News
Regular updates on the latest developments, announcements and reports from the renewables industry around the world.
The installation of three new wind turbines on the Falkland Islands will see the territory’s annual contribution of wind power to total energy generation rise to 40 per cent. The turbines, 330 kW models manufactured by German company Enercon, have been installed at the Sand Bay Wind Farm, six miles from the capital Stanley.
The development of renewable energy projects in the Falklands not only protects the islands’ pristine environment, but has also meant that the cost of electricity has been reduced by six pence per unit for Islanders. Before the arrival of the first set of three turbines in 2007, the Falkland Islands had been dependent on imported fossil fuels. However, they were recently named by the EU as a leading overseas territory for renewable energy use.
Glenn Ross, a member of the Islands’ legislative assembly, said, “We are excited about the installation of the three new turbines as Phase One of the wind farm project has been very successful and a further step in wind power contribution is certain.”
Pond life
The Carbon Trust has announced plans to enter the race to develop a sustainable, cost-effective biofuel from algae. Under the auspices of the Trust, eleven UK institutions will work together in an attempt to discover a winning formula for cultivating 70 billion litres of algae biofuel by the year 2030. Algae is not just a nuisance on your garden pond, it has great potential as a biofuel, delivering up to ten times more oil per hectare than conventional cropland biofuels.
Starting from first principles of agriculture, thousands of strains of algae will be screened to find those that can produce large quantities of a substance similar to vegetable oil. Additional research will develop methods for facilitating large-scale production in algae ponds; the Carbon Trust will commence construction of a pilot demonstration plant next year.
Launching the algae biofuel initiative, Tom Delay, chief executive of the Trust, said: “We have pulled together a team of over 70 UK algae scientists who have the expert knowledge to turn algae into a British biofuel success story. Applying principles this country has developed from its proud agricultural heritage and leading bioscience expertise, we will be developing a truly sustainable biofuel.”
The next stage is to investigate possible locations for large-scale plants. The scale of the project means that meeting the 70 billion litre target would require man-made algae ponds equivalent to a landmass larger than Wales.
Towering success
The UK’s first offshore wind training tower has recently opened to students. The 27 metre structure, based at Narec in Blyth, Northumberland, was unveiled by David Kidney MP, Under Secretary, Department of Energy and Climate Change, in March.
The tower, which is designed as a training aid for technicians working in the wind industry, is the product of a collaboration backed by the Regional Development Agency, One North East, Mainstream Renewable Power, Northumberland College, and Narec. The open access facility aims to tackle the skills gap currently affecting the UK wind sector through increasing the number of technicians suitably qualified to install, operate, and maintain farms.
Rachel Ellis-Jones, Principal of Northumberland College commented: “The tower will help to ensure that the students on the wind technician programme are trained to British and European industrial standards. The specification of the tower and the equipment within it will also allow us to develop new training modules to meet the skills needs of the wind energy industry.”
Andrew Mill, CEO of Narec, the national centre for advancing renewable energy, added: “We are extremely proud to officially open the UK’s first wind turbine training project. The tower marks the first stage of the creation of a national training centre for industry in North East England.”
Blade runner
LM Glasfiber, the supplier of blades for wind turbines, has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with new customer Envision, a leading Chinese wind turbine manufacturer. As a result of the agreement, LM Glasfiber will establish its fourth manufacturing facility in China, in Jiangyin, close to Shanghai.
The agreement marks LM’s first large scale contract based on their new rotor blade concept ‘Globlade’. The innovative blade’s aerodynamic design allows for an additional annual energy production of 4-5 per cent over the previous model.
Ian Telford of LM Glasfiber said: “We are looking forward to our close cooperation with Envision, which is a very professional and ambitious Chinese player. With this agreement we strengthen our foothold in China and secure our continued growth in this strategically important market.”
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