Windletter #73 - An escape room based on a wind turbine
Windletter #73 - An escape room based on a wind turbine
Also: Solve Wind is introduced, Enercon increases its E-175 to 7 MW, BERD finances Goldwind wind turbines, and more.
Hello everyone and welcome to a new issue of Windletter. I'm Sergio Fernández Munguía (@Sergio_FerMun) and here we discuss the latest news in the wind power sector from a different perspective. If you enjoy the newsletter and are not subscribed, you can do so here.
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The most read from the last issue has been: the video of Prysmian's new cable laying vessel, Kiko Maza's post about wind turbine manufacturers' results, the photos of the manufacturing of the world's largest blade by MingYang.
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This week (March 20th, 21st, and 22nd), the Wind Europe annual event is taking place in Bilbao, the largest event on wind energy in Europe. This will be the third time the fair has come to Bilbao since it first came in 2019. It's a real luxury that we can have such an event in Bilbao, and personally, I hope it continues to come to the city for many more years.
As a prelude to the Wind Europe celebration, Kiko Maza's newsletter post is great, providing an overview of the European wind sector in terms of demand, financial results of manufacturers, offshore, legislation, and new wind turbines.
By the way, if any of you are going to the fair and feel like saying hello, chatting for a while, or having a coffee, you can reply to this email and we'll see how we can meet up 🙂
Let's move on to the news of the week.
SiG Coop and Ventum Academy create an escape room based on a wind turbine
Life never ceases to amaze wind energy enthusiasts like myself (and many of you).
Indeed, the Navarrese companies SiG Coop and Ventum Academy have launched a fun escape room that tests the knowledge and skills of professionals in the wind energy sector, which sooner or later I'll have to try 🙂
Named "Save the Aero R1-AN" (😂), for now, the experience is aimed at renewable energy professionals with medium to high knowledge of the technology associated with a wind turbine.
In fact, as Xabier Barón, one of its creators and a good friend of Windletter, tells us, the current test is designed for remote operators of a control center who want to provide "field experience" to people who have a more theoretical than practical relationship with the technology. According to Xabier, as reported by Navarra Capital, the test replicates "the relationship between a control center and a wind farm without the need to send people far away or have them climb to heights."
Although the test was initially designed as a technical challenge, communication within teams, decision-making, creativity in problem-solving are fundamental to overcoming it... "the evolution of the groups during the activity is clearly seen," Xabier tells us.
The idea is that the activity could be opened in the future to people from less technical teams or departments, so they can firsthand experience the work of their field colleagues and/or the sector they work in.
Participants are equipped with all the mandatory PPE (suits, helmets, gloves, and safety goggles) and have to access the interior of the nacelle, electrical cabinets, etc.
For now, until the summer, most of the available dates for the test are already booked, with a large part of them filled. The test is evolving and being optimized as groups go through (there have been 5 so far). Additionally, "they are already working on a much less technical version, allowing mixed teams (technical and non-technical) and non-technical teams, such as a board of directors, a procurement team, or directly teams working in personnel management."
This way, Navarra becomes a pioneer in another aspect of the wind energy sector, as the creators believe it is something that has never been done before.
Personally, I think it's a great idea. I already know where to suggest to my bosses that we should hold the next team building event...
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Solve Wind, the joint venture between Liftra and Esteyco for offshore wind maintenance
Esteyco and Liftra have created the joint venture Solve Wind, which is born to provide maintenance solutions in offshore wind, especially in floating installations.
Solve Wind offers low-cost solutions for the assembly and maintenance of large corrective measures in offshore wind, combining Esteyco's ATOMS technology with Liftra's self-erecting crane. We have previously discussed both technologies in Windletter.
The system allows attaching a working platform to the tower from which large components can be assembled and disassembled using one of Liftra's cranes.
The key to this solution is being able to perform these types of maneuvers without the need for large vessels. These vessels have a significant cost and are also a bottleneck in the offshore wind industry.
As we reported in Windletter #52, the first prototype will be tested in Gran Canaria this summer, but Solve Wind has not provided further information on this.
You can find more information on the Solve Wind website.
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Enercon increases the power of its E-175 EP5 to 7 MW
We recently discussed how Enercon had improved its E-175 EP5 by equipping it with a new permanent magnet generator with an external rotor and larger diameter. Additionally, the model increased its power from 6 MW to a figure that the manufacturer had not fully disclosed.
Well, now we know that the E-175 EP5 E2 will reach a power of up to 7 MW "in its standard configuration," according to the company.
In the article published by Enercon on its website, they provide many more technical details:
They have achieved an improvement in the air gap of the generator by pivoting to a generator with an external rotor. This air gap is crucial for the increase in power.
They have reduced the use of permanent magnets by more than 40%.
The maximum dimensions of the generator are 9.9 meters, taking into account logistical limitations in Germany (4.99 m).
The total weight of the generator is 124 tons, so each segment weighs 62.
By the way, in Windpowermonthly they have published a photo of Enercon's generator test bench, although in the photo, the E1 generator, with an internal rotor, is visible. But it's worth taking a look.
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The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) finances a wind farm with Goldwind turbines
In recent times, the Wind Power Action Plan has been on everyone's lips in the industry as a way to ensure that European wind projects continue to be built with turbines made and designed in Europe.
However, the reality is that the Wind Power Action Plan has not yet materialized and, for the time being, remains a promise on the table of most European governments. Especially in the case of non-price-related criteria in auctions, which could account for up to 30% of the total selection criteria and which are the ones that can truly make a difference compared to Chinese competition.
This has coincided with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development financing a wind farm in Romania that will feature turbines from the Chinese manufacturer Goldwind. This is the Urleasca wind farm, which will have 17 turbines.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is very strict in evaluating suppliers. In fact, on the bank's website, they indicate that they have conducted audits at Goldwind's factory and also at several of its Tier 1 suppliers. Additionally, the bank assures that a list of authorized suppliers has been closed and a commitment to close all pending issues resulting from the audit.
As you can imagine, this has not been well received by Wind Europe, which through its CEO Giles Dickson has made some statements regarding this:
"The European wind industry is extremely disappointed that the EBRD decided last week to finance the Urleasca wind farm in Romania, knowing that this wind farm is purchasing Chinese turbines. This is completely against the spirit of European policies today. WindEurope has raised this issue with the EBRD and the relevant authorities to ensure that this does not happen again and that banks’ lending rules reflect EU policy and the wider European interest"
What do you think about it?
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Passing under a Samsung wind turbine with a kayak
The curiosity of this edition comes from Nick Ray, creator of the LifeAfloat initiative. Nick describes himself as a man with an insatiable passion for exploring the natural wonders of our world.
His project advocates for raising awareness about mental health by sharing the adventures he experiences on his kayak.
One of his adventures has caught my attention, and it's that Nick passed under an offshore wind turbine with his kayak. But it's not just any wind turbine; it's the Samsung Heavy Industries 7.0-171 prototype located in Methil, Scotland.
Indeed, Samsung was also involved in the wind energy sector, but we'll talk about that another day. If you don't want to miss it, subscribe.
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Disclaimer: The opinions presented in Windletter are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.