- Category: Articles
How Can Ecological Modelling Support the Sustainable Development of Offshore Wind?
The plans to establish offshore wind farms globally have become increasingly ambitious and will lead to impacts on marine life, such as fish and marine mammals. Such impacts must be predicted and managed so that planned projects can go ahead while simultaneously minimising environmental footprints. Dynamic ecological modelling can simulate baseline conditions and impacts from various stressors, for example underwater noise, using the most accurate representation of animals, including their movements and reaction to said stressor. With such models, environmental issues can be identified early and throughout the project cycle to allow integrated mitigation solutions, easing the environmental approval processes and reducing related scheduling and investment risks.
By Frank Thomsen, Lars O. Mortensen, Naomi A.M. Tuhuteru, Jonas B. Mortensen, DHI, Denmark
- Category: Articles
Early Strategic Planning for a Diverse and Local Offshore Wind Workforce
State and federal policies have incentivised offshore wind developers to think locally for their workforce and supply chain. New manufacturing facilities, installation ports, and projects will create a demand for local workforces, both in the general trades, the unions, and specialised job roles specific to offshore wind. This article discusses why early strategic planning is critical for training a new industrial workforce in alignment with the pace of market demand.
By Nick Zenkin, Lead Offshore Wind Consultant, Xodus Group, USA
- Category: Articles
MX-System
The MX-System from Beckhoff is a flexible, space-optimised system solution that can replace conventional control cabinets, thereby opening up new possibilities in wind turbine automation. As a modular control cabinet replacement that can also be decentralised inside the wind turbine if required, the MX-System saves engineering, assembly, installation, and maintenance effort. This enables highly efficient processes for the manufacturers and operators of wind turbines – from the planning, set-up and installation of the MX-System through to the maintenance of MX-System-equipped turbines.
By Andreas Franke, Business Manager Wind Energy, Beckhoff Automation, Germany
- Category: Articles
A Step Towards Mitigating Wind Turbine Annoyance
‘What is their problem, really?’ This question has been voiced by developers and operators of wind power, as it relates to citizens who complain of annoyance from wind turbines. ‘After all, most people are not annoyed, and they recognise how important development of wind resources is to combat climate change,’ we hear. Sometimes, the statement is more forceful: ‘most normal people are not annoyed,’ implying somewhat harshly that there may be something abnormal with those annoyed. When one makes a conscientious effort to communicate with people expressing annoyance, one finds they are neither malcontents nor oblivious to climate change concerns. Yet, one hears them express words such as, ‘I just haven’t been able to stand it in my home since the wind turbines were installed.’ For those impacted, annoyance is not merely a temporary unpleasant phenomenon but a condition that adversely impacts their life and health.
By William K.G. Palmer, Independent Researcher, Canada
- Category: Articles
Implementing and Measuring the Effectiveness of Directional NROs for Wind Turbines
Exploring the various methods to reduce wind turbine sound emissions, this article delves into directional noise-reduced operations (NROs). Drawing from real-world project measurements, it examines the adaptability and efficiency of NROs, especially in challenging siting situations.
By Isaac Old, Senior Consultant, RSG, and Timothy Carson, Acoustic Engineer, RWE, USA
- Category: Articles
Enhancing Circular Economy in the Wind Energy Sector
Wind energy is a major renewable source, but its anticipated threefold increase by 2050 will pose severe environmental and economic challenges for wind energy companies regarding the lack of feasible recyclability of wind blade advanced composite materials. The circular economy approach aims to create value from wind turbine waste by transforming it into new products, but it requires cost-effective and efficient technologies. Although several recycling strategies have been proposed, they have drawbacks in terms of energy, quality or secondary markets. The microwave-assisted technology under development by the CIRCE Technology Centre proposes an electromagnetic-induced selective heating of complex wind blade waste to recover glass/carbon fibres and produce further added-value chemical building blocks from resins that aim to suit petrochemical industry production loops. Microwave degradation shows lower energy input and higher yield than conventional methods. Moreover, it can enable the self-consumption of energy from the wind turbine in its own recycling process, enhancing the sustainability and profitability of the system.
By Alejandro Fresneda and Ignacio Julián, CIRCE, Spain
- Category: Articles
Improving Safety, Accuracy and Efficiency During Installation
In the ever-evolving landscape of renewable energy, wind power stands as a cornerstone of sustainable solutions to our energy needs. The installation of wind turbine components, particularly blades, has been a persistent challenge due to the delicate nature of these components and the unpredictability of wind conditions. Recognising these challenges, Huisman has developed two solutions: the Wind Gust Buster and the Travelling Load Stabilising System. These innovations offer a comprehensive approach to ensuring safer, more precise, and efficient wind turbine component installations.
By Annet Stuurman, Manager PR & Communications, Huisman, the Netherlands
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