Emerson, a global software and engineering leader, is helping process manufacturers improve performance and sustainability by breaking down the data silos that make it difficult to digitally transform their reliability and maintenance strategies.

AMS Device Manager Data Server securely extends intelligent field device data to outside systems to make it easier for reliability and maintenance teams to further capitalize on modern advanced analytics software, providing a step change in operational efficiency and smart manufacturing.

For decades, process manufacturers have relied on asset management software to carefully deploy and monitor plant production assets — such as measurement and analytical instrumentation, digital valve controllers, wireless gateways, and others — both within a single plant and across the enterprise. As plants have evolved, they’ve grown their technology stack to adopt a wide range of analytics, historians, machine learning, and advanced modeling to exploit and benefit from historically underused or inaccessible datasets from around the plant. AMS Device Manager Data Server publishes intelligent field device data nearly instantaneously to industrial software analytics solutions already in use by customers, eliminating the need for complex custom data integration and manual workarounds that often cause delayed results and siloed data. This data is relayed via secure industry protocols.

“To accelerate sustainability and profitability, today’s manufacturers are transforming via analytics — seeking to aggregate disparate, underused data, and further exploit it for positive business impact around the organization,” said Erik Lindhjem, vice president of Emerson’s reliability solutions business. “AMS Device Manager Data Server makes intelligent field device information such as configuration parameters, alerts, calibration data, and others available in near real-time for advanced use in other software and applications our customers already use.”

AMS Device Manager Data Server makes it easy to import critical instrument and valve data into common dashboarding tools and applications such as Microsoft PowerBI and Emerson software tools such as the Plantweb™ Optics platform, Plantweb Insight, Aspen MTell® and AspenTech Inmation™, plant historians, and others.

MORE INFO  emerson.com

Specialist Marine Consultants (SMC) has been awarded a contract from RWE’s Sofia Offshore Wind Farm to deliver offshore resources and services for the duration of the project’s offshore construction, commencing in 2023.

The turnkey package of works includes a range of services, such as an above-water offshore balance of plant works that includes statutory inspection and general maintenance of the TP, marine coordination resourcing, delivery of vessel inspections, project PPE management, specialist offshore construction resourcing, project consultancy support, and all associated project management.

“We are extremely proud to win the Sofia construction services contract. It is a major achievement for the company and testament to the entire SMC team who work onshore and offshore. SMC, following on from the success of the Triton Knoll project, where SMC undertook similar works on behalf of RWE, have taken great care to ensure we continued to develop our offering and to cement our position as a ‘best in class’ supplier of our respective services,” said Ian Coates, SMC managing director.

“Our recent achievements in this area, with solutions delivered to a range of clients globally, have allowed SMC to build and retain a strong team of specialists, focusing on local content and personnel development, something we know to have been a key priority for Sofia,” Coates said.

Rob McLauchlin, Sofia’s general site manager (offshore), said he is pleased to have a respected and experienced service provider join the Sofia team as it nears its next key phase of activity, offshore construction.

The 1,400MW Sofia offshore wind farm is located 195 km from the UK’s coast on Dogger Bank in the central North Sea and is one of the largest single offshore wind farms in the world, as well as one of the farthest from shore. It will comprise 100 14MW turbines across a 593 square-kilometer site, which is roughly the same size as the Isle of Man.

MORE INFO  www.sofiawindfarm.com

Frank Macchiarola will join The American Clean Power Association (ACP) as the organization’s Chief Policy Officer.

Macchiarola now serves as Senior Vice President of Policy, Economics and Regulatory Affairs at the American Petroleum Institute. In his new role at ACP, he will lead a policy team working to develop the regulatory and legislative framework necessary to efficiently deploy the full suite of advanced clean energy technologies. Macchiarola starts his new role at ACP on June 20, 2023.

Macchiarola joins an executive team that includes Chief Advocacy Officer JC Sandberg; Chief Communications Officer and Sr. Counselor to the CEO Rosanna Maietta; and Chief Strategy Officer Jason Clark.

“The clean energy sector is at a pivotal moment, and growing our team to embrace the opportunities before us will ensure this industry has the bench strength in place in order to match the moment. Frank is uniquely qualified to understand the speed and scale we need to move the organization forward and will partner with our dynamic team to make that happen. I have no doubt that together, we will bring both sides of the aisle, and different constituencies and communities, together to meet our common goal, which is an America powered by clean, domestic energy,” said Jason Grumet, ACP’s Chief Executive Officer.

“The energy industry is going through a generational change; an entire sector of the global economy is being transformed. I have spent my career working on energy policy and I am eager to get to work to advance ACP’s commitment to secure, affordable and clean domestic energy. I am excited to join the team at ACP and be a part of the next phase of the American energy revolution,” said Macchiarola.

MORE INFO  https://cleanpower.org/

Brüel & Kjær Vibro (B&K Vibro), one of the leading worldwide independent suppliers of condition monitoring solutions for rotating machinery, has named Ingo Anders as its new CEO.

Anders, who will be based at B&K Vibro’s headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany, will lead the global organization in growth and operational management. With more than 25 years of experience in service operations, Anders most recently served as Vice President of Operations in the vacuum technique business unit, at Atlas Copco. He previously spent 14 years as the Head of Service Operations at Schaeffler.

“I am looking forward to collaborating with our expert team to strengthen our customer relationships and expand B&K Vibro’s reach into many industries, including oil and gas, renewables, pulp & paper and steel. Our company aims to make doing business into the field of condition monitoring and machine protection as ‘easy as a click,’” Anders said.

B&K Vibro delivers actionable insights that help its customers to fix faults faster. This is made possible by harnessing the company’s expertise in remote monitoring and by implementing value-added monitoring solutions, such as DDAU III for wind turbines, and VCM-3 for the industrial field monitoring market. These offerings have expanded with the launch of BKV Beyond, a new platform that extends condition monitoring from edge to enterprise.

“We will make Asset health management easy for our customers through a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and human expertise. Our flagship system, SETPOINT^®, is powered by AVEVA™ PI System™ to provide plant-wide, on-premise applications. Our new BKV Beyond platform leverages innovative technology to provide our customers with trusted actionable insights, rigorously verified by our team of monitoring experts. By harnessing the power of AI, our solution rapidly evaluates various data streams to identify potential issues before they escalate into significant problems. Plus, with our centralized approach, our customers can access these benefits anytime, anywhere. With these products and more, we are focused on pushing the limits of conventional condition monitoring solutions and increasing the value delivered for our customers,” said Anders.

MORE INFO  https://www.bkvibro.com/

The Salamander offshore wind joint venture is holding consultations allowing people to speak with the project team. The consultations will also be available virtually on the Salamander website until Friday, June 23.

Salamander is a joint venture between Ørsted, Simply Blue Group, and Subsea7 that will support the local supply chain and create jobs.

Salamander, to be developed 35 km off the coast of Peterhead, will generate enough green energy to power 100,000 Scottish homes. The joint venture aims to begin construction in 2026.

“We’re holding these consultation events so that local residents can learn more about this innovative development taking place on their doorsteps and be proud to be part of it. We also want to hear any ideas or concerns from the community so that we can take these into account at an early stage,” said Huw Bell, Salamander project director.

“Salamander presents an exciting opportunity for the Scottish energy sector and will serve a crucial role in the progression towards our decarbonization goals,” Bell said.

The project is a stepping-stone to the large-scale floating offshore wind projects coming to Scotland in the near future. It has been designed to give Scottish companies the opportunity to roll out new technologies at a smaller-scale, as they prepare to expand their operations. This means local companies will be best placed to compete for contracts and create sustainable, long-term jobs.

Salamander will also help deliver the Scottish government’s target of 11GW of offshore wind by 2030 and the UK government’s target of 5GW of operational floating offshore wind by the same date.

The virtual and in-person public exhibitions will give the public an opportunity to complete a feedback form where comments and questions on the proposal, as well as any requests for further information, can be submitted directly to the project team.

MORE INFO  www.salamanderfloatingwind.com  

Rope Partner, the premier provider of rope access and blade services for wind turbines, has acquired Gladiators Cleaning, an industrial cleaning company. The acquisition will allow Rope Partner to expand its offering to include cost effective and low environmental impact cleaning solutions for internal and external towers as well as nacelles and blades.

Rope Partner has been serving the wind power industry since 2001 and has experience in at-height maintenance, inspection and performance enhancing aftermarket  services that require specialized access approaches. The company’s extensive experience has helped clients across the globe with blade repair and improvements, tower mechanical and inspection scopes, reducing down time and maximizing output.

“Since partnering with Gladiators in 2019, our clients have capitalized on our offering of internal and external tower cleanings, including blades and nacelles with much success. Acquiring Gladiators furthers our ability to better amortize technician mobilizations and reduce standby by offering the ability to complete more work scopes in a single site visit. We are very focused on being the ‘Tip of the Spear,’ bringing new products and services to our customers and this patented solution is yet another value add that we will offer our customers,” said Eric Stanfield, CEO of Rope Partner.

“I have very high confidence in our combined value given our previous work history with Rope Partner. Their operational prowess and relationships matched with our technology and experience has resulted in further refinement of our offering across many successful projects. We are very enthusiastic about this new venture as one company,” said Broque Fraughton, owner of Gladiators Cleaning Services.

The acquisition of Gladiators, the leader in wind turbine power-washing, will help keep cleaning projects on schedule no matter how dirty the wind turbine. This patented cleaning tool uses citrus-based cleaners and microbes to eliminate hydrocarbons, along with extensive wastewater removal measures.

MORE INFO  https://www.ropepartner.com/

ONYX Insight recently launched a revolutionary new condition monitoring system, ecoCMS Flex, which will allow operators to upgrade their legacy CMS (conditioning monitoring services) systems affordably with rapid plug-in technology.

The leading provider of condition monitoring solutions’ new system will modernize older systems in an innovative, cost effective, and easy to install manner.

With legacy systems often using aging approaches to capturing data, or lacking the technology to recognize potential threats, ecoCMS Flex is designed specifically as an upgrade for legacy CMS systems. Operators can now upgrade existing legacy systems and reuse existing sensors and cables in the most efficient and cost-effective way

As ecoCMS Flex is compatible with any IEPE sensor, installation can be extremely quick when compared with a full CMS system installation, with the replacement system taking about one to two hours to install, depending on CMS types. As a result, ecoCMS Flex comes at a much lower cost to fleet managers as they no longer need to carry out a full overhaul of their aging systems, just the original CMS unit.

“We encounter many legacy and aging systems that are problematic for wind-fleet operators who are often put off by the cost of replacing their current CMS,” said Dr. John Coultate, VP – Advanced Sensing, ONYX Insight. “As a result, they are left with old systems, which are lagging behind when it comes to providing the necessary insights needed to optimize their operations and maintenance strategies; ecoCMS Flex turns this on its head with a cost effective, simple to install tool, which will significantly upgrade an operator’s CMS, and crucially, provide them with a far greater level of analysis with detailed and wide-ranging data insights into the health of their fleets.”

As a global provider of preventative maintenance solutions, ONYX uses advanced sensing technology and data analytics to support wind-farm operators to optimize their fleets by empowering them to identify potential faults and plan maintenance much more effectively.

“ecoCMS Flex solves critical flaws that many of the legacy CMS systems in the marketplace have,” said Henry Tanner, product manager, ONYX Insight. “This new upgrade provides more reliable software and IT systems, which bring all of the wind-turbine CMS data into one platform, allowing ONYX to assess and analyze the data and suggest actions where needed. Simply, our new product can identify when and where maintenance for turbines is needed more effectively than older systems can, and this allows fleet managers to make informed decisions when organizing their maintenance strategies.”

Configured with optimized sampling parameters, ecoCMS Flex improves fault detection with radically more advanced software than legacy systems, as well as having the capability to bring all CMS data into one platform with ongoing product support and data analysis provided by ONYX.

With ecoCMS Flex offering a rapid plug-and-play installation, it unlocks broader end-to-end predictive maintenance solutions for fleet managers while being a cost-effective solution to upgrading legacy systems across turbine fleets.

MORE IFNO  onyxinsight.com

ONYX Insight has secured a grant that will supercharge the adoption of blade sensing technologies for the wind industry in a bid to reduce downtime for wind operators across their turbine fleets.

The Nottingham-based company has been awarded the funding by the UK’s Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP), part of the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult.

 The funding will support a project over the next 18 months that will see ONYX Insight expand its predictive maintenance solutions from the drivetrain into the blades. The project will build on the success of ONYX’s wind turbine drivetrain condition monitoring product, ecoCMS

“The funding from OWGP provides us with a welcome grant to accelerate the development of advanced sensing for the blades,” said Bruce Hall, ONYX Insight CEO.

“It also acknowledges the work we have been doing to develop holistic approaches to CMS that provide ever more detailed and wide-ranging data insights for our customers,” Cox said.

As a provider of condition monitoring services (CMS) to the wind industry, ONYX Insight uses advanced sensing technology and data analytics to support wind farm operators in identifying potential faults and planning maintenance. The company collects data directly from more than 14,000 turbines across 30 countries.

“Identifying when and where maintenance for wind blades is needed has been traditionally difficult for the industry, with operators often having to rely on drone technology, manual maintenance by technicians, or having to act once a fault occurs,” said Henry Tanner, ONYX Insight product manager.

“Blade failures can incur expensive blade repairs and replacements, result in secondary damage to the wind turbine structure, not to mention huge safety implications for the industry. Predictive maintenance allows operators to tackle progressive blade faults sooner at a relatively low cost. The grant will enable us to continue our to develop holistic approaches to CMS that provide ever more detailed and wide ranging data insights for our customers,” Tanner said. 

Catastrophic blade failure in onshore settings can cost upwards of £300,000 in materials, equipment, labor, and unscheduled downtime, and can be much higher in an offshore setting. However, if this same fault is predicted and remedied when it is less severe, repairs can be significantly less.

It is anticipated that the adoption of blade monitoring technologies will increase over the coming years, delivering significant financial and time savings for wind operators, with blade failure being one of the leading contributors to offshore and onshore asset downtime after gearbox faults.

OWGP funding is provided to projects that focus on the commercialization of technologies, products and services that will either support offshore wind decarbonization or improve the reliability of offshore wind developments. 

MORE INFO  https://onyxinsight.com/  

Codling Wind Park is establishing a dedicated €500,000 Fisheries Fund to benefit the fishing industry operating within and around the Codling Bank area of the Irish Sea. The fund will have a €100,000 annual budget to support different initiatives for the next five years.

The fund will support opportunities for both inshore and offshore fishing by fishers associated with the Codling Wind Park. Fishers are being asked to bring forward their own ideas about how the fund should be used. The project’s Fishing Engagement Manager meets regularly with local fishers and will discuss the terms of reference and progress proposals for the fund directly with them.

Codling Wind Park also confirmed it will consider other ideas to support fishers including helping establish a lobster hatchery.  The lobster hatchery would involve raising and releasing young lobsters back into the Irish Sea to increase fishing opportunities in the area. The project is engaging with fishers on this proposal, which would support a sustainable and productive fishery in the area.

Codling Wind Park has also published a Fisheries Charter or code of practice that will guide its engagement with fishers and its care of marine life on the Codling Bank. The Fisheries Charter, which will be the first code of its type between an offshore wind developer and fishers in Ireland, commits Codling Wind Park to sustainable development practices and responsible stewardship of the waters and seabed on the Codling Bank.

“The purpose of this fund is to support initiatives that could be of benefit to fishing communities, rather than benefitting one individual fisher over another. For example, adding value to a fishery, improving port infrastructure, improving safety, or exploring innovation and fishery diversification,” said Scott Sutherland, co-project director of Codling Wind Park.

“We want to hear from the fishers about what they think this fund should be used for,” said Sutherland.

“We are making a commitment to the fishers who use Codling Bank that we want to help them build a sustainable future. We have been engaging with fishers for a long time now on a wide variety of issues. One of the key benefits of this engagement is that we have been able to share with each other our different perspectives and see how the development can and will co-exist with the fishery. We are also very proud to be the first developer in Ireland to publish a Fisheries Charter which commits the project to engaging fairly with fishers, to boosting marine biodiversity and to developing sustainable fishing practices,” said Thomas Gilbert, co-project director.

Codling Wind Park, a 50/50 joint venture between Fred. Olsen Seawind and EDF Renewables, will be located about 13 to 22 km off the Co. Wicklow coast between Greystones and Wicklow Town. When operational, it will generate up to 1,450 megawatts (MW), enough electricity to power up to 1.2 million homes and support Ireland’s 2030 offshore wind targets. The renewable energy project is also examining design options to support biodiversity across the Codling bank. The final design is being completed and will be presented to the public later in the year ahead of the project’s planning application.

MORE INFO  https://codlingwindpark.ie/

ArcVera Renewables, a provider of consulting and technical services for wind, solar, and energy storage projects, has announced the expansion of its business development team with the appointment of industry veteran Adam Smith. Smith brings a mix of technical and commercial expertise, which will strengthen ArcVera’s efforts to grow its customer base across all technologies and geographies.

Starting in the wind industry in 1994, Smith has built a solid track record as a technical consultant and developer for wind and solar projects throughout the United States and Mexico.

“I am very happy to welcome Adam at ArcVera at a time when the IRA has such a major positive impact on the renewables industry. It is generating abundant opportunities for us to support greenfield projects in need of prospecting and early development technical support. Adam’s knowledge, expertise, and experience dating back to the early days of the renewable energy industry will make him a very valuable asset to our team’s efforts to bring new business home,” said David Simkins, Director of Business Development – Global at ArcVera Renewables.

ArcVera Renewables has experienced strong growth over the last few years. The company aims to take advantage of the renewable energy policy environment developing in the U.S. but also in its established global markets of India, South Africa, and Latin America.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to work alongside a talented team of professionals who are passionate about driving the renewable energy industry forward. ArcVera’s total dedication to providing trustworthy, insightful and accuracy-driven project services to clients makes it a really exciting company to work for. I am proud to be part of this amazing team,” Smith said.

MORE INFO  www.ArcVera.com

The Maryland General Assembly passed the Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act, paving the way for a new clean energy future for the state. Baltimore-based US Wind Inc. applauded the bill’s sponsors Delegate Lorig Charkoudian and Sen. Katie Fry Hester, committee chairs Brian Feldman and CT Wilson, and House and Senate leadership for passing the landmark legislation. The bill is on its way to Gov. Wes Moore’s desk, where he is expected to sign the legislation into law.

“The POWER Act is a real game changer for Maryland,” said Jeff Grybowski, US Wind CEO. “It sets a path for the people of Maryland to reap the benefits of huge amounts of clean energy in the coming years. It also tells the entire offshore wind industry globally that Maryland is back big time as a major player. Companies looking to invest in offshore wind have to seriously consider Maryland.”

The legislation would quadruple Maryland’s offshore wind generation goals from about 2 GW to 8.5 GW by 2031, improve its transmission infrastructure, and provide a pathway to future procurement of offshore wind energy in the state. The 8.5 GW of offshore wind energy targeted in the POWER Act is enough to supply clean energy to more than 2 million homes in Maryland while creating tens of thousands of family-sustaining American jobs, as the bill ensures that offshore wind projects provide equitable opportunities for local unions and minority, women, service-disabled, and veteran-owned businesses to join in Maryland’s clean energy future.

US Wind also announced its partnership with Haizea Wind Group to manage and operate Sparrows Point Steel, Maryland’s first permanent offshore wind factory in Baltimore County, MD. The facility will manufacture steel components for the U.S. offshore wind industry, including monopiles and towers, while creating hundreds of jobs for local unions and minority businesses.

MORE INFO  https://uswindinc.com/

Siemens Gamesa has announced the GreenerTower, a wind turbine tower made of more sustainable steel. Towers consist of approximately 80% steel plates. The new GreenerTower will ensure a CO₂ reduction of at least 63% in the tower steel plates compared to conventional steel. Siemens Gamesa’s new thorough qualification process will verify that only a maximum of 0.7 tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions are permitted per ton of steel, while maintaining the same steel properties and quality.

“Wind power is one of the cornerstones of the green energy transition. With more than 600 GW of new capacity to be installed worldwide in the next five years, it is important for the wind industry to reduce its carbon footprint. Our project to address emissions with greener steel is one such solution. With the launch of the GreenerTower, Siemens Gamesa leads the efforts to further push wind circularity and net-zero emissions,” said Maximilian Schnippering, head of sustainability at Siemens Gamesa.

Tower production accounts for more than one-third of all wind-turbine-related CO₂ emissions. If all towers installed by the company in one year were exchanged with GreenerTowers, it would be the same as removing more than 466,000 cars from the roads in Europe for a year. This new CO₂-reduced tower will be available as an option for both onshore and offshore wind turbines for projects to be installed from 2024 onward.

The GreenerTower has already closed its first order. RWE and Siemens Gamesa have agreed to introduce 36 GreenerTowers at the 1,000-MW Thor offshore wind power project in Denmark. In total, 72 SG 14-236 DD offshore wind turbines are planned to be installed starting in 2026.

“Offshore Wind already has one of the lowest life-cycle carbon footprints of power generation technologies. At RWE we are fully committed to working towards circularity and net-zero emissions. We are already testing the world’s first recyclable wind turbine blades by Siemens Gamesa under real-life conditions. By piloting the GreenerTower at our Thor offshore wind farm, RWE is now once again taking the lead by helping to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of wind turbines,” said Sven Utermöhlen, RWE Offshore Wind CEO.

The German steel manufacturing company Salzgitter AG, with its heavy plate mill Ilsenburger Grobblech GmbH, is the first supplier to be qualified. The process to produce greener steel entails increased use of scrap steel, less energy-intensive steel manufacturing processes, and an increased use of renewable energy sources. As one of the measures to decarbonize steel production, for example, the electric arc furnace will be fed with green electricity from offshore wind projects.

On average, 1.91 tons of CO₂ are emitted during the manufacturing process for every ton of steel. By setting an ambitious threshold of 0.7 tons CO₂-equivalent emissions per ton of steel, Siemens Gamesa reduces the footprint of the largest component in terms of CO₂-equivalent emissions.

MORE INFO  https://www.siemensgamesa.com/en-int/-/media/siemensgamesa/downloads/en/sustainability/environment/siemens-gamesa-greenertower-infographic.pdf

As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 GW of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently announced the publication of its Gulf of Maine Call for Information and Nominations. This Call invites public comment on, and assesses interest in, possible commercial wind-energy development in areas offshore Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.

This represents an early step in the commercial planning and leasing process, and the first required by BOEM regulations.

“BOEM is committed to transparent, inclusive, and data-driven processes, and public input is essential to helping us determine areas that may be suitable for offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “We are still early in the planning and leasing process, and we look forward to the multiple future opportunities for engagement.”

BOEM published the Commercial Leasing for Wind Power Development on the Gulf of Maine Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) — Call for Information and Nominations in the Federal Register on April 26, 2023, which initiated a 45-day public comment period. BOEM will accept nominations and comments through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 12, 2023.
After the public comment period closes, BOEM will review and analyze commercial nominations and public comments submitted in response to the Call. BOEM will also consider information from government and Tribal consultations and the Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force to further evaluate the appropriateness of the Call area for offshore wind-energy development.

“The feedback that we have received prior to this announcement has been extremely valuable in informing the process and understanding the unique dynamics that the Gulf of Maine presents,” said BOEM Project Coordinator Zach Jylkka. “The success of BOEM’s commercial leasing process hinges upon continued public input, and we are fortunate that many passionate and knowledgeable individuals and organizations are willing to share their experiences and expertise to help shape these important outcomes.”

In August 2022, the Department of the Interior announced a “Request for Interest” (RFI) to gauge whether commercial interest existed in obtaining wind-energy leases within an area in the Gulf of Maine comprising about 13.7 million acres.

BOEM worked collaboratively with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to conduct a spatial analysis of the RFI area. This analysis, in combination with public comments on the RFI, led to the creation of a draft Call area. BOEM hosted a series of information exchanges on the draft Call area from January to February 2023 to get feedback from tribes, states, existing ocean users, and the general public. The final Call area reduces the RFI area to 9.8 million acres, a nearly 30 percent reduction.

In the final Call area, BOEM removed approximately 160,000 acres from future consideration to avoid Georges Bank. The Call area remains broad to provide flexibility to minimize conflicts with other uses. BOEM will use a powerful spatial analytical tool, called an ecosystem-wide suitability model, developed in partnership with NCCOS, to help identify where conflicts may exist and inform decisions regarding the most appropriate wind-energy areas to meet the states’ and Biden-Harris administration’s offshore renewable energy goals.

Through the information exchanges on the draft Call area, BOEM has identified four areas that BOEM specifically seeks public input on during this next phase of review, including: Lobster Management Area I, Platts Bank, Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Restricted Areas, and Georges Bank (the immediately adjacent area along the southern boundary of the Call Area). This is not an exhaustive list; however, it represents the areas that were most commented on in the most recent public engagement. BOEM looks forward to receiving more information during the Call comment period regarding the suitability of these areas for potential renewable energy development.

BOEM aims to address and better understand any concerns from the public and encourages input and feedback to help inform its decision-making. Throughout the Gulf of Maine planning process for possible commercial leasing, there will be more opportunities for public input.

BOEM will host its third Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meeting May 10-11, 2023, in Bangor, Maine.

The purpose of the meeting is to update Task Force members and the public on BOEM’s commercial and research offshore wind-energy planning activities and to discuss next steps for the Gulf of Maine. The public is encouraged to attend this meeting.

MORE INFO  www.boem.gov/Gulf-of-Maine

Vestas has received an order for two wind projects totaling 370 MW to repower the Pleasant Valley and Border Winds projects owned by Xcel Energy in the U.S.

The order for the 213 MW Pleasant Valley project in Minnesota consists of 97 V110-2.0 MW wind turbines delivered in 2.2 MW operating mode, while the 156 MW Border Winds project, located in North Dakota, consists of 71 V110-2.0 MW wind turbines delivered in 2.2 MW operating, which will update the current V100-2.0 MW technology at both sites.

“Vestas and Xcel Energy have a strong history of bringing wind energy to local communities across the U.S. and we look forward to continuing this partnership by extending the longevity and increasing the energy projection of current wind projects like Pleasant Valley in Minnesota and Border Winds in North Dakota,” said Laura Beane, President of Vestas North America. “Upgrading the site’s current technology will not only extend the lifespan of the project and bring clean energy to thousands of households, it will also provide needed economic opportunities to these communities.”

“As a national leader in wind energy, we’re pleased to work with Vestas on repowering two Upper Midwest wind farms which have long provided clean, affordable energy to our customers as well as economic benefits to surrounding communities. Advancing the technology at Pleasant Valley in Minnesota and Border Winds in North Dakota is important to our plan for achieving 85% carbon-free energy by 2030 in the region while keeping energy costs as low as possible,” said Chris Clark, President, Xcel Energy Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Both projects include supply, delivery, and commissioning of the turbines, and Vestas will continue to service the turbines and provide an energy-based availability guarantee, designed to ensure optimized performance of the asset.

Turbine delivery for both projects will begin in the second quarter of 2025 with commissioning scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2025.

More info: https://www.vestas.com/en

Together with the international consulting group COWI, TÜV NORD will provide Owner’s Engineering services for the Egyptian wind farm Gulf of Suez on the Red Sea Coast. In this project, COWI will perform project management and design review while TÜV NORD will be responsible for all site services such as civil, mechanical and electrical quality supervision.

With a capacity of 500 MW, the project, which is being led by renewable energy developer AMEA Power in collaboration with Sumitomo Corporation of Japan, will be the largest wind farm in Africa.

“We are very pleased about the cooperation of COWI and TÜV NORD in this particular project, which the combined team in Denmark, Germany and Egypt from both companies have jointly been driving forward,” said Alexander Ohff, Executive Vice President Renewables at TÜV NORD. “Together with COWI and the Sponsors , we will ensure the highest international technical quality and safety standards to make this flagship wind energy project in Egypt a success.”

“Being a part of developing clean renewable energy solutions is at the heart of our business. With TUV NORD we get a strong partner for this important onshore wind project and can complement each other’s expertise and strengths in delivering the best possible solution to our customer and their customers. I see this as a start of a long and successful cooperation,” said Holger Hahn, COWI’s project director.

More info: https://www.tuev-nord-group.com/en/home/

Saildrone, a leader in providing near real-time maritime intelligence using small uncrewed systems, has announced a new mid-size class of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs). The 33-foot (10 m) Voyager is designed for near-shore ocean and lakebed mapping, and to meet the challenges of IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing), ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance), law enforcement and maritime safety, drug interdiction, and border and harbor security.

“With our Voyager platform, Saildrone helps to eliminate maritime gaps above and below the ocean surface, reducing risk to mission and risk to force. We want to be a force-multiplier for our partners and allies when it comes to ISR capabilities,” said Richard Jenkins, Saildrone founder and CEO.

Saildrone’s three USV models—the Voyager along with the 23-foot (7 m) Explorer and 65-foot (20 m) Surveyor—have been developed to balance mission payload flexibility and endurance. The Voyager’s larger size, compared to the Explorer, allows for a more persistent datalink, increased power available for ocean mapping and ISR payloads, and versatile payload integration options.

The ocean mapping sensor suite includes multibeam sonar equipment capable of seafloor mapping of depths to 900 feet (300 m), and the ISR sensor suite includes a smart camera array, digital radar, and sub-surface passive acoustics. Primarily powered by wind and solar, the Voyager also features an electric propulsion alternative, useful for low-wind and near-shore operations.

Saildrone has built 100 23-foot Explorer-class USVs at its headquarters in Alameda, CA. To meet the increasing demand for the new Voyager platform, Saildrone has elected to outsource the production of the wing, hull, and keel to composite specialists: Janicki Industries will manufacture the wing and keel in Washington, and Seemann Composites will manufacture the hull in Mississippi. Saildrone will continue to produce, install, and service internal components in Alameda.

“One of the truly exceptional aspects of working at a company like Saildrone is the fact that hardware and software engineering, manufacturing, mission operations, and G&A are all housed under one roof—in a former airplane hangar on a site known for aviation and naval innovation,” said Saildrone COO Mark Cuyler. “But with the rapidly increasing demand for ocean data collection across the fleet, it is necessary to outsource some of our production.

Saildrone is proud to work with great US-based companies like Janicki and Seemann, whose expertise in the marine composites industry will help us to more rapidly meet the demanding challenges of the world’s oceans.”

Saildrone has been conducting sea trials of the Voyager in the San Francisco Bay and offshore of California since late 2022, and the first operational maritime security and ocean mapping missions will begin this spring. The company is producing new Voyagers at a rate of one per week.

The data collection capabilities of Saildrone’s autonomous vehicles have been proven in numerous operational missions, covering almost 1 million nautical miles from the Arctic to the Antarctic.

More info: 
https://www.saildrone.com/

Clir Renewables, the market intelligence platform for wind and solar, has secured a ranking of 210 in a list of the fastest growing companies in the Americas, published by the Financial Times. Clir’s absolute growth rate was 274% between 2018 and 2021.

To be eligible for inclusion in the list, companies must be headquartered on the continents of North or South America, have generated a revenue of at least $100,000 in 2018, and $1.5 million in 2021.

The business must be independent, and revenue growth between both 2018 and 2021 must be primarily organic. 

Clir combines the world’s largest renewable energy operational dataset with software and analytics to provide renewable energy power generators, investors and asset managers with actionable insights into the production, health, risk, and financing of assets.

Over the last four years, Clir has secured more than 200 GW of project data, 29 new clients including Glennmont Partners and Northleaf Capital Partners, and expanded into 12 new territories. The business supports the fundamentals of renewable energy project growth and development, working with developers, lenders, and investors through project development, operations, and subsequent mergers and acquisitions.

Leveraging advanced AI and 200+ GW of data from decades of project experience, Clir detects market-wide, project-related and site-specific issues for wind and solar projects.

“To be recognized by The Financial Times as one of the Americas’ fastest growing companies is an achievement we’re all hugely proud of. Over the past six years since our formation, we’ve been able to grow rapidly by continually listening to and recognizing the needs of the market,” said Gareth Brown, Clir’s chief executive and founder.

“As the industry increases in competition, we’re looking forward to the continued growth of our company, and to further incentivizing the shift towards clean energy through deeper intelligence into performance and risk,” said Brown.

More info: https://www.clir.eco/

Baltimore-based US Wind and other Maryland leaders applauded Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s announcement of major offshore wind energy initiatives during the 2023 International Partnering Forum in Baltimore.

“Our administration is serious about offshore wind, and Maryland is ready to lead,” said Moore. “We need all hands on deck in this crucial moment — so we can strengthen Maryland’s supply chain, leverage our state’s assets, and put Marylanders to work in clean energy jobs centered on logistics and manufacturing. If we join together in partnership, we can make Maryland the offshore wind capital of the United States.”

Moore announced that Maryland will aim to quadruple the amount of energy produced by offshore wind from about 2 gigawatts to 8.5 gigawatts, which is enough to power nearly three million homes. The governor said the state has plans to increase its offshore wind output and prioritize wind energy partnerships, creating significant economic and job creation opportunities in the state.

“Governor Moore’s announcement is a homerun for the people of Maryland. He has a big and bold vision that aims to make Maryland the national leader in this new industry and will create thousands of jobs in the process. Governor Moore is the person we need right now to achieve a clean energy future for Maryland,” said Jeff Grybowski, US Wind CEO.

“Maryland can — and will be — a national leader for offshore wind and Governor Moore’s announcement is a major win for Baltimore County as we continue transforming into a premiere hub for renewable energy projects,” said Baltimore County executive Johnny Olszewski. “These projects will help combat climate change while creating hundreds of high-quality jobs in our communities and we look forward to working with our partners at the State, US Wind, Tradepoint Atlantic, and beyond to ensure the future of America’s green economy continues to be built — literally — at Sparrows Point.”

“Governor Moore’s record-shattering announcement means so much to so many across the state, especially minority owned businesses like Strum Contracting,” said Teaera Strum, CEO of Strum Contracting Company, Inc. “Offshore wind will not only improve air quality and combat climate change, but also uplift under-served communities while creating career opportunities and economic vitality. Strum Contracting is thrilled for Governor Moore’s leadership and for US Wind’s commitment to delivering offshore wind and good paying jobs to Marylanders.”

“The Steelworkers couldn’t be happier to hear Governor Moore’s commitment to make Maryland a leader in offshore wind manufacturing,” said Jim Strong, United Steelworkers offshore wind assistant. “Sparrows Point Steel, Maryland’s first permanent offshore wind facility, is being built on Steelworkers’ hallowed ground at the site of the former Bethlehem Steel. Our partnership with US Wind will create good union jobs for this new renewable energy industry right here in Baltimore County. Governor Moore’s announcement and the work of the Maryland state legislature will position Maryland as a leader in offshore wind manufacturing for decades to come.”

“The future of offshore wind energy presents an incredible opportunity for minorities to get into the energy industry and make a difference in their communities,” said Pamela Minor, president of the Southern Maryland Minority Chamber of Commerce. “The potential of offshore wind power is immense, with massive potential for job creation and economic growth. As we move forward in achieving Governor Moore’s history-making goal of 8.5 gigawatts for Maryland, it is essential that we work together to ensure that all people have access to the opportunities presented by offshore wind energy. We’re proud to be working with US Wind on this effort.”

“IBEW Local 24 is thrilled to hear Governor Moore’s new offshore wind goal for Maryland,” said Mike McHale, Business Manager, Local 24. “Our partnership with US Wind is a top priority for our union. This announcement solidifies the governor’s commitment, along with the commitment of the Maryland state legislature, to clean energy and union jobs in the state.”

The governor also announced that the administration is working to establish new lease areas and strengthen the offshore wind supply chain in the state. Meanwhile, the Maryland General Assembly is set to pass the complimentary Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources (POWER) Act of 2023 which also calls for Maryland to boost its offshore wind generation goals to 8.5 gigawatts, improve its transmission infrastructure, and provide a pathway to future procurement of offshore wind energy in the state.


More info: 
https://uswindinc.com/

K2 Management, a global leading renewable energy consultancy, recently announced a four-year partnership with Dominion Energy, an energy company with 7 million customers in 16 states, to provide quality oversight services for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project 27 miles off the coast of Virginia.

With a capacity of 2.6 GW via 176 offshore wind turbines, the project is a significant step forward in the growth of the offshore wind industry in the United States — which has set a lofty target of 30 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030.

K2M will serve as Dominion Energy’s Owner’s Quality Assurance Representative, and among other services, will provide quality oversight at suppliers’ manufacturing facilities for all major components. The manufacturing stage began in Q4 of 2022, and K2M’s involvement will commence in March with an expected completion date of April 2027.
K2M and Dominion Energy will also partner to include local Hampton Roads businesses and workers in this project.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Dominion Energy on such a ground-breaking project,” said Lars Andersen, president — Americas at K2 Management. “Our expert knowledge and experience ensured we were successful in a highly competitive tender and will enable us to bring Dominion Energy advice and insights from more than 500 accumulated offshore wind engagements around the world.”

“As the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project takes the mainstage in U.S. offshore wind development, it will attract the interest and scrutiny of future industry stakeholders and investors,” he said. “It’s crucial, therefore, that all partners in the value chain get this right the first time. With the experience of our work in other global offshore wind markets, we’re singularly focused on ensuring that Dominion benefits from learning experiences elsewhere and is set up for long-term success. Lastly, recognizing the opportunity for local economic success, we look forward to supporting Dominion Energy in maximizing local content and the use of the local workforce in delivering its services, directly benefitting the commonwealth of Virginia.”

“Given its wealth of experience, K2M is the clear partner to oversee the day-to-day fabrication at our suppliers’ facilities, as well as the delivery of major components to the Portsmouth Marine Terminal,” said Joshua Bennett, Dominion Energy vice president of offshore wind. “We are at the forefront of delivering reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy to our customers, and this partnership is going to help us meet those expectations with our offshore wind project.”

Shoreline Wind, the wind energy leader in design simulation, construction and O&M solutions, announced it has appointed David Tuohy as Chief Operating Officer.
This latest move strengthens the company’s leadership team, bringing into the fold an experienced executive with a proven international track record in scaling energy software platforms.

The move also capitalizes on what the company sees as positive policy developments in key markets regarding wind energy, including the U.S. In January, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced it will reform its regulations for the development of wind energy facilities on the country’s outer continental shelf, in order to meet key climate goals.

With 30 years of relevant international experience, Tuohy has spent the last 15 years leading private equity backed climate technology companies, both at C-level and in board roles.

He has worked with technologies from solar PV and power electronics for grid integration of wind power to SaaS solutions for energy efficiency and demand response management. He is also a non-executive director of publicly listed Climate Transition Capital. Tuohy has an engineering background and studied at University College Dublin, INSEAD and the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

 “Shoreline makes a real contribution to carbon reduction goals by enabling faster and cheaper deployment of wind energy at a global scale,” said Tuohy. “With its market-leading SaaS offering, Shoreline is well on its way to become the industry standard for project design, construction, and O&M for wind energy. This company can make a real difference. I am really excited to be part of the team.”

Since 2014, Shoreline has been developing and deploying cutting edge SaaS solutions that deliver the essential, data-driven insights wind farm developers, operators, OEMs, contractors and consultants need to make wind energy more cost-efficient throughout the entire wind farm lifecycle. 

Last year Shoreline secured additional funding from U.S.-based Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIF) and Nordic investor Ferd Capital. Existing investor Blue Bear Capital also participated in the round. The funds are being used to drive Shoreline’s growth in the U.S. and APAC, and to expand the company’s feature set for lifecycle asset optimization. Since closing the investment, Shoreline has increased staffing two-fold with hires in Norway, Denmark, Germany, Sweden and most recently in the Netherlands.

“Right now, Shoreline is perfectly positioned to realize exponential growth in lockstep with the growing global demand for wind energy,” said Ole-Erik Vestøl Endrerud, CEO and founder of Shoreline. “We have proven to our customers that our patented technology can drive down construction and O&M costs. The next phase is all about scaling the business and execution capabilities.”

Ambitious wind energy installation and energy production goals are being announced globally with planned installations in APAC and the U.S. leading the trend. Wind farm developers and operators are increasingly reliant on smart simulation solutions to virtually plan and optimize construction and operation, and subsequently deploy and manage the assets using digital solutions. This is key to maximize return on investment in what is an increasingly cost-competitive market.

Shoreline provides solutions to major global players such as Siemens Gamesa, Ørsted, Equinor, Ocean Winds and Vattenfall, with more local players also adopting Shoreline’s solutions. Whether acting global or local, Shoreline is committed to ensuring its platform and people deliver what these customers need to achieve their goals.

“David has worked for multiple clean energy tech scale-ups and he is really passionate about the energy transition. There are not many people around who have worked for big energy companies and a leading energy SaaS unicorn. The investors are thrilled to have him join the leadership team to help Shoreline realize its full growth potential,” said Geoff Eisenberg, partner at EIF.

Shoreline provides enterprise solutions for the wind industry using intelligent data integration and simulation software to optimize and execute wind farm construction, asset management and business cases, and their solutions are deployed globally with the world’s largest energy companies, OEMs and service companies. Shoreline Wind’s solutions are cloud-based, distributed on Software as a Service terms and available to customers on subscription basis, along with an appropriate training and support package.

More info: 
https://shoreline.no/