legislation, commercial imperatives and procedural routines are still trying to find ways to co-exist that are efficient and mutually supportive.
www.wspgroup.com

offshore wind market will, therefore, be down to her and the expanding team. In the case of Round 3 it is a market that she regards as possessing some highly distinctive characteristics. The one she identifies as perhaps the most significant is that through both EU and then in turn national government directives it is being driven by legal targets, which are highly aspirational and challenging, but which the whole of Europe is committed to meeting. This makes for a highly competitive market. In consequence, waiting is not an economical option. Right now the industry owners, developers, and operators is coming up against a number of bottlenecks, in particular a shortage of people with the necessary skills to enable offshore surveying, project consenting, and design a shortage that is in part a consequence of competition with and the generally higher salaries paid by companies in the offshore oil and gas sector. Again Walker can pinpoint the

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Regional development

Close collaboration
Scotlands renewable energy industry is gearing up - we report on one group thats helping to develop the sector
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aunched in 2001, the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) is working to build a competitive and sustain-

Through Aberdeen City Councils membership of the World Energy Cities Partnership and its connections with an array of international energy regions, AREG can tap into wellestablished trade networks. These links are complemented by close working relationships with Scottish Development International, UK Trade and Investment, the Department of Energy and Climate Change and other public sector and Scottish local authority working groups. AREG also has close ties with Scottish Renewables, RenewableUK, EWEA, SubseaUK, the North Scotland Industries Group, The Energy Institute, Scottish Council for Development and Industry, Scottish Enterprise and the Chamber of Commerce. The organisation acts as a regional catalyst to transfer four decades of offshore energy expertise in oil and gas into renewables. Many organisations are now applying existing knowledge and skills to capitalise on supply chain opportunities in this

quickly expanding market. Chief Operating Officer Morag McCorkindale explains: A large part of AREGs success is delivering on our aim to lead, or otherwise participate in, projects identified as adding economic development value to the region. AREG has significantly increased participation in the renewables supply chain (wind, marine, biomass, solar and district heating) by promoting the industry through its active and inclusive events and international trade programmes, contact with government and industry bodies, flagship projects and its activities surrounding the development of the All-Energy show. In addition, AREG has initiated a portfolio of forward-thinking projects. One example is the European Offshore Wind Development Centre (EOWDC). The EOWDC is a joint venture between AREG, Vattenfall and development partner Technip. According to AREG, the EOWDC

able renewable energy industry for Scotland, the UK and Europe. AREG is a not-for-profit independent membership organisation committed to further development of the renew-

able energy sector in Aberdeen City and Shire. Membership activities span every sector of renewable energy including wind, wave, tidal and hydro, bio, solar, geothermal and fuel cell energy and members include energy operators and service companies, technology developers, service, engineering, training and accreditation companies, four local authorities, research and development interests and other trade associations. The group has its own board of directors drawn from major energy interests across Aberdeen City and Shire, and can tap into a multitude of public and private sector trade networks.

All-Energy, which last year attracted visitor numbers in excess of 7,000, brings together delegates and business interests from around the globe. The show is a key event for AREG in displaying its own activities and those of its partners and members. AREG has also been instrumental in the regions growth of biomass projects through its leading role in the Grampian Biomass Working Group and through participating in an advisory role on other projects. Over 8million was committed could provide a vital stepping-stone to the UKs ambitious 39GW of generating capacity planned for offshore wind development in territorial waters. The venture will support national security of energy supply, encourage the region to diversify its economy and capitalise on employment opportunities and attract scientists, researchers, engineers, offshore wind supply chain companies and future investment. As well as proving new turbine designs and foundations, the EOWDC will provide independent validation and accreditation of equipment and services prior to commercial deployment. It will also generate further value through associated R&D activity and could boast an offshore research station, possibly becoming a centre of excellence for environmental research, technology development and a test-ground for new health and safety, access and training procedures. An application for consent for the EOWDC is due to be submitted to Marine Scotland for consideration later this year. Last August, the Crown Estate awarded the EOWDC an exclusivity agreement to test and demonstrate up to 11 next generation offshore wind turbines in a zone off Aberdeen. This was followed, in December, by a grant of up to 40million from the European Economic Recovery Plan. The support was endorsed by the European Council and is part of wider proposals to invest in key energy and internet broadband infrastructure projects. A second project with which AREG is deeply involved is Aberdeens All-Energy show, which has been supported and championed by AREG, Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council since its inception. The exhibition and conference is a vibrant platform for renewables technology, skills transfer and business enterprise. to biomass infrastructure between 2006 and 2009 and since then additional developments have included installations of biomass boilers in public buildings including Marischal College, Foresterhill Hospital and Duthie Park Winter Gardens. Finally, a collaboration involving Aberdeens internationally renowned universities has been designed to bolster the citys status as an industry leader in the renewable energy spectrum. The project, to establish a renewables research hub, is building on the alliance to progress joint renewable energy research capabilities. The three parties in the alliance - The University of Aberdeen, The Robert Gordon University and Aberdeen City Council - committed 700,000 for the initial three years and have since leveraged around 1.5million from industry and other research organisations.
www.aberdeenrenewables.com
25

Proud to be Scottish IP Firm of the year 2011

Intellectual property: Release its potential www.hgf.com

Harrison Goddard Foote MIP Scottish IP Firm of the year 2011 Contact us Please contact Dr Gary Wilson on 0141 229 5800 or email gwilson@hgf.com Follow us on twitter @hgf_ip Visit our web log www.hgf.typepad.com

Offshore wind

Balanced outlook
operations. Last year the decision was made to utilise this experience within the offshore wind industry, and the company set about building a new production facility that will manufacture offshore wind turbine foundations. The construction of this facility, based in Billingham, has sped forward in leaps and bounds. TAG has now received all the funding for the site and the building is nearing completion. The wide array of machines, such as the welding equipment that will be crucial to the operation, are all on site too and

27

Theone Wilson discovers Teessides answer to the challenges of the offshore wind supply chain
AG Energy Solutions, located on the Teesside waterfront, already has extensive experience of offshore are being lifted into position. TAGs Chief Executive, Alex Dawson, is expecting the site to be ready for action around the middle of June. The company wants to establish itself as a key player for foundations and topsides both in the UK and Europe. The key to this is the groups 30 years experience working offshore in the oil and gas sector. Dawson indicates that, although the offshore wind industry differs in part, in terms of foundations the requirements are very similar. Though carefully designed, he explains that foundations are produced through simple technology. The challenge is not producing them but rather converting the manufacturing and installation into a slick process. Its about moving an individual project towards a production process, Dawson says. Additionally, he foresees long-term prospects for the market. When the oil and gas industry was first taking off, it was seen as a short-term solution, but it has lasted 30 years, he explains. The offshore wind sector looks set to follow the same route. Its home ground for us. To this extent, TAG has submitted tenders for several upcoming projects; in particular Dawson hopes to become involved with EDFs Teesside windfarm, for which the company would be ideally placed. Meanwhile, TAG has been very

Offshore wind

active in the German market, which is seeing a lot of movement - the group currently has nine tenders submitted for German prospects. The UK, Dawson states, has a lot
28

moment. One example Dawson cites is that of cast nodes. At the moment, there is insufficient capacity in the UK to produce these and TAG is getting quotes from Germany for the items. Despite this, there is a real opportunity for a renaissance in the UK market; Dawson believes that the UK does have the capacity to become a leading exporter in the market as a whole. We have the skills but just need to apply them, he says. He indicates that in the UK there has been a lack of stimulation from the government to encourage the greater supply chain but the situation is now improving; however, responsibility also lies with individual companies to take the opportunities that are available. Companies need to stand up and be proactive - let people know that they are ready and waiting for work, Dawson explains. He senses that much of the industry is waiting for work to come to them rather than going out and searching for it, and this needs to change; key to finding these opportunities is networking. People dont know that youre there unless you tell them, he adds. Dawson himself has spent the past year raising TAGs profile so

that the industry knows they are now available to take on work. To further raise awareness, TAG has undertaken a study for The Carbon Trust, examining how to manufacture 100 jackets per annum. The work has brought home the point that offshore wind is potentially a huge market. In fact, once the site at Billingham is in operation Dawson anticipates running it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He is confident that there will be more than enough demand to make this worthwhile. As the business develops, TAG may also look at expanding and moving into new areas such as operations and maintenance. Overall, offshore wind, Dawson concludes, fits into the UKs energy plans as part of a balanced energy approach. This includes oil and gas, nuclear and renewables. While offshore wind is probably some years away from becoming commercially viable, in Dawsons mind it is essential to maintain this balanced outlook on energy. Nonetheless, the future looks bright for anyone with the skills and expertise to make an impact in the sector - and that includes TAG.
www.tagenergysolutions.com

to offer but is currently slightly behind the curve. In comparison, the German sector is a lot more advanced. The German port of Bremerhaven, for example, has recently seen a lot of investment into its facilities. This means that international cooperation in the field is developing. We are currently having conversations with companies across the world, but we are very much at the beginning of this process. The sector needs serious collaboration, explains Dawson. Certainly, there is room for development in the UK market at the

Harnessing natural energy

Engineering, technical safety and risk, and environmental consultancy services from Xodus Group actively support the development of renewable energy projects.

www.xodusgroup.com

Surveying Solutions for the Renewable Energy Sector

Oceans Of Ingenuity....

Aspect Land & Hydrographic Surveys is an ISO 9001: 2008 accredited company offering a full range of hydrographic, geophysical, oceanographic, marine environmental & topographic survey services, with expertise in combining all disciplines into single projects. We have an excellent proven track record of providing surveying solutions to the Renewable Energy sector. To date, numerous projects have been completed for offshore wind, wave and tidal energy schemes as well as onshore wind farms and hydro-electric power plants. Projects have been undertaken in some of the remotest parts of the UK within the most demanding and challenging environments, as are often required for renewable energy devices. With a team of highly professional, experienced and dedicated staff we can undertake projects of any size or nature. Continuous investment in state-of-the-art equipment and software ensures that we remain at the forefront of our profession. By developing long term, professional relationships with our clients we have built a reputation for reliability, integrity and excellence.

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Please contact us to discuss your project requirements and we will provide you with informed, professional advice and a competitive no-obligation quote.

Energy storage

Saving up

Energy storage looks set to become a key element of the sustainable energy portfolio - and the technology is rapidly advancing
echnological advances and scaleable energy storage solutions will soon provide utility companies, grid become increasingly popular. Many sources of renewable energy, whilst endlessly available, are inherently somewhat unpredictable - we cannot adequately predict nor ensure constant wind or sunshine. The same could be said of other contenders in renewable energy such as wave energy and run-of-river small hydro. Ironically tidal energy, whilst wholly predictable, is not willing to submit to our requirement for it to release its energy at times of peak demand. This natural feature of renewable energy has the potential to threaten the overall effectiveness of these green energy sources, since our grid infrastructures and energy demand patterns assume that electrical power is available at the flick of a switch. Globally the proportion of energy produced from renewable sources remains relatively low. If national, regional and global targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions are to be met, this proportion must rise significantly and, as the renewables contribution rises, so too will the need to ensure the quality and quantity of the energy reserves to cater for those natural variations in supply. Pumped storage hydroelectricity
31

organisations and large energy consumers with new choices to simultaneously enhance their facili-

ties and reduce overall reliance on fossil fuels. Global energy demand is rising and our appetite for power seems insatiable. In response to this trend and to the growing awareness of the impact of CO2 on the environment, together with growing concerns regarding energy security, renewable energy sources have

Energy storage

is one technique whereby hydroelectric power generation is used to meet peak level demand. This technique stores energy in the form of water which is pumped from a low to a high elevation reservoir using low cost, off peak electricity to drive the pumps. During periods of high demand, the stored water is returned from the high to the low reservoir via turbines. Although effective as a means of meeting peak demand the process is seen by some as being inefficient due to the cost and energy consumption involved in the pumping process. In the fossil fuel arena, power plants tend to run below full capacity to be sure that they have sufficient
32

ensures safe and efficient connection to the grid. Derek Grieve, Director Technology at Converteam UK points out: Choosing the right storage medium for the intended application is critical. There are a number of energy storage technologies around including flow cells, lithium ion batteries, super capacitors, superconducting magnetic energy storage and flywheels; each has unique characteristics and each has something to offer depending on whether your need is for the storage and delivery of electrical energy in short bursts or for its delivery over many hours or days. At the heart of an effective energy storage system such as ProNRG is the power converter system - a high power converter to transfer electrical energy efficiently between the energy storage medium and the grid. As many of the currently available storage media use low voltage DC at their terminal there is a need for the power converter to convert the output into grid compatible AC. The ProNRG power converter comprises an AC to DC inverter and a DC to DC booster, each of which is based on insulated gate bipolar

transistor (IGBT) switching devices. These sophisticated devices are a major contributor to the multiple goals of reliability, rapid switching capability and efficiency. In addition to taking power from the grid and attending to its conversion and storage, the power converter uses sophisticated inbuilt condition monitoring circuitry to oversee the energy media and provide essential data to the user therefore permitting the flexibility thats required to satisfy operational requirements. According to Grieve: Large scale systems engineering and serial production is partly what will develop this market into one that meets the demands of legislators, utility companies and consumers alike. Matching the right storage media to the right power converter and delivering it all as a coherent whole recognises the many differences between an energy storage system designed for a split second energy release pulse for a naval aircraft launch system and a system designed to sustain stable grid output on an evening when wind turbines arent turning at optimum speed.
www.converteam.com

reserve to meet demand fluctuations. Whilst this satisfies energy demand it does so at the expense of efficiency, as each unit of electricity requires more fuel to produce it. Fossil fuel plants which operate in this way by sustaining significant levels of rotational inertia, also known as spinning reserve, tend to incur penalties in terms of elevated maintenance costs due to the effects of thermal cycling. The latest generation of energy storage systems seek to provide a means of implementing synthetic inertia in lieu of costly, inefficient rotational inertia based energy reserves. Power conversion specialist Converteam is addressing these issues through investment in technological developments such as its ProNRG system, which ensures that natural energy sources can be harnessed, stored and released in order to satisfy base load as well as peak demand and does so in a way that

EE35_Fibregrate.indd 1

9/5/11 10:59:23

Consultancy

Growing demand
An energy consultancy is delivering an integrated package of services to the renewable industry to bring forward energy projects
wind, wave and tidal projects and is creating many new business opportunities in the low carbon arena. The company has more than 30 renewable related clients on its books. The company is experienced in prototype deployment, permit applications and environmental impact assessments and can offer
34

odus Group believes the skills learned from the oil and gas industry are readily transferable to emerging

deliver an important environmental study for a major tidal project in the Pentland Firth. Xodus will co-ordinate the environmental impact assessment for MeyGen, a standalone development company backed by shareholders, investment bank Morgan Stanley, independent power generator International Power plc and technology provider, Atlantis Resources Corporation. The project will consist of up to 400 1MW turbines generating enough energy to power 400,000 homes. They will be located in roughly 3.5km2 of the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth off the north

coast of Scotland between Caithness on the Scottish mainland and the Island of Stroma. The electricity generated from the project will be exported onshore for transmission to the National Grid. An agreement for lease for the site has been awarded by The Crown Estate which, if necessary consents are achieved, will convert into a 25 year operational lease. Xodus and MeyGen will spend eight months consulting with the public and carrying out the study, which will accompany the Marine License application for the project. Liz Foubister, Xodus Groups marine renewables environmental

integrated services through its expertise in subsea engineering, structural design and technical risk and safety. One of the most significant recent contracts won is with MeyGen to

35

specialist based in the Orkney office comments: The MeyGen project is one of the most significant tidal initiatives in the world, so it is a great privilege to be involved. One of the two tidal technologies to be deployed as part of the Inner Sound Project is the Atlantis tidal turbine, currently being tested at EMEC, which we previously worked on securing the consents to enable deployment. Dan Pearson, CEO of MeyGen says: This contract is key to the successful development of the MeyGen project and we are delighted to have awarded it to Xodus, a local company which has built up an excellent reputation in the sector. We look forward to working with Xodus and community stakeholders

in order to assess any impact this project may have on the environment, locally and regionally. Xodus works closely with wave and tidal technology developers using the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) and has been involved in helping to secure a number of consents for organisations including Aquamarine Power, Scottish Power Renewables and Atlantis Resources. The multi-discipline energy consultancy employs more than 310 people across its six divisions. Eric Doyle, Business Development Manager at Xodus revealed the company has plans to further expand its renewable capabilities with a recruitment drive planned for the coming months.

He explains: We are experiencing a growing demand for our low carbon services that we offer with some exciting new project wins in the offshore wind and wave arenas, so we are actively recruiting new talent in this field. We can support clients engineering requirements, from the concept select phase through to pre-FEED and FEED and into operational support. The cross-over from oil and gas means we have experts in subsea and structural engineering as well as technical and occupational safety areas. The company will be showcasing its services and some of the unique renewable products it has developed at All Energy in Aberdeen on 18-19 May on stand V30.
www.xodusgroup.com

Renewable energy consultants

Technical by nature
QUALIFIED BY EXPERIENCE
www.gl-garradhassan.com

Intellectual property

Commercial gains

Intellectual property is a key concern for innovators in renewable energy. Energy Engineering looks at the relationship between one IP firm and their client
enewable energy is a reladevelopers within the renewable and clean energy sectors. One of the reasons why the sector is proving so dynamic is the sheer number of small companies who are eager to bring new technologies to the market. However, such innovation is worthless if intellectual property is not taken seriously; without proper protection the time, energy and money spent on research and development could be wasted as the technology is effectively given away to competitors. Across wind, solar PV, power management, bio fuels and fuel cells, investors are keen to involve themselves in low-carbon technologies. According to HGF, intellectual property protection is a key factor in securing such investment. The Energetix Group, a clean technology development company, is just one client who are benefiting from HGFs experience in dealing with intellectual property concerns. The Energetix Group has developed, amongst other products, a micro-CHP technology known as Genlec - a combined heat and power system that is targeted at the UK and European residential heating markets as an alternative to conventional natural gas fired boilers. The technology uses an organic Rankine cycle (ORC), essentially comparable to a refrigerator working in reverse. The technology is covered by a number of patents, which were managed by HGF, that cover the micro-CHP using an ORC and scroll expander, in addition to other aspects of the technology and product design. The aim is to compile a range of patents that protect the inventive features of the technology and the system
37

tively young industry and, as with many new technologies, issues surrounding intellectual

property are of utmost importance to businesses working with the sector. Harrison Goddard Foote (HGF) is one of the UKs fastest growing intellectual property and patent law companies. Launched in 1995 with a single attorney, the firm now has a staff of over 100, including 50 solicitors and attorneys. Over recent years the company has worked increasingly with start-ups and new technology

Intellectual property

at a component level, explains Geoff Parker, Head of Sales and Marketing at Energetix Genlec. Energetix has worked with HGF for a number of years in protecting core technologies through patents and trademarks on a variety of innovative developments. HGF has always been able to cover our range of technology areas and offer good advice on approaches to patents, in particular managing the international process and dealing with foreign agencies through local attorneys, says Parker. Our experience of working with HGF has been of working with a very professional outfit. With patents, the process from application to grant can have many twists and turns through the UK and international examinations. The considerable experience of those
38

dealing with our cases has enabled us to progress through this process with favourable outcomes. Given the nature of patents, good, pragmatic advice is essential as it ensures appropriate decisions are made in relation to patent applications so that time and money can be properly invested. Another Energetix technology, Pnu Power, offers an alternative to lead acid in a range of applications. The batteries generate electricity using compressed air to drive a scroll expander, which in turn drives a generator. The technology has many applications for high value back up power offering high reliability and power availability. HGF worked with Energetix to secure international patents protecting the core technology of Pnu Power.

For small entrepreneurial companies requiring investment, whether it be venture capital or institutional, demonstrating a level of protection of their technology is an important element in attracting funding, adds Parker. As the industry grows and new commercial opportunities open up, having the protection of patents enables a more confident exploitation of the competitive features of individual products. Additionally, as businesses mature there is the potential to further exploit patents and trademarks through licensing agreements that allow expansion into new markets. If we are to get good, green technology out there, then it has to have good business behind it, concludes HGF patent attorney Matt Dixon.
www.hgf.com

www.loc-group.com
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Marine & Engineering Consultancy Services for Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy Projects
Warranty Surveying Navigational Risk Assessment Project Management Environmental Impact Studies Approval of Installation Vessels Preparation of Contingency Plans Safety Auditing Evaluation of Project Concepts Cable Installation
Please visit us at Stand C195 - All-Energy 2011, Aberdeen

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Installation vessels

Load factors Close collaboration

ing requirements for nacelles and blades. As the form and weight of those turbine elements have become increasingly uniform, so equally have the characteristics of the jack-up platforms involved. They are now typically capable of lifting nacelles weighing 300-500 tonnes to under-hook heights of up to 100m. Most are capable of oper40

Chris Garrett and George Gibberd of GL-Garrad Hassan discuss the energy fleet of the future Scotlands renewable energy industry is gearing up - we report on one he specifications of the all of these devices, but the fact that ing 100 tonnes group thats helping to develop the sector and a 17m base
installation vessels needed to deliver offshore wind farms are driven by the liftseveral companies have already tripod/jacket structure weighing 100-150 tonnes. In consequence, the load handling requirements for tidal stream vessels are almost the opposite of those for offshore wind. They inproposed device-specific installation vessels to deploy their prototypes, ranging from pontoon barges with winches to semi-submersibles to dedicated dynamic positioning (DP) crane barges, suggests there is no obvious choice of vessel on the market. The seabed at tidal sites is generally scoured bedrock and vessels need to hold station in currents of to 6-7 knots. This militates against the use of jack-ups because of the risk of leg impacts and the potential for strong vortex forces. In addition, the seabed provides no degree of moment fixity to the legs. Furthermore, such seabed and current conditions are similarly inimical to the use of moored vessels because drag embedment anchors are impractical, while the time and costs associated with the installation, maintenance and recovery of multi-point clump weight catenary moorings having run-outs of several hundred metres are prohibitive. Another difference is that single tidal rotors are typically limited to a maximum 1MW rating owing to the high blade root bending moments and the limitations in structural form imposed by the smaller rotor diameters. This typically leads to lower physical sizes and structural weights; a typical 1MW tidal seabed-mounted machine, for example, might have an 18-20m diameter rotor, a 20mx3m nacelle weigh-

volve modest weights to be lowered 30-60m down through the water and placed on the sea bed. Crane operations are constrained not so much by wind speed, but more by the tidal currents, hydrodynamic drag and the vessels ability to respond to incoming swells. Positional tolerance requirements are also generally less onerous, because fully-assembled machines are being handled. This allows the use of towed pontoon barges or DP construction support vessels operating with wider working circles. Several tidal companies have either built or are considering the former solution, though it is not clear whether the positional accuracy provided by tugs alone will be adequate for arrays and cable interface work. Offshore DP construction vessels are also a feasible, but expensive, option. Furthermore, station-keeping on a tidal site is a very different operation to avoiding collision with a fixed offshore oil-rig structure. They are designed for long-period, high wave-states with co-directional winds and very limited side-currents. Such conditions contrast sharply with those at exposed tidal sites where wind and waves can be at any angle with respect to the

ating in 40m of water, and some lattice legged vessels in 45-50m. Meanwhile, given the superficial resemblance of tidal and wind turbines, it is obviously appropriate to ask whether utility-scale tidal deployments could also utilise offshore wind installation vessels. But this is unlikely to be the case for two reasons. Firstly, the technical requirements for tidal stream installation vessels are, in fact, quite distinct so that in the longer term a bespoke vessel fleet will be needed. Secondly, the offshore wind fleet is unlikely to be sufficient in size to deliver the installation rates implicit in the Governments strategic plans, so there is little potential for any slack capacity in any case. Moreover, there has been negligible convergence in the design of tidal stream devices and there is currently still quite a wide variety at the large scale prototype stage. There may prove to be a single vessel design capable of installing

41

surface currents and the currents themselves are transient in magnitude and direction. In addition, the installation of tidal devices requires precise scheduling given that the slack-water windows of opportunity in which operations are possible for ROVs and cranes may be no more than 35 minutes per tide. Furthermore, operations which span the change of tide require the vessel to manoeu-

vre at slack water to maintain heading into the flow. As such, because neap windows appear only over the fortnightly tidal cycle, the main challenge in planning DP operations at a tidal site is to maximise the tidal current operating window so that the spread down-time over spring tides is minimised. So workable utility-scale tidal energy will require the development of a bespoke class of installation

vessel. Moreover, vessel capability must be recognised as a constraint that must be addressed at an early stage in the design process.
Chris.Garrett@gl-garradhassan.com is a senior installation engineer in the offshore wind group, and George.Gibberd@gl-garradhassan.com is head of marine renewable installation services, both based in the Bristol office of GL-Garrad Hassan.

www.gl-garradhassan.com

Marine energy

Michele Grassi reports on the deployment of his new prototype, the Y25t
42

Strong contender

0South Energy has completed construction of its next full scale prototype, the Y25t. This machine

wave machines, which will have from two to six floaters, each one rated at 25kW. In this respect, the Y25t is the first full scale prototype for Series 25, while the D100t was a full scale prototype for a Series 100. Due to the reaction from the market, 40South Energy decided to postpone the Series 100, and to concentrate on the Series 25, for which it has received a very strong and positive market reaction. The Y25t will now be tested in the test area already used for the D100t. It contains many of the solutions which will be adopted for the Series 25. Various scenarios have been simulated for the use of wave energy machines in distributed power generation, and in all cases the increased granularity in

the offer provided by Series 25 over Series 100 was a significant commercial plus. For example, the machines can be used in the UK, in wave parks of small to medium size (50kW to a few megawatts) to produce energy near the load centres. This way the machines are used to offset energy consumption, instead of producing energy for grid distribution, and therefore the value of the energy is the (total) retail price (around 110/MWh in the UK), not the wholesale one (around half that level). With this set-up, if the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of the wave park is below the retail price of energy, it will be economically viable even without any form of government incentives, and the

has the same general structure as the D100t, installed in August 2010: a lower member immersed at a depth of approximately 14m, and an upper member kept near to the surface. The upper member works at a depth between 0 and 10m depending on the wave con-

ditions. Contrary to the D100t, this time the lower member has a Y shape, from which the name of the machine is taken, and the power rating of the machine is 25kW. The reduction in power rating is due to the fact that the company is completing the preparations for the commercial launch of its Series 25

return on the investment will become significant as soon as it drops even a little over that. This is particularly important given the current uncertainty over the level of subsidies available in the future for renewable sources. A simulation with the Series 25 gives a final LCOE below 107/MWh along most coasts of the UK, and significantly below this level in good sites like Wave Hub in Cornwall. Given the carbon reduction commitment legislation in the UK, even going on par with the retail price will be interesting for many potential buyers of the technology. It should be noted that such a distributed generation of energy is not conceivable with offshore or onshore wind, given the huge environmental impact of the installations, and also

with the more traditional wave energy technologies, which have LCOEs in the 600/MWh region. Even in the Mediterranean, where there is a much milder wave climate, LCOEs of 200-250/MWh can be achieved with the Series 25, and therefore it is possible to have cost-competitive installations in many islands where the grid does not arrive. The Series 25 is in the final stages of design, and will be finalised once the data from the Y25t has been analysed. One of its main features is its capacity to withstand even the biggest storms of the North Atlantic without any problems, due to its capacity to vary its depth dynamically in response to changes of the sea state. This capability has the added advantage of allowing

for very large power interceptors (the Upper Members) without affecting survivability. It is this de-linking of capacity factor and survivability which allows the machines to reach LCOEs competitive with retail grid electricity right from their launch.
www.40southenergy.com

CM

MY

CY CMY

43

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Technical file

Meeting the challenge

One company reports back on its progress in rotor bearing supports for multi-megawatt wind turbines
by a single double-row tapered roller bearing - a so-called moment bearing - in a back-to-back arrangement that supports all forces and moments. This single bearing concept can take different forms, for example, with a shaft and gearbox as well as a high-speed generator, as a hybrid solution with shortened gearbox and medium-speed generator or as a direct drive without a gearbox. Single bearing concepts always result in very compact designs. Irrespective of the extent to which the idea of system integration is implemented in the concept - the options range right up to concepts in which the nacelle is fully integrated in the bearing gearbox generator unit - it is possible to eliminate components
45

Industrial offers a bearing support concept that makes the use of multimegawatt wind turbines more reliable and efficient both onshore and offshore. Engineering is carried out using the advanced rolling bearing calculation program that combines the advantages of the finite element method (FEM) with the existing features of BEARINX. This makes it possible to not only evaluate selected load conditions, but to assess all relevant, critical load conditions

ith rotor bearing supports designed to requirements, Schaeffler Group

very precisely. The use of moment bearing supports in so-called single bearing concepts enables a high level of system integration and results in particularly compact and less complex wind turbine designs. The preloaded bearing also prevents the transfer of negative axial loads to the drive train. The trend towards large multimegawatt turbines that are used particularly in offshore wind farms is also changing bearing support concepts for wind turbines. Single bearing concepts in particular are gaining importance. With this concept, the rotor is only supported

Technical file

and thus reduce weight. This means that the head weight is reduced, smaller foundations can be used and the logistics are simplified. This bearing support also offers
46

an advantage in that preloaded tapered roller bearings can be used, which prevent axial clearance and small axial displacements. This narrow guidance of the rotor shaft means less movements act on the system, reducing the negative effects on the gearbox and generator. Schaeffler Group Industrial has already implemented many single bearing solutions, for example, for 5MW offshore turbines. The engineering for these bearing variants is especially challenging because standard tools cannot be used for the design and calculation of the rating life. The organisation has, therefore, expanded its rolling bearing calculation

program BEARINX to include elastic influences that are calculated using the finite element method (FEM). The calculation program can now analyse bearings including the influences of housings not just for selected load cases. Instead, around 250 classified load cases are evaluated taking all elasticities into account so that an optimal design can be produced that takes almost all critical load conditions into consideration. The results of the FEM calculations for the housing are transferred to a rigidity matrix and entered in the BEARINX calculation. This rigidity matrix represents not only the elasticities at individual bearing positions, but also the influences of the elasticities from one bearing position to another. The system is therefore able to carry out complete rating life calculations based on the load distribution and taking elasticities into account. This means the group has a useful calculation program for designing rotor bearing

supports for multi-megawatt turbines. The Schaeffler Group supplies moment bearing supports that are individually designed for the respective turbine type. They are available with classic steel pin cages or alternatively with plastic segment cages. The material used in plastic cages is PEEK, a high-strength plastic that has low wear characteristics, low weight and can support high forces. The plastic segment cage reduces friction and increases the efficiency of the turbine. The new cage type not only improves the guidance of the rolling elements, but also enables optimisation of the lubricant supply. Moment bearings can also have integrated anti-corrosion protection that is achieved by applying a zinc flamesprayed surface and multi-layer painting. Special hardening processes enable customised material characteristics for integrated functions - for example, seals or connections to the adjacent construction.
www.schaeffler-group.com

ABBs tried and proven technologies meet the grid connection challenges of Europes drive for renewable energy

READY FOR CONNECTION NOW

INSIDE
Page 2 - Its power delivery that really counts. Page 4 - Building HVDC supergrids - challenges and possibilities. Page 5 - HVDC Light goes offshore. Page 6 - Distributed Energy Storage Page 7 - Enhancing ABBs UK centre of grid excellence. www.abb.com/hvdc

ABB

Its power delivery that really counts

48

enewable energy - inherently variable in its nature - is playing an ever-increasing role in meeting our energy

technologies playing a very significant part. In parallel, we will also need to roll out new ways of managing and interconnecting electricity grids nationally and internationally. This is where supergrids will play a key role. Supergrids make sense strategically because they enable potentially rich sources of energy - such as offshore wind farms, hydroelectric, geothermal and solar arrays - to be permanently connected to centres of demand, such as large cities, which may be hundreds of kilometres away. Europes proposed Offshore Supergrid (www.friendsofthesupergrid.eu) is a case in point. This ambitious project aims to address the impending energy crunch in Europe by interconnecting national electricity grids from Spain to the Baltic Sea in a seamless electricity transmission and trading network. It would smooth out demand and supply across a vast geographical area and population, and make

the most use of renewable energy sources wherever and whenever they are available. The role of the supergrid is twofold. First, it will carry electricity generated by offshore wind farms, and other renewable sources, to onshore grid connections. Second, it will carry electricity from all sources around Europe, making the regions electricity markets more efficient both in terms of meeting demand and in terms of energy trading. The idea of harnessing solar power from North African deserts to provide emission-free electricity to Europe is the central proposition of the Desertec Industrial Initiative, inaugurated in July 2009. The Desertec vision (www.desertec.org) sees solar power generated in the Sahara eventually meeting 15 percent of Europes energy needs, and a significant proportion of local demand in producer countries by 2050. With improvements in the ef-

demands. The creation of supergrids of interconnected networks offers an attractive way of increasing reliability and security of supply, and smooth-

ing out the peaks and troughs in both power usage and generation. The challenge is how to connect these grids in a reliable, efficient way, potentially over great distances, and crossing seas. High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission solutions are set to play a vital role. Sustainable energy sources cannot be evaluated as stand alone solutions; they are only as effective as the power grid to which they ultimately connect. What really counts is the efficiency of the total energy system. There will need to be new approaches to living with variable generation sources, with more active demand response and smarter grid

ficiency of power transmission, and in renewable energy technologies, most of the previous technical challenges involved have now been overcome. Nonetheless, the construction of very large offshore wind farms presents some significant engineering challenges in getting large quantities of electrical power back to shore. Subsea supergrid interconnections demand a very robust electrical transmission system, with high availability and minimal maintenance requirements. They must not only meet strict national grid codes, but also relieve stresses from wind turbines and other renewable sources by isolating electrical transients from the mainland grid. Another important requirement is to design a system that can withstand the harsh and sometimes very hostile offshore environment. HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) technology is used to transmit electricity over long distances by overhead transmission lines or submarine cables. First made available on a commercial basis by ABB, it is a well-proven technology with over 50 years of operating experience. HVDC offers higher capacity per line but also lower transmission losses than traditional AC systems. It can be used to connect separate asynchronous power systems (operating on a different frequency or voltage) where traditional AC connections are not feasible. In addition, HVDC systems also provide rapid and accurate control of power flow and are therefore ideal for interconnecting power grids to facilitate market trading. Now HVDC has emerged as a robust and economically feasible alternative for the subsea interconnection of offshore wind farms, especially

with the significant improvements that have been made in the performance of wind-conversion systems, which have enabled wind turbines to be connected to the transmission grid and be safeguarded against surges in power generation. An excellent example of this new generation of HVDC is the HVDC Light system pioneered by ABB over the past 14 years. Based on VSC (Voltage Source Converter) technology it uses series-connected power transistors rather than thyristor valves. It is ideal for integrating dispersed, renewable generation, especially wind power, into existing AC grids. It is also used for smart transmission and smart grids due to its great flexibility and adaptability. In offshore wind farm applications, VSC-based HVDC solutions use extruded polymer (XLPE) cables, which are a strong, flexible and cost-effective alternative for severe conditions and deep waters. This cable type has a copper or aluminium conductor surrounded by a polymeric insulating material, which is very strong and robust. The water sealing of the cable has a seamless layer of extruded lead and finally one or two layers of steel wire armouring to provide the mechanical properties. Most grid codes today set requirements on fault ride-through or lowvoltage ride-through. As the proportion of renewable power generation increases, grid codes requirements are becoming stricter. For example, wind turbines or farms must typically be able to survive sudden voltage dips down to typically 15 percent of the nominal grid voltage for up to 140ms. The wind farm network is much

smaller than a typical utility grid and, as a consequence, weaker. Also, its rated generation normally matches the rated HVDC transmission capability. A fast reduction in the input power capability may therefore lead to a significant increase in the wind farm bus voltage - resulting in an over-voltage tripping of the VSC and/or the wind turbines. The solution used is very robust, and leaves the wind farm unaffected during main grid faults. The DC chopper is a high-energy resistor in the DC circuit that evacuates the surplus of energy during network faults when power transmission is not possible. This means there will be no abrupt change in the output power from the wind turbines and the disturbance seen by the wind turbines will be minimised. It is surely significant that the longestablished US grid features just one to two percent of HVDC transmission. In China, which is currently building a truly national grid, designed from a blank sheet of paper, HVDC will comprise some 10 to 20 percent of the total transmission capacity. This allows the development of remote hydro resources, minimises the number of lines, increases reliability and also creates an infrastructure that allows full utilisation of production resources including additional remote renewables. Renewables will make a significant contribution to Europes power needs, but we must ensure that our grids are sufficiently developed to collect and deliver that power efficiently and reliably. The good news is that ABB has the technology to build these strong, reliable grids commercially available and ready to connect.
49

ABB

to-point HVDC connections grows, it would help to connect them directly, rather than through the broader AC grid. This is giving rise to plans for HVDC supergrids. Wider use of DC grids is likely to involve challenges of a technical nature. However, the main challenge concerns adaption of international Regulatory frameworks to manage these new grids. Plans to introduce wind power in the North Sea, solar power in North Africa (the Desertec initiative) etc, have created interest in HVDC grids.
50

Building HVDC supergrids - challenges and possibilities

VDC links are used for bringing offshore wind power to shore. As the number of these pointpower market regions, and the demand for economically efficient connection of offshore wind farms. A reference project for constructing a regional grid with a limited number of nodes is already in place. The Qubec-New England project completed in the 1990s has clearly demonstrated the feasibility of threeterminal HVDC systems. HVDC Light provides better capabilities for operating regional multi-terminal systems as it has the advantage that the power direction is altered by changing the direction of the current, and not by changing the polarity of the DC voltage. The terminals can be connected to different points in the same AC network or to different AC networks. The resulting DC grids can be radial, interconnected or a combination of both. An interregional DC grid is defined as a system that needs several protection zones. The following technology gaps need to be closed to create such a grid: DC breakers Power flow control Automatic network restoration DC/DC converters for connecting different regional systems The basic technologies in these fields are known although some further development is needed to fully meet all regulatory demands. For HVDC supergrids to become commercially viable they may well need to be based on individual links of some 2GW. Currently, the maximum rating for a single building block of ABBs HVDC Light technology at +320 kV is 1150MW. However, technology is advancing and ABB is providing a monopolar 500kV, 700MW HVDC Light system for the fourth HVDC link between Norway and Denmark. So it is reasonable to expect that 2GW HVDC Light links will soon be achievable. The subsea cables for such supergrids will need to operate in the region of 500kV. To date, no XLPE cables capable of this are commercially available. However, there have been rapid developments in XLPE cable technology for HVDC applications recently and the trend indicates that the required voltage levels will be achieved soon. Mass Impregnated subsea cable at 500kV already exists and several HVDC projects will be based on this technology in the near future. Future transmission grids will be more international and will be operated and regulated by a range of international bodies as well as national agencies and system operators. Establishing the ENTSO-E (a European TSO cooperative association) in 2008 was a major step towards the formation of rules and frameworks to support future grids. ABB anticipates that, based on previous HVDC and cable technology development rates, the residual technology gaps will be closed to make the European Supergrid a reality.

The value of these grids (offshore or onshore) is in their role as a facilitator for power exchange and trade between regions and power systems. Moreover, an offshore grid will allow the aggregation and dispatch of power from offshore wind farms in different regions, resulting in power generation profiles of low variability. The major motivation for an offshore grid topology is constituted by two policy drivers: the need for connectivity between countries and

considerable challenge. Oil exploration companies sucessfully met similar challenges when they first began to exploit offshore oil and gas reserves in the North Sea. ABB has followed their path by successfully delivering the first offshore HVDC schemes. A remote wind power farm could be connected with either AC or HVDC. Depending on the size of the wind farm, along with grid conditions, the use of HVDC is applicable where the distance to the connecting AC grid exceeds 40-70km. With the constraints placed on space and weight offshore, HVDC Light offers some key advantages, since it is compact and lightweight compared with other HVDC solutions. Other needs are as follows: safety is paramount salt and humidity place severe requirements on the choice of materials and surface treatment maintenance needs must be minimised extensive monitoring is needed. Apart from the main transformers, all high-voltage equipment must be installed inside compact modules on the offshore platform. The ventilation system in the modules must protect the high-voltage equipment and the

HVDC Light goes offshore

he demanding environment and remote location makes power transmission from large offshore wind farms a electronics from salt-laden and humid air. The main circuit equipment is therefore exposed to lower environmental requirements than a normal outdoor installation that enables a more compact design. The ventilation must also take airborne losses into consideration. An advantage of being offshore in the North Sea, of course, is that cold (5-11C) water for cooling is readily available. VSC-based HVDC converter stations can be fully automated or remotely operated. The goal is to maintain high performance of the link throughout the whole operational lifetime. HVDC Lights functionality in the offshore environment is shown by Statoils Troll A power from shore project, set up in 2005. This 84 MW link was the worlds first offshore HVDC transmission project. It enables the Troll A gas production platform to meet all its power requirements from onshore generation, via four 70km subsea cables. The worlds first HVDC link to connect an offshore wind farm with an AC grid is the BorWin1 project. Based on HVDC Light technology, this 200 km link connects the Bard Offshore 1 wind farm located off Germanys North Sea coast to the HVAC grid on the German mainland. When complete, BARD Offshore 1 will consist of 80 wind generators, each with a capacity of 5MW. These will feed their power into a 36kV AC cable system. This voltage will then be transformed to 155kV AC before reaching the HVDC Light converter station, located on a dedicated platform. Here the AC is converted to 150kV DC and fed into two 125km sea cables, which then continue into two 75km land cables, transmitting 400MW power to the land-based converter station. The German utility TenneT has awarded a contract to ABB to supply an 800MW transmission link to connect offshore wind farms located in the cluster DolWin1 (Borkum West II wind farm, 400MW, plus future unnamed wind farms) in the North Sea to the German grid. The wind farms will be connected with AC cables to the HVDC converter station based on an offshore platform situated in the North Sea and further through 75km of DC sea cable and 90km of land cable to the HVDC onshore station at the grid connection point at Drpen/West. The transmission system has a total capacity of 800MW at 320 kV. ABB oversees system engineering including design, supply and installation of the offshore converter, sea and land cable systems and the onshore converter station. The land cables will be laid underground, thus minimising environmental impact.
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ABB

Distributed Energy Storage

sion and distribution networks where they can improve the quality of the power at optimal cost. In the past, networks only needed to handle a simple, passive flow of power from high-voltage generation and transmission to low-voltage consumption. Energy storage can enable networks to make the transition
52

BBs Distributed Energy Storage (DES) systems serve a variety of different applications in transmis-

Shaving - Related to Load Shifting. Both contribute to demand management in which the ultimate goal is to increase the load factor. Peak shaving uses stored energy to eliminate the short-term peaks in the energy consumption pattern. Benefits: a) Commercial and industrial customers can reduce their energy charges by improving their load factor b) Utilities reduce the operational cost of generating power at peak periods (reducing the need for additional generation equipment) c) Investment in infrastructure is deferred because the system has flatter loads with smaller peaks. Renewable Energy Capacity Firming - Allows an intermittent electric supply resource to be used as a nearly constant power source. Deferred infrastructure upgrades - DES modules placed electrically downstream from the congested portion of the transmission system can help to prevent overloads and defer potential upgrades. Power Quality - DES can protect loads further downstream against short-duration events that affect the quality of power delivered to the load. Voltage Support - Energy storage with reactive power capability can provide voltage support and respond quickly to voltage control signals. Frequency Regulation - DES is an attractive alternative for this application with its rapid response.

Outage management - DES can provide power for short periods of time to a network, reducing the effect of a temporary fault. ABBs latest DES development is the DynaPeaQ system that enables dynamic control of active as well as reactive power in a power system, independently of each other. By controlling the reactive power, grid voltage and stability are safeguarded with high dynamic response. By control of active power, new services based on dynamic energy storage are added. The system is based on SVC Light, combined with Li-ion battery storage. SVC Light is based on Voltage Source Converters (VSC) connected in shunt to the grid at transmission as well as sub-transmission and distribution level. Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) are used as switching devices. DynaPeaQ is aimed at industrial, distribution and transmission level energy storage applications. The focus is on applications where the use of continuous reactive power control and short time active power support is needed. We need a smarter grid that can receive power of all qualities from all sources, both centralised and distributed, and deliver reliable supplies, on demand, to consumers of all kinds. Since the increased use of intermittent generation requires dynamic voltage control as well as balancing power, DynaPeaQ is a great Smart Grid enabler.

to handling complex, highly variable and multi-directional power flows to accommodate: increased levels of distributed generation; the potential transition of energy sources currently on the heat grid on to the electrical grid (for example, ground- and airsource heat pumps); and the growing demand for electric vehicles. The main DES applications are: -Load Shifting - Altering the pattern of energy use so that on-peak energy use is shifted to off-peak periods. To reduce the end users electricity cost, the DES charges up with low-priced energy and is discharged when the energy prices are high. -Peak

offshore wind farms. There is a growing consensus that VSC (voltage source converter) based HVDC technology is the optimum approach for creating the effective power links to integrate offshore power into national grids. What is less clear is its status as a proven commercially available technology. The simple facts are that ABB pioneered VSC-based HVDC technology in its HVDC Light system launched over 14 years ago. Indeed, ABB has 16 HVDC Light projects either delivered or in delivery, with a total capacity of nearly 5,000MW - HVDC Light

Enhancing ABBs UK centre of grid excellence

is a well-proven technology, ready to implement now. ABB works hand in hand with the UKs leading power utilities to help them develop and maintain their vital electrical infrastructure and its growth has been outstanding - up by 30 percent in 2010. It has plans to grow even further and needs more people to help achieve its ambitious targets. In 2011, ABB is carrying out a major recruitment drive in the UK, with a particular focus on further enhancing its position as a centre of excellence for grid systems technology. This recruitment programme covers every level, from senior staff to the new technical apprenticeship scheme. With its unique combination of advanced technology, skilled and experience staff and project delivery know how, ABB looks forward with confidence to helping create the modern, reliable and efficient electricity grids vital to make the best use of Europes precious energy resources.
For information about careers with ABB please visit www.abb.co.uk/careers
53

BB has established its UK operations as a centre of excellence for the implementation of the very

the converter stations at each end that switch AC (alternating current) to DC (direct current) and back. The XLPE cable will provide the strength and flexibility needed to endure the severe conditions of the Irish Sea. Rated at 200kV, this will be the highest voltage HVDC Light link using this type of cable. The higher voltage enables a transmission capacity of 500MW, the highest ever for an HVDC Light underground cable. ABB is responsible for system engineering, including design, supply and installation of the sea and land cables, and both converter stations. The system is scheduled to be operational in September 2012. ABB is pioneering the development of the UKs multi-terminal offshore supergrid by starting technical design work on an HVDC Light project, which will be the first link to incorporate a hub for the connection of

latest grid technologies. They include both HVDC and FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission Systems) that covers a number of technologies that enhance the security, capacity and flexibility of power transmission systems. One of ABBs most important cur-

rent projects in the UK is Eirgrids EastWest Interconnector that will provide a 500MW link between the Irish and UK power grids using HVDC technology. The interconnector will strengthen the reliability and security of electricity supplies in each country, and enable Ireland to expand its wind power capacity. The transmission link will run underwater for 186km and underground for 70km, with minimal environmental impact. The only visible parts will be

Connect renewable power to the grid? Naturally.

ABBs leading edge technologies and life cycle services ensure the effective integration of renewable power into electrical grids, even in the most challenging conditions and over long distances. Our focus on harnessing green energy is making power networks smarter as well as more efficient and reliable, helping to protect the environment and fight climate change. www.abb.com/hvdc

ABB Limited Tel. +44 (0)1785 825 050 Fax. +44 (0)1785 819 019 E-mail: info@gb.abb.com

Conference

55

The renewable agenda

David Appleyard, conference director at Renewable Energy World Europe, discusses the key industry issues that will be debated at this years event

G
growth.

overnments and industry are taking a more strategic approach to renewable energy

balancing of supply and demand on the grid has become a more complex proposition. Whilst smart grids are increasingly touted as a solution, a number of hurdles, in particular cost, stand in the way of widespread adoption. More generally, financing remains a major challenge for the renewable sector and other clean energy projects. Such key issues are to be addressed by prominent industry figures at the upcoming Renewable Energy

World Europe (REWE) conference taking place in Milan from 7-9 June. Statistics suggest that renewable capacity and power generation continues to be dominated by hydropower, of which approximately 997GW has been installed across Europe. However, although hydropower technology is relatively mature, a number of major European projects are in progress, including efforts to develop additional pump storage in Germany and the recon-

technologies as they look to combat climate change, ensure security of energy supply and drive economic However, the growing use of renewables in the energy mix poses new challenges in terms of security of supply because they often generate intermittent power. As a result, the

Conference

ditioning of hydropower plants in the Swiss Alps. But it is not just hydropower that is experiencing growth. Wind power capacity is expected to grow to 446GW within five years and to nearly 1,000GW over ten years. Although the whole wind energy market is still heavily dominated by onshore projects, in 2010 Europe experienced a 50 percent growth in the offshore wind market, with most of the planned development being installed in the Baltic and North Sea regions. The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) predicts that by the end of 2020, there will be around 40GW of installed offshore wind energy in Europe. Indeed, countries surround56

and the Delft University of Technology. A European supergrid is increasingly seen as a fundamental component to enabling the region to achieve its renewable energy policy goals. National incentive schemes to accelerate the grid integration of renewables have already been put in place across many European countries. The installation of smart meters is being taken up by an increasing number of organisations as a tangible way to monitor and manage consumption, with access to flexible tariffs and better visibility of where savings can be made. Smart grids are expected to transform todays power distribution systems, into flexible, interactive, bidirectional systems that distribute electricity more efficiently. In addition, through the installation of smart meters, organisations are able to become renewable energy producers by selling energy generated by renewable technologies back to the grid. Smart grids help avoid congestion and organisations, recognising that even small fluctuations in the price of energy can have a huge impact on their profit margins, are taking a longer-term strategic view in their energy procurement policy. Despite this, grid operators may still be able to do more to make a level playing field for renewables. Existing transmission capacity could be used much more effectively in maximising energy production through, for example, transmission capacity auctions or a system of grid access based on carbon or other sustainability criteria. Addressing the issue of cost, the financing of renewable technologies will be the focus of a core session given by Arnaud Bouill or Ernst &

Young UK. From the funding of new projects to ensuring long-term commercial viability, finance provision will undoubtedly play a key role in creating a sustainable future for renewables. Throughout Europe, investment in new renewable resources represents a growing sector of activity for lenders. As track record and experience increases, lenders can be expected to commit an increasing share of their balance sheets to financing renewable projects and should be willing to expand on the range of technologies they finance. The adoption of renewables by both businesses and consumers is clearly gathering momentum, driven largely by financial incentives in the form of government-backed schemes such as Feed-in tariffs (FiTs). FiTs have been introduced in the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany and elsewhere, and are proving to be extremely successful in promoting adoption of renewable technologies such as small scale wind and solar photovoltaic (PV). Ironically, in Germany, the PV industry appears to have become a victim of its own success. The popularity of PV FiTs has lead to the government reducing the FiTs rate - a scenario that looks likely to play out in the UK too. In addition to the topics outlined above, the REWE conference will cover a wide range of industry issues and offer delegates a deeper understanding of the renewable energy sector. Visitors to the event will also have access to Europes leading energy exhibitions, Power-Gen Europe 2011 and Nuclear Power Europe 2011.
REWE 2011, Fiera Milano City, Milan, 7-9 June.

ing the North Sea have agreed to cooperate on developing a North Sea grid. The North Sea Transnational Grid project aims to investigate the best ways of integrating large scale offshore wind power by the construction of a transnational transmission grid in the North Sea, in order to integrate about 60GW of offshore wind power between several countries. With the legislation Europe has put in place to promote renewable energies, one of the biggest challenges the industry now faces is how to integrate the increasing amounts of intermittent power sources like solar and wind into the electricity grid. Major development of the European grid infrastructure is thus considered critical to maintaining reliable power supplies and bringing renewable energy from production sites to consumers. The challenges of grid integration will be tackled at this years REWE conference by, among others, Peter Johnson, vice president of Alcatel Lucent, and representatives from ABB

www.renewableenergyworld-europe. com

Conference & Exhibition

7-9 JUNE 2011, FIERA MILANO CITY, MILAN ITALY

Co-located with:

Supporting Organisation:

REGISTER TODAY!
Register before the 20th May 2011 andSAVE 10%
Renewable Energy World Europe Conference and Exhibition offers unrivalled networking opportunities connecting the utility-scale renewables and general power industry. The busy exhibition floor populated by major players in the renewable sector, is accompanied by a high-level conference featuring strategic and technical presentations by leading experts in the renewable energy field. To download the conference programme and to register at the early bird rates visit www.renewableenergyworld-europe.com today!

RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD EUROPE ADDRESSING THE HOT BUTTON ISSUES

Owned and produced by: Flagship Media Sponsors:

Please visit www.renewableenergyworld-europe.com for further information, on exhibiting and sponsorship at Renewable Energy World Europe or contact: Amanda Kevan T: +44 1992 656645 E: amandak@pennwell.com

The UKs leading renewable energy trade association is proud to present

Offshore Wind 2011 Conference & Exhibition

June 2011 | Liverpool, UK

29 30
Proudly supported by:

Over 2,500 delegates Over 200 exhibitors, 75% booked Networking, side and social events

Join us at RenewableUKs tenth annual event dedicated to UK offshore wind energy. Two days of conference sessions will examine industry developments and the UKs position as the world leading offshore wind market.

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support: ActionForRenewables.com

www.renewable-uk.com

Wind analysis

Site statistics
of individual wind projects, which vary significantly from location to location and through time. Much can be learnt by analysing the wind over a particular region and a specific site within the region. This article provides an overview of wind across regions and sites within Europe, with an index of the windiest European regions over the last season, and secondly an analysis of the performance of five sites within the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany and France. With many wind farms today not performing in line with original

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The Met Office have analysed the wind in a number of regions - here are the results
he success of the global wind energy industry is directly linked to the performance and profitability plans, you can use this article to: Put the performance of your portfolio into context based on recent wind statistics Assess whether your farms under or over performance is due to wind or other factors. Using data generated from our weather model we have created a wind index, ranking 15 regions across Europe by comparing the average wind speed for winter 2010/11 against the winter season long-term average. The league table shows that, for winter 2010/11, much of Europe experienced winds below the long-term average, especially the British Isles, western and central Europe. The main exceptions were the edges of Europe, Iceland and Iberia. A good part of the season was characterised by blocking areas of high pressure, especially in December 2010, but even January and February 2011 saw generally higher than average pressure over much of Europe. These blocking areas of high pressure over Europe meant that the Atlantic depressions were forced north to Iceland or south to Iberia and the western Mediterranean, which is why these areas were windier than usual. These trends can be seen in some of the site-specific graphs, with Andalucia in Spain recording a windier winter than average, especially December. All the other selected sites show a quieter winter

Wind analysis

overall. This was particularly noticeable at Lake Constance in Germany and the Po Valley in Italy, where January and February were significantly quieter than normal. The pattern continues over the past 12 months, with the majority of sites recording less wind than usual. Andalucia is once again the only area to show windier conditions than normal. The series of graphs shown on these pages compare monthly average wind speeds against the long-term average, over a one-year period for five sites across the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. It has been generated by Virtual Met
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Mast, the Met Offices site-specific wind analysis model-based tool. Virtual Met Mast helps select the best onshore and offshore UK wind farm sites with increased certainty. Using cutting-edge science, Virtual Met Mast offers clear, cost-effective and reliable site-specific analyses to help you make informed decisions for wind farm investments. To help you deliver accurate wind assessments in advance of a real met mast installation, the Met Office has invested in the research and development of Virtual Met Mast which: Combines cutting-edge science and super computer technology Uses the Met Offices Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) model, which incorporates observations from satellites, ships, aircraft, ground stations and radar as a foundation for generating site-specific wind farm assessments Employs a wide range of

continuously monitored wind observations to produce a core wind analysis record (extending back over 20 years) Provides site-specific data at hub height for both onshore and offshore locations Allows outputs to be correlated with real met mast data to derive the ultimate value from your Virtual Met Mast assessment Provides a variety of essential statistics, including confidence figures. The Met Office will be pleased to generate a wind index for your current and planned sites and to assist you in managing the performance of your wind portfolio. With the Met Office coverage, level and range of data across Europe, you can be assured of receiving first-class analysis and forecast information. To find out how the Met Office can help your business, come and talk to us on Stand AB14 at All Energy from 18-19 May 2011. You can see us during the conference programme from 1.45pm on 19 May where we will showcase our work with The Crown Estate to determine how far beyond qualitative mapping tools model and satellite remote sensed data products can be applied within the offshore renewables sector. You can also sign up for a free technical tour of our Marine Centre of Excellence in Aberdeen on Friday 20 May 2011, from 9am to 12pm. All are welcome on the tour. To find out more or to register contact Jane Robertson on +44 (0)1224 870 777 or visit www.metoffice.gov.uk/energy.
For more information visit www.metoffice. gov.uk/energy/renewables/wind.
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Marine energy

Coasting along
Dr Claire Hinton outlines how consultancies, developers and regulators make use of ABPmers specialist abilities and knowledge of the marine environment

T
62

he offshore wind industry could be considered the older sibling of the wave and tidal industry, but

just as relevant to the marine renewables sector, and has been applied to a number of studies, for example in support of Tidal Energy Limited and more recently the Alderney Commission for Renewable Energy. We also actively pursue and initiate innovative research studies, which can be typified by our leading role in strategic projects for Government, regulators and The Crown Estate. This includes our development of Guidance on Coastal Process Modelling for offshore wind farms (published by COWRIE), our involvement in national science forums and contributions to ISO standards for marine renewable developments. In order to support wet renewable resource assessments, in-house R&D has included a numerical model that offers a detailed description of the hydrodynamic regime across both the Western Isles and Northern Ireland territorial waters. The Western Isles initiative complements our earlier work in developing the Atlas of UK Marine Renewable Energy Resources. It provides an order of magnitude enhancement in our ability to identify and map sites of high flows for potential exploitation by tidal stream devices. This model can also be applied in the latter project stages of project consenting

and design requirements. (Learn more at www.abpmer.net/maps/ renewables/). More recently, we have been providing support in the design and construction phases of development through our metocean forecasting service. Seastates is an online integrated metocean service which offers customised forecasting, data management and analysis all in one website: www.seastates.net. By combining accurate forecasts with metocean archive data, Seastates ensures that developers have the information required for planning work in the dynamic marine environment. Such information is essential to ensure that marine operations and developments achieve maximum efficiency with minimum risk. Dr. David Lambkin, Senior Metocean Consultant at ABPmer, says: Working in the changeable and sometimes harsh marine environment poses a number of challenges. Having the most up-to-date seastate or metocean information from the right geographic location is essential. Feedback from developers suggests that Seastates innovative interface tools which allow customised delivery and analysis of past, present and future conditions surpass many standard methods. Whilst directly supporting developers aspirations, we also apply our expertise to strategic studies. ABPmer has led several of these, including the appropriate assessments associated with The Crown Estates recent Pentland Firth

there are signs that the marine renewables sector is maturing; more devices are being passed for deployment and areas of seabed are being consented for development. These are exciting times for the marine renewable industry. ABPmer, based in both South-

ampton and Aberdeen, is a specialist multi-disciplinary consultancy with a history of providing marine environmental support to offshore wind developments around the UK. Typical contributions range through all stages of a project lifecycle and have included resource assessments, coastal process studies, specification and supervision of surveys. This is in addition to metocean analysis and O&M support at both the zonal and project scales. Our knowledge and experience is

leasing round and offshore wind in Scotland. The most recent of these was an appraisal undertaken for Marine Scotland that considers the effect on European designated sites of planned offshore wind developments in Scottish Waters. The Scottish Government prepared a draft plan considering the potential of Scottish Territorial Waters to accommodate Offshore Wind Energy. We were commissioned to complete a Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) of this plan in accordance with the requirements of the EC Habitats Directive. The appraisal will inform the appropriate assessment that Marine Scotland, as competent authority, needs to prepare prior to adopting

the draft plan for Offshore Wind Energy. Dr Stephen Hull, Director of ABPmer, comments: Adopting a precautionary approach, as required by the Habitats Directive, the study considered potential impacts to over 370 designated sites which were screened into the assessment, including sites as far away as Northern Ireland, the Irish Republic, England and Wales for some species of marine birds. Highly respected and recognised across the industry, ABPmer has provided specialist services to the majority of those involved in offshore wind, including developers, regulators and other consultancies. We pride ourselves in delivering a high quality service tailored to the exact needs of a project. ABPmer looks forward to providing support to future developments within the offshore wind, wave and tidal sectors.
www.abpmer.co.uk
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Engineering Plastic Solutions for Renewable Energy Generation

If your business is in the wind, solar, tidal or fuel cells energy sector, equipment parts can make a considerable difference to the output and your bottom line. Chose equipment wear components made of Quadrant engineering plastics! Dont let your investment wear out too fast, and maximize your All-Energy 2011 visit come to our booth no E110! For more information please visit our website www.quadrantplastics.com

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C016/2-VBAT_SAFT 30/11/10 10:02 Page1

Local energy management for residential PV, community energy storage and smart grids Smoothing intermittent generation of solar and wind power plants Grid stabilisation providing dynamic high power support in electricity networks.

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IBG 046-2-10 - Photos : Saft / Fotolia - C016/2

Safts new generation Li-ion battery systems meet the specific needs of renewable energy storage and grid stabilisation applications. Highly-efficient, long-life and compact Saft Li-ion energy storage solutions provide energy and power from kW up to MW for:

Biomass

Moving forward
Hayley Myles of BV gives an upate on the renewable heat industry

65

he Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Policy document was published on 10 March this year. After

old grant based regime, which by its very nature is limited in introducing new technologies to market because it is inherently ad-hoc in timing and unable to drive significant long term investment or promote cost reduction. Both of these are a pre-requisite for the sector to make significant in-roads to the UK Governments commitment to meet 12 percent of heating supply from renewable energy by 2020. This is a mountain to climb in nine years from our present one percent; however, the new regime presents a compelling case for considering renewable heating. Indeed, the structure of the RHI regime is certainly trying to ensure that the

Government secures the biggest carbon displacement bang for its buck by setting an attractive RHI level for those installations where the carbon saving and fuel displacement is most cost effective. Even a cursory modelling analysis suggests that the paybacks are most attractive for those installing larger scale plants and particularly in applications where the utilisation is high - notably in process and service applications. Indeed, since the RHIs announcement, Black & Veatch has seen a marked shift in interest amongst clients as diverse as dairies, wood processing, food manufacturing, airports, district heating sites, and that is for just for biomass

delays in publication, the renewable heat industry was feeling the effects of the policy void as prospective site developers were awaiting guidance before making any investment decision. It has been a hard time for both installers and fuel suppliers alike; however, whilst the delays were unfortunate, the sector is keen to move forward and has welcomed the new revenue based mechanism which is the first of its kind in the world. From a policy perspective, it is

a welcome move away from the

Biomass

heating. Paybacks of less than three years can be expected in some cases, but it is also notable that the RHI income could also be used to generate a rolling fund which could be used to fund subsequent low carbon investment if organisations have multiple sites. We have also seen the same scale of activity for other technologies which will generate RHI payments. The food manufacturing and retail sectors are actively pursuing anaerobic digestion (and CHP) using a variety of food residues, whilst biomethane to grid is receiving considerable interest throughout our water industry client base. Inevitably with such a revenue
66

incumbent on the sector to ensure that good and impartial information is disseminated and the lessons learned from early market experience are absorbed. With this in mind, in the past four years, Black & Veatch has produced for the Carbon Trusts Biomass Heat Accelerator a suite of tools that can assist designers and prospective sites plan and install biomass. These include: Biomass Heating: A practical Guide for Potential Users Template fuel contracts A permit & consent guide A preliminary assessment tool to establish a sites preliminary business case. These materials are all available on the Carbon Trusts Website and are supplemented by occasional biomass events around the country. The issue of biomass fuel pricing remains the elephant in the room and there are concerns within the sector that prices will both escalate and fuel shortages will become an issue. Black & Veatch

has certainly seen fuel prices increase in recent years during our fuel procurement activities for a number of medium and large scale clients. In all evaluations, it is important to understand an investments pinch points, the key factors that influence fuel cost and consider well structured fuel supply contracts. We would signpost prospective sites to some of our earlier work on fuel contracts as well as the soon to be published work on fuel procurement, both of which have been produced under the auspices of the BHA. Finally to help people identify potential fuel suppliers, Black & Veatch are presently working with the Carbon Trust and the Forestry Commission to construct a GIS based fuel sourcing facility which will be launched in the coming months.
Should you have any questions concerning biomass to energy systems, please contact Martin Eastwood (Eastwoodm@bv.com) or Hayley Myles (mylesh@bv.com).

generator, finding appropriate heat uses for larger facilities or CHP installations becomes an interesting opportunity and one which Black & Veatch has completed previously, where prospective sites were identified across the whole of the UK. Again, the RHI has created an upsurge in interest in this aspect, with several new regional studies now underway. In the case of biomass heating, we have seen the installer base expand from just 4-5 in the late 1990s to its present level of c.50. Amongst those installers and designers, there are a number that have learned valuable lessons about the good design and execution of biomass plant and fuel reception and they are now bearing the fruits of their efforts. However, with strong order books and an attractive incentive regime, there will always be new entrants who may be less familiar (or indeed indifferent) to good practice. Consequently, it is

Lost Found

Turn lost resources into found opportunities.

You know you cant afford to lose resources you can use. Know this, too: Black & Veatchs leading biomass experts are helping developers, utilities, lenders and government agencies extract value from what could have been lost, such as solid biomass and municipal solid waste to energy; biomass heat, power and co-generation; biogas production, recovery and utilisation; and secondgeneration biofuels, to name a few. Lets talk about how we can deploy advanced biomass strategies for you to transform yesterdays lost opportunities into tomorrows sustainable resources. Were building a world of difference. Together Redhill +44 (0)1737-856367

Consulting

Engineering

Construction

Operation

www.BV.com

Lubricants

Taking wind turbines to new heights

Michael Hawkins, global brand manager for ExxonMobils Mobil SHC brand of synthetic lubricants, details how the groups lubricants are helping the wind energy sector to become more cost competitive
productivity. The main gearbox drives the generator and is the heart of a wind turbine. With their advanced designs and overall importance to system performance, gearboxes can be very costly to repair or replace after the warranty expires. For example, when factoring in all expenses, replacing a gearbox for a 1.4MW turbine can cost a company more
68

ind turbine maintenance presents many challenges that can impact on

operate, bearings are put through a significant amount of stress. These factors, combined with improper lubrication, can result in the need for bearing replacements, and if damaged bearings are not replaced promptly, significant gear damage can result. The drive to minimise up-tower weight has resulted in compact gearbox designs which, in combination with high loads found in wind turbines with hardened surfaces, makes these gears susceptible to micropitting, which can cause numerous surface cracks. The cracks propagate at a shallow incline to the surface, forming extremely small micropits that can reduce gear tooth accuracy and lead to significant gear damage. ExxonMobils Mobilgear SHC XMP 320 protects against micropitting and exceeds the performance of traditional oils by extending the interval between oil changes from 18 months to three years or more. Extended oil life translates into a variety of benefits, including reduced volume of oil purchases, used-oil disposal volumes, maintenance effort and lubricant-related downtime for oil changes. Compared to conventional mineral oils, Mobil SHC fluids can actually reduce energy consumption in many applications. Other advantages include longer equipment life, hightemperature capability, excellent resistance to oxidation and protection against wear. When conducting oil changes offshore, wind turbines may be as high as 300ft or more and there may

than400,000, including the price of a new gearbox, labour costs, crane rental and lost revenue from turbine downtime. In remote locations like offshore, costs might be even higher and after the warranty period, the operator becomes responsible for keeping the turbine running for the remainder of its service life. Lubrication plays a vital role in optimising performance and minimising downtime by mitigating friction between components of the main gearbox. Considering that the average wind turbine is designed to operate for up to 20 years and the potential challenges and costs associated with maintaining a wind turbine gearbox, it is recommended that maintenance professionals use a wellbalanced synthetic gearbox lubricant, like our Mobilgear SCH XMP 320. The most common cause of gearbox downtime is related to bearing failure. Considering the variable load, speed and dramatic temperature conditions under which wind turbines

be rough seas to contend with and, of course, strong winds. Typically, the main gearbox is located right in the centre of these extreme conditions. Also, change-outs for hydraulic systems are more costly and challenging offshore than onshore. So the benefits of choosing synthetic lubricants versus conventional, mineral-based oils are even more pronounced in offshore environments. Oil analysis employs a test slate that is designed to evaluate the condition of the in-service lubricant and the condition of internal hardware. Using routine oil analysis as part of a preventative maintenance programme, maintenance professionals can extend the lives of both the gear oil and the gearbox by detecting and acting on early warning signs, such as contamination or increasing wear metals. To obtain the greatest benefit from oil analysis, it is imperative to work closely with an expert lubricant manufacturer and participate in oil analysis every three to six months. Identifying trends in the data will help maintenance professionals make better informed oil suitability decisions. Over the years, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have focused on developing new, more compact and efficient equipment that is capable of delivering even higher load capacities. The upside is that these newer units, often with smaller footprints, frequently provide better overall performance than their predecessors. The downside is that such improve-

ments sometimes put additional stress on lubricants in terms of higher operating temperatures and load conditions. These effects are compounded by the OEMs drive to reduce total life cycle costs for their products. This includes reducing oil volume while extending oil drain and re-greasing intervals. A key factor in the development of lubricants is the close working relationships that our ExxonMobil scientists and application specialists have with

farm in Belgium, recently carried out research that revealed the availability of the six REpower 5M turbines in the Thornton Bank wind farm has been consistently above 97 percent over a period of six months. The use of a high performance gear oil contributes to improved reliability in a turbine and since the turbines were officially commissioned more than 4,000 full load hours have been recorded, despite adverse conditions in the open seas. At ExxonMobil, we recently analysed more than 15,000 used-oil samples of Mobilgear SHC XMP 320. The results demonstrated that the oil delivered superb wear protection with few issues related to ageing detected during the analysis. Mobil SHC Grease 460WT is the companys premier synthetic grease for the lubrication of main, pitch and yaw bearings and offers exceptional low and high temperature performance, structural stability - even in the presence of water - false brinelling protection, excellent wear protection
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key OEMs. ExxonMobil has an extensive portfolio of lubricants that deliver long lasting performance for wind turbine operations. Perhaps the most recognised product is Mobilgear SHC XMP 320, a synthetic gear oil for wind turbine gearboxes, which is used in more than 30,000 wind turbines worldwide. REpower Systems AG, operating at the Thornton Bank offshore wind

and rust and corrosion inhibition. It allows consolidation of main, pitch and yaw bearing greases into one product, reducing the risk of relubrication with the wrong product and without introducing unnecessary operational risks. Overall, ExxonMobil offers a wide range of products, including greases to lubricate bearings and hydraulic oils that help pitch rotor blades.
www.mobilindustrial.com

Highlands and Islands of Scotland the home of

OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY

The Highlands and Islands, a region covering the north and north-west of Scotland, has arguably the world's best combination of renewable energy resources, technology development, testing and deployment infrastructure, skills and expertise. Home to around a quarter of Europe's natural wind and tidal resources and 10% of the wave resource, the region is ideally placed to remain at the forefront of the fast-emerging offshore renewables sector.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise Cowan House, Inverness Retail and Business Park, Inverness, IV2 7GF, Scotland Tel: +44 (0)1463 234171 email: info@hi-energy.org.uk | www.hie.co.uk | www.hi-energy.org.uk

Ambitious for energy

Regional development

Exporting expertise
ENERGY ENGINEERING

meets the new Director of Energy and Low Carbon at Highlands and Islands Enterprise and finds out what makes this his ideal job
in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland we have arguably the best combination of natural resources, technology development, testing and deployment infrastructure and a highly skilled and expert workforce and supply chain. Home to around a quarter of Europes natural wind and tidal resources and 10 percent of the wave resource, the region is well-placed to lead the development of a fastgrowing and dynamic offshore renewables sector. At HIE, we recognise that offshore renewables offer Scotland a once-in-a-generation opportunity for significant economic growth and in particular to see some of our more fragile and remote communities reinvigorated, says Davidson. He cites Orkney, home to EMEC, the worlds first grid-connected wave and tidal energy device test
71

t is his dream job, in a dream location, according to Calum Davidson, the newly appointed Director of Energy and Low

Carbon at Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the Scottish Governments economic and com-

munity development agency for the north and north-west of Scotland. Where else in the world is better placed to lead the marine energy revolution? he says. Here

Regional development

centre, as one example of how the Highlands and Islands has secured a lead position in the development of renewable energy. With each berth that has been built and with each developer that has deployed and tested at EMEC, the local supply chain has developed, he explains. From resource monitoring and environmental impact experts to divers and ROV operators, and from specially commissioned vessels to high voltage design and installation engineers, the region is home to the worlds foremost support services network for marine energy device deployment. Companies such as environmental consultancy Aquatera are
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abundant natural resource, but the Highlands and Islands didnt capture the real long-term benefits. If the energy sources are here, we want the jobs, the infrastructure, and the intellectual legacy to be based here, and then we can export it all over the world. There are a number of things we can do to develop a real energy cluster, he adds. We can build our research capacity, as were already doing in Orkney, Caithness and Argyll. We can work to expand the supply chain of local businesses involved in the sector, based on their oil and gas experience. We can market our key sites to attract major manufacturers to the Highlands and Islands. And we can work with government on a range of issues, from transmission charging to grid connection. While Orkney has benefited from being the location of the first major step in the development of full-scale prototype marine energy device testing, Caithness and Sutherland will play a pivotal role in the next stage. Its proximity to the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters and its enviable legacy of engineering skills and facilities will make it an attractive location when developers scale-up to pre-commercial and commercial device deployment. Furthermore, the Crown Estate has made the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters the location of the worlds first commercial seabed leasing process. HIE has recently made million-pound investments in the infrastructure required for this emerging sector both in Caithness at Scrabster Harbour Trust and Orkney for property at Hatston

Pier, which complements funding totalling 11million from Orkney Islands Council and the European Regional Development Fund for Hatston Pier and Lyness Harbour, explains Davidson. The region also has world-class fabrication and port infrastructure, developed during the oil and gas boom of the 70s and 80s, and now ready to be put to use building the next generation of renewable energy capacity. The region is also playing a key role in the development of offshore wind. The Talisman Beatrice Offshore Wind Demonstrator project is the worlds first deepwater offshore wind project and realised around 40 percent local content. HIE has ambitions for this to become the norm in projects sited around the regions coastline. Davidson is clearly passionate about the region and its energy sector. A regional planner with 25 years experience in innovative economic development, he has teenage memories of the first wave devices being tested in Loch Ness in the 1970s, and has watched the growth of onshore wind across the region in the 80s and 90s, all underpinned by the importance of the oil and gas industry to the region. He took up his new role on 1 April, and says that the new post is indicative of the agencys commitment to the development of renewable energy across the region. I really cant think of a more exciting sector to be working in than renewable energy, concludes Davidson. And nor do I believe there is a better place in which to be doing this job than the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
www.hie.co.uk

exporting their expertise all over the world, while Shetland-based Delta Marine, which provides workboat services to Pelamis at EMEC, has also worked for Pelamis in Portugal. HIE and its public sector partners, including the Scottish Government and DECC, have invested heavily in EMEC to the tune of 30million, but Davidson argues that this has ensured the region and Scotland remain at the forefront of the rapidly emerging marine energy sector. EMEC has been a catalyst for the creation of a marine energy cluster in Orkney, which currently provides around 200 jobs on the island, explains Davidson. But the impacts of EMEC are much widerreaching across the Highlands and Islands, Scotland and the UK. However, Davidson cautions that the regions resources on their own will not deliver economic growth to the region. The hydro electricity schemes of the last century made use of an

East Greadon Farm, Devon, UK

Carnebone Farm, Cornwall, UK

East Ash Farm, Devon, UK

Lanyon Holiday Cottages, Cornwall, UK

Overlangshaw Farm, Berwickshire, UK

Wedeld Farm, Devon, UK

E-3120 50kW Wind Turbine

www.endurancewindpower.co.uk

Solar energy

74

Showing potential
Barney Butterell, Business Development Manager at Blom, reports on a new solar project

that they would award grants with a total value of 2million to nine local authority areas across the UK under a scheme called the low carbon framework or LCF. The grants are intended to fund the exploration of various ways in which councils can meet their carbon reduction obligations and encourage us all to live

ollowing the spending review in late 2010 the Department of Energy and Climate Change, (DECC) announced

greener lives. Each of the local authorities chosen to participate is regarded as a pioneer in the use of innovative technology and initiatives to reduce their environmental impact. As such they are well-placed to investigate new ways of helping the UK to meet its environmental obligations, whilst enabling individuals to benefit from the economic and social opportunities presented by green technologies. When announcing the grant last

year, Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: Local Councils can play a vital role in cutting carbon because they have unrivalled local knowledge, experience and influence. We want to tap in to this, so we have awarded just over 2million to be shared between 30 pioneering councils to work with individuals, businesses and communities to find the best and most effective ways to reduce emissions and stimulate their local economy. The results of the project will show what

works best so other councils across the country can benefit and learn. Bristol City Council (BCC) was chosen to participate in the LCF pilot scheme having previously demonstrated a strong commitment to reducing their environmental impact, whilst encouraging residents of the city to live more sustainable lives. In applying for the grant BCC outlined a number of innovative projects which will further the citys green ambitions, including measures designed to increase the use of solar energy by businesses, property owners and individuals across the area. One element of this project is the creation of an online solar potential map to show which buildings are suitable for the installation of solar PV or solar thermal panels. Maps of this kind published in German cities significantly increased the uptake of solar energy and the Bristol scheme also aims to encourage growth of the solar sector. Following a competitive tender process BCC awarded the solar potential project to Somerset based company Blom UK and their German partner Sun-Area. The partners immediately set about gathering the necessary components and data required to produce the solar potential map, which include: -Building footprints - the outline of every building in Bristol -Addresses - The address of every property in the city -Weather data - annual average weather conditions for the region including cloud cover and solar radiation -A Digital Surface Model (DSM) - The heights and dimensions of all buildings, terrain and vegetation/

trees across the city created using an airborne laser scanner (LiDAR) The various components were then combined in a unique process developed by Sun-Area, which simulates each individual buildings relationship with the sun hourly across a year. The process includes calculations of shading on the building caused by surrounding objects, including neighbouring buildings, trees and hills. The result of this process is an estimation of direct and indirect solar radiation received annually by every roof in the city. This information is combined with data on solar panel performance characteristics and income available through the Governments feed-in tariff scheme (FIT) to give an indication of the suitability of each property for installation of solar PV or thermal panels. An estimation of the potential CO2 output reduction for each property is also calculated to inform property owners how installing solar panels can help in the fight against climate change. Of course, creating the solar potential data was just the first step towards increasing uptake of solar energy in Bristol. In order to maximise the impact of the project BCC will display the results of the solar potential project on their website via an interactive map. You can see an example of the interactive map at http://maps.bristol.gov.uk/ knowyourplace; this currently shows historic mapping but showcases the technology through which the solar potential data, amongst many other data layers, will be viewable online in the near future. Soon residents and businesses will be able to view information on the suitability of their

roof for a solar PV or solar thermal installation. Although Bristol City Council will be the first local authority in the UK to launch an online solar potential map, it is hoped that the predicted positive impact of the service will encourage others to follow suit. By providing a quick and easy way of checking a propertys solar potential it is possible to significantly increase interest in solar energy on a local level, ultimately having a national impact. According to the Energy Saving Trust a typical home PV system saves around one tonne of CO2 per year, whilst DECC suggest approximately 25 percent of homes are suitable for solar PV. For a city the size of Bristol this means a potential saving of approximately 45,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. Solar energy has the potential to reduce the UKs dependence on fossil fuels and reduce CO2 emissions; both are essential if we are to protect the environment for future generations.
For more information on solar potential mapping contact Blom UK at info.uk@blomasa.com.
75

Design

Blade runner
Operating a 1MW free-stream tidal turbine rotor without the blades failing has become a key issue in tidal turbine development
pared blade design and material selection for the four main tidal turbine types: Axial (e.g. Hammerfest Strm, Atlantis, Marine Current Turbines, Voith Hydro, etc.) Ducted axial (e.g. OpenHydro, Lunar Energy, C-Power) Oscillating foil (e.g. Pulse Tidal) Cross-flow (e.g. THAWT, Blue Energy) Ultimate strength describes the
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ased on a decades experience of tidal blade design, engineers from composite specialist Gurit have com-

design the un-ducted rotor may still prove more cost effective. Oscillating foil and cross-flow devices give scope for support of the blades at the tip and intermediate points along the span, although each support adds cost and drag. These devices are typically lower efficiency than axial flow designs so are suited more to shallow water applications where their shape is advantageous in minimising the depth required. Blades typically need to withstand 20-25 years of operation, so as well as ultimate strength, they also need to withstand the fatigue loads due to rotation, tidal cycles, waves and turbulence. The relative importance of fatigue depends largely on the turbine type: Studies have shown that axial flow turbines with carbon fibre/epoxy blades are typically not fatigue-critical, that is to say ultimate strength drives the design more than fatigue strength Ducted flow turbines are even less fatigue critical than un-ducted axial turbines, because the duct accelerates the mean flow more than the turbulence, reducing the effective turbulence intensity Cross-flow and oscillating foil turbines however are very fatiguedriven. This is because the full operating load reverses with each cycle, the most severe type of fatigue loading To see why this is the case, we must first look at the choice of material, which is critical for fatigue resistance of the blades. A turbine operating at up to 20rpm (or an oscillating foil at 20 cycles per minute) will see

about 200 million cycles in 20yrs of operation. Since the fatigue damage is very sensitive to the loading, it may be equivalent to being loaded to the maximum working level perhaps 10 percent of the time. Therefore damage would be equivalent to 20 million cycles at maximum load. For many materials the allowable fatigue stress is related to the ultimate strength by the factor N(-1/m), where N = number of cycles m = Wohler coefficient (inverse slope of fatigue S/N curve) The higher the value of m, the more fatigue-resistant the material is. Typical values based on Germanischer Lloyd (GL) and Det Norske Veritas (DNV) standards give the following knock-down factors for fatigue versus ultimate strength: * Carbon/epoxy: m =14 so allowable fatigue stress = 30 percent of ultimate * Glass/epoxy: m = 10 so allowable fatigue stress = 19 percent of ultimate * Steel (cathodically protected): m = 5 so allowable fatigue stress = 3.5 percent of ultimate Additional safety factors are also applied to the characteristic strengths but they are broadly similar for fatigue and ultimate strength. For an axial-flow turbine, fatigue loads are primarily driven by turbulence and swell: estimates vary according to tidal site but fatigue amplitudes can typically be around 25 percent of the steady-state operational loads. Extreme loads could be (say) 150 percent of operational so if designed for extreme loads, fatigue

blades ability to carry the peak shortterm design loads. In many cases this determines how much material needs to be used for the construction of the blade. Relatively short, thick blades are easier to make strong enough than long, slender ones; that much is obvious. Ducted turbines allow relatively stronger blade shapes to be used because they dont need such long, slender blades as an unducted axial flow turbine to achieve high efficiency. The duct increases the flow speed over the rotor, not only allowing shorter blades but also higher tip speeds; this increases the rotational speed (rpm) hence lowers the torque and bending moments for a given power. Ducted designs also offer the possibility of supporting the blades at both ends (e.g. OpenHydro). However, the cost of the duct is significant due to its large surface area and it needs to be stiff to minimise clearances on blade tips and bearings, so with good blade

load Reserve Factor (greater than 1 implies safety) will be approximately: Carbon/epoxy: 1.50 x 0.30/0.25 = 1.80 i.e. not fatigue critical Glass/epoxy: 1.50 x 0.19/0.25 = 1.14 i.e. almost fatigue critical Steel: 1.50 x 0.035/0.25 = 0.21 i.e. need to strengthen by 4.8 times Oscillating foil and cross-flow turbines are subjected to very high fatigue loadings due to the full load reversals with each cycle, which swamp any effects of turbulence. Again assuming extreme load is 150 percent of operational load, but now fatigue amplitude = 100

percent of working load, the following fatigue Reserve Factors would apply if the turbine was just strong enough to withstand ultimate load: Carbon/epoxy: 1.50 x 0.30/1.00 = 0.45 i.e. need to strengthen by 2.2 times Glass/epoxy: 1.50 x 0.186/1.00 = 0.28 i.e need to strengthen by 3.6 times Steel: 1.50 x 0.035/1.00 = 0.05 i.e. need to strengthen by 19 times Clearly fatigue strength has implications for the choice of turbine blade materials: Oscillating foil and cross-flow designs need to be reinforced to withstand fatigue, which reduces the

advantage they gain by being able to support the blades at both ends Steel blades need to be massively oversized to withstand fatigue, even in axial flow turbines. Steel is impractical in cross-flow or oscillating foil devices Glass/epoxy composites may be suitable for some axial flow turbines, particularly ducted ones, if sufficient ultimate strength can be obtained within the compact blade sections typically chosen by the hydrodynamicists Carbon/epoxy composites, although expensive per kg, have a large advantage in fatigue-critical designs such as cross-flow turbines.
www.gurit.com
77

Simulation Driven Product Development from ANSYS

ANSYS offers the widest range of engineering simulation tools from structural FE and Electromagnetics to CFD and Multiphysics. ANSYS products are widely used in the Energy sector, from wind, wave and tidal to offshore drilling, power transmission, oil production, hydropower and green buildings. Wherever innovation, reliability and minimising risk are crucial to project success, ANSYS has the answer.
ANSYS UK Ltd 6 Europa View, Sheffield Business Park, Sheffield S9 1XH Tel: +44 (0) 114 281 8888 Unit 8 Bracknell Beeches, Old Bracknell Lane West, Bracknell RG12 7BW Tel: +44 (0) 870 010 4456

www.ansys.com

Centre picture courtesy of Green Ocean Ltd

EWEA Events: The Winning Formula

www.ewea.org/events

EWEA events:
high quality conference + targeted exhibition + unique networking opportunities = the winning formula
The industry is still growing rapidly, creating exciting opportunities for new and existing businesses. Year after year, the European Wind Energy Association, EWEA, continues to serve the wind industry with the most valuable and professionally organised events in Europe. The success of EWEA events mirrors the booming wind industry and they are consideredun-missable for any business serious about its future in the wind energy sector.

ALL-ENERGY 2011
Aberdeen 18-19 May 2011
News from the Austrian Pavilion Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre (AECC) Stands G60, G40, F50

Austria
Renewable heat technologies have a long tradition in Austria. Forests cover approximately 47 percent of Austrias surface and wood fuel heating has a very long tradition in Austria. The introduction of stringent environmental regulations in the 1980s was a comparatively early catalyst to drive innovative changes in the combustion engineering sector and automatic control techniques. Today, Austrian biomass boilers rank amongst the most efficient and user-

Austrian success stories in the UK

Biomass boilers
Windhager has, for its 85 year history, been associated with high quality boiler technology. Now the Austrian company is one of Europes leading manufacturers of biomass central heating systems and has a particularly strong reputation as a specialist in pellet fired heating systems. Holidaymakers and conservation groups exploring the beautiful rugged coastline of St Davids Peninsula in Pembrokeshire, North Wales, will be comfortable whatever the weather thanks to Windhager technology. A Windhager Biowin automatic pellet boiler has been installed at the National Trusts Mathry base camp in the picturesque coastland area. The site, which offers dormitory accommodation for groups of 10, uses the boiler along with a solar hot water system to provide year round heating. During the colder months, the boiler provides heating and hot water; the heat is distributed via a weather compensating control unit, which feeds two radiator circuits and a hot water circuit. Windhager has its UK headquarters in Wiltshire and, in recent years, has trained a growing number of certified installers and has been instrumental in raising the awareness of biomass heating systems across the country. KWB (Kraft und Wrme aus Biomasse) is another Austrian biomass company enjoying success in the UK. A 150kW biomass boiler manufactured by KWB is providing hot water and heating at a Grade One listed building in West Sussex. Wilton House, situated amid over 6,000 acres of parkland, is used by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The government building is leading the way in the uptake of carbon lean technology. Managers of the estate saw that installing a biomass boiler would improve the Wilton Houses carbon efficiency and bring the estates woodland into economic life as a source of woodchip. The boiler is situated 90m from the main house and is naturally screened by vegetation. The boiler house has an integrated woodchip store that links to the boiler via a direct auger feed and sweeper. Dried wood, transported from the estates woods, is chipped into the store on site. It is hoped that the KWB system will save around 165 tonnes of carbon per year.

friendly in the world. Within the last 20 years, solar thermal technologies have also developed into a thriving industry in Austria. Currently, Austria has the third highest ratio of installed capacity to population worldwide. Around 80 percent of current production is

80

made for export. Then there is the unprecedented rise in the biogas sector. Since the introduction of Feed-in Tariffs for renewable electricity in 2002 (kostromgesetz) the number of biogas plants have rapidly increased. Biogas upgrading and integration into the gas grid was pioneered in Austria as early as 2005. Since then, a number of European best-practice initiatives have developed in joint ventures between Austrian universities and their partners in

industry. If you want to know more about the Austrian Experience with Renewable Heat, please visit us at the Austrian Pavilion (G60/G40/F50) or join our Renewable Heat Showcase on Wednesday 18 May (11.00 am12.30pm) at the All-Energy 2011 Conference.
We look forward to meeting you! Georg Karabaczek

Boiler technology
The Senedd, the debating chamber of Wales National Assembly, is heated by a 360kW Binder boiler that was fitted by certified UK installer Wood Energy. Wood Energy has also installed a 100kW Hargassner wood pellet boiler to help the Lingfield Park Marriott Hotel meet its renewable energy targets. The boiler is the Austrian companys first containerised installation in the UK. Meanwhile, Buccleuch Enegy has installed a 1500kW biomass boiler at the energy centre of Queen Margaret University, on Edinburghs new Musselburgh campus. The campus, containing 800 student bedrooms, sports facilities, academic buildings and a student union, has a maximum 4.5mW peak heat demand and a computerised control system enables the biomass boiler to function as the lead boiler providing heating and hot water to the site.

Biogas
Entec Biogas, the Austrian expert in biogas technology, has completed the site design and will provide process technology for North East Englands first commercial anaerobic digestion (AD) plant. The Emerald Biogas Energy Park, situated on the Newton Aycliffe industrial estate in County Durham, will use food waste mixed with organic waste and sustainable energy crops to power a combined heat and power unit or grid injection through biomethane. It is estimated that the AD plant will produce enough power for 4,000 homes. The remaining liquid product is ideal for fertilising crops, offering an alternative to energy intensive artificial fertilisers. The facility will also feature a pre-treatment hall that will allow all forms of packaged food waste from supermarkets, food manufacturers, local councils and restaurants to be processed. After having successfully realised AD plants for food waste in Japan and Germany, we are very pleased to start construction on this AD food waste plant, commented Bernhard Schulz, the CEO of Entec Biogas. We see high potential for these types of plants during the next few years in the UK market. The image shows an AD plant for food waste in Benet, France, for which Entec was the general contractor. Work at the Newton Aycliffe facility is ongoing.

81

Solar
A number of Austrian companies specialising in solar thermal technology are breaking into the UK market. TiSun has installed a 24m2 solar thermal system at the Yorkshire Dales Sailing Club; the technology means that the water for the sailors hot showers will be heated in sustainable fashion. Sonnenkraft has managed solar thermal installations for a social housing project in East London. And, finally, Solarfocus has, alongside UK partners Oxford Renewables, carried out a new heating installation at Braziers Park, a Grade II listed building that was home to a young Ian Fleming.

The construction of the first Thni Naturgas biogas plant has started in the UK. The contract with customer Agrigen, a consortium of large-scale agricultural enterprises, was signed in March 2011. The plant will be built on the site of a former military airbase in Rendlesham, Suffolk. The first part of the development will involve the construction of a biogas plant with an output of 500kW. There are plans to extend the plant further to reach an output of 2.5MW. Dr Robert Lackner, the UK business development officer for Thni, commented: The realisation of this project is of particular importance as it marks our successful entry into the British market, a market that is still

young in terms of biogas technology and one that offers considerable potential for future business development. Peter Hailes, CEO of Agrigen, added: As a large farming group, we are very excited about our forthcoming AD development. Not only will we utilise high availability industrial standard AD technology, but will use vegetables and energy crops to produce diversified income through green electricity sales and by producing recycled fertiliser.

Austria

Heat Pumps: Austrian Experiences

Alistair Welch speaks to the chairman of the European Heat Pump Association Karl Ochsner and learns how Austrian experience is driving the development of the European heat pumps market

82

believes that Austrian experience and expertise in heat pump technology could allow the countrys companies to be key players in a maturing UK and European market. Mr Ochsner quite literally wrote the book on heat pumps; in 2007 he published Geothermal Heat

deal of research into the potential environmental benefits, in terms of reduction of primary energy use and pollution control, of heat pump technology. He comments: The situation now is that ambient heat or environmental heat from open air, groundwater or the ground is defined as renewable heat. Heat pumps are a technology that allow us to use these particular sources of renewable energy. A number of Europes most successful and well-established heat pump companies are Austrian and despite the countrys relatively small population (8.4 million), it had a heat pump market in 2010 of 17,700 units. Ochsner sees the success of Austrian companies in the sector as being down to experience: There were some lead companies 30 years ago in Austria, of which my company was one. At that time we were able to generate a number of initiatives and form

ple to other European countries, including the UK, in terms of the take up of heat pumps. However, he suggests that the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will have a substantial impact on the UK market. Furthermore, Mr Ochsner

ccording to Karl Ochsner, the chairman of the European Heat Pump Association

(EHPA), Austria is setting the exam-

Pumps: A Guide for Planning and Installation and, in addition to his chairmanship of the EHPA, he has 30 years experience in the industry as director of his company Ochsner Wrmepumpen. Essentially, a heat pump operates like a refrigerator in reverse; a coolant gas is used to transfer heat from the ground or ambient heat from the air into a building. Although some electricity is required to run a heat pump, the overall energy saving should make a system environmentally preferable to conventional methods of heating. As chair of the EHPA, Mr Ochsner has overseen a great

alliances with policy makers in order to promote heat pumps. Indeed, 20 years ago the heat pump market was ahead of the solar market. The Austrian market benefits from a regional incentive programme that offers subsidies to cover the cost of installing heat pumps - these can be as high as 7,000 for installing a heat pump with a vertical collector in the capital city Vienna. It is hoped that the RHI will, similarly, encourage heat pump installation in the UK. However, following the announcement of the RHI in March 2011, critics of the technology have argued that heat pumps do not perform efficiently enough to legitimately be considered renewable energy. Mr Ochsner responds to these claims by acknowledging that whilst a poorly installed or ill-conceived heat pump may suffer limited efficiency, provided proper installation then heat pumps are a genuine source of renewable energy with definite environmental advantages. Criticism exists, he says, but everyone needs to look a little deeper. If heat pumps are not installed properly, naturally they will not work as efficiently as they could. To say that the technology is not efficient, however, is a false conclusion. Proper installation does not necessarily mean expensive installation, but installation carried out with the necessary know-how.

The EHPA runs a successful training programme for heat pump installers across Europe. Even in established markets, such as Austria, Germany and Poland, Mr Ochsner believes

pumps it is always very important that the system and heat source are appropriate. Even the highest performing heat pump cannot work properly if the source is not right or the flow rate not adequate. For heat pump technology to be adopted significantly in the UK market, such training and education is vital. From a European-wide perspective domestic heat pumps are now wellestablished in a number of countries; in Sweden, for example, 79 percent of new homes are equipped with heat pumps, in Austria the figure is 50 percent. Potential for wider application of the technology lies in systems for larger buildings such as schools, offices, hospitals and museums. A number of sample installations have proved that heat pumps are very attractive in such applications. Furthermore, Mr Ochsner suggests that heat pumps have a role to play in the development of smart grids and smart cities: We need storage of heat and we need smart grids - heat pumps can buffer a little energy. The goal of the EHPA is to see one million heat pumps installed
83

that training is a crucial factor in the sectors ongoing success. It requires specific knowledge to design and install heat pump systems, he continues. With heat

in Europe annually before 2015. If this target is to be met, it will be due, to a great extent, to the transfer of experience and expertise led by Austrian companies.

Austria

Advocates for Austria

Josef Plank, the president of the newly formed Federal Association for Renewable Energy Austria, offers a cross-sector perspective on Austrian renewables
power, biomass and renewable heat, others, including wind and photovoltaics, are somewhat underrepresented. The goal of the body is to promote Austrias traditional areas of strength whilst developing other renewable sectors in order to create a balanced profile across renewable energy and renewable heat. Individual technologies are not in competition, but will complement
84

education is a key aspect of FAREAs remit. Mr Plank explains: There is not enough information about the growth of wind power, solar power, photovoltaics and biomass. We need to go into schools and engage in discussions with the media. Fundamentally, we want an efficient networking organisation made up of the various branch groups who are already working in their own areas. The EUs 2020 target for Austria is 34 percent of total energy consumption to be supplied by renewable means. In 2007 the proportion was 23 percent; this rose in 2010, but a reduction in energy consumption due to the financial downturn rather than an increase in renewable provisions means that this is, to an extent, a false statistic. Mr Plank continues: We need to strengthen our work in order to achieve the 2020 goals. Nevertheless, we ought to reach 50 percent renewable provision within a relatively short period. We are discussing all kinds of renewable energy. Austrias traditional areas of strength, such as renewable heat and biomass, are important, but we are also discussing renewable fuels and energy efficiency in production and consumption.

F
heat.

each other with a view to a stable and sustainable energy supply, says Mr Plank. We are no longer on different sides, we are trying to grow in one direction into the future. Mr Planks own background is in regional politics having served a number of years in Austrian provincial government where he had particular responsibility for agricultural and environmental affairs. His political experience has allowed him to appreciate the significance and sensitivity of offering collective representation for individual interest groups. We found that it is absolutely necessary to speak with one voice because we have basic work to do in a number of sectors - both politically and in terms of society. In many cases the information about new forms of energy supply is not far developed, he adds. Raising the profile of Austrias renewable energy provision through

ounded in February 2011 after a year of discus-

sion and negotiation, the Federal Association for

Renewable Energy Austria (FAREA), or Erneuerbare Energie sterreich

in German, is Austrias first national umbrella organisation advocating renewable energy and renewable FAREAs founding bodies are the eight existing representative organisations of Austrias renewables industry and include IG Wind Power, Small Hydropower Austria, Austrias Energy, Photovoltaic Austria, Austria Solar, the Austrian Biomass Association, ARGE Compost and Biogas, and Pellets Per Austria. The members claim to account for 70 percent of domestic consumption of electricity and 30 percent of heat energy. Josef Plank, president of FAREA, explains that whilst certain sectors of Austrias renewables industry are well-established, such as hydro-

Heat exchangers
STAND G60-1 APL APPARATEBAU GMBH
ADDRESS

Gewerbestrasse 14, 6361 Hopfgarten, Austria +43/ 5335/ 2256 +43/ 5335/ 2017 info@apl-apparatebau.com www.apl-apparatebau.com

sector. A further specialisation is the customer specific solar cells - cut to the highest technical level by wafer saw. Top quality and impressive technology characterise EPS products, all of which carry the quality label Made in Austria.

For over 50 years, Olymp has excelled on account of its highly competent heating systems. The product range is continuously being enlarged and now includes innovative solutions for all forms of energy such as solar, pellets, wood, geothermal and natural oil and gas burners.

PHONE FAX

Ultrafiltration
STAND G60-4 KALOGEO ANLAGENBAU GMBH Aredstrasse 13, 2544 Leobersdorf, Austria
ADDRESS PHONE FAX

Biogas
STAND G60-3 THNI INDUSTRIEBETRIEBE GMBH
ADDRESS Obermarktstrasse 48, 6410 Telfs, Austria PHONE FAX

E-MAIL

WEBSITE

APL Apparatebau is a leading producer of one-off manufactured tube heat exchangers and pressure vessels for chemical, petrochemical and refinery plants, heat and energy and refrigeration technology, and special applications. Great depth of production together with modern equipment enables orders to be executed with great flexibility.

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+43/ 5262/ 69 03-510 umwelt@thoeni.com www.thoeni.com

WEBSITE

E-MAIL

Biogas
STAND F50 ENTEC BIOGAS GMBH Schilfweg 1, 6972 Fussach, Austria
ADDRESS PHONE FAX

KALOGEO Anlagenbau is an engineering company specialising in the decentralised treatment of waste water and sewage sludge. Kalogeo is also a process for sludge exploitation, designed for the communal waste water treatment sector and for industries producing high quantities of sludge.

WEBSITE

Biomass heating
STAND G40-2 KWB GMBH
ADDRESS Industriestrasse 235, 8321 St.Margarethen an der Raab, Austria PHONE FAX

+43/ 5578/ 79 46-0

+43/ 5578/ 79 46-800 office@entec-biogas.at www.entec-biogas.at

Since 1990, Thni has been involved in developing innovative technologies and modern engineering systems for treating waste and generating biogas from organic waste and energy crops. We offer turnkey systems beginning with the project development through conception, construction up to the commissioning and the aftersales service.
85

E-MAIL

WEBSITE

Biomass heating
STAND G40-1 WINDHAGER ZENTRALHEIZUNG GMBH
ADDRESS Windhager UK, 4 Glenmore Business Park, Vincients Road, Bumpers Farm, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6BB PHONE E-MAIL

Entec biogas supplies know-how and services for anaerobic digestion plants for digestion of organic waste (food waste), agricultural, industrial and municipal sludge and wastewater. The group is experienced in the design and construction of more than 40 large-scale biogas plants worldwide. A successful market entry in the UK could be realised by receiving the order for the food waste AD-plant for Emerald Biogas.

+43/ 3115/ 61 16-0

+43/ 3115/ 61 16-4 office@kwb.at www.kwb.at

E-MAIL

WEBSITE

Solar LED
STAND F50 EPS SOLTEC SOLARTECHNIK GMBH Lochauer Strasse 2, 6912 Hoerbranz, Austria
ADDRESS PHONE FAX

With its fully automatic biomass heating systems, KWB has focused its business for years on the use of renewable and efficient sources of energy. Heating with pellets, woodchip or log-wood also opens up possibilities for achieving considerable savings. Today the product range encompasses pellet, woodchip and log-wood boilers as well as individual extraction and storage systems for every spatial situation.

+44/ 1249/ 44 66 16 www.windhager.co.uk

oli@windhager.co.uk

WEBSITE

Biomass heating
STAND G60-2 OLYMP WERK GMBH Olympstrasse 10, 6430 Oetztal-Bahnhof, Austria
ADDRESS PHONE FAX

+43/ 5573/ 853 79

+43/ 5573/ 853 79-99 info@eps-soltec.com www.eps-soltec.com

E-MAIL

WEBSITE

For 90 years the name Windhager Central Heating has been inseparably linked with boiler technology of the highest quality. What started as a small metalworking shop in 1921 is now one of the biggest and most important companies in the industry and one of the leading manufacturers of biomass central heating systems in Europe. In recent years Windhager has above all established a reputation as a specialist for pellet-fired heating systems.

EPS Soltec specialises in customer-oriented PV solutions and innovative LED lighting solutions (street and pathway lighting). EPS Soltec is a world market leader in the solar small modules

+43/ 5266/ 8910

+43/ 5266/ 8910 825 office@olymp.at www.olymp.at

E-MAIL

WEBSITE

Renewable Heat - Experiences from Austria

Wednesday, 18 May 11:00am - 12:30pm Room 18-20

At present, 34.8 percent of final heat demand in Austria is supplied by renewable energy sources. Austrian environmental technologies are leading the way in innovation and reliability and have been successfully implemented in the UK and all over the world.

We would like to invite you to join our showcase, Austria - Experiences with Renewable Heat, on Wednesday, 18 May (11:00am - 12:30pm, All-Energy Conference, Room 18-20) to hear a series of presentations from respected figures from the Austrian renewable heat scene and to quiz them on their experience with different technology applications.

11:00

Opening remarks by Chair

GEORG KARABACZEK, AUSTRIAN TRADE COMMISSIONER

11:05

Solar Thermal Energy: Experiences from Upper Austria

REGINA AUFREITER, UPPER AUSTRIA ENERGY AGENCY

11:30

Heat from Biomass: Lessons learnt in Austria

MARTIN SEIFRIED, KWB

11:45

Biogas as a renewable heat source in Austria

ROBERT LACKNER, THNI

12:00

Q&A and discussion

Please also join us the same day at 4:30pm on the Austrian Pavilion (F50, G40, G60) to chat and meet over a glass of Austria wine!

Events

All-Energy 2011
Make a date with the UKs largest renewable energy event taking place in Aberdeen on 18-19 May in Aberdeen - ENERGY ENGINEERING magazine will also be there on stand P120

W
the sector.

ith well over 530 exhibitors from 20 countries and conference ses-

the UK and where the supply chain opportunities for UK companies are in achieving Siemens ambitions (this is a presentation by the Global Sourcing Manager of Siemens Global Wind Power); and other talks will include How ECGD can Help UK Exporters plus an Overview of the International Trade Potential of UK Renewable Energy Technologies and Services. In their session Bankable Projects: Regs, Risks and Returns the Scottish European Green Energy Centre (SEGEC) has brought together key European and Scottish panellists to explore the landscape between current delivery in Scotland and ambitions in Europe. The session (14.00 on 18 May) will discuss the key funding, regulatory and legislative issues and the major risks involved in identifying and achieving successful bankable projects at the demonstration stage and moving to full-scale deployment. Two sessions on Day 2 give additional insights into renewable energy funding. In Industry Perspectives on Financing (09.00 on 19 May) Adrian Scholtz, Director of Corporate Finance and European Head of Renewables, KPMG Europe, chairs a panel of experts: Richard Slark, Director, Pyry Management Consulting; Nick Wood, Director, Deloitte LLP, Andrew Jamieson, Regulation

and Markets Director, ScottishPower Renewables, and Rob Forrest, Chief Executive, GreenPower. As Adrian Scholtz explains: It is estimated that 200billion of funding for low carbon technology is required to achieve the UKs 2020 targets. Finance is available for wellstructured projects and class leading companies. However there are many challenges, ranging from the regulatory uncertainty presented by EMR, to lower valuations resulting from the higher demand for funding. No-one is immune from the status quo, as our panel of speakers will demonstrate: the utilities need to ration and recycle capital; whilst independents must operate really efficiently to remain solvent. The final session with a finance/funding bias is Support for renewable energy in a world of constrained funding - How to make sure we are successful. In a session chaired by Duncan Botting, Executive Chair, SEGEC, panellists including Martin McAdam, CEO, Aquamarine Power; Benj Sykes, Director, Innovations at the Carbon Trust; Dr Tony Trapp, Managing Director, OSBIT Power; and Rob Saunders, Lead Technologist for Offshore Renewables, TSB will explore that concept. Low carbon technologies present a huge opportunity for new
87

sions dealing with every source of renewable energy, All-Energy 2011 makes a fascinating one-stop-shop for all interested in every aspect of The conference opens with a ple-

nary session chaired by Andrew Jamieson, Chairman of RenewableUK and Regulation and Markets Director, ScottishPower Renewables with speakers including Charles Hendry MP, Minister of state, DECC; Sir Ian Wood, Chairman, Wood Group; and Duncan Botting, Business Innovation and Growth Director Power, Industry and Utilities, Parsons Brinckerhoff. Thereafter it breaks into seven parallel streams covering the complete spectrum of the renewables industry - a strong focus this year will be sessions looking at aspects of finance and funding. UK Trade and Investments Growing the Green Economy session (11.00 on 18 May) will consider what the Government has done since the Coalition came to power, to improve the Green Economy (covering The Green Bank, and Electricity Market Review amongst other topics); Delivery of the UKs Offshore Wind Programme will highlight the drivers behind Siemens investment in

Events

economic growth - there is little doubt that innovation lies at the heart of accelerating the development and commercialisation of these pioneer industries and driving down costs. Research undertaken by UKERC shows that innovation makes economic sense - their low innovation scenario for the UK shows a total cost that is hundreds of billions of pounds greater than in a high innovation scenario to create a low carbon energy system over the next forty years. Moreover, academic studies point to the importance of RD&D spend (learning by research) in the early stages of technology development, having a far larger
88

impact per pound spent than learning by doing. The UK has to get this right - we will be among the earliest deployers of many of these technologies, and hence the one to bear the high costs of early deployment. It is now more important than ever for the UK to continue to focus on innovation and capture the economic prize offered by the transition to a low carbon global economy. But we know very little about which approaches to innovation work best; how do we encourage and support innovation most effectively? How do we leverage private sector spending, when public funding becomes ever more

constrained? The panel members will be airing their own views in the Support for renewable energy in a world of constrained funding - How to make sure we are successful session, and discussing them with the audience. The two-day show, the eleventh in the annual series, the Giant Networking Evening, associated Careers Fair, and Technical Tours are free to attend for all with a professional/business interest in renewable energy.
www.all-energy.co.uk
Further information on all aspects of AllEnergy 2011, and free online registration is at www.all-energy.co.uk

Controlling the Renewable Energy Industry

JCE
energy

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Profile

Safe and sound

S
90

The latest from a company that provides bolt securing systems for the most critical bolted joints
ince 1982, the Nord-Lock bolt securing system has been used to safely secure the worlds most critical the mating surfaces. The washers are locked in place, allowing movement only across the face of the cams. Any attempt from the bolt/nut to turn loose will be stopped by the wedge-locking effect of the washers. When you choose Nord-Lock you do not only choose a manufacturer and a supplier; you also choose an expert in bolted joints as your partner. Our team of engineers meet clients all over the world, working together to solve bolt securing problems in the most demanding applications. By allowing Nord-Lock to analyse and optimise your bolted connection you will increase the profitability and productivity of your company by reducing the life cycle cost of your joints. The Nord-Lock Group is experienced in providing bolt securing solutions, even for applications that are exposed to severe vibration and dynamic loads. By providing customers with specific tests and performance services, we help companies in the most demanding industries to optimise their bolted joints. Our fast-growing sales organisation consists of subsidiaries in Europe, USA, Asia and the Pacific. We also work closely with a worldwide network of carefully selected distributors. The Nord-Lock Group is part of a large Swedish listed investment company; Investment AB Latour, working with long term developments of industrial companies.
www.nord-lock.com

bolted joints. A number of these joints can be found within wind tur-

bines; from the anchor bolts on the tower to the joints keeping the different sections of the tower secured and numerous applications within the turbine itself. The most critical of these include front and rear main bearings, yaw bearings and bolts on the nacelle frame, as well as bolted joints connecting the main shaft to the hub and the blades to the bearing. With the Nord-Lock bolt securing system, you can actually increase the output from your turbine. Safely secured bolted joints mean you are able to reduce the frequency of bolted joint maintenance inspections. This, in turn, means substantially reduced overall maintenance costs and production downtime as well as a reduction to the human risks associated with conducting this type of maintenance. Nord-Locks wedge-locking method uses tension instead of friction to secure bolted joints, making it superior to traditional methods. The Nord-Lock principle incorporates a pair of washers that have cams on one side with a rise ( greater than the pitch ( of the bolt. In addition, there are radial teeth on the opposing sides. The washers come pre-assembled in pairs, cam face to cam face. When the bolt/nut is tightened, the teeth grip and seat

Securing wind power

The bolted connections in wind turbines are amongst the most demanding ones in the world. Since 1982, Nord-Lock has been using geometry to safely secure bolted joints in critical applications world wide. Once tightened, the Nord-Lock wedge lock washers will not allow the fasteners to loosen by themselves, even if exposed to extreme vibrations. For wind turbine applications this not only means the possibility of increasing your capacity in terms of power output - it also leads to less downtime and reduced maintenance interval. Less maintenance, in turn, means less exposure to the risks typically resulting in personal injuries or even fatalities, within the wind industry.

NORD-LOCK Ltd. Tel: +44 (0) 1980 847129 Fax: +44 (0) 1980 847674 Email: enquiries@nord-lock.co.uk Website: www.nord-lock.com

Anaerobic digestion

L
92

Going for growth Close collaboration

The advent of a whole new industry that could employ as many as 35,000 people should be of huge interest to the engineering sector
ast year, the Government due to differences in economics. There

Scotlandsinrenewable energy 6,000 plants now operating gate fees will have to be paid to AD are over industry is gearing up - we report on one set a priority the Coalition group in Germany, mostly farm-based using plants but it is Agreement to achieve a huge thats helping to develop the sector possible that these too
increase in energy from waste maize as an energy crop. In comparison over the past few decades the UK has been blessed with cheap North Sea gas. This could be considered a mixed blessing as it allowed us the freedom to ignore biogas as a source of energy. As the UK has moved from an exporter of gas to a country looking to import over 70 percent of its gas over the next 10 years, a need for biogas has evolved. A number of factors have fundamentally changed the economics for anaerobic digestion including the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), which makes gas to grid injection an attractive proposition. The subsidy level means that AD is now financially viable. Furthermore it is conceivable that in the near future the economics of AD and biogas production will mean that it will be cheaper to generate biogas than to import natural gas. This is based purely on predictions for the UK feedstock market. The UK produces over 100million tonnes of organic waste, of which large proportions are produced by the agricultural and the food waste or food processing waste sectors. In order to comply with the EU Waste Directive the UK has committed to substantial reductions in waste sent to landfill. Food is a major component of residual waste and has major cost implications for councils. Separating food waste at the kerbside results in a vast reduction in these costs simply by will be reduced as more and more AD plants come into the market. AD as an industry will affect a wide range of sectors from agriculture to food packaging, from energy distribution networks to engineering and pump manufacturers. It will provide a wealth of opportunities for business development both in the UK and overseas, particularly for companies entering the marketplace now. Turning food waste from a cost into an asset will have value throughout the world. If you currently provide a service or product that could be used in the AD industry then this is the time to develop your business in anaerobic digestion and biogas. The easiest way to gauge the value of AD and understand the opportunities it could offer your business is by visiting UK AD & Biogas 2011, the only trade show in the UK dedicated exclusively to anaerobic digestion and biogas. Ensure you do not miss out by booking your place at the ultimate AD marketplace today. ADBAs trade show UK AD & Biogas 2011 takes place on 6-7 July at the NEC Birmingham This two-day exhibition and conference includes over 130 exhibitors, high profile speakers and workshops. To receive 50 percent off entry to the trade show please pre-register with this code: GEN3519. Please note this does not include entry to the conference. To register or find out more, please visit www.adbiogas.co.uk

avoiding the landfill tax. Admittedly

through anaerobic digestion. The Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA) has calculated that, in order to meet Government renewable energy and greenhouse gas targets, almost 1,000 AD plants of various sizes will need to be built in the UK over the next 10 years. That is more than two anaerobic digestion (AD) plants a week. The cost of build-

ing this number of plants is estimated to be between 2 and 5billion depending on the technology used. However, the need for anaerobic digestion plants extends beyond helping to meet our climate change targets. AD is also a vital solution to the UKs waste problem. Now that landfill sites are being phased out the UK needs to find alternative mechanisms for dealing with its waste. Furthermore, AD is a source of renewable fertiliser, which will become of ever-greater significance as oil prices continue to rise and the farming sector looks to reduce the carbon impact of artificial fertilisers. AD is not a new technology, which is astonishing considering the sudden and recent surge in interest. One of the explanations for this boost in the AD industry is the recent change in economics. Anaerobic digestion has been used in Britain for 100 years and there are over 550 plants operating in the water sector. Despite this, AD has not taken off in the same way as it has in Germany. This is simply

Energise Your Career

The Energy Institute is the leading membership body for the energy industry, offering learning and networking opportunities to support your professional development. Providing registration for Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer, Engineering Technician, Chartered Scientist, Chartered Environmentalist and Chartered Energy Manager, the Energy Institute is open to anyone working in energy.

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Employment

Career development

A
versa.

Theone Wilson interviews Anna Botten of Siemens to find out what they are looking for in their staff
Siemens Wind Power, which is part of Siemens Energy sector in the UK. Her role embraces agreeing sourcing strategies with hiring managers, running advertising campaigns, managing applications and conducting interviews through to job offers. Positions are usually advertised in industry specific publications and standard job boards, alongside direct recruitment and sourcing, although this may alter depending on the role itself. However, recruiting for this sector can be quite a challenge, due to a significant skills shortage of people coming from a renewables background. We recruit for many different roles and all levels, including project managers, commercial project managers, project controllers, sales and business development managers, site managers, offshore installation managers, specialist offshore lifting supervisors, power electronics engineers, health and safety managers, to name but a few, says Botten. The construction department within the division has seen a significant amount of growth with a plan to recruit around 180 technicians in this financial year alone. The department includes installation technicians, commissioning technicians, and blade technicians, who will work onsite installing Siemens wind turbines, both offshore and onshore.
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position at Siemens could, it seems, lead you anywhere. The company can offer a wide range

of opportunities and, says Recruiter Anna Botten, the group places a great deal of importance upon personal development. The flexible approach to careers means that staff are able to move between different sectors of the business e.g. from the industry or healthcare sectors to the energy sector and vice Botten herself has worked there

since 2010, moving to Siemens after having held a similar role with Babcock International Group. She now oversees the recruitment process from beginning to end for

Employment

Siemens Wind Power is also investing heavily in research and development. The group has R&D Centres of Competence at Keele University for power converters, and another centre of competence at Sheffield University for generators. The groups Transmission & Distribution business has an R&D facility at Manchester for grid connections. The specific engineering disciplines that Siemens recruits for at its R&D centres are a real recruitment challenge - according to Botten. Siemens is currently recruiting for development engineers for software, modelling and power electronics as well as generator structural design engineers and bearings engineers.
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Siemens as an organisation invests heavily in its people through training and development. Specific training requirements are dependant on the role - for example wind power service technicians will spend a period of six weeks at Siemens wind power training facility in Newcastle, where they will undergo various training courses including working at heights, HSE and offshore survival. The group also has designated onboarding coordinators, who conduct inductions for all new starters joining Siemens Wind Power. The company also offers the chance to gain professional qualifications such as its project management qualification, PM@Siemens, which is recognised externally throughout the project management profession. In terms of the application process, all applications are initially submitted through the online careers page (www.siemens.co.uk/careers). The recruiter then reviews applications, shortlists and conducts both telephone and face-to-face, competency based interviews. Depending on the role, some candidates will undergo online tests, whilst others will be required to attend assessment centres. If successful, candidates will receive a verbal offer, followed by a written offer of employment and contract. We look for CVs and applications that are laid out clearly and

concisely, with the right qualifications and relevant experience in relation to the job specification. Ideally candidates will have experience of working on large-scale, multi disciplined engineering and construction projects; however this requirement may change dependant on the vacancy, says Botten. There are also opportunities within the graduate scheme at Siemens Wind Power, which will be taking on around 12 graduates in this financial year. The graduate programme is two years in duration and the new starters are exposed to different departments within Siemens Wind Power, across Projects, Sales and Commecial and HSE. Overall, says Botten, Siemens Wind Power is able to offer significant career progression and development opportunities for those wanting to invest in a long-term career. The Renewable Energy Sector is going to experience such a rapid growth rate over the coming years. Siemens Wind Power is excellently positioned to capitalise on this growth as the leading offshore wind power player in the UK, with an equally large onshore business. It is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Botten says. Its a great organisation to join and there is a real sense of excitement about the growth we will see over the medium to long term future.
www.energy.siemens.com

Health and Safety is an absolute priority for Siemens Wind Power, says Botten, delivered through our policy of Zero Harm. Not surprisingly, given this focus, there is currently a big drive to recruit HSE coordinators and HSE officers. Some of these positions will be office based and some will be working on site, including offshore on installation vessels. Those looking at the Renewables sector could find themselves working on projects in the Siemens Wind Power portfolio, such as Gwynt-y-Mr, London Array and Walney Wind Farms. Siemens Wind Power is headquartered in Brande, Denmark and the majority of new starters will spend a significant amount of time there, developing their knowledge of the Siemens product portfolio as well as establishing relationships with Danish colleagues. Siemens UK headquarters are in Frimley, Surrey and the company has onshore and offshore sites across the UK.

www.pmss.co.uk

waves of opportunity

PMSS is an independent renewable energy consultancy, established in 1994, whose lists of clients, consultants and projects can all be said to be genuinely world class. At PMSS we recognise that people are our business and only through developing, retaining and investing in our employees can we grow and meet the needs of our customers and the challenges of our sector. Working for PMSS offers the opportunity to work with a range of globally recognised customers on some of the most exciting projects in the Renewable Energy sector. Based at various locations, the company now has openings for the following:

Project Manager - Cables, Romsey, Glasgow Project Manager, Romsey, Bath, Glasgow Operations & Asset Manager, Bath, Glasgow, Romsey Senior CDM Coordinator, Romsey, Bath, Glasgow Senior Project Assurance Consultant, Various Office Locations Senior Quality Assurance Consultant, Romsey Senior Consultant - Asset Management, Various Office Locations QHSE Consultant, Romsey, Bath Quality Assurance Consultant, Romsey Environmental Consultant, Bath, Glasgow, Romsey Wind Turbine Contract Consultant, Bath, Glasgow, Romsey Electrical Engineer, Bath, Glasgow, Romsey
Interested candidates should send their CV and a covering letter detailing which role they are interested in to jobs@pmss.co.uk Further information can be found on our website

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Flowering prospects

They continue work that has seen Eden reduce its consumption of electricity by 6.5 percent and gas intensity by 20 percent since 2008. A new Building Management System will be installed which will integrate the temperature controls in the Biomes with related systems on the rest of the Eden site. The new system is like a giant TV remote control allowing for very tight control of heat and electricity consumption. Approximately 746 new LED lights have also been installed across the

Eden Project, saving in the region of 51 tonnes of CO2 a year. Matt Hastings, Edens Energy Manager, comments: While renewables are very important, the most critical tool in the box is a focused commitment to reducing consumption. Eden is less than ten years old so our infrastructure is reasonably new but like other businesses and homes, we can still make significant improvements.
www.edenproject.com

he Eden Project in Cornwall has unveiled a raft of new efficiency measures designed to cut its CO2 emissions by a

quarter during the next two years. These reductions will be made

through a series of upgrades to Edens technical systems, many of which could be replicated in homes.

Cycling proficiency
The Netherlands is developing a project to put solar panels on its cycle paths. The project, known as SolaRoad, is the brainchild of the TNO research institute along with the Province of North Holland, the Ooms Avenhorn Group and Imtech. It will be con-

structed in the town of Krommenie, near Amsterdam. The cycle path is made from thick concrete blocks covered with a 1cm thick layer of silicon solar cells. The photovoltaics are protected by tough glass, which allows cyclists to travel over them. SolaRoad is expected to generate 50 kWh per square meter per year. The electricity will then be used for street lighting, traffic systems, or household use.
www.tno.nl

We can take wind turbines to new heights.

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29th - 30th June 2011, Liverpool