A group of offshore wind companies have pledged that the technology will generate electricity as cheaply as fossil fuels in Europe within a decade – but only if policymakers across the EU take the steps needed to ensure such growth as a matter of urgency. The pledge and the challenge to ministers are designed to reposition offshore wind as having a strong future in the EU. The European commission has tended to emphasise gas as the priority source of energy security. The companies include the renewable energy arms of General Electric, Siemens, RWE, Iberdrola, Statoil and Vattenfall. In an open letter, chiefs or senior executives from the 11 companies wrote: “Offshore wind will be fully competitive with new conventional power generation within a decade. The industry is on track to achieve its cost reduction ambitions and will be an essential technology in Europe’s energy security and decarbonisation objectives.” By 2025, according to the 11 companies, offshore wind should cost no more than €80 a megawatt hour. This is likely to compare favourably with the costs of coal, under carbon penalties, and gas, of which most of the EU’s supply must be imported. It is also lower than the price of generating nuclear electricity that the UK government has promised to the French nuclear company EDF. Ministers have guaranteed a price of £92.50 a megawatt hour, roughly double current prices, for electricity produced by the Hinkley Point C reactor.
Guardian 6th June 2016 read more »
Utility Week 6th June 2016 read more »
The UK is among 10 northern European countries to sign an agreement on enhanced cooperation within the offshore wind sector, in a deal which aims to reduce the costs and accelerate the deployment of wind power at sea through joint development and purchasing. Government Energy Ministers from Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, France, Denmark, Ireland and Belgium gathered in Luxembourg to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Work Programme which outlines a number of actions to help reduce costs in offshore wind, including collaboration on spatial planning, grids, finance, technical standards and regulation such as health and safety rules. Additionally, the MoU highlights the need to coordinate the timing of offshore wind tenders and explore options for joint support initiatives. The cooperation will make it easier for civil society organisations, universities, environmental organizations, network operators and companies to do business across borders apply for permits and receive grants.
Edie 6th June 2016 read more »
Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd is to carry out a public consultation on its proposed new outer Moray Firth wind farm, which could meet the average electricity needs of more than 700, 000 households. Six years ago, the Crown Estate awarded Moray Offshore development rights for offshore wind development in Zone 1 (Moray Firth). Moray Offshore split the site into an Eastern and Western Development Area, and developed proposals for the Eastern Development area first, receiving consent from the Scottish Government for 1,116MW two years ago The company will open consultation later this month on proposals to develop the Western Development. The combined two zones are capable of producing up to 1,500MW offshore wind generation in the Outer Moray Firth, generated by up to 200 turbines based on platform technology developed by the North Sea oil and gas sector in water up to 200-ft deep.
Scottish Energy News 7th June 2016 read more »