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.

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.

Electricity generation from solar energy and its subsequent feed into the public grid network is comparatively new to Abu Dhabi and ADDC. So as to encourage the growth of solar electricity in Abu Dhabi, a new incentive regime will be set up soon. In the run up to this new legislation, the government wants to gain initial experiences through the Solar Roof Program of Abu Dhabi, a 500 MW pilot project. ADDC has been commissioned with the implementation of this pilot project.

The curriculum of the training of  the ADDC employees included topics such as system design, installation, maintenance, monitoring, and network integration. “The workshop was helpful in skilling our engineers to meet the challenges of the Solar Roof Program, particularly because of its blended mix between theory and practical hands-on training”, said Jürgen Beigel, Senior Project Manager for Abu Dhabi’s Solar Roof Program.

Although the region has very high levels of solar radiation, it also suffers from high humidity, and abundant dust and sand. In the pilot project different PV systems will be tested in order to determine the optimal plant size, selection of components and the installation angle under local conditions.

The ADDC engineers will monitor the installation and undertake the connection to the grid..

The DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol (DDCE) joint venture and the DuPont partnership with Bio Architecture Lab (BAL) to develop macroalgae to butanol capabilities placed first, while the Butamax Advanced Biofuels joint venture placed second in their respective categories. DuPont Applied BioSciences President Craig F. Binetti: “Each venture incorporates game-changing science and tailored business models that maximize our ability to deliver large volumes of biofuels to a global population that is increasingly more interested in alternatives to oil.”

The joint venture of DuPont and Danisco has made rapid progress since it was established in 2008. DDCE has started up a 250,000-gallon demonstration-scale biorefinery in Tennessee and brought the cost of production below $2 per gallon. DDCE expects to announce its first commercial plans this fall. “Cellulosic ethanol is ready for deployment,” DuPont Applied BioSciences President Craig Binetti said.

The Butamax Advanced Biofuels joint venture was voted a clear leader in the development of biobutanol technologies. “The strategic plan for Butamax is to give biorefineries the option to convert from ethanol to biobutanol in the future. The joint venture has started some preliminarily exploratory discussions with ethanol producers in the United States and Brazil.”

The U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) awarded funding to DuPont and its partner BAL last fall to develop a process to convert macroalgae to biobutanol. The DuPont-BAL partnership placed firstin the category: Transformative Technology: macro algae platforms. “Macroalgae to biobutanol could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 90 percent when compared to petroleum and diversify feedstock routes for advanced biofuels.”

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.”

During the nomination process, 90 nominations have been submitted, representing all continents and 19 different countries. The nominees represent not only different places of origin, but also a broad range of professional areas. After a voting process seven of the nominees stood out as the main nominees.

“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 first commercial Opcon Powerbox was installed last year at two pulp mills in Sweden, StoraEnso’s mill at Skutskär and Munksjö’s Aspa mill. In operation, the technology more than delivers what its developer promises. “The mills generate electricity from wastewater and the process also helps to meet cooling needs,” explains Niklas Johansson, vice president Opcon.

With the Opcon Powerbox, StoraEnso will produce more than 4 GWh of carbon dioxide-free electricity annually. Aspa Mill should be able to produce even more. “We’re talking about as much electricity as from a wind power plant, but at a far lower investment cost,” Johansson says.
This is just the beginning of electricity generation with far greater potential. A pilot study has been done at a gas-fuelled, 105 MW power plant in Australia. With 12 Opcon Powerboxes installed, another 9 MW could be produced from the waste heat under current operating conditions.
The Opcon Powerbox is based on technology from Opcon’s subsidiary Svenska Rotor Maskiner (developers of the screw compressor) and the Swedish firm of Ljungströms (air preheaters, etc.). The technology is fuel neutral and works with hot water or steam. The technology is highly interesting in combination with biofuel, because electricity generation that requires little investment makes green energy even more efficient and competitive.

The main assumption is that there will be an increase in soy production to produce biodiesel, an erroneous statement since it does not take into consideration that the oilseed’s demand depends on the demand for proteic meal, an essential component of animal feeds, which represents 78% of the soybean. Oil, on the other hand, represents only 19% of the product and this, by itself, is enough to question the study’s results and conclusions.

In addition, based on estimates from EPE (Energy Research Company), the authors sustain that the country will need a further 10.8 million hectares of soybeans to meet the production and consumption targets for 2020, or almost 50% of the 2009/10 crop’s planted area.

Considering a current average yield of 3,000 kilos of soybeans per hectare, this acreage means that the country will need an additional 6 million tons of soy oil for biodiesel production. However, EPE estimates show an additional need for just 900,000 tons of vegetable oil related to 2010 levels, given that the country already adds 5% of this oil to mineral diesel, equivalent to 2 million tons of vegetable oils.

It should also be noted that, in 2010, as a result of start-of-the-art technological research to increase yield, Brazil will harvest a record crop of over 65 million tons. With the current domestic oil supply, almost 80% of the almost 2 million tons of the raw material used in biodiesel and mineral diesel production can be allocated to meeting the obligatory mixture. In addition, this mixture in mineral diesel can be increased to 17% without needing to expand the oilseed’s production simply by locally processing the more than 28 million tons of soybeans exported in natura.

Furthermore, the study fails to be comprehensive when it ignores the benefits of oilseeds produced in crop rotation, a practice that significantly intensifies soil use and production of food, fibers and energy in the same area., says ABIOVE. The diversification of oilseed production is also the way that the National Production & Biodiesel Use Program will take naturally. The increase in demand for vegetable oils will create market incentives that will naturally stimulate the supply of oilseeds with a high oil content, among them, sunflower, canola, palm and jatropha. This tendency is confirmed by the several public and private initiatives arising throughout Brazil for the production and research of these crops.

Despite these crucial elements, it should be said that the authors recognize that the direct effects of the soy complex on deforestation are small. According to them, this is due to firm and transparent attitudes, such as the Soy Moratorium.

Finally, the study correctly indicates that the solution for the end of deforestation lies in the implementation and success of the land regularization measures and in the increase in the livestock productivity. With these measures, there will be less need for new areas and, therefore, and less deforestation in areas of native vegetation.

Thus, ABIOVE recognizes that the analysis of the problems related to Amazon Biome governance is correct, but alerts the authors about the erroneous conclusions on the direct and indirect effects of soya biodiesel, since these are based on incorrect assumptions regarding market dynamics for the biodiesel and oilseeds complex.

The locomotive for soybeans is the demand for animal protein. Each additional kilo of biodiesel produced from soy depends on an 8-kg increase in poultry or swine meat consumption. Therefore, biodiesel is insufficient to stimulate soy production in Brazil, and any attempt to impute direct and indirect effects to the biofuel cannot be sustained.