Power – NS Energy https://www.nsenergybusiness.com - latest news and insight on influencers and innovators within business Tue, 23 Apr 2024 13:10:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.7 Mueller Industries to buy Nehring Electrical Works in $575m deal https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/company-news/mueller-industries-to-buy-nehring-electrical-works-in-575m-deal/ Tue, 23 Apr 2024 01:30:55 +0000 https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/?p=343396 The post Mueller Industries to buy Nehring Electrical Works in $575m deal appeared first on NS Energy.

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US-based industrial manufacturing company Mueller Industries has agreed to acquire wire and cable products manufacturer Nehring Electrical Works and some of its affiliated companies in a deal worth nearly $575m.

The transaction also comprises an additional earn out of $25m.

Established in 1912, Nehring Electrical Works manufactures and markets wire and cable solutions for the utility, telecommunication, electrical distribution, and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) markets.

The company operates through its three business units, namely Nehring Electrical Works Company, Conex Cable and Unified Wire & Cable.

According to Mueller Industries, Nehring Electrical Works is an approved and trusted supplier to various utilities, municipalities, REAs, telecommunications and electrical distribution companies throughout the US.

Nehring Electrical Works reported annual net sales of around $400m for the 12 months ended 31 December 2023.

Mueller Industries CEO Greg Christopher said: “This acquisition provides a substantial platform for long-term growth in the electrical and power infrastructure space and complements the other critical infrastructure sectors we support.

“In addition to its operational culture, which is well aligned with our own, the addition of Nehring leverages our deep expertise in metals, particularly copper and aluminium extrusion, and provides synergies to both companies.”

Based in Tennessee, Mueller Industries produces essential goods for important markets, including air, water, oil and gas distribution, energy transmission, medical, climate comfort, food preservation, aerospace and automotive.

The company is said to be the only vertically integrated manufacturer of copper tubes and fittings, brass rods and forgings in North America. It also has operations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Mueller Industries intends to finance the deal with cash on hand. The company also aims to maintain significant cash reserves following the transaction to support further growth opportunities.

Subject to regulatory approval and customary conditions, the acquisition is anticipated to be completed during Q2 2024.

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Vattenfall to sell 49% of its Nordlicht offshore wind farms to BASF https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/vattenfall-to-sell-49-of-nordlicht-wind-farms-to-basf/ Tue, 23 Apr 2024 01:22:17 +0000 https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/?p=343426 The post Vattenfall to sell 49% of its Nordlicht offshore wind farms to BASF appeared first on NS Energy.

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Swedish power company Vattenfall has agreed to divest a 49% stake in its Nordlicht 1 and 2 offshore wind farms to Germany-based chemicals producer BASF.

The Nordlicht wind farm area is located 85km north of the island of Borkum in the German North Sea, with a total installed capacity of 1.6GW, without involving any state subsidies.

It is said to be Vattenfall’s largest offshore wind farm project and comprises two separate sites, Nordlicht 1 with around 980MW capacity and Nordlicht 2 with around 630MW.

Vattenfall will develop and construct the Nordlicht sites and plans to use its share of future electricity generation to supply customers in Germany with green electricity.

BASF will use its 49% share of green electricity to power its chemical production sites in Europe, especially in Ludwigshafen.

BASF board of executive directors chairman Martin Brudermüller said: “With the investment in Nordlicht 1 and 2, we will now have the necessary amounts of renewable energy to implement the next steps of the transformation in Europe, especially at our largest site in Ludwigshafen.

“Together with our long-standing partner Vattenfall, we are creating the conditions for achieving our 2030 target of reducing our scope 1 and 2 emissions by 25% compared to 2018.”

Nordlicht is Vattenfall’s second major offshore wind project in which BASF is a partner.

In 2021, BASF acquired almost half of the shares in the Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm in the Dutch North Sea.

Once fully operational, produce is expected to total around 6TWh per annum of clean electricity, which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of 1.6 million German households.

The construction of Nordlicht 1 and 2 is expected to begin in 2026 and will be fully operational in 2028, subject to the final investment decision, which is expected in 2025.

Vattenfall president and CEO Anna Borg said: “Offshore wind energy is an essential contributor to the energy transition in Europe and is expected to replace fossil fuels on a large scale.

“Partnerships play a crucial role in transforming European industries, while strengthening competitiveness.

“We are pleased to deepen our relationship with BASF for yet another important offshore wind project – and in this way accelerate the journey to fossil freedom together.”

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Enphase Energy partners with Octopus Energy Group in United Kingdom https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/enphase-energy-partners-with-octopus-energy-group-in-united-kingdom/ Tue, 23 Apr 2024 00:00:50 +0000 https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/?p=343413 The post Enphase Energy partners with Octopus Energy Group in United Kingdom appeared first on NS Energy.

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Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH), a global energy technology company and the world’s leading supplier of microinverter-based solar and battery systems, announced a new strategic relationship with global energy and tech company, Octopus Energy Group. The parties will focus on deploying Enphase IQ8 Microinverters and IQ Battery 5P in the United Kingdom. Octopus Energy’s retail customers in the United Kingdom can now integrate Enphase’s home solar and battery systems in their energy plans to unlock low-cost residential energy rates.

Octopus Energy will also use Kraken, its proprietary software platform for managing, controlling, and optimizing distributed energy resources (DERs), to allow its clients to create virtual power plants (VPPs) with Enphase’s solar and battery systems. Octopus, upon integrating with Enphase’s technology, enables support for the dynamic management of customer batteries and helps reduce overall energy usage when the grid is the most constrained. With this integration between the two technologies, Octopus’ customers who install Enphase Energy Systems will be able to benefit from Octopus’ smart tariffs, such as “Intelligent Octopus Flux,” which can save customers money on electricity bills each year.

“This strategic relationship is an exciting step forward in solar technology growth and homeowner empowerment in the United Kingdom,” said Devrim Celal, CEO of Kraken Technologies, part of the Octopus Energy Group. “By integrating Enphase’s systems with Octopus Energy’s forward-thinking approach to energy management, we’re not only driving down costs for consumers but also creating a cheaper, greener grid in real-time.”

Octopus Energy is the largest electricity provider in the United Kingdom, offering customer service and energy products to almost seven million households. The company has operations in 16 countries and its advanced data and machine learning platform, Kraken, supports more than 54 million customers worldwide.

The third-generation Enphase Energy System suite offers a significantly improved experience for homeowners and installers because of more power, resilient wired communication, and an improved commissioning experience. The IQ Battery 5P device is a modular design with 5 kWh capacity; the new IQ8 Microinverters provide peak AC power up to 384 W to support newer high-powered solar modules. Homeowners can also use the Enphase App to monitor performance and intelligently manage their systems. Enphase Energy Systems are fully G100-2 compliant to support the latest UK Electricity Networks Association requirements for grid connection of solar and battery storage. In addition, Enphase offers 24/7 customer support and an industry-leading warranty for both solar and battery products. This includes a 25-year warranty for all IQ8 Microinverters and a 15-year warranty for all IQ Batteries activated in the United Kingdom.

“Our innovative home energy systems paired with Octopus Energy’s intuitive tariffs and intelligent management of DERs can unlock huge potential for the energy grid,” said Marco Krapels, vice president of worldwide business development at Enphase Energy. “Together, we can provide flexible and cost-effective energy usage across more than seven million households in the United Kingdom, and accelerate the broader energy transition. We look forward to continuing to grow our relationships with leading energy providers like Octopus Energy across the world and helping homeowners maximize the value of their solar and battery investments.”

Enphase Energy is also a participant in the Octopus Energy GridBoost battery program in Texas.

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RWE launches pre-application consultation for Pembroke Green Hydrogen https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/rwe-launches-pre-application-consultation-for-pembroke-green-hydrogen/ Tue, 23 Apr 2024 00:00:48 +0000 https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/?p=343412 The post RWE launches pre-application consultation for Pembroke Green Hydrogen appeared first on NS Energy.

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To support the decarbonisation of local industry in South Wales, RWE is progressing proposals to develop a green hydrogen production facility on its land adjacent to Pembroke Power Station. Hydrogen can be used as a clean energy alternative for local industrial processes, displacing their current fossil fuel usage, and reducing their carbon emissions.

The consultation on RWE’s plans launches Monday 22 April 2024 and will end on Monday 20 May 2024. RWE is asking the community for their views on these plans and has launched a consultation where local people can provide feedback on the planning application see here.

RWE’s plans include a circa 110Mwe electrolysis green hydrogen production facility and a 1.5km pipeline running west to connect to nearby industry. Once operational, the site will be capable of producing two metric tonnes of hydrogen every hour with oxygen as the only significant by-product from the plant.

By displacing fossil fuel consumption in local industrial activities, hydrogen generated at RWE Pembroke Green Hydrogen will reduce local CO2 emissions by approximately 93,000 tonnes every year, the equivalent of removing 18,600 cars from the roads.

The UK Government has set a target to deliver 6 gigawatts (GW) of green hydrogen production capacity by 2030, and has identified South Wales as a suitable location, as it could help to secure a more sustainable future for South Wales’ long-standing industrial heritage.

RWE Pembroke Green Hydrogen is further technology coming forward as part of RWE’s vision for Pembroke Net Zero Centre – a new hub of low-carbon innovation and clean energy generation at their power station site.

RWE has outlined its ambition to be carbon neutral by 2040. As part of this commitment, the company will be looking to decarbonise current operations at the power station, while investing in new innovative technologies at the site, including hydrogen, battery energy storage systems, and floating offshore wind.

RWE’s ambitions for Pembroke Net Zero Centre will build on Pembrokeshire’s local energy heritage, safeguarding existing jobs at the site, while delivering a significant local economic investment and creating new jobs throughout construction and operation.

Commenting on wider vision for Pembroke Net Zero Centre, Richard Little, Pembroke Net Zero Centre Director, said: “Green hydrogen generation is the first of three new technologies coming forward at RWE’s Pembroke Power Station site, forming our vision for Pembroke Net Zero Centre. These technologies will each play a unique role in supporting Wales’ pathway to Net Zero.

“To secure the future of industry in South Wales, and safeguard local jobs, we need to provide clean energy alternatives, locally. Our proposals for Green hydrogen generation will do just that, helping to reduce CO2 emissions in local industrial activities by approximately 93,000 tonnes every year.

“We strongly encourage the community to get involved in the consultation process, to learn more about our proposals for green hydrogen technology, our wider ambitions for Pembroke Net Zero Centre, and to have their say on the proposals.”

Members of the community can contact the project team and leave feedback via the project website, telephone, or via email or by writing to ’Freepost PNZC Consultation’, with no stamp needed.

Furthermore, local residents have the opportunity to schedule a private discussion with the project team to discuss the plans in more detail, and to ask any questions. Please call or email to arrange this meeting.

RWE is the largest power producer in the UK, and a leading renewable generator with a diverse operational generation portfolio of onshore wind, offshore wind, hydro, biomass and gas. RWE is developing ~1GWe hydrogen opportunities across the UK. and  is targeting 2GW of green hydrogen electrolyser capacity in its core markets by 2030.

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Exploring the Revolutionary Technology that Empowers Offshore Wind Farm Component Production https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/exploring-the-revolutionary-technology-that-empowers-offshore-wind-farm-component-production/ Mon, 22 Apr 2024 10:51:56 +0000 https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/?p=343362 The post Exploring the Revolutionary Technology that Empowers Offshore Wind Farm Component Production appeared first on NS Energy.

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As the offshore wind farm industry continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, the need for cutting-edge machinery that can efficiently produce the essential components for these monumental structures has skyrocketed. From wind towers to offshore foundations, the manufacturing process of these vital components plays a vital role in ensuring the success and sustainability of offshore wind farms.

In the realm of offshore wind farm component production, we embark on an exploration of cutting-edge technologies and processes that propel the sea’s renewable energy revolution. With the increasing global emphasis on renewable energy, the demand for dependable and high-capacity machinery has reached an unprecedented level.

These machines are specifically designed to manufacture the colossal wind towers that play an indispensable role in supporting the vital components of turbines. These towers optimize wind capture, ensure structural resilience, and seamlessly transmit the generated power. These crucial factors contribute to the efficient and smooth operation of the wind farms. Furthermore, the sturdy foundations that securely anchor the towering turbines to the seabed, along with a range of meticulously crafted components, form the robust backbone of offshore wind farms.

The Vital Role of Plate Rolls in Offshore Foundation Manufacturing

Offshore wind foundations play a crucial role in ensuring the stability and support of wind turbines in marine environments. The production of these foundations involves a series of specialized processes that are specifically designed to tackle the unique challenges of offshore installation. From strategic design and engineering to the construction of various types of foundations such as monopiles, jackets, tripods, and TPs, every step of the manufacturing process is carried out with utmost professionalism.

With extensive expertise in the wind industry, the Faccin Group delivers top-notch rolling solutions that empower the construction of offshore foundations, including those utilized for floating wind farms. These robust and oversized rolling machines effortlessly bend plates with thicknesses surpassing 150 mm.

The Faccin® 3-roll or 4-roll rolling machines for cans and cones manufacturing stand out due to a multitude of features that further elevate the overall performance. These remarkable machines boast a sturdy design and a heavy-duty base frame, ensuring unparalleled precision in every rolled piece. With their powerful bending force, they enable precise pre-bending of plates. Moreover, their electronic balancing system guarantees maximum precision. The optimized automatic calibration functions not only save valuable production time but also enhance overall efficiency. The hydraulic system of these machines is highly effective, providing high speed while reducing power consumption. The micro positioning technology ensures repeatability and enhanced productivity. Additionally, the special transmission system, along with the centralized lubrication system, guarantees reliability.

Offshore Wind Tower Manufacturing with Advanced Plate Rolling Systems

The fabrication of offshore wind towers encompasses a blend of cutting-edge engineering, steel manufacturing, stringent quality checks, and specialized surface shielding to construct sturdy and durable structures that can withstand the challenging conditions of offshore wind farms.

The utilization of plate rolling systems holds utmost significance in the construction of offshore wind towers. These systems effectively convert flat steel plates into curved, cylindrical, or conical segments through a precisely controlled rolling process. Subsequently, these cylindrical segments are joined through welding techniques to create a robust tower section.

The Faccin® plate rolling system, commonly referred to as the “Faccin® Wind Tower Automation System,” achieves even the most ambitious goals by producing hundreds of cans and cones per month. The system enables the fabrication of pieces boasting an impressive plate thickness of over 100 mm.

It is composed of a heavy-duty and robust 4-roll plate rolling machine. In addition to their large size and capacity, Faccin’s machines symbolize innovation, incorporating advanced features and intelligent automation to streamline the manufacturing process. With sophisticated control systems and precise instrumentation, these machines deliver unmatched accuracy and consistency. To excel in high-volume manufacturing and challenging industrial applications, the machine is equipped with an advanced hydraulic system that not only ensures flawless performance and mass production but also energy efficiency.

The system also includes a motorized feeding table with an alignment device, top and side supports, a clamping system for on board tack-welding, and efficient handling systems. All these accessories are controlled by a highly advanced fully programmable Siemens CNC, which can be operated by a single operator. With its advanced engineering, the Wind Tower Automation System ensures the automation of even the most intricate wind rolling projects.

The FACCIN GROUP Sets the Standard in Metal Forming

The Faccin Group, with its combined experience spanning over two centuries, proudly leads the way in the metal forming industry. Our expertise and innovation set us apart as we shape the future. Our distinguished group brings together leading brands – Faccin®, Boldrini®, and Roundo® – renowned for their excellence in plate rolling, profile bending, and dished-head manufacturing. United under one roof, we offer the widest range of high-quality solutions available on the market.

Our group is committed to driving progress of renewable energy, understanding the important role our technology plays in supporting the growing wind power industry. We offer also a comprehensive range of solutions for the production of onshore towers, as well as door frames and flanges.

For further information, email info@faccingroup.com or meet the Group at WindEnergy in Hamburg, Germany, on Hall B2 – stand EG.352 (24-27 September 2024).

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Why digital world could be key to making fusion reality in realistic timeframe https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/features/why-digital-world-could-be-key-to-making-fusion-reality-in-realistic-timeframe/ Mon, 22 Apr 2024 06:59:26 +0000 https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/?p=343349 The post Why digital world could be key to making fusion reality in realistic timeframe appeared first on NS Energy.

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The world needs clean energy at scale and fast. For many, the hope is that the need will be met by fusion. But while fusion may have the necessary scale, so far, the decades required to deploy it, progressively through the Joint European Torus (JET) in the UK and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), still under construction in France, have ruled it out of power suppliers’ practical options in the short term.

New fusion initiatives want to move much faster, towards operation in good time to be the cause of significant carbon emissions by 2050. Now UKAEA, the site of JET and a centre for fusion development in the UK, has joined with the University of Cambridge, Dell and Intel to achieve that goal, by moving from the real to the digital world to design and test a fusion reactor. The team will be able to take advantage of new supercomputers – and deploy a new open approach to development that should make it faster and more robust.

Launching the collaboration, Dr Rob Ackers, Director of Computing Programmes at UKAEA said that the concept at the heart of the so-called STEP (spherical tokamak for energy production) mission is to put fusion on the electricity grid in the 2040s. He described this as “a moonshot programme to prove fusion can be economically viable”. The collaboration is an important part of that mission and meeting the need to develop and nurture the supply chain that will design and construct the world’s first fusion power plants.

Ackers was blunt about the task. He said, “There is insufficient time to do engineering [for the fusion plant] if we do it the way we have been doing it for decades”. Historically, engineering has been carried out by an iterative test-based approach, in which “we design and build prototypes and then evaluate them and move forwards”.

But that is time-consuming and expensive and now “we have 17 years to stand up STEP and plug it in. We need to think differently, change the engineering design process and take it into the virtual world.”

This is a path that is well-trodden in other industries, examples include the move from wind tunnels to computational fluid dynamics. But the fusion challenge is more difficult because “it is an incredibly complex strongly coupled system. The models underpinning it are limited in accuracy, there are coupling mechanisms to be taken into account, there is physics that spans the whole machine from structural forces, to heat loads, through the power plant, to electromagnetism and radiation.” A single change to a subsystem can have huge ramifications across the plant and the designers will have to look for emergent behaviour that will otherwise only become apparent when the plant is built.

The need to “simulate everything everywhere all at once” requires supercomputing and artificial intelligence. Akers says UKAEA and its partners need to use the world’s largest supercomputers and run simulations at 10^18 calculations per second (exaflops) to reduce the time to a solution, optimise the plant design and quantify risk in engineering.

The UK government recently announced additional funding of £250m (US$318m) to boost research into artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and engineering biology and it will also fund an exascale supercomputer. The team hopes to use that in the next 10 years to produce a digital version of STEP that can be used to dramatically reduce the need for real-world validation.

Dr Paul Calleja, Director, Research Computing Services, University of Cambridge, talked in more detail about the ‘multi challenge’ of a simulation that has to couple different types of physics – fluids, plasma and materials – and do it on various timescales, some very long.

Even with an ‘exa’ supercomputer to call on there is a long way to go in developing the tools that will use the full potential of a computer that will cost £600m (US$762m) and draws 20 MW of power in operation. Exaflop computing power is wasted if there is a ‘bottleneck’ in the computation process, such as slow performance of the code or access to data.

With Intel and Dell on board, the partnership brings together hardware and application providers and scientists to look at this as a holistic problem. Moving to Intel’s new GPU systems provides an order of magnitude more performance per flop, while Nigel Green Director of emerging technologies and solutions, EMEA, at Dell said there would be a step change in how the companies work together. Adam Roe, HPC Technical Director, at Intel, said the company was excited by the initiative, saying that, once informed by data, high-performance computing can move from simulation to more complex science.

What is more, by taking an open-source approach, the partners are effectively calling on the global industry to help with the challenge. All work is on open standard hardware and open-source software. The partners are looking at the so-called ‘middleware’ and how to make the programme accessible to a broad range of scientists and engineers not used to supercomputing technologies.

Open source would apply to tool chains and engineering approaches will be open, and that gains the benefit of expert, concerted development, the partners explained. Open source means “the methodology gets critical analysis, they said, while tool chains were “more critically analysed, more sane and better reviewed”. What is more, such software remains up to date.

Open source applies to the design and build of the applications. Will the information be open? The project is funded by the UK government and that always involves a requirement to share learnings and sometimes data other fusion developers are taking the same approach. But data sets and intellectual property will remain be proprietary.

Addressing the open source security concerns

The ‘open source’ approach raises an issue in a world where there is a growing fear of ‘spyware’ or loss of control to unfriendly regimes.

The partners dismissed that bogeyman, saying “very strong cyber security” would protect data. Such fears may or may not be justified, but in technical sectors that require political support, if they are not addressed at the highest level the effect can be dramatic. In 2018 the UK government forced China’s out of its 5G networks, following on from US sanctions, fearing that the company concerned could spy on businesses and citizens. Huawei saw its UK turnover fall from £1.28bn in 2018 to £359.1m (US$1.63bn – US$456m) for the year ended December 2022. The day before the UKAEA’s launch, UK television showed an investigation into whether Chinese-supplied cameras used for surveillance in UK cities give China an opportunity to do its own surveillance. For the public, clearly the fear remains that ‘back doors’ allow software to be controlled by others: it is a fear that has to be addressed.

This article first appeared in Nuclear Engineering International magazine.

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Eversource signs definitive agreement to sell stake in Sunrise Wind offshore wind farm to Ørsted https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/eversource-signs-definitive-agreement-to-sell-stake-in-sunrise-wind-offshore-wind-farm-to-orsted/ Mon, 22 Apr 2024 02:21:13 +0000 https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/?p=343368 The post Eversource signs definitive agreement to sell stake in Sunrise Wind offshore wind farm to Ørsted appeared first on NS Energy.

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Eversource Energy has finalised definitive documents in line with its previously announced agreement to divest its 50% ownership stake in the 924MW Sunrise Wind offshore wind farm in the US to Danish energy company Ørsted.

Upon the completion of the deal, Eversource Energy will continue to be contracted to steer the onshore construction of the Sunrise Wind project under a separate construction management agreement.

In this connection, Eversource Energy will serve as a service provider to Ørsted. The former will not maintain any ongoing ownership stake in the offshore wind project nor will it bear any financial responsibilities associated with its costs.

Ørsted will become the 100% owner of the offshore wind farm. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Proposed to be built off the coast of New York, at least 48km east of Montauk Point, the Sunrise Wind offshore wind project is expected to power nearly 600,000 homes.

Eversource Energy CEO and president Joe Nolan said: “Sunrise Wind will bring considerable new investment and job opportunities to New York, especially for the local union slated to build the project’s onshore transmission system, while also helping to reduce carbon emissions and advance a clean energy future.

“We look forward to our continued role as a leading transmission expert to help enable the continued development of this important renewable resource for our region.”

Eversource Energy and Ørsted signed the initial agreements for the American offshore wind facility stake in January this year.

It was subject to the Sunrise Wind project’s successful award in the recent offshore wind renewable energy certificates request for proposals (ORECRFP23-1) issued by New York’s energy agency, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

New York State selected the Sunrise Wind offshore wind project in February 2024 to move forward with contract negotiations with NYSERDA.

Subject to certain conditions, including execution of a contract with NYSERDA and customary regulatory approvals, the deal is anticipated to be completed later this year.

Goldman Sachs is serving as Eversource Energy’s financial adviser to assist with the transactions while Ropes & Gray is its legal counsel.

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National Grid launches £1.8bn Viking Link electricity interconnector https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/national-grid-launches-1-8bn-viking-link-electricity-interconnector/ Fri, 19 Apr 2024 07:16:38 +0000 https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/?p=343306 The post National Grid launches £1.8bn Viking Link electricity interconnector appeared first on NS Energy.

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National Grid has formally inaugurated the 1.4GW Viking Link interconnector project which will serve as a continuous high voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity link between the UK and Denmark.

The £1.8bn project has linked the British and Danish transmission systems for the first time. Under the project, a connection has been established between the Bicker Fen substation in Lincolnshire, England to the Revsing substation in southern Jutland, Denmark.

Viking Link is a joint venture (JV) between National Grid and Energinet, a Danish system operator.

The interconnector project is National Grid’s sixth and the ninth for the UK.

According to National Grid, the Viking Link interconnector project is the world’s longest land and subsea interconnector.

The 765km long land and subsea cable is expected to power up to 2.5 million households in the UK. It is also claimed to bring more than £500m of cumulative savings for UK customers over the next decade.

Besides, the Viking Link project is said to offset 600,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in its first year alone.

The HVDC electricity link, which started initial operations in December 2023, has facilitated the transportation of 1,733GWh of power between the UK and Denmark.

National Grid group CEO John Pettigrew said: “In an ever-changing global energy market, the value that connections like Viking Link can provide to national energy security cannot be understated.

“Over its lifespan, this record-breaking connection will deliver over five billion pounds in efficiencies for UK consumers, allow us to trade hundreds of gigawatts in surplus power and provide an indispensable tool in guaranteeing the continued reliability of our energy system.

The Viking Link project commenced construction in 2019, with Prysmian Group responsible for manufacturing and laying the HVDC offshore cable. In July 2023, National Grid completed the cable works on the Viking Link interconnector project.

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DEME wins cable installation contracts from Prysmian for Ijmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1 offshore grid systems https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/deme-wins-cable-installation-contracts-from-prysmian-for-ijmuiden-ver-alpha-and-nederwiek-1-offshore-grid-systems/ Fri, 19 Apr 2024 00:00:39 +0000 https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/?p=343327 The post DEME wins cable installation contracts from Prysmian for Ijmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1 offshore grid systems appeared first on NS Energy.

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DEME has been awarded two contracts from cable solutions provider Prysmian for the engineering and installation works for the IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1 offshore grid systems in the Netherlands. This is the most extensive cabling award in DEME’s history and marks the company’s first project involving Prysmian’s 525 kV HVDC cable technology, featuring increased transmission capacity.

The contracts exemplify DEME’s integrated solutions approach, encompassing cable installation, landfall and rock placement, dredging, and marine infrastructure works. This includes the engineering and the installation works of two 12-km long 525 kV HVDC cable systems within the lake “Veerse Meer” and 126 km of 525 kV HVDC cable system offshore.

Additionally, DEME will carry out preparation and supporting works for IJmuiden Ver Alpha, comprising route preparation, surveys, landfalls and rock placement, as well as pre-sweeping and rock placement works for the Nederwiek 1 project. DEME will deploy a variety of vessels from its fleet, including cable installation vessels, hopper dredgers and a fallpipe vessel. In addition, the project will encompass the beach works and cofferdam structures at the cable landing locations.

The works are scheduled to begin in stages from 2025.

IJmuiden Ver Alpha and Nederwiek 1 are offshore grid connection systems operated by TenneT that will link two future offshore wind farms in the Dutch North Sea to the province of Zeeland in the southwestern part of the Netherlands. The first connection will be operational in 2029, and the second in 2030.

Philip Scheers, Business Unit Director at DEME Offshore, comments: “We are proud to be working with Prysmian on this landmark project in the Netherlands, which will ultimately deliver 4 GW of clean energy. This multidisciplinary project showcases the benefits of working with DEME. Our expertise in cable installation, dredging, rock placement and marine infrastructure works allows us to offer our clients an efficient, integrated solution. Our modern and versatile fleet is also ideally suited for such a complex project. We can provide cable installation vessels, hopper dredgers, and fallpipe vessels, all of which are operated by our own highly skilled and experienced crews. The entire team is looking forward to working closely with Prysmian to deliver a successful project.”

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Wärtsilä wins second contract for 380MW utility power plant in Texas https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/wartsila-wins-contract-for-texas-power-plant/ Thu, 18 Apr 2024 03:28:58 +0000 https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/?p=343272 The post Wärtsilä wins second contract for 380MW utility power plant in Texas appeared first on NS Energy.

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Wärtsilä has secured the second major contract from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), a river authority that provides wholesale power to the Texas power grid.

In 2022, the Finnish company received a contract from LCRA for ten Wärtsilä engines with 190MW capacity, for the new Timmerman Power Plant, located near Maxwell, Texas.

The current order is for ten additional Wärtsilä 50SG engines that will double the Texas power plant’s earlier output, bringing the total capacity to 380MW.

The new Timmerman power plant will supply the additional capacity required to support LCRA’s customers, the Texas power grid and the Texas electrical grid operator ERCOT.

Also, the additional capacity will help address the supply challenges created by load growth and the retirement of ageing plants in Texas.

LCRA Wholesale Power executive vice president and chief operating officer Randa Stephenson said: “We appreciate Wärtsilä’s track record in supplying efficient and reliable engines.

“The flexibility of the Wärtsilä engines is particularly important in providing the rapid ramp-up of power needed for our new peaker plant, which will be called upon to quickly come online when the other generation is not available to meet the power demand in our growing state.”

LCRA’s new plant will have two units, each powered by 10 Wärtsilä’ engines that run on natural gas, and ramp up and shut down within minutes.

The first unit is currently under construction, which is expected to begin operations in 2025, and the second unit is scheduled to be completed in 2026.

Together, the units will be able to provide power for about 100,000 homes during peak demand.

Wärtsilä said that its fast-starting 50SG engines consume little to no water, and provide dispatchable power to balance the increasing amount of intermittent renewables introduced.

Wärtsilä Energy Americas vice president Risto Paldanius said: “We are extremely pleased to have been awarded this valuable follow-up order.

“It emphasises the added value that our engine technology offers as the energy sector transitions to greater efficiency and increased sustainability.

“We appreciate LCRA for selecting flexible solutions as Texas experiences increased power demand that cannot be adequately served by an ageing fleet of inflexible power plants.”

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