GL Garrad Hassan delivered the two projects as turnkey contracts. It can also be deployed as GH Scada Express which is a license only model to allow manufacturers to deploy the systems themselves. GH Scada provides high data coverage, superior information quality, complete independence and access to high speed data direct from the turbines.

“Using the GH Scada solution gives Samsung and other manufacturers a quick and risk free route to providing a fully internationalised, high functionality Scada and reporting system that meets both their needs and those of their clients”, said Gordon Smith, Global Practice Head of GH Scada at GL Garrad Hassan. “Our engineers were on site for the commissioning of the first turbine in Lubbock, ensuring that the system was available as soon as operation started.”

Samsung Heavy Industries stated that Samsung Heavy Industries selected GL Garrad Hassan’s Scada system for monitoring and control of our wind turbine. Its key features are the functionality of reporting and it’s compatibility with turbine controller.”

GL Garrad Hassan provides its GH Scada solution for monitoring and control of over 5GW of installed wind capacity representing over 3,500 turbines world wide. It is used for many turbines including Vestas, Gamesa, GE, Siemens, Mitsubishi, STX, Enercon, Nordex, CPC, XEMC, Nordic, and Repower. With GL Garrad Hassan’s global presence turnkey installations or support for license only deployments anywhere in the world can be offered.

The report identifies that key offshore development projects over the next few years will take place in seven countries: France, Ireland, Belgium, Norway, Spain, Italy and Poland. These markets are expected to become increasingly important up to 2020 and beyond. The “Offshore Wind Energy Market Report” is being presented this week at the RenewablesUK conference in Liverpool.

Type certification comprises design assessment, implementation of the design requirements in production and erection, evaluation of quality management and prototype testing. And on the basis of type certification, project certification is carried out that covers site design conditions, site-specific design assessment, and surveillance during production, transport and erection as well as witnessing of commissioning and periodic monitoring.

Mike Woebbeking, GL Renewables Certification, explained the relevance of the new guidelines: “It is important for manufacturers of wind turbines and components as well as banks and insurers involved to know the different certification processes and guidelines.”

The Edition 2010 is to substitute the current Edition 2003 with Supplement 2004. “The new edition will additionally cover small wind turbines and latest information on several prominent wind energy markets. It will have effect on future wind turbine developments worldwide,” Mr. Woebbeking pointed out.

As part of the certification process, the turbine passed a product design review, a power curve test and verification of the load assumptions by prototype measurements, in accordance with GL2003 certification guidelines.

Gamesa certifies its wind energy systems and wind turbines with accredited certification bodies such as GL. This process allows the company to convey to the market and financial institutions, through the opinion of an independent third party, the integrity of its products’ design, development, manufacturing and construction.

The company has obtained GL certification for its G5X and G8X systems, and is currently working to gain certification for the low-temperature version of the G90 turbine for use in the US and Canada. Similarly, it is in the process of gaining certification for its latest design, the Gamesa G10X 4.5 MW platform.

What are the solutions for offshore installations? What type of vessels are required? What kind of operational experience has been obtained in recent wind farm installation projects? What are the regulatory boundaries? And what can GL offer to ship owners, vessel operators and energy utilities? All these questions were addressed during the offshore GL First Class Exchange Vessels seminar in cooperation with Samsung Heavy Industries, Beluga Hochtief Offshore, Huisman, and BLM Jack up Systems. The forum was attended by some eighty clients in Hamburg’s International Maritime Museum.

Wind energy is one of the key renewable energy sources that will make a significant contribution towards the goals of clean energy around the world. The wind energy industry is in a period of significant growth. New capacity is installed predominantly offshore rather than onshore at least in Europe.

According to the European Offshore Wind Market Report by GL Garrad Hassan, there is a massive demand on the current supply chain, e.g. turbine suppliers, installation vessels, transformers for offshore sub-stations and most critically experienced personnel as well as grid connection issues and funding. Offshore wind projects in Europe are at a stage of mass development with 1.5GW already operating and a further 100GW at the planning and development stages.

In respect to suitable installation vessels there seems to be a danger of insufficient number which could constrain offshore wind development in the coming years. It is planned to install some 800 foundations and wind turbines p.a. till 2020. Turbines are getting bigger and heavier. The towers are growing, too. This requires new installation vessels capable of handling the next generation of offshore turbines of between three to five Megawatts. Installation vessels specially designed to handle bigger turbines will come into operation.

Since offshore wind farming is in its start-up phase with many players in field, a large number of different design concepts exist with a large potential for growth. GL’s Maritime business segment is already involved in more than 18 wind installation and maintenance newbuilding projects. The combined experience from the renewable sector, offshore installations and maritime operations within GL Group provides the groundwork for a comprehensive service portfolio and offers the competence to assist in any step of the project across all industries.

At the forum, Samsung Heavy Industries presented a new wind turbine installation barge while Beluga Hochtief Offshore explained the project management of a next generation wind turbine installation vessel. This vessel could handle +5MW wind turbines in deeper waters and in large distances to port. BLM gave an introduction to rack and pinion systems. Rack and pinion systems are a proven technology for jacking up self-elevating units, such as the vessels used for the installation of wind turbines. Huisman spoke on the requirements of offshore cranes. The crane manufacturer has expanded its heavy lifting product range with a customised range of wind turbine installation cranes. Cranes are one of the most important equipment for the installation of wind turbines. Customised cranes are necessary to streamline the installation process of foundation structures, towers and turbines.

In addition, the attendees of the exchange forum heard a presentation on the regulatory framework for wind turbine installation vessels, wind turbine carriers, barges, and subsea support vessels. One common advantage of these latest generation vessels is that DP2 (dynamic positioning of level 2) has become the quasi standard. This leads to the big advantage, that these vessels do not require anchors to be run while maneuvering, allowing to operate significantly quicker.

Last year – a record year for wind power installation – saw 10.163 GW of new wind power capacity installed, constituting 39 percent of all new power capacity installed in the EU that year. Total installed wind power capacity by the end of 2009 was 74.767 GW. 

“We predict another strong year for wind turbine installations in Europe, repeating the high level achieved in 2009,” said Christian Kjaer, CEO of EWEA. “What is encouraging is that, unlike in 2009, the 2010 results consist of orders placed after the start of the financial crisis. This shows continued and strong investor confidence in the technology.”

 “It is too early to say whether, for a third year running, there will be more wind energy capacity installed than any other electricity generating technology, but it is clear that wind energy will be competing for the top spot with new gas power plants,” added Kjaer.

 2010 will see more installations in offshore wind power, with up to 1 GW of new capacity expected to be installed during the year compared to 577 MW installed in 2009.

 EWEA expects France and Italy to again install around 1 GW each in 2010. The expected decline in installations in Spain will be more than compensated for by a doubling of installations in the new member states – led by Romania and Bulgaria – and significant growth in the UK, particularly offshore. Germany is expected to be the largest market this year, closely followed by the UK.

The wind turbines project from Electrawinds (Belgian wind-farm provider) with carbon consultancy support of CO2logic (European carbon consultancy) will provide energy to the football world cup via South Africa’s first ever wind-farm. During the course of the tournament, Electrawinds offers one month of energy produced by the fledgling energy plant to the Nelson Mandela Bay Football Stadium.

The wind farm based in Port Elizabeth, which will eventually contain 25 VESTAS V90 turbines with a total power of 45 MW, has been under construction since May.  The first of the 95 meter high turbines, with a total power of 1.8 MW, has been completed and is ready to provide 5,700,000 kWh annually for at least 1629 South African families (based on average consumption of 3500 kWh/family in EU).  The total carbon reductions created by this single turbine will offset the emissions required to fly more than 68,700 fans from London to the World cup final in Johannesburg. 

Tanguy du Monceau (CO2Logic): “We are proud to be able to support an initiative as empowering as the FIFA World cup, but ironically, the legacy of the Coega IDZ wind farm will perhaps be even greater. This is the first time clean wind technology has been brought to South Africa by the private sector.”

Luc Desender Managing Director Electrawinds: “There is great support in South Africa for renewable energy and this offers good prospects. Furthermore, it is my personal dream to reserve the first green electricity of Electrawinds in South Africa for the 2010 football world championship.”

Hywind, the world’s first full-scale, floating wind turbine designed for deployment offshore, is part of a 400 million NOK project. It features a 2.3MW Siemens turbine with three blades of 80 metre diameter, mounted on a spar buoy. It can be located in waters ranging from 120 to 700 metres depth in order to take advantage of optimum wind and environmental conditions, also obviating the need for foundations, which are extremely expensive at depths greater than 30 to 50 m.

The tower, rising to 65 metres above sea level, is marked by three Tideland MLED-155 Syncrolan, single-lift light stations, each with a range of 5 NM. They are mounted on stainless steel pedestals at 120° intervals around the circumference of the tower at a height of 15 metres and are quipped with 48-hour battery back-up.

Tideland’s MLED-155 is designed for use with an external power source, in this case solar, and offers minimal maintenance requirements and a service life of seven years on station in the most demanding environments. Long-life LEDs and high-integrity electronics housed in a tough UV-resistant polycarbonate enclosure ensure that lantern will not need to be opened during its service life and, when buoy-mounted, will even withstand being submerged in salt water. In the Hywind application, it is fitted with a yellow MaxiHalo 60 multi-code LED flasher, sunswitch and on-board GPS to synchronize the flash code.

Information: Tideland Signal

“2050 might seem like a long way off, but the decisions we take today will have a big impact on our energy supplies in 40 years’ time,” said Arthouros Zervos, President of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). With the G8 and EU already committed to an 80 percent greenhouse gas reduction by 2050, Zervos added: “We can’t allow the politicians to make grand statements and leave the serious decisions to the next generation. Given the long life of power plants our vision for 2050 has to be reflected in the construction of new power plants from at least 2020 onwards.”
“A fully renewable power sector is the only solution to reaching 80-95 percent CO2 reductions by 2050,” he continued. “The remaining carbon emissions will be needed for other sectors, such as agriculture.”
However, we should be talking about a ‘renewable energy economy’ not a low carbon one, Professor Zervos said. “Renewable energies can provide 100 percent of Europe’s power supplies by 2050 without any further contribution from any so-called low-carbon technologies.”

Wind energy is already a mainstream power source in Europe, annual market growth has been impressive over the past 10 years – 23 percent on average. “Realistically, wind can provide 50 percent of power supplies by 2050 if the necessary changes to infrastructure and markets are made,” said Christian Kjaer, EWEA’s Chief Executive. “The potential is there and the industry is ready. All we have to do is maintain current growth rates on and offshore. I am also confident that other renewables can easily meet the other half of Europe’s electricity needs”.
“A pan-European grid is the first priority, but a clear vision of, and a strong political commitment to, the long-term energy mix is also essential.” Kjaer explained that Europe needs to interconnect its electricity networks as a necessary step towards a truly integrated European electricity market. An integrated power market is essential for the smart management of renewable energies, and lower the costs for consumers. “Energy is an international challenge,” concluded Kjaer. “It is astounding that 24 years after establishing free movement of goods, services, capital and labour, the EU has not yet established a fifth freedom: free movement of electricity.”

The time needed for onshore wind farm planning applications ranges across the EU from less than 10 months to well over 50. The reasons for this enormous gap vary, but include the high number of authorities to liaise with, and the lack of clear administrative guidelines for developers. Top of the table is Finland, with just over eight months needed to get permission to build a wind farm, followed by Austria (10 months), Romania (15 months), and Italy (18 months). The country where the patience of a wind developer is most challenged is Portugal, where over 58 months are needed on average to get permits. Also at the bottom of the list are: Spain (57 months), Greece (50 months) and Poland (43 months).

The Wind Barriers project also investigated the number of authorities that need to be contacted in each country in order to obtain permission to build onshore. Denmark has the fewest authorities to contact, just five, whereas Greece has the most authorities to contact, with 41. But, there is not a direct correlation between the length of time it takes to get permission and the number of authorities that need to be contacted. Spain, for example, is one of the countries with the least number authorities that need to be contacted (only nine), but is one of the slowest, taking an average of over 57 months to get permission to build a wind farm.

“If Europe is serious about reaching 20 percent renewables by 2020 some member states need to streamline their consent procedures for wind farms,” Justin Wilkes, EWEA Policy Director, said. “There are a number of actions all Member States could take: creating a one stop shop approach for contacting the different authorities, writing clear guidelines for developers, and introducing better and streamlined spatial planning procedures. Implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive provides a real opportunity for targeted action in certain EU countries,” he said.

The experience in the offshore sector is, so far, more positive. The average time to get the green light is 18 months, much lower than onshore. “A number of countries with offshore wind farms have developed an efficient decision making process for this sector, thereby reducing the complexity for offshore wind developers,” concluded Wilkes.

Released during the third day of the European Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition, Wind Barriers revealed only part of the findings, which will be published in a full report with all data on administrative and grid connection procedures in developing wind farms in July 2010.