What do rising energy prices mean for the wind business?
Due to the war Russia started in Ukraine, the world is facing several challenges. Besides the obvious humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, the most prominent challenge is the energy crisis. The rising cost of energy causes an inflation rate for our day-to-day spending in many parts of the world that we have not seen for decades. The main reason for this rise is the seemingly ever-increasing price of gas. At the time of writing, the gas price was at least € 280 per megawatt hour compared with less than € 30 per megawatt hour a year ago. As I wrote in my note for our March/April 2022 issue, Putin is (most likely) also using the gas deliveries to European countries as a political instrument. Because the gas and electricity prices are coupled, the electricity price has also seen a sharp increase. The European Commission has already suggested decoupling these prices since electricity is being generated more and more by other sources, like renewable energy, which is less dependent on gas prices. As I have said before, renewable energy might be a way out of this energy crisis, and it looks like governments are thinking along these lines as well.
The wind energy sector requires a global cybersecurity initiative
Recently, (at least) three European OEM’s and a service company experienced a cyberattack that caused operational problems for their wind turbines under service. Other industries already face cyberattacks on a regular basis, so it is likely they will happen more often in the wind industry as well.
If it is up to the European Commission, all the energy used will come from renewable sources by 2050. Achieving this goal will require the large-scale use of floating wind turbines. So far, the majority of offshore wind farms have been bottom-fixed; however, much of the world’s oceans and seas is too deep. In waters deeper than 50 metres, it becomes a technical and economic challenge to install bottom-fixed turbines. That is where floating wind comes in.
‘The year 2006 started with conflict between Russia and Ukraine about supplying gas to the latter. The year 2007 started with a similar battle between Russia and Belarus about oil and Russia shut down the pipeline which transports oil to the rest of Europe.’ That is how my publisher’s note started in our January/February 2007 issue… 15 years later, Russia/Putin has invaded Ukraine and history is repeating itself.
The year 2022 looks promising for (floating) offshore wind
Several governments around the world have recently announced plans to advance the development of (floating) offshore wind projects. The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a report outlining regional and national strategies for accelerating offshore wind deployment and operation in the USA. The majority of offshore wind activity is currently concentrated on the east coast, but the USA has begun to look into other regions as well. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, for example, has issued a request for information and nominations to assess commercial interest in, and solicit public comment on, potential commercial wind energy leasing in a proposed area in the Gulf of Mexico. The call area spans nearly 30 million acres (> 12 million hectares) from the Mississippi River to the Texas/Mexico border.
COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, is coming to Glasgow, UK, in November 2021. More than 190 world leaders will attend this conference, which many believe to be the world’s last chance to get runaway climate change under control.
HUSUM Wind 2021: first European on-site trade fair since the pandemic began
HUSUM Wind 2021 will take place as scheduled from 14 to 17 September as a presence trade fair. For the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic in spring 2020, it will be possible to host an important trade fair for the wind and renewable energy sector as an on-site event.
#10 Vestas wind turbine installed in Stadtlohn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany (courtesy Lukas Diller and Simon Schwarz)
Every week on our website and in our email newsletter we want to show you that wind energy is more than just technology. We therefore invite you to send stunning pictures of wind turbines inspired by “light” (in the broadest sense of the word).
After 52 submissions we will announce the winner of the year’s best picture!
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