ScottishPower Renewables’ Post

The growing importance of grid enhancement, highlighted by so many industry commentators, as a key enabler of the Green Transition, is making limited progress. Planning constraints and objections are delaying the implementation of grid enhancements onshore. We are seeing more moves offshore to reinforce onshore grids and transport offshore wind to shore. The Eastern Green Link 1 is a big step in the right direction, as well as connecting Scotland to the high-demand south UK it allows the displacement of some overhead assets. Is this the start of a large-scale build of offshore grids? https://lnkd.in/e5kAX8_g?

The environmental circumstances are favourable for the connection infrastructure of Polish Offshore Wind Farms' Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III projects! We address the global green shift while keeping a balance with the environment, marine life, and onshore part local communities. Recently, the Regional Director of Environmental Protection in Gdansk, Poland, published an ordinance on the environmental standards for the link infrastructure of the Bałtyk II and Bałtyk III offshore wind projects. This enables the project's investors, Polenergia and Equinor, to move forward with the project and begin work on building permits. Offshore operations, comprising the installation of inter-array and export cables, will commence in 2026. The inter-array cables, which can stretch up to 200 kilometres in length and carry a voltage of 66 kV, will connect each farm's wind turbines to the offshore substation. The two 720 MW offshore wind farms are anticipated to generate energy as early as 2027. #progresstoexcellence #energytransition #offshoreenergy #owf #offshorewindfarm #offshorewind #poland #baltyk #equinor #polenergia

A 4,000km² offshore wind zone has been declared in Bunbury, Western Australia with the potential to support 11.4 GW of electricity – enough to power all homes and manufacturing industries in WA's South West region. The area was selected for its: - strong, consistent winds - proximity to areas of high electricity demand - proximity to existing connections to the grid - coal fired power stations in the region are scheduled to shut down in future years - potential to support infrastructure via the Port of Bunbury. The announcement follows extensive consultation with local leaders, industry, fishers, unions, First Nations people and community groups. #WesternAustralia’s electricity network is a self-contained system and the new offshore wind zone will boost the state’s energy security. Applications for feasibility licences open tomorrow (3 September), learn more: https://lnkd.in/gmGHix8R Government of Western Australia #offshorewind #netzero #cleanenergy

🏭UK Starts Work on First Factory for the HVDC Cables Key to Green Shift⚡ Japan’s Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. has started building the UK’s first factory to make the subsea cables needed to transmit electricity from wind farms and other countries — a crucial element for the country to meet its climate goals. The factory, at the Port of Nigg in northern Scotland, will produce the high voltage direct current cables capable of carrying power over long distances that wind farms desperately need. The factory will bring £350 million ($439 million) of investment as well as 150 highly skilled jobs to the area, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. Europe doesn’t have enough cable manufacturers to meet its green ambitions and the firms that do make them are facing years of backlog with many booked out until 2030. Read more from Bloomberg News https://lnkd.in/dw5abdTc

Onshore wind - Narachan wind farm (Argyll & Bute) refused today ❌️ 👉 Scottish Ministers sided with an objection from NatureScot that aviation lighting had an adverse effect on the special qualities of the North Arran NSA - and ultimately compromised its integrity (contrary to NPF4 Policy 4(c)(i)). 👉 In the absence of finding that the benefits of the proposal were nationally important to the extent they clearly outweighed the adverse effects on the NSA, the application was refused. Of particular interest: Ministers rejected a fallback condition restricting commencement of development until an ADLS system was installed, concluding: 👉 The evidence failed to provide "sufficient assurance" that a system would be installed within the usual 5 year commencement period. 👉 It was not appropriate to go beyond the 5 year period given "the undesirable effect of causing a cumulative planning baseline which is congested with unimplemented permissions for wind farm development". 19 major wind farm decisions post NPF4 adoption. 6 refusals. The consent rate drops further to 68%.

The new issue of heliopsmag.com has my article on heli support to Offshore Wind Companies in Europe. Some of the business models chosen reflect a ‘before time’ when OWCs were a much smaller percentage of the market than they are now, or will grow to be. As a result, low hanging improvements in safety, economy and environmental responsibility are there to be made! Click the link below for the article. https://lnkd.in/eVJ_kdsw

Top stories today 🪁 Reeves lifts de facto onshore wind ban https://buff.ly/3VU0ERH Rt Hon Rachel Reeves has unveiled an immediate lifting of the “absurd” planning ban on onshore wind farms in England and signalled a reclassification of larger such developments as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). Reeves made the comments in her first speech as chancellor, and in one of the new government’s first policy announcements. 💧 Wessex CEO: We should have spoken up on CSOs https://buff.ly/3S0KeWv Colin Skellett’s time at the helm of Wessex Water has stretched from privatisation to PR24. As he prepares to hand over the reigns he talks to Utility Week about the urgent need to simplify regulation, the media furore surrounding the industry and the trust that has been lost because of it. ⚡ Keeping DSO metrics switched off seems like ‘admitting defeat’ https://buff.ly/3LiB5Vw Ofgem seems to be "admitting defeat" by keeping the DSO performance metrics switched off for the rest of the ED2 price controls. maxine frerk, a former partner at the regulator, said the more subjective performance panel assessments that remain part of the wider DSO incentive have been left without the “grounding” that would have been provided by “hard metrics”.

Out at sea is where the action happens. This is where offshore wind farms make use of stable wind conditions and high wind speeds. But what exactly does it take to construct one? Let's take a look at the process behind these impressive projects.

🏋️Heavyweight engineering solutions are building US offshore wind.   Moving six new transition pieces (TP) from Denmark to the US East Coast requires extensive planning and expert execution. Each of these six TPs: - Weighs 540-570 tonnes (around 90 elephants) - Is 30 metres tall (the length of a basketball court) - Is 8 metres wide (comparable in length to a classic London bus) The scale of this project is further proof of the country's commitment to offshore wind development, which continues at pace despite recent speculation. https://lnkd.in/eWZMnkYd #USoffshorewind #offshoreengineering #Virginia #transitionpiece #offshorewind

🚨Labour hit the ground with lots of energy 🚀 The concept of community wealth building is not a new one and has been around since the last administration, but I am interested to see how it grows further under the Labour government and the big question of it how much weight will be attributed to it in decision making. #onshorewind #communitywealth