comments on offshore wind farms

8/12/2019 Comments on Offshore Wind Farms

1/47

EWEA BlogOnshore wind has important role to play in the UKs future, EnergySecretary says ByChris Rose| Published 02 Nov 2012

EU Energy Minister John Hayes

Its been a tumultuous week for the wind power sector in the UK with reports and developments

underscoring the industrys benefits while a furor was breaking out over whether Energy Minister John

Hayes had overstepped his position on the popular renewable technology.

By Thursday, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas was wondering publicly if Hayess mis-directed anti-wind farm

views allow the new Conservative energy minister to even have a future in Britains energy department.Lucas, in a Guardian story,saidHayess comments represent the latest intervention in a co-ordinated

campaign by an anti-renewables lobby with vested interests in propping up the declining fossil fuel

industries. They peddle a number of myths on effectiveness, cost and public opinion which must be

challenged.

She was reacting to a Guardian story on Wednesday which said that a heated row had broken out in the

Department of Energy and Climate Change after Liberal Democrat Energy Secretary Ed Davey had slapped

down his new Conservative minister of state for claiming that no more onshore wind farms need be built in

Britain.

In an earlier article in the Daily Mail, Hayes said turbines had been peppered around the country with little

or no regard for local opinion and that existing sites and those in the pipeline would be enough to meet

green commitments with no need for more.

Even if a minority of whats in the system is built we are going to reach our 2020 target, Hayessaid.Im

saying enough is enough.
http://www.ewea.org/blog/2012/11/onshore-wind-has-important-role-to-play-in-the-uks-future-energy-secretary-says/http://www.ewea.org/blog/2012/11/onshore-wind-has-important-role-to-play-in-the-uks-future-energy-secretary-says/http://www.ewea.org/blog/2012/11/onshore-wind-has-important-role-to-play-in-the-uks-future-energy-secretary-says/http://www.ewea.org/blog/2012/11/onshore-wind-has-important-role-to-play-in-the-uks-future-energy-secretary-says/http://www.ewea.org/blog/author/chris/http://www.ewea.org/blog/author/chris/http://www.ewea.org/blog/author/chris/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/nov/01/john-hayes-energy-wind-renewableshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/nov/01/john-hayes-energy-wind-renewableshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/nov/01/john-hayes-energy-wind-renewableshttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225531/Minister-signals-end-wind-farm-We-pepper-turbines-country--declares-energy-minister.html?ito=feeds-newsxmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225531/Minister-signals-end-wind-farm-We-pepper-turbines-country--declares-energy-minister.html?ito=feeds-newsxmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225531/Minister-signals-end-wind-farm-We-pepper-turbines-country--declares-energy-minister.html?ito=feeds-newsxmlhttp://www.ewea.org/blog/2012/11/onshore-wind-has-important-role-to-play-in-the-uks-future-energy-secretary-says/hayes/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225531/Minister-signals-end-wind-farm-We-pepper-turbines-country--declares-energy-minister.html?ito=feeds-newsxmlhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/nov/01/john-hayes-energy-wind-renewableshttp://www.ewea.org/blog/author/chris/http://www.ewea.org/blog/2012/11/onshore-wind-has-important-role-to-play-in-the-uks-future-energy-secretary-says/http://www.ewea.org/blog/2012/11/onshore-wind-has-important-role-to-play-in-the-uks-future-energy-secretary-says/


2/47

The Guardianstorynoted that Davey, in an official statement, said there had been no change to government

policy on renewable energy, as collectively agreed by the coalition cabinet.

We set out in the renewable energy roadmap in July 2011 how we expect to reach our target of getting 30%

of all UK electricity from renewable sources by 2020, Davey said, adding there are no targets or caps for

individual renewable technologies such as onshore wind.

What were currently consulting on are ways of making sure local communities feel the benefit of hosting

wind farms, and whether our understanding of future costs is accurate, he said. Onshore wind is one of the

cheapest renewables, which is why weve been able to cut the subsidy. It has an important role to play in our

energy future.

In yet a different Guardian article, the newspaper reported that investment in renewable power worth tens

of billions of pounds to the UK economy, capable of creating thousands of new jobs, has been thrown into

doubt by the coalition dispute over energy policy.

This is all very damaging, Penny Shepherd, chief executive of the UK Sustainable Investment and FinanceAssociation, wasquotedas saying.

Investors want predictability of policy, they want to see government support. Multinational investors will

look around the globe and ask, Who can we trust? [This is a] very negative signal.

Among others shocked by Hayes comments was Maf Smith, the RenewableUKs Deputy Chief Executive.

A RenewableUK press release issued Wednesday called for urgent clarification after negative comments on

wind energy were made by the Energy Minister John Hayes in some of this mornings papers.

The press releasenotedHayes comments came the morning after he addressed 400 industry delegates at

the associations annual conference and spoke in favour of renewables.

The release added Hayes spoke of the need for clarity and certainty in renewable energy policy to create the

right framework for investment.

It comes as some surprise that the new Minister has said one thing to us and another to the press, Smith

was quoted as saying.

We are on the eve of the publication of the Energy Bill, a crucial time for energy policy, with huge

investment decisions to be made that will lead to tens of thousands of jobs over the next decade, Smith

said. If we are to see these jobs and investment realized, confidence must be retained and that means

consistency.

Smith also said the wind industry is already delivering jobs, growth and investment whilst de-carbonising theUKs electricity sector.

Prior to Hayes comments, RenewableUK issued a different press release saying the wind industry is on track

to power 1 in 10 homes by 2015, coming second only to natural gas as the largest single source of UK

electricity by 2020.

Thepress releasesaid the report, Wind Energy in the UK, notes that from June 2011 to September 2012, the

UKs wind energy capacity grew by a quarter (1,825MW).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/oct/31/coalition-energy-policy-row-ed-daveyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/oct/31/coalition-energy-policy-row-ed-daveyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/oct/31/coalition-energy-policy-row-ed-daveyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/31/coalition-wind-farm-dispute-renewableshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/31/coalition-wind-farm-dispute-renewableshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/31/coalition-wind-farm-dispute-renewableshttp://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/2012-10-31-industry-shocked-and-concerned-by-comments-by-energy-minister-john-hayeshttp://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/2012-10-31-industry-shocked-and-concerned-by-comments-by-energy-minister-john-hayeshttp://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/2012-10-31-industry-shocked-and-concerned-by-comments-by-energy-minister-john-hayeshttp://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/2012-10-30-wind-industry-hails-new-era-of-development-as-deployment-and-investment-surgehttp://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/2012-10-30-wind-industry-hails-new-era-of-development-as-deployment-and-investment-surgehttp://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/2012-10-30-wind-industry-hails-new-era-of-development-as-deployment-and-investment-surgehttp://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/2012-10-30-wind-industry-hails-new-era-of-development-as-deployment-and-investment-surgehttp://www.renewableuk.com/en/news/press-releases.cfm/2012-10-31-industry-shocked-and-concerned-by-comments-by-energy-minister-john-hayeshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/31/coalition-wind-farm-dispute-renewableshttp://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/oct/31/coalition-energy-policy-row-ed-davey


3/47

We have taken significant strides forward, RenewableUK Chief Executive Maria McCaffery said, adding

2011-12 saw overall capital investment in the offshore wind industry rise by 60% to 1.5bn and a record

amount of onshore wind capacity approved.

These strong figures underline the importance of a secure trading climate to attract investment, especially

in difficult times.

In another plus for the UK wind sector, a story on the Clean Technology Business Review (CTBR) website

noted that the London Array Offshore Wind Farm, located in the Thames Estuary, produced the first power

on Monday, from 15 turbines installed on the site.

The CTBRstorysaid work on the first phase, with 630 MW, of the 870-MW wind farm, owned by Dong

Energy, E.ON and Masdar, is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

The story also quoted Masdar CEO Sultan Al Jaber as saying the London Array development is an example

of the true potential and commercial viability of renewable energy.

Comments

Dr.A.Jagadeesh says:November 3, 2012 at 06:25Off shore Wind Farms too. Already UK is leader in

Offshore Wind Farms.Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),IndiaWind Energy ExpertE-mail:[email protected]

The World's #1 Renewable Energy Network for News, Information & Companies

Wednesday, January 29, 2014
http://wind.cleantechnology-business-review.com/news/london-array-wind-farm-begins-production-301012http://wind.cleantechnology-business-review.com/news/london-array-wind-farm-begins-production-301012http://wind.cleantechnology-business-review.com/news/london-array-wind-farm-begins-production-301012http://www.ewea.org/blog/2012/11/onshore-wind-has-important-role-to-play-in-the-uks-future-energy-secretary-says/#comment-18612mailto:[email protected]://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/homemailto:[email protected]://www.ewea.org/blog/2012/11/onshore-wind-has-important-role-to-play-in-the-uks-future-energy-secretary-says/#comment-18612http://wind.cleantechnology-business-review.com/news/london-array-wind-farm-begins-production-301012


4/47

First US Offshore Wind Turbine Launches in Maine

James Montgomery, Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com

James Montgomery

Jim is Associate Editor for RenewableEnergyWorld.com, covering the solar and wind beats. He

previously was news editor for Solid State Technology and Photovoltaics World, and has covered

semiconductor manufacturing and related industries,...

May 31, 2013 | 4 Comments

New Hampshire, USA --Today marks a milestone for offshore wind energy in the U.S. with the

official launch of a prototype floating turbine off the Maine coast, the first grid-connected offshore

wind turbine deployed off the coast of North America. The 1/8-scale prototype VolturnUS, a 65-foot-

high 20-kW turbine, will spend the summer being "de-risked" off the coast near Castine. Maine

Senator Susan M. Collins did the honors, with a (scored) bottle of Madeira.

The project, backed theDeepCWind Consortiumwith the U. of Maine's Advanced Structures and

Composites Center androughly 30 partnersfrom government, academia, and industry, is oneofseven offshore wind demonstration projects backed by the Department of Energy,and one of two

being pursued in Maine, all exploring different technologies and strategies to lower the costs and

complexities involved with offshore wind development. This particular project will focus on a semi-

submersible platform, with a concrete hull and lightweight composite materials instead of steel. It

also includesa buoy-based floating LIDAR systemto measure wind resources and other metocean

factors up to 600 ft above the surface.

Once proven out, this 1:8 pilot-scale turbine (the original planproposed two 1:3-scale turbine

systems) will be scaled up to 6-MW turbine with 423-ft-diameter rotors and deployed in 300-500 foot

depths 12 nautical miles offshore near the island of Monhegan. The grand plan is for a 12 MW, $96million pilot farm dubbed "Aqua Ventus" with berths for several large-scale turbines, to be grid-

connected in 2016.

The DoE's Wind Powering America initiative calculates more than 4,000 GW of offshore wind energy

resource potential. Maine has an estimated 156 GW of potential offshore wind capacity and a target

of 5 GW of offshore wind deployments by 2030.
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/u/james-montgomeryhttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/u/james-montgomeryhttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/u/james-montgomeryhttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/05/first-us-offshore-wind-turbine-launches-in-mainehttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/05/first-us-offshore-wind-turbine-launches-in-mainehttp://www.deepcwind.org/http://www.deepcwind.org/http://www.deepcwind.org/http://www.deepcwind.org/about-the-consortium/about-deepcwind-consortiumhttp://www.deepcwind.org/about-the-consortium/about-deepcwind-consortiumhttp://www.deepcwind.org/about-the-consortium/about-deepcwind-consortiumhttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/04/progress-report-seven-us-offshore-wind-demonstration-projectshttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/04/progress-report-seven-us-offshore-wind-demonstration-projectshttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/04/progress-report-seven-us-offshore-wind-demonstration-projectshttp://umaine.edu/news/blog/2013/05/28/enhancing-metocean-measurement/http://umaine.edu/news/blog/2013/05/28/enhancing-metocean-measurement/http://umaine.edu/news/blog/2013/05/28/enhancing-metocean-measurement/http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/06/deepcwind-project-tirelessly-developing-floating-offshore-windhttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/06/deepcwind-project-tirelessly-developing-floating-offshore-windhttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/06/deepcwind-project-tirelessly-developing-floating-offshore-windhttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/u/james-montgomeryhttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/06/deepcwind-project-tirelessly-developing-floating-offshore-windhttp://umaine.edu/news/blog/2013/05/28/enhancing-metocean-measurement/http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/04/progress-report-seven-us-offshore-wind-demonstration-projectshttp://www.deepcwind.org/about-the-consortium/about-deepcwind-consortiumhttp://www.deepcwind.org/http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/05/first-us-offshore-wind-turbine-launches-in-mainehttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/u/james-montgomeryhttp://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/u/james-montgomery


5/47

Lead image via live online broadcast of VolturnUS 1:8 launch ceremony.

COMMENTS

ANUMAKONDA JAGADEESHJune 2, 2013There is tremendous scope for offshore wind farms inUS.Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India

FEATURES/HIDDEN GEMS | Sep 5, 2013

Renew Power: Tapping intoIndia's Wind Energy PotentialbyAshish K Mishra

A new player, a nascent industry and an astute promoter make this an exciting

ourney to track

inShare36
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/u/Anumakondahttp://forbesindia.com/features/http://forbesindia.com/specialreport/hidden-gems/1421/1http://forbesindia.com/search.php?writer=Ashish%20K%20Mishrahttp://forbesindia.com/search.php?writer=Ashish%20K%20Mishrahttp://forbesindia.com/search.php?writer=Ashish%20K%20Mishrahttp://forbesindia.com/http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/u/Anumakondahttp://forbesindia.com/http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/u/Anumakondahttp://forbesindia.com/search.php?writer=Ashish%20K%20Mishrahttp://forbesindia.com/specialreport/hidden-gems/1421/1http://forbesindia.com/features/http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/u/Anumakonda


6/47

+ Comment now

Email Print

Image: Amit Verma

Sumant Sinha has had diverse experience before turning entrepreneur. He has worked with Suzlon and

Aditya Birlas retail venture

Afew years ago, Sumant Sinha found himself in the right place at the right time: Suzlon

Energy (right place) and favourable government wind energy policy (right time). Sinha

was also, perhaps, the right man because he had the smarts to capitalise on this happy

timing. Thats how Renew Powerwas foundedas an independent power producer

(IPP) in India with a focus on generating electricity from wind.
http://forbesindia.com/article/hidden-gems/renew-power-tapping-into-indias-wind-energy-potential/36029/1#posturcommenthttp://forbesindia.com/sendtofriend.php?id=36029http://forbesindia.com/sendtofriend.php?id=36029http://forbesindia.com/printcontent/36029http://forbesindia.com/printcontent/36029http://forbesindia.com/printcontent/36029http://forbesindia.com/sendtofriend.php?id=36029http://forbesindia.com/article/hidden-gems/renew-power-tapping-into-indias-wind-energy-potential/36029/1#posturcomment


7/47

An IPP is not a public utility, and operates facilities to generate electricity for sale to a

utility or end user. India has not yet thrown up a wind power utility firm of any scale

Renew Power is in contention. It was founded in 2010 and has an installed capacity of

370 MW (wind farm). It has framework agreements with Suzlon Energy and Gamesa to

buy wind turbines.

Goldman Sachs is a majority stakeholder. It put in $250 million in 2011, and in June

2013 another $135 million. This made it the largest private equity investment in Indias

renewable energy sector.

The man behind it

Before taking the plunge into entrepreneurship, Sinha was the COO and CFO of Suzlon

Energy, Indias largest and the worlds fifth-largest wind turbine manufacturer. In his

two years at the company, Sinha played a key role in crisis management. Post the

financial downturn of 2008, Suzlon found itself in the middle of an existential crisishuge debts, tough operating environment and quality problems. Sinha, the son of BJP

leader Yashwant Sinha, was instrumental in setting the companys finances in order. He

helped refinance its outstanding debt worth $3 billion, raised extra funds of about $800

million and restructured convertible bonds worth $500 million.

His experience is also diverse. Before joining Suzlon, Sinha set up Aditya Birla Groups

retail venture, Aditya Birla Retail, as its founder CEO. From 2002 to 2007, Sinha was

the groups CFO. His educational pedigree is sound as well: IIT-Delhi, IIM-Calcutta, and

Columbia Universitys School of International and Public Affairs.

Despite success in the corporate sector, he

had a persistent desire to start something on

his own. And I got a lot of confidence by

working with Mr [Kumar Managalam] Birla

and Mr Tulsi Tanti. I understood how

businesses are done, built, and so on. Thats

one. Second is the opportunity itself and

your own expertise in it. At Suzlon I got an

understanding of the renewable energy

industry and also saw the market changingfrom an accelerated depreciation market to a

more IPP-based market, he says.

Why it is a gem

Three factors work to Renew Powers

advantage. Firstly, Indias wind energy

potential is about 80,000 MWonly 15,000

MW is installed on the ground. And though


8/47

there are a few players in the fray such as China Light and Power (CLP), Mytrah Energy

and Renew Power, there is no large IPP in the business. Add to this are favourable policy

changes: The shift from an accelerated depreciation model (used mostly for tax breaks)

to a generation-based incentive, renewable energy purchase obligations for state utilities

under the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC) and preferential tariffs

from state utilities for electricity generated from renewable sources.

Secondly, with conventional energy sources like thermal and gas more expensive, state

utilities are now willing to charge significantly higher tariffsby as much as 40-50

percentover the last two years in certain places like Delhi and Rajasthan. Plus, since

there is no recurring fuel cost as wind is free, the cost of generating electricity is now at

par with a conventional source like coal. So now, the price of wind power is

competitivemore affordable in some cases. Consider Karnataka, where the listed off-

take price for wind is Rs 3.70 compared to Rs 5 for thermal energy from new coal plants.

Lastly, wind energy is a capital-intensive business and Renew Power has done well to

secure finances.

Why it was hidden

Renew Power isnt too visible primarily because it isnt a very old company, having

completed just three years of operations. Further, there are just a handful of companies

in the renewable energy IPP space. The sector, therefore, is still to create a competitive

buzz.

Risks and challenges

Building scale quickly is an immediate challenge for Renew Power. Wind energy

resources are limited in India (there are no more Class A wind sites) and in the last fewyears, the IPP space has attracted new players. The speed at which Renew Power puts up

MW on the ground will be significant in determining competitive advantage.

Further, setting up wind farms involves two critical elementsland acquisition and

access to reasonable capital. With Goldman Sachs behind it, Renews capital

requirements appear to be taken care of but land acquisition can spring some surprises.

Lastly, government policy has a major role to play in wind energy. And that, at the best

of times, is not predictable.

Comments (4)

Praveen Agrawal Sep 30, 2013


9/47

@Dr. Jagadeesh-Very enlightening comments sir....Sir, could you please shed some light on the costcomparison of PV based solar energy and concentratedthermal solar energy...And the policies that need to be adopted for the growthof renewable energy sector in IndiaReply

Dr.a.jagadeeshSep 9, 2013No doubt India occupies 5th Position in Wind Energy inthe World after China,US,Germany and Spain. Thephenomenal success of Wind Power in Germany andother Europen countries is through Wind Farm Co-operatives.Community wind energyCommunity wind projects are locally owned by farmers,investors, businesses, schools, utilities, or other public orprivate entities who utilize wind energy to support and

reduce energy costs to the local community. The keyfeature is that local community members have asignificant, direct financial stake in the project beyondland lease payments and tax revenue. Projects may beused for on-site power or to generate wholesale powerfor sale, usually on a commercial-scale greater than 100kW.Cooperative

A wind turbine cooperative, also known as a wind energycooperative, is a jointly owned and democraticallycontrolled enterprise that follows the cooperative model,investing in wind turbines or wind farms.[ Thecooperative model was developed in Denmark. The modelhas also spread to Germany, the Netherlands and


10/47

Australia, with isolated examples elsewhereIn India Depreciation Benefits are given to only bigIndustries investing in Renewables. Why not Governmentgive Income tax benefits to Individual tax payers whoinvest in a WIND FUND(to be created by theGovernment) and give tax exemption under Section 80 Cto start windfarm co-operatives. This way there will bemass participation in Wind Energy.Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),IndiaWind Energy ExpertReply

Dr.a.jagadeeshSep 8, 2013NEED FOR OFFSHORE WIND FARMS IN INDIAOffshore wind power :Offshore wind power refers to the construction of windfarms in bodies of water to generate electricity fromwind. Better wind speeds are available offshore compared

to on land, so offshore wind powers contribution in termsof electricity supplied is higher. However, offshore windfarms are relatively expensive.Economics and benefitsOffshore wind power can help to reduce energy imports,reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases (by displacingfossil-fuel power generation), meet renewable electricitystandards, and create jobs and local business

opportunities. The advantage is that the wind is muchstronger off the coasts, and unlike wind over thecontinent, offshore breezes can be strong in theafternoon, matching the time when people are using themost electricity. Offshore turbines can also be "locatedclose to the power-hungry populations along the coasts,


11/47

eliminating the need for new overland transmissionlines".COST COMPARISON OF ONSHORE AND OFFSHORE WINDFARMSOnshoreInvestment of about $1.5 million per MWLevelized cost of 6-7 cents per kWh

South Korea Shatters World

Record With Gigantic Off-

Shore Wind Farm
http://cleantechnica.com/


12/47

South Korea just announced the investment of $8.2 billion to build a gigantic 2,500 MWoffshore wind farm, according toWind Daily.It is part of a $36 billion investment tomeet its targeted greenhouse gas reduction pledged after the Copenhagen ClimateAccord.

At 2,500 MW, this simply dwarfs current offshore wind farms. Europe, the current worldleader, now has offshore wind farms that are in the 300400 MW range.

It is even more than twicethe size ofChinas recently announced gigantic 1,000 MWoff-shore wind farmwhich holds the current world record for the largest plannedoffshore wind farm.

South Korea pledged a 30% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020. To meet the target, itplans a total investment of $36 billion over the next five years.
http://www.winddaily.com/reports/South_Korea_plans_offshore_wind_project_999.htmlhttp://www.winddaily.com/reports/South_Korea_plans_offshore_wind_project_999.htmlhttp://www.winddaily.com/reports/South_Korea_plans_offshore_wind_project_999.htmlhttp://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/23/worlds-largest-offshore-wind-farm-begun-by-china/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/23/worlds-largest-offshore-wind-farm-begun-by-china/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/23/worlds-largest-offshore-wind-farm-begun-by-china/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/23/worlds-largest-offshore-wind-farm-begun-by-china/http://i0.wp.com/cleantechnica.com/files/2010/11/wind_industry.jpghttp://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/23/worlds-largest-offshore-wind-farm-begun-by-china/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/23/worlds-largest-offshore-wind-farm-begun-by-china/http://www.winddaily.com/reports/South_Korea_plans_offshore_wind_project_999.html


13/47

The tiny but energy-intensive nation will spend the money in a public/private partnershipto develop renewable energy sources to replace the oil and gas it now uses in electricitygeneration. The offshore wind farm is part of that at $8.2 billion.

The first step in the offshore wind farm will be the construction of a proving area by

2013 to test the first 20 of the 5 megawatt turbines that will be used throughout.Assuming all goes well, by 2016 it will comprise 900 MW, with 180 turbines. The final300 turbines will be installed by 2019 to complete the 2,500 MW farm.

The nations first renewable energy standard was announced in September. It requiresthat large electric utilities (that supply more than 500 megawatts per hour) must source atleast 10% of their electricity from renewable energy, like solar and wind, by 2022.

The US alsojust approved plans for its first offshore wind farmoff the Massachusettscoast. Cape Wind will be a 300 MW farm and will use smaller 3.5 MW turbines supplied

by the German company Siemens.

European companies rose to pre eminence in turbine production as a result of the EU-approved Kyoto Accord which phased in cap and trade legislation to reduce greenhousegases by adopting and developing more renewable power.

Read more athttp://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/09/south-korea-shatters-world-record-with-gigantic-off-

shore-wind-farm/#w82mIG55Dq924BtM.99

CommentsDr.A.Jagadeesh3 years ago

South Korea has ambitious plans to harness RenewableEnergy. Certainly they will do well in offshore wind farms.

Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India
http://cleantechnica.com/2010/04/28/obama-administration-approves-first-ever-off-shore-wind-farm-for-usa/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/04/28/obama-administration-approves-first-ever-off-shore-wind-farm-for-usa/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/04/28/obama-administration-approves-first-ever-off-shore-wind-farm-for-usa/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/09/south-korea-shatters-world-record-with-gigantic-off-shore-wind-farm/#w82mIG55Dq924BtM.99http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/09/south-korea-shatters-world-record-with-gigantic-off-shore-wind-farm/#w82mIG55Dq924BtM.99http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/09/south-korea-shatters-world-record-with-gigantic-off-shore-wind-farm/#w82mIG55Dq924BtM.99http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/09/south-korea-shatters-world-record-with-gigantic-off-shore-wind-farm/#w82mIG55Dq924BtM.99http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/09/south-korea-shatters-world-record-with-gigantic-off-shore-wind-farm/#comment-174137111http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/09/south-korea-shatters-world-record-with-gigantic-off-shore-wind-farm/#comment-174137111http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/09/south-korea-shatters-world-record-with-gigantic-off-shore-wind-farm/#w82mIG55Dq924BtM.99http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/09/south-korea-shatters-world-record-with-gigantic-off-shore-wind-farm/#w82mIG55Dq924BtM.99http://cleantechnica.com/2010/04/28/obama-administration-approves-first-ever-off-shore-wind-farm-for-usa/


14/47
http://cleantechnica.com/


15/47

Offshore Wind Power

Market about to Boom(Report)

A new report out by Pike Research tells us what many of us have been expecting alreadyoffshore wind power is reaching a critical this-makes-sense (or this-makes-cents)point and is about to boom.

The report finds that total installed wind power generation capacity will increase 17

times over the next 6 years.
http://i2.wp.com/cleantechnica.com/files/2011/02/offshore-wind-farm-UK.jpg


16/47

It is projected to increase from 4.1 GW of installed capacity in 2011 to 70.1 GW in 2017.

Some of the worlds best wind resources are located offshore,says senior analystPeter Asmus.Often, these high-potential areas are in shallow ocean waters relativelyclose to urban population centers. Interest in freshwater offshore wind is also picking up,

especially in the Great Lakes in the United States and Canadian Midwest.

Offshore wind power has been essentially limited to Europe thus far, but the U.S. isworking on a couple of big offshore wind projects and a few other large countries are aswellChina, India, and South Korea. These Asian countries are really looking to diveinto this realm (yes, a little pun intended).

Obstacles to Offshore Wind.. & Solutions

Of course, offshore wind isnt without its hurdles. Here are the two big ones, and reasonswhy it looks like they wont be hurdles forever.

Cost

While offshore wind resources are greater and steadier than onshore, andlocated nearlarge population centers (most of the world lives in coastal areas), the costs of buildingoffshore turbines is greater.

However, part of this is that we have been trying to essentially transplant turbines builtfor onshore wind offshore. A lot of work is going into creatingwind turbines moreappropriate to the need,though. For example, [t]he Energy Technologies Institute

(ETI) recently brought together E.ON (a major energy company in Europe), BP, powersystems and engineering experts at Rolls-Royce, and the University of Strathclyde for a

project called Helm Wind. The projects goal: create offshore wind turbinesmadeforoffshore wind, so that wind energy costs can be cut and electricity can be cheaper (andcleaner). According to this groups research, offshore wind energy costs could becut 30%or more.

Transmission

Another obstacle is transmission. But, even in the U.S., investors and developers arealready tackling this.Google announcedit was investing millions into The AtlanticWind Connection project last year, which includes 350 miles of transmission offtheAtlantic coast from New Jersey to Virginia to tap intogigantic off-shore windpotential. This offshore wind superhighway will enable the connection of up to 6,000

MW of offshore wind turbines equivalent to 60% of the wind energy that was installed
http://www.pikeresearch.com/newsroom/offshore-wind-power-capacity-to-boom-in-the-next-six-yearshttp://www.pikeresearch.com/newsroom/offshore-wind-power-capacity-to-boom-in-the-next-six-yearshttp://www.pikeresearch.com/newsroom/offshore-wind-power-capacity-to-boom-in-the-next-six-yearshttp://www.pikeresearch.com/newsroom/offshore-wind-power-capacity-to-boom-in-the-next-six-yearshttp://earthandindustry.com/2011/04/offshore-wind-turbines-could-cost-30-less-say-rolls-royce-e-on-and-bp/http://earthandindustry.com/2011/04/offshore-wind-turbines-could-cost-30-less-say-rolls-royce-e-on-and-bp/http://earthandindustry.com/2011/04/offshore-wind-turbines-could-cost-30-less-say-rolls-royce-e-on-and-bp/http://earthandindustry.com/2011/04/offshore-wind-turbines-could-cost-30-less-say-rolls-royce-e-on-and-bp/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/12/google-builds-first-us-off-shore-superhighway-for-clean-energy/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/12/google-builds-first-us-off-shore-superhighway-for-clean-energy/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/12/google-builds-first-us-off-shore-superhighway-for-clean-energy/http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2007/02/mid-atlantic-offshore-wind-potential-330-gw-47355http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2007/02/mid-atlantic-offshore-wind-potential-330-gw-47355http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2007/02/mid-atlantic-offshore-wind-potential-330-gw-47355http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2007/02/mid-atlantic-offshore-wind-potential-330-gw-47355http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2007/02/mid-atlantic-offshore-wind-potential-330-gw-47355http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2007/02/mid-atlantic-offshore-wind-potential-330-gw-47355http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/12/google-builds-first-us-off-shore-superhighway-for-clean-energy/http://earthandindustry.com/2011/04/offshore-wind-turbines-could-cost-30-less-say-rolls-royce-e-on-and-bp/http://earthandindustry.com/2011/04/offshore-wind-turbines-could-cost-30-less-say-rolls-royce-e-on-and-bp/http://www.pikeresearch.com/newsroom/offshore-wind-power-capacity-to-boom-in-the-next-six-yearshttp://www.pikeresearch.com/newsroom/offshore-wind-power-capacity-to-boom-in-the-next-six-years


17/47

in the entire country last year and enough to serve approximately 1.9 millionhouseholds.

China, India, and South Korea are tackling this issue as well.

Read more athttp://cleantechnica.com/2011/05/03/offshore-wind-power-market-about-to-boom-

report/#kUyruT7JcZJXeymR.99Comments

Anumakonda Jagadeesh3 years ago

Yes. Off shore wind farms are expanding. US,China,SouthKorea,Taiwan are going in a big way to install offshoreWind Farms. Though the cable and installations costs arehigh compared to onshore,wind speeds on the sea will bemore ,about 30 per cent. Since power is cube of velocity,with improved large wind turbines(above 5 MW),OffshoreWind farms will be cost competitive with nuclear andsolar.

http://cleantechnica.com/2011/05/03/offshore-wind-power-market-about-to-boom-report/#kUyruT7JcZJXeymR.99http://cleantechnica.com/2011/05/03/offshore-wind-power-market-about-to-boom-report/#kUyruT7JcZJXeymR.99http://cleantechnica.com/2011/05/03/offshore-wind-power-market-about-to-boom-report/#kUyruT7JcZJXeymR.99http://cleantechnica.com/2011/05/03/offshore-wind-power-market-about-to-boom-report/#kUyruT7JcZJXeymR.99http://cleantechnica.com/2011/05/03/offshore-wind-power-market-about-to-boom-report/#comment-197594443http://cleantechnica.com/http://cleantechnica.com/2011/05/03/offshore-wind-power-market-about-to-boom-report/#comment-197594443http://cleantechnica.com/2011/05/03/offshore-wind-power-market-about-to-boom-report/#kUyruT7JcZJXeymR.99http://cleantechnica.com/2011/05/03/offshore-wind-power-market-about-to-boom-report/#kUyruT7JcZJXeymR.99


18/47

Offshore Wind Power

around the World

Note that this is part of acomprehensive wind power resource pagewe are in the

process of creating.

Offshore wind power is not in place in most countries still, but it is in some places(especially the EU) and it is expected to grow considerably in the coming years. Why is itexpected to grow so much? Because offshore wind is steadier, more consistent; notblocked by mountains, trees, buildings, etc.; and offshore wind farms can actually bebuilt closer to most population centers than onshore wind (most people live in coastalareas now).

Lets take a quick look at whats in place now and what is being planned around the

world.
http://cleantechnica.com/world-wind-power/http://cleantechnica.com/world-wind-power/http://cleantechnica.com/world-wind-power/http://i0.wp.com/cleantechnica.com/files/2010/11/offshore-wind-energy.jpghttp://cleantechnica.com/world-wind-power/


19/47

Europe

Europe is the clear leader when it comes to offshore wind power (currently).308offshore wind turbineswere installed in Europe in 2010 and total newly installed

capacity ended up being 883 MW, a 51% increase from the year before. New offshorewind power accounted for 9.5% of total, new European wind power capacity. Newlyinstalled offshore wind power capacity has grown from 4 MW in 2000 to 883 MW in2010. You can see a chart of its growth since 2000 from theEuropean Wind EnergyAssociation(EWEA) below.

click to enlarge

Europe, at the end of 2010, had 1,136 offshore wind turbines installed and connected tothe grid on 45 wind farms in 9 countries. In total, these have a power capacity of 2,946MW. In a normal year, this would produce 11.5 TWh of electricity.

The offshore wind power in EU provides enough energy to power 2.9 million averageEU households. It is tantamount to what large cities like Brussels and Berlin consumes intotal,Renewable Power News reports.There are 1,136 offshore wind turbines in the

EU region.
http://www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/00_POLICY_document/Offshore_Statistics/110120_Offshore_stats_Exec_Sum.pdfhttp://www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/00_POLICY_document/Offshore_Statistics/110120_Offshore_stats_Exec_Sum.pdfhttp://www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/00_POLICY_document/Offshore_Statistics/110120_Offshore_stats_Exec_Sum.pdfhttp://www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/00_POLICY_document/Offshore_Statistics/110120_Offshore_stats_Exec_Sum.pdfhttp://ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/statistics/EWEA_Annual_Statistics_2010.pdfhttp://ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/statistics/EWEA_Annual_Statistics_2010.pdfhttp://ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/statistics/EWEA_Annual_Statistics_2010.pdfhttp://ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/statistics/EWEA_Annual_Statistics_2010.pdfhttp://www.renewablepowernews.com/archives/2212http://www.renewablepowernews.com/archives/2212http://www.renewablepowernews.com/archives/2212http://i0.wp.com/cleantechnica.com/files/2011/04/offshore-wind-power-capacity-europe-2010.pnghttp://www.renewablepowernews.com/archives/2212http://ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/statistics/EWEA_Annual_Statistics_2010.pdfhttp://ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/statistics/EWEA_Annual_Statistics_2010.pdfhttp://www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/00_POLICY_document/Offshore_Statistics/110120_Offshore_stats_Exec_Sum.pdfhttp://www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/00_POLICY_document/Offshore_Statistics/110120_Offshore_stats_Exec_Sum.pdf


20/47

Installed offshore wind power capacity in Europe at the end of 2010. (click to enlarge)

The 9 European countries with offshore wind power capacity in 2010 were:

1. UK1,341 MW

2. Denmark854 MW

3. Netherlands249 MW

4. Belgium195 MW

5. Sweden164 MW

6. Germany92 MW

7. Ireland25 MW

8. Finland26 MW

9. Norway2.3 MW

In 2011, offshore wind power capacity is expected to grow by around 1,000 or 1,500MW. Currently, there are 13 European wind farms in development that, in total, are
http://i0.wp.com/cleantechnica.com/files/2011/04/installed-offshore-wind-capacity-europe.png


21/47

projected to have a capacity of nearly 4,000 MW. So, in total, when these are completed,installed offshore wind capacity will hit be close to 7,000 MW.

19,000 MW of offshore wind power capacity have been approved up to now. RenewablePower News reports that if all these wind energy potentials were being exploited than

offshore wind power would generate a total of 66.6 Terawatt hours of electricity. Thiswould be sufficient to power 14 of Europes largest capitals.

For more info on European offshore wind power growth, wind power growth, andchanges from other power sources in 2010, visit the EWEAs Wind in power report orthe its The European offshore wind industry key trends and statistics 2010 report.

China

Location of Shanghais East Sea Bridge wind farm.

103.5 MW of offshore wind power are also in operation in China, after itsfirst large-scale offshore wind project(totaling 102 MW) was completed June 8, 2010. The second100-MW portion of this project,Shanghais East Sea Bridge wind farm,is supposed to
http://ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/statistics/EWEA_Annual_Statistics_2010.pdfhttp://ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/statistics/EWEA_Annual_Statistics_2010.pdfhttp://www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/00_POLICY_document/Offshore_Statistics/110120_Offshore_stats_Exec_Sum.pdfhttp://www.sinovel.com/en/newscontent.aspx?ID=127http://www.sinovel.com/en/newscontent.aspx?ID=127http://www.sinovel.com/en/newscontent.aspx?ID=127http://www.sinovel.com/en/newscontent.aspx?ID=127http://www.offshorewind.biz/2011/03/18/second-stage-on-shanghai%E2%80%99s-east-sea-bridge-offshore-wind-farm-to-start-this-year-china/http://www.offshorewind.biz/2011/03/18/second-stage-on-shanghai%E2%80%99s-east-sea-bridge-offshore-wind-farm-to-start-this-year-china/http://www.offshorewind.biz/2011/03/18/second-stage-on-shanghai%E2%80%99s-east-sea-bridge-offshore-wind-farm-to-start-this-year-china/http://i2.wp.com/cleantechnica.com/files/2011/04/offshore-wind-farm-shanghai-china.pnghttp://www.offshorewind.biz/2011/03/18/second-stage-on-shanghai%E2%80%99s-east-sea-bridge-offshore-wind-farm-to-start-this-year-china/http://www.sinovel.com/en/newscontent.aspx?ID=127http://www.sinovel.com/en/newscontent.aspx?ID=127http://www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/00_POLICY_document/Offshore_Statistics/110120_Offshore_stats_Exec_Sum.pdfhttp://ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/statistics/EWEA_Annual_Statistics_2010.pdf


22/47

start construction this year. But this 200 MW or so is nothing compared to what Chinahas planned.

Last year, Beijing-based energy consultancy Azure International predicted that Chinawould install 514 MW of offshore wind power over the following 3-4 years.

Furthermore, by 2020, it predicts that China will have invested $100 billion in offshorewind and will have installed up to 30,000 MW. Thats equal to all of the onshore windfarms currently installed in China, already the worlds largest market for wind

power,Technology Review writes.

This year, Chinas National Energy Bureau said China intends to start construction on

1,000 MW of offshore wind power projects.

Japan

Japan is the only other country in the world with offshore wind power currently beingproduced. It has 17 turbines producing electricity. In total, they have a capacity of 28.5MW.

It is hard to know what Japan will be focusing on in the wake of the tremendous naturaldisasters it has just faced and the ongoing nuclear disaster there, but some havespeculated it is going to focus a lot more on renewable energy. It was none ofJapansoffshore turbineswere harmed by the tremendous earthquake and tsunami despite somebeing quite close to the quake epicenter.
http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/24978/?ref=rss&a=fhttp://www.technologyreview.com/energy/24978/?ref=rss&a=fhttp://www.technologyreview.com/energy/24978/?ref=rss&a=fhttp://cleantechnica.com/2011/03/18/some-good-news-from-japan/http://cleantechnica.com/2011/03/18/some-good-news-from-japan/http://cleantechnica.com/2011/03/18/some-good-news-from-japan/http://cleantechnica.com/2011/03/18/some-good-news-from-japan/http://cleantechnica.com/2011/03/18/some-good-news-from-japan/http://cleantechnica.com/2011/03/18/some-good-news-from-japan/http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/24978/?ref=rss&a=f


23/47

The United States

Offshore wind resources in the U.S. map created by NREL. (click to enlarge)The United States is finally getting into the offshore wind power. After years of delay,theCape Windoffshore wind project wasapproved by the Obama administrationandthe projectreceived its ocean lease.Furthermore, the Obama administration alsoannounced, in November, thatoffshore wind projects would go through a morestreamlined review process.

This may not actually be the first offshore wind project in the U.S., though. AGreatLakes wind farmbeing built off the coast of Ohio is moving ahead as well and I imaginedevelopers of that project would love to claim the title.

Reports have found thatoffshore wind farms along the mid-Atlantic coastcould powerone-third of the U.S. population. Of course, only with the help of anoffshore electricitysuperhighway,like the one Google invested a ton of money in this year.

The U.S. Department of Energy has dedicated as much as$50.5 million for advancingoffshore wind power technologyand Obama has announced that he would like to see .
http://cleantechnica.com/tag/cape-wind/http://cleantechnica.com/tag/cape-wind/http://cleantechnica.com/tag/cape-wind/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/04/28/obama-administration-approves-first-ever-off-shore-wind-farm-for-usa/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/04/28/obama-administration-approves-first-ever-off-shore-wind-farm-for-usa/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/04/28/obama-administration-approves-first-ever-off-shore-wind-farm-for-usa/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/10/cape-wind-project-now-has-its-ocean-lease-from-the-us-govt/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/10/cape-wind-project-now-has-its-ocean-lease-from-the-us-govt/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/10/cape-wind-project-now-has-its-ocean-lease-from-the-us-govt/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/25/obama-administration-giving-u-s-offshore-wind-industry-a-boost/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/25/obama-administration-giving-u-s-offshore-wind-industry-a-boost/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/25/obama-administration-giving-u-s-offshore-wind-industry-a-boost/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/25/obama-administration-giving-u-s-offshore-wind-industry-a-boost/http://earthandindustry.com/2010/05/ge-lands-turbine-order-for-us-first-freshwater-wind-farm/http://earthandindustry.com/2010/05/ge-lands-turbine-order-for-us-first-freshwater-wind-farm/http://earthandindustry.com/2010/05/ge-lands-turbine-order-for-us-first-freshwater-wind-farm/http://earthandindustry.com/2010/05/ge-lands-turbine-order-for-us-first-freshwater-wind-farm/http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/24/no-off-shore-wind-nimbyism-gigantic-potential-for-mid-atlantic-states/http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/24/no-off-shore-wind-nimbyism-gigantic-potential-for-mid-atlantic-states/http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/24/no-off-shore-wind-nimbyism-gigantic-potential-for-mid-atlantic-states/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/12/google-builds-first-us-off-shore-superhighway-for-clean-energy/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/12/google-builds-first-us-off-shore-superhighway-for-clean-energy/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/12/google-builds-first-us-off-shore-superhighway-for-clean-energy/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/12/google-builds-first-us-off-shore-superhighway-for-clean-energy/http://www.upi.com/Science_News/Resource-Wars/2011/02/08/US-pushes-offshore-wind-strategy/UPI-32861297167182/#ixzz1JiVXTPxohttp://www.upi.com/Science_News/Resource-Wars/2011/02/08/US-pushes-offshore-wind-strategy/UPI-32861297167182/#ixzz1JiVXTPxohttp://www.upi.com/Science_News/Resource-Wars/2011/02/08/US-pushes-offshore-wind-strategy/UPI-32861297167182/#ixzz1JiVXTPxohttp://www.upi.com/Science_News/Resource-Wars/2011/02/08/US-pushes-offshore-wind-strategy/UPI-32861297167182/#ixzz1JiVXTPxohttp://i0.wp.com/cleantechnica.com/files/2011/04/us_windmap_offshore.jpghttp://www.upi.com/Science_News/Resource-Wars/2011/02/08/US-pushes-offshore-wind-strategy/UPI-32861297167182/#ixzz1JiVXTPxohttp://www.upi.com/Science_News/Resource-Wars/2011/02/08/US-pushes-offshore-wind-strategy/UPI-32861297167182/#ixzz1JiVXTPxohttp://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/12/google-builds-first-us-off-shore-superhighway-for-clean-energy/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/12/google-builds-first-us-off-shore-superhighway-for-clean-energy/http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/24/no-off-shore-wind-nimbyism-gigantic-potential-for-mid-atlantic-states/http://earthandindustry.com/2010/05/ge-lands-turbine-order-for-us-first-freshwater-wind-farm/http://earthandindustry.com/2010/05/ge-lands-turbine-order-for-us-first-freshwater-wind-farm/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/25/obama-administration-giving-u-s-offshore-wind-industry-a-boost/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/11/25/obama-administration-giving-u-s-offshore-wind-industry-a-boost/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/10/cape-wind-project-now-has-its-ocean-lease-from-the-us-govt/http://cleantechnica.com/2010/04/28/obama-administration-approves-first-ever-off-shore-wind-farm-for-usa/http://cleantechnica.com/tag/cape-wind/


24/47

Offshore Wind Power Under Construction

Europe will continue to grow its offshore wind power capacity in 2011.

Offshore wind power projected capacity increase in Europe in 2011. (click to enlarge)

Currently, a total of 3775.3 MW ofoffshore wind power are under constructionat 13wind farms in:

Belgium165 MW

Denmark412 MW

Germany1248 MW

Italy90 MW

UK1860 MW

Thats more than the 3223 MW that are currently in operation (at 60 wind farms).

13306 MW have been approved (at 36 wind farms) worldwide and 48227 MW areplanned (at 86 wind farms).
http://www.thewindpower.net/offshore_wind_farms_list.phphttp://www.thewindpower.net/offshore_wind_farms_list.phphttp://www.thewindpower.net/offshore_wind_farms_list.phphttp://i1.wp.com/cleantechnica.com/files/2011/04/2011-offshore-wind-power-capacity-under-construction.pnghttp://www.thewindpower.net/offshore_wind_farms_list.php


25/47

Maps of offshore wind power(in operation, under construction, approved, and planned)in Europe give you a visualization of this info.

While France isnt listed above, I think its worth noting that France is aiming to

generate6,000 MW of offshore wind power capacityby 2020.

(Note: the statistics in this subsection are fromThe Wind Powerand are quite a bitdifferent for China than what was presented above.)

Read more athttp://cleantechnica.com/2011/04/18/offshore-wind-power-around-the-

world/#bem4FYhdKvDTdv50.99

Comments

Anumakonda Jagadeesh3 years ago

Exhaustive information on Offshore Wind farms aroundthe Globe. Thanks Zachary Shahan for the painstakingeffort.


Wind Energy ExpertE-mail:[email protected]

NewsWind energy giants team up to test 8MW turbine design

19 December 2012

Danish wind operator DONG Energy and wind turbine manufacturer Vestas

have entered into a cooperation agreement that will see them work together
http://www.thewindpower.net/offshore_wind_farms_maps.phphttp://www.thewindpower.net/offshore_wind_farms_maps.phphttp://www.energyboom.com/wind/france-aims-generated-6000-mw-offshore-wind-power-2020http://www.energyboom.com/wind/france-aims-generated-6000-mw-offshore-wind-power-2020http://www.energyboom.com/wind/france-aims-generated-6000-mw-offshore-wind-power-2020http://www.thewindpower.net/index_en.phphttp://www.thewindpower.net/index_en.phphttp://www.thewindpower.net/index_en.phphttp://cleantechnica.com/2011/04/18/offshore-wind-power-around-the-world/#bem4FYhdKvDTdv50.99http://cleantechnica.com/2011/04/18/offshore-wind-power-around-the-world/#bem4FYhdKvDTdv50.99http://cleantechnica.com/2011/04/18/offshore-wind-power-around-the-world/#bem4FYhdKvDTdv50.99http://cleantechnica.com/2011/04/18/offshore-wind-power-around-the-world/#comment-187968124http://cleantechnica.com/2011/04/18/offshore-wind-power-around-the-world/#comment-187968124mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/mailto:[email protected]://cleantechnica.com/2011/04/18/offshore-wind-power-around-the-world/#comment-187968124http://cleantechnica.com/2011/04/18/offshore-wind-power-around-the-world/#bem4FYhdKvDTdv50.99http://cleantechnica.com/2011/04/18/offshore-wind-power-around-the-world/#bem4FYhdKvDTdv50.99http://www.thewindpower.net/index_en.phphttp://www.energyboom.com/wind/france-aims-generated-6000-mw-offshore-wind-power-2020http://www.thewindpower.net/offshore_wind_farms_maps.php


26/47

- testing Vestas' V164-8.0 MW offshore wind turbine at sterild test centre

in Denmark.

Through this agreement, DONG Energy becomes involved earlier inVestas

development of the V164-8.0 MW offshore wind turbinethan previously envisaged,

DONG said in a statement. This ensures DONG Energy a detailed understanding of

and experience with Vestas new offshore wind turbine at an early stage.

DONG will now engage in a number of test activities together with Vestas, evaluating

the prototype at Test Centre sterild to accelerate the development of the V164-8.0

MW. Having DONG Energy so closely involved in the test activities will be valuable for

us both, said Ditlev Engel, CEO of Vestas.

As a result of the agreement, DONG has cancelled its plans to use the turbines at a

demonstration project in Frederikshavn, as most of the tests planned by the company at

the site will now be carried out by the two companies at sterild.

In cooperating in the development of the turbine, the hope is the two companies can

help bring down the cost of offshore wind,which is becoming a major concern to

European governmentsand particularly in the huge UK offshore wind marketas

they seek to lift the burden of green subsidies from consumers during the economic

crisis. Henrik Poulsen, CEO of DONG Energy, said: We have an ambition to reduce the

cost of renewable energy within the foreseeable future, and the V164-8.0 MW turbine

could potentially be a solid contributor to that.

The first 8MW turbine will be installed and commissioned at sterild during the second

quarter of 2014, and if the results are positive further tests and commercial collaboration

between the two companies could follow.

French test 6MW offshore wind machine

Meanwhile,Alstoms next generation Haliade 150 offshore wind turbineis undergoing

testing at Le Carnet, France, to measure power performance and power quality.The

6MW turbineis set to be used inthree offshore wind projects in France led by EDF,

which will see 240 turbines deployed in total.

Alstom offshore wind vice president, Frederic Hendrick, said: We are particularly

satisfied with the excellent Pure Torque results of the generators air gap stability, which

confirms our decision to develop a turbine with no gearbox.
http://www.vestas.com/en/wind-power-plants/procurement/turbine-overview/v164-8.0-mw-offshore.aspx#/vestas-univershttp://www.vestas.com/en/wind-power-plants/procurement/turbine-overview/v164-8.0-mw-offshore.aspx#/vestas-univershttp://www.vestas.com/en/wind-power-plants/procurement/turbine-overview/v164-8.0-mw-offshore.aspx#/vestas-univershttp://www.vestas.com/en/wind-power-plants/procurement/turbine-overview/v164-8.0-mw-offshore.aspx#/vestas-univershttp://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/blog/2012/11/23/guest-blog-driving-forward-wind-and-marine-in-the-uk/702.aspxhttp://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/blog/2012/11/23/guest-blog-driving-forward-wind-and-marine-in-the-uk/702.aspxhttp://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/blog/2012/11/23/guest-blog-driving-forward-wind-and-marine-in-the-uk/702.aspxhttp://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/blog/2012/11/23/guest-blog-driving-forward-wind-and-marine-in-the-uk/702.aspxhttp://www.alstom.com/power/renewables/wind/offshore-wind-turbines/http://www.alstom.com/power/renewables/wind/offshore-wind-turbines/http://www.alstom.com/power/renewables/wind/offshore-wind-turbines/http://www.alstom.com/power/renewables/wind/offshore-wind-turbines/http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/16614/ewea-2011-alstom-wind-goes-offshore/http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/16614/ewea-2011-alstom-wind-goes-offshore/http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/16614/ewea-2011-alstom-wind-goes-offshore/http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/16614/ewea-2011-alstom-wind-goes-offshore/http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/25086/france-awards-first-round-of-offshore-wind-tenders/http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/25086/france-awards-first-round-of-offshore-wind-tenders/http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/25086/france-awards-first-round-of-offshore-wind-tenders/http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/25086/france-awards-first-round-of-offshore-wind-tenders/http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/16614/ewea-2011-alstom-wind-goes-offshore/http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/16614/ewea-2011-alstom-wind-goes-offshore/http://www.alstom.com/power/renewables/wind/offshore-wind-turbines/http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/blog/2012/11/23/guest-blog-driving-forward-wind-and-marine-in-the-uk/702.aspxhttp://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/blog/2012/11/23/guest-blog-driving-forward-wind-and-marine-in-the-uk/702.aspxhttp://www.vestas.com/en/wind-power-plants/procurement/turbine-overview/v164-8.0-mw-offshore.aspx#/vestas-univershttp://www.vestas.com/en/wind-power-plants/procurement/turbine-overview/v164-8.0-mw-offshore.aspx#/vestas-univers


27/47

Comments

Dr.A.Jagadeesh said

26 December 20128 MW Wind Turbine! Big is Bountiful. With increasing interest onOffshore Wind Farms the accent now is bigger and bigger windturbines.Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),IndiaE-mail: [email protected]

Home Cover Story

Ellhoft: electrifying cooperatives

Carstensen had to do a detailed impact study on birds and bats before setting

up the wind farmSchleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the 16

states of Germany. Nestled between the North Sea to the west

and the Baltic Sea to the east and bordering Denmark in theNorth, it is one of the windiest states of Germany. Travelling

from Hamburg on train, as one approaches Husum, one of its

main cities, as far as one can see the horizon is spiked with wind

turbines. Fittingly, the worlds most important wind energy trade

fair is held every two years in Husum.

Schleswig-Holstein has close to 3,300 megawatt (MW) of wind power (about 11 per cent of the total

wind power installed in Germany) and wind energy provides nearly half the states electricity

consumption. With more than 200 kW of capacity per square kilometre, it has the highest density of

wind turbines in Europe. Wind turbines currently occupy 0.8 per cent of the land in the state.

Recently, the state Cabinet doubled the land area that can be used for wind turbines. The state has

set a target to develop 4,800 MW of onshore wind capacity by 2015 and 6,500 MW by 2020.

To understand the wind power development in the state, we travelled to Ellhft. This is a small

village just 500 m from the Denmark border. Our destination: a community wind farm and a solar PV

plant owned by the residents of the village. Christian Carstensen, 64-year-old vice-chief of the
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/http://www.downtoearth.org.in/category/section/cover-storyhttp://www.downtoearth.org.in/http://www.downtoearth.org.in/http://www.downtoearth.org.in/category/section/cover-storyhttp://www.downtoearth.org.in/


28/47

Windpark Ellhft GmbH & Co.KG, accompanied us to the wind farm. Christian has invested in three

projects, two wind farms and a solar PV power plant.

In 2000, 50 people from his village invested between 1,500 and 75,000 to install six wind turbines

of 1.3 MW each. The residents contributed 20 per cent of the total capital cost of 9 million;

remaining was taken as a loan from a bank. With annual power generation of 16-20 million kWh and

a feed-in-tariff (FIT) of 9.1 cents per kWh assured for 20 years, their return on investment is 15-20

per cent annually. In 2012, Windpark Ellhft paid off its loan and now the money the wind farm earns

belongs to the villagers.

As we climbed atop a wind turbine on a ladder, Carstensen explained how the idea is catching up.

The high rate of return on investments has meant that the residents are now ploughing back money

to set up new renewable energy projects. In 2010, 20 villagers came together to set up a 2 MW solar

PV plant costing 5 million. This plant produces 2 million kWh of electricity each year. With assured

FIT of 24 cents per kWh, the people get 12 per cent rate of return on their investments. This is lower

than what they get from the wind farm, but still far higher than what they can earn from the bank

deposits or share market.

Inspired by the success of the Ellhft, Danish investors from across the border have partnered with

the residents to set up another wind farm of 27 MW in Ellhft. In this project, they have installed

three wind turbines of 6.125 MW capacity eachthe biggest wind turbines available in the market.

Money is the driving force. Investments in wind, solar and biomass projects get people higher rates

of return. Regulatory certainty makes it easier for ordinary folk to invest in renewables.

In Germany, anyone can erect one or more wind turbines as long as they can fulfil the legal

requirements, explains Martin Haasler, Pastor at Christian Jensen Kolleg in Breklum who

accompanied us to the wind farm. Once an area is declared suitable for wind power generation,

permissions to install wind turbines come easy, though not without meeting environmental norms.

Explains Carstensen, Before constructing the wind farm we did a detailed birds andbats impact

study. His company was also asked to pay for protection of an area equal to the area of the wind

farm. For the six wind turbines we installed in 2000, we had to buy 7.6 hectares of protected area

for conservation, he adds. They were asked to do a similar study after 10 years of operation, which

they have finished recently.

Still Carstensen is a little worried. Last year the transmission company asked his wind farm to stop

generation during peak wind season. We cut our generation by 25 per cent because the grid did not

have the capacity to transport power from our wind farm. But we got paid for the generation loss,

says Castensen. According to the German Energy Agency, Germany will have to construct 4,300 km


29/47

of extra-high voltage grid until 2020 to absorb wind power generated in the north and transport it to

the south. However, many grid extension projects are stalled because of local opposition and long

planning and authorisation procedures.

Carstensen is also worried about the reduction in FIT for new projects that is likely to happen post

September

Comments

Excellent article. Yes. Germany is advancing in leaps and boundsin Renewables. The fact that Germany once a Nuclear countrychose to switch over to Renewables is a lesson for othercountries to follow.Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),India

reply

1 September 2013Posted byDr.A.JagadeeshExcellent story. It was mentioned in the article about Ellhoft:

electrifying cooperatives.Energy Cooperatives

Citizens, communities and local economy in good company

The expansion of renewable energies leads to fundamentalchanges concerning our energy supply. Wind turbines in thelandscape, photovoltaic systems on roofs or farms with biogas

plants are visible indications for the development in that sector.Heat pumps, wood pellet and woodchip heating plants provideheat and relieve whole villages from fossil fuels.

Renewable energies do not only protect the climate, but alsoimprove the security of supply, create new jobs and increase theregional income. The decentralized nature of renewable energy
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/comment/reply/42039/17793http://www.downtoearth.org.in/comment/reply/42039/17793


30/47

gives every citizen the opportunity to make an active contributionto the transformation of energy supply, either by building their ownfacilities or by participating in community projects.

In the last three decades, people came together in numerouscitizens groups, local councils and regional businesses toestablish common renewable energy projects in their region.

Energy cooperatives as organisational form are growing a lot inpopularity because they offer a variety of possibilities for actionand design. Currently, more than 80,000 citizens in Germany holdshares in new energy cooperatives. They can already participatewith small amounts. In the last years, more than 500 newly-founded energy cooperatives invested a total of 800 million eurosin renewable energy. This is confirmed by a recent study of theDGRV( SourceDGRV).

The move away from conventional sources of energy in Germanyis driven primarily by citizens. An increasing number of peoplework together by forming cooperatives to build wind farms andsolar plants.

Cooperatives have experienced a revival in Germany. In 2006,eight new energy cooperatives were founded. In 2011 alone, thisnumber was 167. And the German Cooperative and RaiffeisenConfederation expects the figure to be even higher for 2012.This kind of growth is vital if Germany wants to phase out itsnuclear energy dependency by 2022. By promoting energy policyat the local level, communities all over Germany are profiting fromrenewable energy sources and the power of cooperatives.

A typical example of this growth is seen in the Horb EcumenicalEnergy Cooperative in Stuttgart, which has implemented severalsolar power plants. Bernard Bok was a driving force in this task:before his retirement he was on the board of the local cooperativeVolksbank, so he was interested in helping the cooperative.


31/47

For him there was no question, the development of renewableenergy needed the strong legs of a cooperative to stand on. Weare in a country of cooperatives, said Bok.Nowhere in Germany are cooperatives represented more strongly

than in southern German. Small-scale farming was expected toexpand so local farmers organized themselves into agriculturalcooperatives.

Citizen participation instead of anonymous investorsIn the mid 19th century, cooperative were born out of necessity.But today, people come together for different reasons: the desirefor self-government and citizen participation is growing stronger.

People are looking for an alternative to unknown investors andprefer to follow their own agenda istead of being dependent onothers.Thus, in times of global economic turmoil, local communities andcivil societies are a deliberate counterpoint to the internationalfinancial markets. Often traditional cooperative banks, such as theVolks- and Raiffeisenbank, participate in the funding andfinancing of local cooperatives.Large projects are possible

The range of energy cooperatives is large, and it is not limited tojust solar or wind power. For example, a cooperative in thecommunity of St. Peter in the Black Forest last year built a plantfor local thermal power.

A modern wood heating plant provides heat for the town of 150houses, which have made oil heaters obsolete. About 8,500meters of piping were laid in the village for the cooperative.To complete the project, different stakeholders came together

from over the region each bringing their own specific professionalknowledge. Markus Bohnert, a board member of the citizenscooperative, has worked as a forester. Other supporters hadbackgrounds in heating construction, building design ormarketing.The idea for this cooperative started in 2007. A subsequent


32/47

survey of all citizens of St. Peter showed that people were veryreceptive. Above all, the major local consumers wanted to be apart of the project including municipal buildings, church facilities,as well as many hotels and restaurants it the town center. As a

result, "People's Energy of St. Peter" was founded.

The number of people required to found a cooperative hasdropped from seven to three people. Similarly, the requirednumber of board members was reduced for small cooperatives.With these changes, cooperatives have been gaining speed:

According to the umbrella organization for cooperatives in Baden-Wrttemberg, southern Germany, one in three citizens are a

member of a cooperative( Source: Energy Cooperatives arebooming in Germany,DW).

Another area that is advancing in Germnany is Offshore WindFarms:

The use of the offshore wind energy in German waterspredominantly takes place outside the 12 sea mile zone in theexclusive economic zone (EEZ). With this, the majority of the

planned projects and those still in operation is located in the highseas of the German North and Baltic Sea. At the end of August2013, 520 MW of offshore wind capacity was being connected tothe grid in Germany. By 2030, a capacity of 25,000 MW is to beconnected to the grid according to the plans of the FederalGovernment.

Currently, offshore wind farms (OWP) with a total capacity ofabout 1,600 MW are being constructed; wind farms with a

capacity of 9,000 to around 10,500 MW received an authorization.Moreover, further 94 projects with about 6,600 Off WEA and atotal capacity of up to about 30,000 MW are in the process ofauthorization so that all in all, about 40,000 MW are in theplanning stage (as at September 2012). The maps of the GermanNorth and Baltic Sea provide an overview of both the location and


33/47

the status of the projects(Source:OFFSHORE -WINDENERGIE.NET).

I have been advocating starting Wind Farm co-operatives in India

on the lines of those in Germany,Denmark etc. for over a decade.Hitherto Depreciation benefits were goiven to large industries. AWIND FUND can be created and people( Individual Tax Payers)can be exempted if they invest in this Wind fund under Section80C. This way there will be wide participation of People in WindFarms. Another area that needs immediate attention is OffshoreWind Farms. I had been suggesting Offshore Wind Farms sinceIndia has long coast line. Winds in the sea are about 30% more

than on land and since Power is cube of velocity,offshore windfarms give higher yields.Atleast a Pilot Project can be started byMNRE so that Private Industry follows.

Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP),IndiaWind Energy ExpertE-mail:[email protected]

reply

1 September 2013Posted byDr.A.JagadeeshExcellent article. I especially appreciate the detailed coverage ofsmall communities establishing their own energy supply andgenerating income from supplying energy to the grid. we needmore examples of this so that many other communities aroundthe world can start similar initiatives or encourage their legislative

bodies to promote this as Germany has.Thank you

reply

2 September 2013
mailto:[email protected]://www.downtoearth.org.in/comment/reply/42039/17795http://www.downtoearth.org.in/comment/reply/42039/17802http://www.downtoearth.org.in/comment/reply/42039/17802http://www.downtoearth.org.in/comment/reply/42039/17795mailto:[email protected]


34/47

Posted byAlex GreenGermany's renewable energy sector is among the mostinnovative and successful worldwide. The share of electricity

produced from renewable energy in Germany has increased from6.3 percent of the national total in 2000 to about 25 percent in thefirst half of 2012. In 2011 20.5% (123.5 TWh) of Germany'selectricity supply (603 TWH) was produced from renewableenergy sources, more than the 2010 contribution of gas-firedpower plants.

According to official figures, some 370,000 people in Germanywere employed in the renewable energy sector in 2010, especially

in small and medium sized companies. This is an increase ofaround 8 percent compared to 2009 (around 339,500 jobs), andwell over twice the number of jobs in 2004 (160,500). About two-thirds of these jobs are attributed to the Renewable EnergySources Act Germany has been called "the world's first majorrenewable energy economy"Since the passage of the Directive on Electricity Production fromRenewable Energy Sources in 1997, Germany and the otherstates of the European Union have been working towards a targetof 12% renewable electricity by 2010. Germany passed this targetearly in 2007 when the renewable energy share in electricityconsumption in Germany reached 14%. In September 2010 theGerman government announced the following new ambitiousenergy targets: Renewable electricity - 35% by 2020, 50% by 2030, 65% by2040, and 80% by 2050 Renewable energy - 18% by 2020, 30% by 2030, and 60% by

2050 Energy efficiency - Cutting the total energy consumption by 20%from 2008 by 2020 and 50% less by 2050 Total electricity consumption - 10% below 2008 level by 2020and 25% less by 2050


35/47

Germany's renewable energy sector is among the mostinnovative and successful worldwide. Nordex, Repower,Fuhrlnder and Enercon are wind power companies based inGermany. SolarWorld, Q-Cells and Conergy are solar power

companies based in Germany. These companies dominate theworld market. Every third solar panel and every second wind rotoris made in Germany, and German turbines and generators usedin hydro energy generation are among the most popularworldwide.Siemens chief executive, Peter Lscher believes that Germanystarget of generating 35 per cent of its energy from renewables by2020 is achievableand, most probably, profitable for Europes

largest engineering company. Its environmental solutionsportfolio, which is firmly focused on renewables, is alreadygenerating more than 27 billion a year, 35 per cent of Siemenstotal revenue, and the plan is to grow this to 40 billion by 2015.Ending its involvement in nuclear industry will boost the credibilityof Siemens as a purveyor of green technology.Germany's main competitors in solar electricity are Japan, the USand China. In the wind industry it is Denmark, Spain US and theChina.

Increases in installed renewable electric power capacity andgeneration in recent years is shown in the table below:Year Installedcapacity[MW] Hydropower[GWh] Wind energy[GWh] Biomass

[GWh] Biogenic shareof waste[GWh] Photovoltaics[GWh] Geothermalenergy[GWh] Total electricity


36/47

generation[GWh] Share of grosselectricityconsumption

[%]onshoreoffshore

1990 4,069 15,580 71 221 1,213 0.6 17,086 3.11991 4,097 15,402 100 260 1,211 1.6 16,974 3.11992 4,331 18,091 275 296 1,262 3.2 19,927 3.71993 4,483 18,526 600 433 1,203 5.8 20,768 3.9

1994 4,864 19,501 909 569 1,306 8.0 22,293 4.21995 5,464 20,747 1,500 665 1,348 11 24,271 4.51996 5,874 18,340 2,032 759 1,343 16 22,490 4.11997 6,477 18,453 2,966 880 1,397 26 23,722 4.31998 7,473 18,452 4,489 1,642 1,618 32 26,233 4.71999 9,012 20,686 5,528 1,849 1,740 42 29,845 5.42000 10,875 24,867 9,513 2,893 1,844 64 39,181 6.82001 13,756 23,241 10,509 3,348 1,859 76 39,033 6.72002 17,487 23,662 15,786 4,089 1,949 162 45,648 7.8

2003 20,857 17,722 18,713 6,086 2,161 313 44,995 7.52004 24,074 19,910 25,509 7,960 2,117 556 0.2 56,052 9.22005 28,122 19,576 27,229 10,978 3,047 1,282 0.2 62,112 10.12006 31,883 20,042 30,710 14,841 3,844 2,220 0.4 71,657 11.62007 35,479 21,169 39,713 19,760 4,521 3,075 0.4 88,238 14.32008 39,597 20,446 40,574 22,872 4,659 4,420 17.6 92,989 15.12009 46,584 19,036 38,602 38 25,989 4,352 6,583 18.8 94,61816.4

2010 55,742 20,956 37,619 174 29,085 4,781 11,683 27.7104,372 17.12011 65,843 17,674 48,315 568 31,920 5,000 19,340 18.8123,519 20.52012 76,017 21,200 45,325 675 35,950 4,900 28,000 25.4136,075 22.9


37/47

Source: Bhme, Dieter (February 2013). "Entwicklung dererneuerbaren Energien in Deutschland im Jahr 2012"(PDF).Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation andNuclear Safety. Retrieved 20 April 2013.

Indeed Germany has shown the path for a gradual transition fromConventional Energy to Renewable Energy and it is hoped othercountries will follow the fine Example of Germany.Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellor(AP),India

02 MAY 2012:INTERVIEW

Waging the Battle to Build the

U.S.s First Offshore Wind FarmAfter a decade seeking approval to build the U.S.s first offshore wind farm, Cape Wind presidentJim Gordon is on the verge of beginning construction. In an interview with Yale Environment 360,he describes why his struggle has been good for clean energy and why the fight is still not over.

BY DOUG STRUCK

BOUT THE AUTHOR

Doug Struck,who conducted this interview forYale Environment 360, has been a foreign and national

correspondent reporting from six continents and 50 states, a Harvard Nieman fellow and Pulitzer Prize finalist.

At The Washington Post, he specialized in global warming issues in assignments ranging from the Northwest Passage

and Greenland to melting glaciers on the Andes Mountains. In previous articles for Yale Environment 360, Struck

wrote about the environmental legacy of theExxon Valdez spilland exploredwhy most Americans do not feel an

urgency to confront climate change.

Jim Gordons initial accomplishment in proposing a wind farm off thecoast of Cape Cod was

unintended: He managed to unite Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the liberal lion of the Senate, with
http://e360.yale.edu/author/Doug_Struck/16/http://e360.yale.edu/author/Doug_Struck/16/http://www.e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2118http://www.e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2118http://www.e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2118http://e360.yale.edu/feature/beyond_abstraction_moving_the_public_on_climate_action/2157/http://e360.yale.edu/feature/beyond_abstraction_moving_the_public_on_climate_action/2157/http://e360.yale.edu/feature/beyond_abstraction_moving_the_public_on_climate_action/2157/http://e360.yale.edu/feature/beyond_abstraction_moving_the_public_on_climate_action/2157/http://e360.yale.edu/http://e360.yale.edu/feature/beyond_abstraction_moving_the_public_on_climate_action/2157/http://e360.yale.edu/feature/beyond_abstraction_moving_the_public_on_climate_action/2157/http://www.e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2118http://e360.yale.edu/author/Doug_Struck/16/


38/47

William Koch, the conservative petroleum and coal magnate and GOP fundraiser. Both

opposedCape Wind,the plan to put 130 giant wind turbines six miles off land in Nantucket Sound.

Courtesy of Cape Wind

Jim Gordon

Ten years later, Gordon is on the verge of starting construction on the nations first offshore wind

farm. His plans have survived a regulatory gauntlet that included reviews by 17 government agencies,

court challenges, and bitter public squabbles with opponents funded in large part by Koch.

But just as he is poised to plant the first turbine, with blades reaching 440 feet above the water, the

renewable energy industry has been shaken. The U.S. Congress has not renewed the chief tax

incentive that has fueled development of wind power, and natural gas prices have plummeted,

undercutting renewable prices.

But backed by a sympathetic governor and Massachusetts laws that require utilities to buy from

renewable sources, Gordon says he is confident the logic of wind power will prevail. In an interview

withYale Environment 360contributor Doug Struck, Gordon talked about his decade-long fight to

build the U.S.s first offshore wind farm, why he thinks renewable energy developers will survive aboom in cheap natural gas, and why Cape Winds long struggle will ultimately benefit the clean

energy sector.

It was painful, it was costly, it was frustrating, Gordon said. But you know something, if it makes it

easier for others after me, I take some pride in that. And I take some hope in that because America

needs renewable energy.

Yale Environment 360:How did you come to develop Americas first offshore wind farm?

Jim Gordon:Well, when I graduated from Boston University, instead of heading to film school, I

made kind of a fork in the road. I graduated during the Arab oil embargo [in the 1970s]. There were

block-long gas lines to get your automobile filled. I felt that energy was going to be a challenge that

would be facing not only my generation, but future generations. So I jumped into the energy

business.
http://www.capewind.org/index.phphttp://www.capewind.org/index.phphttp://www.capewind.org/index.phphttp://e360.yale.edu/http://e360.yale.edu/http://e360.yale.edu/http://e360.yale.edu/http://www.capewind.org/index.php


39/47

We built new state-of-the-art, combined-cycle electric generation plants, which were basically

marrying a gas turbine to a heat recovery boiler in a steam turbine. And that allowed us to produce

energy very efficiently, orders

The overwhelming majority of Massachusetts citizens... want the CapeWind project built.

of magnitude cleaner than the coal and heavy oil plants that made up most of the electric generation

portfolio in New England. We did that for about 20 years.

And then in 2000, we took a step back. We felt that renewable energy was going to be the most

important direction that we could take to further diversify New Englands energy generation

portfolio and to produce clean, healthy electricity.

e360:But by picking offshore wind, you launched yourself into a 10-year fight that is not over yet. Is

it worth it?

Gordon:I wouldnt call it a fight, I would call it an epic battle. With every major energy or

infrastructure project in New England youre always going to have some opposition to it. People are

resistant to change.

We were announcing a project that would produce over 75 percent of the Cape and islands electricity

with zero pollutant emissions, zero water consumption and zero waste discharge and most

importantly harnessing an inexhaustible and abundant energy resource thats ours, thats notcontrolled by cartels overseas. We thought people would really be excited about it.

But we were surrounded by the wealthiest, most politically influential people in the United States,

and a lot of them still are fighting this project. The overwhelming majority of Massachusetts citizens,

according to independent public opinion polls throughout Massachusetts and on Cape Cod, want the

Cape Wind project built.

e360:Why do you think it engendered a passionate opposition?

Gordon:This was bold. It was an ambitious project. It was certainly groundbreaking. And I think

that people have a fear of the unknown and a resistance to change.

Over the last decade the project has gone through probably the most comprehensive and exhaustive

environmental, socioeconomic review process of any energy project in the history of the United

States, including nuclear


40/47

The results have shown the project is going to create significant public

interest benefits at minimal impact.

power plants and coal plants.

The results have shown the project is going to create significant public interest benefits at minimal

impact. As these reports started to come out, you saw organizations like Greenpeace, Conservation

Law Foundation, the Union of Concerned Scientists, Sierra Club, start to coalesce, and support the

Cape Wind project, support a developer of an energy project. You had labor unions, health advocates,

citizens-advocacy groups form and build a big coalition to support the project.

e360:Given that the opponents included Ted Kennedy and William Koch, the conservative

billionaire and oil coal magnate, are you surprised you won?

Gordon:We havent won yet. Massachusetts wont win until these are spinning, until were getting

cleaner, healthier air, until we have created an emerging industry that I believe can stand next to

biotechnology, medical technology, computer hardware and software engineering, information

technologies, the great industries that have made Massachusetts a hotbed of innovation and

prosperity.

e360:How much have you invested in this?

Gordon:Over $50 million.

e360:And most of that your own money?

Gordon:Uh, most of it is my own money, including the senior managers of Energy Management,

our parent company thats developing this project. We havent taken one outside dime.

e360:What will the total cost be?

Gordon:Of the project? Thats proprietary information.

e360:How much profit do you see in this?

Gordon:Its very difficult to tell. I hope were profitable. I mean I want to show that its not just coal

plants, and nuclear plants, and heavy oil-fired plants or even gas plants that can be profitable. Were

so far behind Europe

8/12/2019 Comments

comments on offshore wind farms

Documents