Bliver vindenergi den stor energikilde i fremtiden. Vi får se. Her en artikel til at starte med.
Artikel:
Global renewables output to rival coal by 2035, says IEA
Renewable energy is set to rival coal as the main generator of the world's electricity by 2035, as the cost of technology falls and subsidies rise, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts.
RELATED STORIES
Wind, solar and hydro are forecast to become the second-biggest power generators in 2015 and rise to almost one-third of all output in 2035, a level approaching that of coal, the Paris-based energy watchdog says in its annual outlook.
"A rapid expansion of wind and solar power, and a steady increase in hydropower has cemented the position of renewables as an indispensable part of the global energy mix," the IEA says.
"The rapid increase in renewables is underpinned by falling technology costs, rising fossil-fuel prices and carbon pricing, but mainly by continued subsidies," it adds.
The IEA predicts global renewable energy subsidies will rise from $88bn in 2011 to $240bn in 2035.
That compares with $523bn in the support paid to fossil fuels last year.
"Subsidy measures to support new renewable energy projects need to be adjusted over time as capacity increases and as the costs of renewable technologies fall, to avoid excessive burdens on governments and consumers," the agency adds.
The Global Wind Energy Council predicts installed turbines will more than double from 2011 levels to 493GW in 2016. The European Photovoltaic Industry Association forecasts cumulative solar installations to triple to 208GW in 2016 from just under 70GW in 2011.
But the projected growth in low-carbon energy won't be enough to meet the United Nations goal of limiting global warming since industrialisation to 2 degrees Celsius, the agency predicts.
Almost 80% of the emissions allowable by 2035 under a 2-degree scenario are already committed because of existing power plants, factories and buildings, the IEA says, calling for a major effort to deploy energy-efficiency measures.
By 2017, all the allowable emissions will be locked-in if no action is taken to slash carbon dioxide, the IEA says. The world could postpone that lock-in to 2022 through the "rapid deployment" of energy-efficient technologies. That would buy time to secure a global agreement to slash greenhouse gases, according to the agency.
Investment of $11.8 trillion in existing energy-efficient technologies could be more than offset by reduced need for spending on fuel, and could help boost cumulative global economic output over that period by $18 trillion, the IEA claims.
"These gains are not based on achieving any major or unexpected technological breakthroughs, but just on taking actions to remove the barriers obstructing the implementation of energy efficiency measures that are economically viable," the agency says.
Greenpeace says the IEA's latest outlook shows that with the current levels of government ambition, about half of the new energy added to electricity grids between now and 2035 will come from renewable energy. But it says this is significantly under the increase needed to avoid catastrophic climate change.
Christopher Hopson, London
Published: Monday, November 12 2012
Artikel:
Global renewables output to rival coal by 2035, says IEA
Renewable energy is set to rival coal as the main generator of the world's electricity by 2035, as the cost of technology falls and subsidies rise, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts.
RELATED STORIES
Wind, solar and hydro are forecast to become the second-biggest power generators in 2015 and rise to almost one-third of all output in 2035, a level approaching that of coal, the Paris-based energy watchdog says in its annual outlook.
"A rapid expansion of wind and solar power, and a steady increase in hydropower has cemented the position of renewables as an indispensable part of the global energy mix," the IEA says.
"The rapid increase in renewables is underpinned by falling technology costs, rising fossil-fuel prices and carbon pricing, but mainly by continued subsidies," it adds.
The IEA predicts global renewable energy subsidies will rise from $88bn in 2011 to $240bn in 2035.
That compares with $523bn in the support paid to fossil fuels last year.
"Subsidy measures to support new renewable energy projects need to be adjusted over time as capacity increases and as the costs of renewable technologies fall, to avoid excessive burdens on governments and consumers," the agency adds.
The Global Wind Energy Council predicts installed turbines will more than double from 2011 levels to 493GW in 2016. The European Photovoltaic Industry Association forecasts cumulative solar installations to triple to 208GW in 2016 from just under 70GW in 2011.
But the projected growth in low-carbon energy won't be enough to meet the United Nations goal of limiting global warming since industrialisation to 2 degrees Celsius, the agency predicts.
Almost 80% of the emissions allowable by 2035 under a 2-degree scenario are already committed because of existing power plants, factories and buildings, the IEA says, calling for a major effort to deploy energy-efficiency measures.
By 2017, all the allowable emissions will be locked-in if no action is taken to slash carbon dioxide, the IEA says. The world could postpone that lock-in to 2022 through the "rapid deployment" of energy-efficient technologies. That would buy time to secure a global agreement to slash greenhouse gases, according to the agency.
Investment of $11.8 trillion in existing energy-efficient technologies could be more than offset by reduced need for spending on fuel, and could help boost cumulative global economic output over that period by $18 trillion, the IEA claims.
"These gains are not based on achieving any major or unexpected technological breakthroughs, but just on taking actions to remove the barriers obstructing the implementation of energy efficiency measures that are economically viable," the agency says.
Greenpeace says the IEA's latest outlook shows that with the current levels of government ambition, about half of the new energy added to electricity grids between now and 2035 will come from renewable energy. But it says this is significantly under the increase needed to avoid catastrophic climate change.
Christopher Hopson, London
Published: Monday, November 12 2012
12/11 2012 19:39 Windstyrke 0
62227 Gad vide om Vestas så heller ikke får betaling.
Artikel:
Chinese wind owners face cash crunch as state subsidy stops
China's wind farm owners have been waiting two years to receive a government subsidy for sending power to the grid.
The shortfall in income has contributed to a cash crunch at developers in the past year, which led some to delay payments to equipment companies.
China's National Development and Reform Commission has paid a subsidy for wind power since 2006. However, in some provinces it has not made any payments since the third quarter of 2010.
The Ministry of Finance is implementing a new system for subsidy payments for renewable energy generated in 2012.
But the government still owes developers an estimated 1.4bn yuan ($224m) for the fourth quarter of 2010 and 22bn yuan for all of 2011, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).
The issue compounds a tight cash-flow situation for China's wind developers, with financing becoming more expensive and returns from operating projects lower than expected due to grid curtailment.
Industry experts believe Beijing stopped paying the subsidy after realising that it faced a huge and growing shortfall in the amount of funds collected from end-users to finance the subsidy, also known as the renewable-energy surcharge.
The surcharge, or amount paid on top of the regular tariff for coal power-generated electricity, has been raised by provincial grid companies by levying fees of 0.004 yuan per kWh on commercial, industrial and residential consumers.
However, the amount of installed wind capacity has increased rapidly in recent years, far outweighing the income collected by grid companies.
The ministry announced it would raise the surcharge to 0.008 yuan/kWh in 2012 but BNEF says this is insufficient.
It predicts a shortfall of 5.2bn yuan for this year and expects many developers to go unpaid.
"Developers won't receive any money if their government doesn't have enough," says BNEF analyst Jessica Ng.
The renewable-energy top-up is different in each region, depending on local power prices. In some areas, the power price is as low as 0.20 yuan/kWh, a long way from wind tariffs of 0.55 yuan.
In addition, Inner Mongolia and western provinces such as Qinghai and Gansu are hit hard because they have too few electricity consumers from which the government can collect the surcharge, says Ng.
Beijing is expected to raise the surcharge further in 2013 to cover its growing costs.
Meanwhile, the ministry is implementing a new system for paying out the subsidy. The scheme requires grid companies to submit forecasts on their renewables-sourced power generation every three months, allowing for a surcharge based on these estimates to be paid the month after the power is generated, rather than several months later, as under the previous system.
In June, it requested that local grid companies register the first batch of renewables projects under the new mechanism. Last month, it issued a similar notice for the second batch of projects.
It is thought that subsidies under the new system will be paid by the end of the year.
However, observers say it is unclear how the government will resolve the issue of the money it owes for the past two years.
"The government should get on and pay that subsidy," says a bank analyst. "With the lack of subsidy payment and declining incomes from the UN Clean Development Mechanism, developers are struggling to break even on many projects."
The problem is even worse for solar project owners who receive a higher feed-in tariff (FIT) than wind farm operators. Many of these, however, are the same companies.
Earlier this year, the country's top power companies, including China Power Investment, China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group, and China Guangdong Nuclear, indicated that they had not received the PV FIT, according to analysts at Jefferies.
Dominique Patton, Singapore
Published: Monday, November 12 2012
Artikel:
Chinese wind owners face cash crunch as state subsidy stops
China's wind farm owners have been waiting two years to receive a government subsidy for sending power to the grid.
The shortfall in income has contributed to a cash crunch at developers in the past year, which led some to delay payments to equipment companies.
China's National Development and Reform Commission has paid a subsidy for wind power since 2006. However, in some provinces it has not made any payments since the third quarter of 2010.
The Ministry of Finance is implementing a new system for subsidy payments for renewable energy generated in 2012.
But the government still owes developers an estimated 1.4bn yuan ($224m) for the fourth quarter of 2010 and 22bn yuan for all of 2011, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).
The issue compounds a tight cash-flow situation for China's wind developers, with financing becoming more expensive and returns from operating projects lower than expected due to grid curtailment.
Industry experts believe Beijing stopped paying the subsidy after realising that it faced a huge and growing shortfall in the amount of funds collected from end-users to finance the subsidy, also known as the renewable-energy surcharge.
The surcharge, or amount paid on top of the regular tariff for coal power-generated electricity, has been raised by provincial grid companies by levying fees of 0.004 yuan per kWh on commercial, industrial and residential consumers.
However, the amount of installed wind capacity has increased rapidly in recent years, far outweighing the income collected by grid companies.
The ministry announced it would raise the surcharge to 0.008 yuan/kWh in 2012 but BNEF says this is insufficient.
It predicts a shortfall of 5.2bn yuan for this year and expects many developers to go unpaid.
"Developers won't receive any money if their government doesn't have enough," says BNEF analyst Jessica Ng.
The renewable-energy top-up is different in each region, depending on local power prices. In some areas, the power price is as low as 0.20 yuan/kWh, a long way from wind tariffs of 0.55 yuan.
In addition, Inner Mongolia and western provinces such as Qinghai and Gansu are hit hard because they have too few electricity consumers from which the government can collect the surcharge, says Ng.
Beijing is expected to raise the surcharge further in 2013 to cover its growing costs.
Meanwhile, the ministry is implementing a new system for paying out the subsidy. The scheme requires grid companies to submit forecasts on their renewables-sourced power generation every three months, allowing for a surcharge based on these estimates to be paid the month after the power is generated, rather than several months later, as under the previous system.
In June, it requested that local grid companies register the first batch of renewables projects under the new mechanism. Last month, it issued a similar notice for the second batch of projects.
It is thought that subsidies under the new system will be paid by the end of the year.
However, observers say it is unclear how the government will resolve the issue of the money it owes for the past two years.
"The government should get on and pay that subsidy," says a bank analyst. "With the lack of subsidy payment and declining incomes from the UN Clean Development Mechanism, developers are struggling to break even on many projects."
The problem is even worse for solar project owners who receive a higher feed-in tariff (FIT) than wind farm operators. Many of these, however, are the same companies.
Earlier this year, the country's top power companies, including China Power Investment, China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group, and China Guangdong Nuclear, indicated that they had not received the PV FIT, according to analysts at Jefferies.
Dominique Patton, Singapore
Published: Monday, November 12 2012
14/11 2012 09:46 Windstyrke 062245 Der presses på for en ny PTC af både demokrater og republikanere.
Artikel:
US governors group urges Congress to renew wind tax credit
A bipartisan group of 23 US governors is urging leaders of the outgoing Congress to support a multiyear extension of the wind energy production tax credit (PTC) during a short, post-election "lame-duck" session that began today.First enacted in 1992, the PTC is the main federal subsidy for onshore wind. It pays $22 per MWh inflation-adjusted for a project's first decade in operation, and is set to expire on 31 December. The PTC costs taxpayers at least $1.2bn each year.
"The wind industry urgently needs a PTC extension to diversify our nation's energy portfolio and fuel these high-tech jobs," the governors wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican; House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat.
"While the industry has lowered its costs significantly over the past decade, we believe (it) will be competitive in the not-so-distant future with other well-established fuel sources," the letter adds.
The chief executives, who formed the Governors' Wind Energy Coalition (GWEC), are from Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Washington.
The group is comprised of 15 Democrats and 8 Republicans.
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, who is also GWEC chairman, says in a conference call that the governors recognize Congress and President Barack Obama are wrestling with tough fiscal and budget issues at the federal level. But he argues that the PTC price tag is relatively small and is partially offset by wind industry job creation and economic growth. "It's been a good investment," he says.
The governors did not say if they favor a multiyear PTC extension leading to a phase-out, or a formula of decreasing annual payouts leading to expiration as some in the industry have suggested. There is also talk in Congress of two more years and changing the requirement to start of project construction. This would have the effect of a longer extension as developers need 18-24 months to plan and finance a project.
Republican Senator Charles Grassley, who authored the original PTC legislation and was on the call, notes that the country has made a 20-year investment in wind energy. "It would be terrible to throw it away if this will be a mature industry in a short period of time," he says, which he quantifies as four years.
Grassley admits that the PTC may not be high on the agenda in talks between Obama and Boehner over how to deal with the looming fiscal crisis caused by runaway federal spending and weak revenue in a sluggish economy.
Still, there are more than 60 provisions in the tax code that will sunset at the end of this year including a research and development tax credit that the wind industry utilizes, he says. "There is a lot of strategy and process on hold in Congress to see how talks with Boehner and Obama go," adds Grassley.
In their letter, the governors say their states are experiencing wind industry layoffs. Without congressional action now, job losses will accelerate and private sector investment dollars will go to other countries, they add.
Richard A. Kessler
Published: Wednesday, November 14 2012
Artikel:
US governors group urges Congress to renew wind tax credit
A bipartisan group of 23 US governors is urging leaders of the outgoing Congress to support a multiyear extension of the wind energy production tax credit (PTC) during a short, post-election "lame-duck" session that began today.First enacted in 1992, the PTC is the main federal subsidy for onshore wind. It pays $22 per MWh inflation-adjusted for a project's first decade in operation, and is set to expire on 31 December. The PTC costs taxpayers at least $1.2bn each year.
"The wind industry urgently needs a PTC extension to diversify our nation's energy portfolio and fuel these high-tech jobs," the governors wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican; House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat.
"While the industry has lowered its costs significantly over the past decade, we believe (it) will be competitive in the not-so-distant future with other well-established fuel sources," the letter adds.
The chief executives, who formed the Governors' Wind Energy Coalition (GWEC), are from Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Washington.
The group is comprised of 15 Democrats and 8 Republicans.
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, who is also GWEC chairman, says in a conference call that the governors recognize Congress and President Barack Obama are wrestling with tough fiscal and budget issues at the federal level. But he argues that the PTC price tag is relatively small and is partially offset by wind industry job creation and economic growth. "It's been a good investment," he says.
The governors did not say if they favor a multiyear PTC extension leading to a phase-out, or a formula of decreasing annual payouts leading to expiration as some in the industry have suggested. There is also talk in Congress of two more years and changing the requirement to start of project construction. This would have the effect of a longer extension as developers need 18-24 months to plan and finance a project.
Republican Senator Charles Grassley, who authored the original PTC legislation and was on the call, notes that the country has made a 20-year investment in wind energy. "It would be terrible to throw it away if this will be a mature industry in a short period of time," he says, which he quantifies as four years.
Grassley admits that the PTC may not be high on the agenda in talks between Obama and Boehner over how to deal with the looming fiscal crisis caused by runaway federal spending and weak revenue in a sluggish economy.
Still, there are more than 60 provisions in the tax code that will sunset at the end of this year including a research and development tax credit that the wind industry utilizes, he says. "There is a lot of strategy and process on hold in Congress to see how talks with Boehner and Obama go," adds Grassley.
In their letter, the governors say their states are experiencing wind industry layoffs. Without congressional action now, job losses will accelerate and private sector investment dollars will go to other countries, they add.
Richard A. Kessler
Published: Wednesday, November 14 2012
14/11 2012 21:35 MIF 062252 Ærgerligt Romeney du er i lommen på olieselskaberne ellers havde du været bedst for USA men din energi politik er forkert!
Du vil bare fortsætte med at svine & ødelægge planeten jorden!!!
http://www.windpowermonthly.com/news/1159919/Lack-renewables-support-cost-Romney-crucial-votes/
MIF
Du vil bare fortsætte med at svine & ødelægge planeten jorden!!!
http://www.windpowermonthly.com/news/1159919/Lack-renewables-support-cost-Romney-crucial-votes/
MIF
15/11 2012 13:55 Windstyrke 062262 Her lidt fra en debat med Obama d 14/11. Jeg har kopieret det der handler om klimaforandring(side 11).
Sidst på den kopierede side er der link til hele konferencen som kan både høres og læses.
Kopi af det skrevne:
Q: Thank you, Mr. President. In his endorsement of you a few weeks ago, Mayor Bloomberg said he was motivated by the belief that you would do more to confront the threat of climate change than your opponent. Tomorrow you're going up to New York City, where you're going to, I assume, see people who are still suffering the effects of Hurricane Sandy, which many people say is further evidence of how a warming globe is changing our weather. What specifically do you plan to do in a second term to tackle the issue of climate change? And do you think the political will exists in Washington to pass legislation that could include some kind of a tax on carbon?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: You know, as you know, Mark (sp), we can't attribute any particular weather event to climate change. What we do know is the temperature around the globe is increasing faster than was predicted even 10 years ago. We do know that the Arctic ice cap is melting faster than was predicted even five years ago. We do know that there have been extraordinarily - there have been an extraordinarily large number of severe weather events here in North America, but also around the globe.
And I am a firm believer that climate change is real, that it is impacted by human behavior and carbon emissions. And as a consequence, I think we've got an obligation to future generations to do something about it.
Now, in my first term, we doubled fuel efficiency standards on cars and trucks. That will have an impact. That will a lot of carbon out of the atmosphere. We doubled the production of clean energy, which promises to reduce the utilization of fossil fuels for power generation. And we continue to invest in potential breakthrough technologies that could further remove carbon from our atmosphere.
But we haven't done as much as we need to. So what I'm going to be doing over the next several weeks, next several months, is having a conversation, a wide-ranging conversation with scientists, engineers and elected officials to find out what can - what more can we do to make short-term progress in reducing carbons, and then working through an education process that I think is necessary, a discussion, the conversation across the country about, you know, what realistically can we do long term to make sure that this is not something we're passing on to future generations that's going to be very expensive and very painful to deal with.
I don't know what - what either Democrats or Republicans are prepared to do at this point, because, you know, this is one of those issues that's not just a partisan issue. I also think there's - there are regional differences. There's no doubt that for us to take on climate change in a serious way would involve making some tough political choices, and you know, understandably, I think the American people right now have been so focused and will continue to be focused on our economy and jobs and growth that, you know, if the message is somehow we're going to ignore jobs and growth simply to address climate change, I don't think anybody's going to go for that.
I won't go for that.
If, on the other hand, we can shape an agenda that says we can create jobs, advance growth and make a serious dent in climate change and be an international leader, I think that's something that the American people would support.
So you know, you can expect that you'll hear more from me in the coming months and years about how we can shape an agenda that garners bipartisan support and helps move this - moves this agenda forward.
Link til President Obama's News Conference
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/us/politics/running-transcript-of-president-obamas-press-conference.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&adxnnlx=1352980951-JkDGv5VBhpUXrLf63o8OFg
Sidst på den kopierede side er der link til hele konferencen som kan både høres og læses.
Kopi af det skrevne:
Q: Thank you, Mr. President. In his endorsement of you a few weeks ago, Mayor Bloomberg said he was motivated by the belief that you would do more to confront the threat of climate change than your opponent. Tomorrow you're going up to New York City, where you're going to, I assume, see people who are still suffering the effects of Hurricane Sandy, which many people say is further evidence of how a warming globe is changing our weather. What specifically do you plan to do in a second term to tackle the issue of climate change? And do you think the political will exists in Washington to pass legislation that could include some kind of a tax on carbon?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: You know, as you know, Mark (sp), we can't attribute any particular weather event to climate change. What we do know is the temperature around the globe is increasing faster than was predicted even 10 years ago. We do know that the Arctic ice cap is melting faster than was predicted even five years ago. We do know that there have been extraordinarily - there have been an extraordinarily large number of severe weather events here in North America, but also around the globe.
And I am a firm believer that climate change is real, that it is impacted by human behavior and carbon emissions. And as a consequence, I think we've got an obligation to future generations to do something about it.
Now, in my first term, we doubled fuel efficiency standards on cars and trucks. That will have an impact. That will a lot of carbon out of the atmosphere. We doubled the production of clean energy, which promises to reduce the utilization of fossil fuels for power generation. And we continue to invest in potential breakthrough technologies that could further remove carbon from our atmosphere.
But we haven't done as much as we need to. So what I'm going to be doing over the next several weeks, next several months, is having a conversation, a wide-ranging conversation with scientists, engineers and elected officials to find out what can - what more can we do to make short-term progress in reducing carbons, and then working through an education process that I think is necessary, a discussion, the conversation across the country about, you know, what realistically can we do long term to make sure that this is not something we're passing on to future generations that's going to be very expensive and very painful to deal with.
I don't know what - what either Democrats or Republicans are prepared to do at this point, because, you know, this is one of those issues that's not just a partisan issue. I also think there's - there are regional differences. There's no doubt that for us to take on climate change in a serious way would involve making some tough political choices, and you know, understandably, I think the American people right now have been so focused and will continue to be focused on our economy and jobs and growth that, you know, if the message is somehow we're going to ignore jobs and growth simply to address climate change, I don't think anybody's going to go for that.
I won't go for that.
If, on the other hand, we can shape an agenda that says we can create jobs, advance growth and make a serious dent in climate change and be an international leader, I think that's something that the American people would support.
So you know, you can expect that you'll hear more from me in the coming months and years about how we can shape an agenda that garners bipartisan support and helps move this - moves this agenda forward.
Link til President Obama's News Conference
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/us/politics/running-transcript-of-president-obamas-press-conference.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&adxnnlx=1352980951-JkDGv5VBhpUXrLf63o8OFg
14/11 2012 19:45 Windstyrke 062249 Her et link til rapporten(udsendt 14/11-2012) fra GWEC om deres forventninger til energi produktion af blandt andet vind. Produktionen eskalerer mere og mere for hvert år. http://www.gwec.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/GWEO_2012_lowRes.pdf
16/11 2012 18:59 Windstyrke 062318 Under konferencen arrangerede ambassaden i Beijing i samarbejde med China National Renewable Energy Center (CNREC), NEA, det danske Klima-, Energi-og Bygningsministerium samt den danske vindmøllegigant Vestas et lukket højniveaumøde om, hvordan dansk ekspertise kan anvendes i en kinesisk kontekst med henblik på at fokusere mere på kvalitet end kvantitet.
http://www.energy-supply.dk/article/view/92085/danske_vindmoller_skaber_muligheder_for_kina
http://www.energy-supply.dk/article/view/92085/danske_vindmoller_skaber_muligheder_for_kina
17/11 2012 19:12 Windstyrke 062363 Så kommer problemerne for nogle af nybegynderne.
Artikkel:
Impsa forced to repair turbines at three Brazil wind farms
Argentina's Impsa has had to repair turbines at three wind farms in northeast Brazil that have been damaged by harsh weather, Recharge has learned.
The three projects in Ceará state are the 28.8MW Praia do Morgado; 28.8MW Praias de Parajuru; and 42MW Volta do Rio, which all came on line in 2010.
"Some of the equipment at the Ceará wind farms had problems linked to the insulating material of the turbine that was aggravated by the very special physical conditions of the northeast coast of Brazil because of its combination of very high salinity in the air, humidity, high temperatures and very intensive rains," says José Luis Menghini, executive vice-president of Impsa in Brazil.
He says the equipment maker has acted quickly to find solutions to the problems. "Impsa has minimised the future impact via corrective maintenance of the equipment that presented problems, and preventative maintenance on the others," Menghini says.
But industry insiders tell Recharge that utility Cemig, which has a 49% stake in the wind farms, is incensed at the money it is losing while the repairs are carried out. It is not clear what the cost of the repairs will be, and Cemig did not return a request for comment.
Turbines designed by Germany's Vensys were used at the wind farms, and it is said that these were built for quite different conditions to those faced in Ceará.
Impsa has developed its own Unipower machines designed with Brazil in mind, after receiving funding from the Brazilian government for research and development.
The problem is the second faced recently by Impsa over turbine designs. Recharge reported last month that the company has replaced all the blades on its turbines at the 25MW Arauco wind farm in Argentina.
Impsa says that move was made to improve the 1MW machine's design, and rejects industry claims that the blades were replaced to overcome vibration problems. "What we did was optimise the design of the blades that were designed for the first prototype machines," says Menghini. "The new design guarantees better energy production."
Despite its difficulties, Impsa aims to dominate in Latin America. It expects to invest R$5bn ($2.4bn) in Brazil by 2014 through its development subsidiary Energimp, which has 347MW of a projected 800MW capacity already on line.
Impsa was one of the earliest manufacturers to establish a presence in Brazil, in 2008, and stands out for producing turbines for its own wind farms. It has a factory in Pernambuco state and has said it will build another in Rio Grande do Sul.
"We try to maximise the synergies between distinct companies, while guaranteeing their independence as individual business units," says Menghini. "There is no contradiction between being an investor and making equipment."
Manufacturers and developers face constant government pressure to push down electricity prices, with rates for wind farms hitting a low of less than R$100 per MWh in 2011.
"The 2011 tender was terrible," says Menghini.
And the market is getting tougher, with new rules for local content in the manufacturing of turbines being introduced by the national development bank, BNDES, which provides most loans for Brazilian wind farms. Its rules are meant to support local industries, but manufacturers continue to seek ways to import lower-cost parts from abroad.
"We could have 96-97% of nationalisation if we wanted, but we lower the ratio to comply with the BNDES and be competitive," says Menghini.
Christiana Sciaudone
Published: Friday, November 16 2012
Artikkel:
Impsa forced to repair turbines at three Brazil wind farms
Argentina's Impsa has had to repair turbines at three wind farms in northeast Brazil that have been damaged by harsh weather, Recharge has learned.
The three projects in Ceará state are the 28.8MW Praia do Morgado; 28.8MW Praias de Parajuru; and 42MW Volta do Rio, which all came on line in 2010.
"Some of the equipment at the Ceará wind farms had problems linked to the insulating material of the turbine that was aggravated by the very special physical conditions of the northeast coast of Brazil because of its combination of very high salinity in the air, humidity, high temperatures and very intensive rains," says José Luis Menghini, executive vice-president of Impsa in Brazil.
He says the equipment maker has acted quickly to find solutions to the problems. "Impsa has minimised the future impact via corrective maintenance of the equipment that presented problems, and preventative maintenance on the others," Menghini says.
But industry insiders tell Recharge that utility Cemig, which has a 49% stake in the wind farms, is incensed at the money it is losing while the repairs are carried out. It is not clear what the cost of the repairs will be, and Cemig did not return a request for comment.
Turbines designed by Germany's Vensys were used at the wind farms, and it is said that these were built for quite different conditions to those faced in Ceará.
Impsa has developed its own Unipower machines designed with Brazil in mind, after receiving funding from the Brazilian government for research and development.
The problem is the second faced recently by Impsa over turbine designs. Recharge reported last month that the company has replaced all the blades on its turbines at the 25MW Arauco wind farm in Argentina.
Impsa says that move was made to improve the 1MW machine's design, and rejects industry claims that the blades were replaced to overcome vibration problems. "What we did was optimise the design of the blades that were designed for the first prototype machines," says Menghini. "The new design guarantees better energy production."
Despite its difficulties, Impsa aims to dominate in Latin America. It expects to invest R$5bn ($2.4bn) in Brazil by 2014 through its development subsidiary Energimp, which has 347MW of a projected 800MW capacity already on line.
Impsa was one of the earliest manufacturers to establish a presence in Brazil, in 2008, and stands out for producing turbines for its own wind farms. It has a factory in Pernambuco state and has said it will build another in Rio Grande do Sul.
"We try to maximise the synergies between distinct companies, while guaranteeing their independence as individual business units," says Menghini. "There is no contradiction between being an investor and making equipment."
Manufacturers and developers face constant government pressure to push down electricity prices, with rates for wind farms hitting a low of less than R$100 per MWh in 2011.
"The 2011 tender was terrible," says Menghini.
And the market is getting tougher, with new rules for local content in the manufacturing of turbines being introduced by the national development bank, BNDES, which provides most loans for Brazilian wind farms. Its rules are meant to support local industries, but manufacturers continue to seek ways to import lower-cost parts from abroad.
"We could have 96-97% of nationalisation if we wanted, but we lower the ratio to comply with the BNDES and be competitive," says Menghini.
Christiana Sciaudone
Published: Friday, November 16 2012
18/11 2012 10:04 MIF 062374 Ja og hvis deter den model de viser på billedet så er det jo endda direct drive uden gearboks. Ret mig Troldhvis jeg tager fejl. Er det uden gearboks jamen så begynder disse modeller også at vise de ikke nødvendigvis er mere driftsikre specielt når de udsættes for kraftig havsalt.
Vestas over 20 år erfaring også indenfor Offshore erguld værd. Fint de har ladt alle de andre forsøge her mens de har siddet ude på sidelinienen og blot udviklet videre.
MIF
Vestas over 20 år erfaring også indenfor Offshore erguld værd. Fint de har ladt alle de andre forsøge her mens de har siddet ude på sidelinienen og blot udviklet videre.
MIF
20/11 2012 11:34 Windstyrke 062433 China to hit 60GW on-grid wind power by year-end, says official
China's grid-connected wind power capacity is expected to pass 60GW by the end of the year, remaining the world's largest market, but the industry is facing challenges in accessing the grid, admits a senior government official.
China's wind farms will generate more than 100 billion Kwh of energy by the end of 2012, becoming the third main source of power in the country, Liu Qi, vice director of the National Energy Administration told the China Windpower conference in Beijing last week.
Wind power continues to have "a huge growth potential and room for market expansion", added Liu, thanks to strong government support for clean energy, underlined by China's Communist Party leadership in its annual report last week.
However there is a need to address the phenomenon of 'abandoning wind' in some regions, or curtailment by grid operators.
"The rapid development of wind power is facing challenges in adapting to and integrating with the current electricity system."
"In certain areas with grid curtailment, the traditional energy system, management system and policies cannot fully meet the requirements of new energy development such as wind power," he added.
Under China's renewable energy law, all wind power produced is required to be consumed by grid operators. In reality, however, more than 20% is wasted in some areas with grid companies claiming they do not have sufficient capacity to absorb more wind power.
China will work to strengthen the electric power system and improve policies to support the industry, said Liu.
It will also promote the full acquisition of wind energy produced in the country, he said.
Liu added that the government will "prioritise developing onshore wind farms with favourable market conditions, and safely and reliably develop offshore wind power".
The government is also aiming to expand the demand for wind power by developing new markets and using wind power for heating or irrigation of farmland.
China surpassed the US last year to become the country with the most installed wind power capacity at 62.5GW.
But there has long been a significant gap between the number of installed wind farms and the projects actually connected to the electricity grid.
China is expected to add another 16-17GW of new installations this year according to at least two analysts, giving it around 78GW of total capacity and leaving it with a substantial amount not connected to the grid.
China is aiming to have 100GW of grid-connected wind power capacity by 2015, rising to 20GW by 2020, according to its 12th five-year plan for renewable energy.
Dominique Patton
Published: Tuesday, November 20 2012
China's grid-connected wind power capacity is expected to pass 60GW by the end of the year, remaining the world's largest market, but the industry is facing challenges in accessing the grid, admits a senior government official.
China's wind farms will generate more than 100 billion Kwh of energy by the end of 2012, becoming the third main source of power in the country, Liu Qi, vice director of the National Energy Administration told the China Windpower conference in Beijing last week.
Wind power continues to have "a huge growth potential and room for market expansion", added Liu, thanks to strong government support for clean energy, underlined by China's Communist Party leadership in its annual report last week.
However there is a need to address the phenomenon of 'abandoning wind' in some regions, or curtailment by grid operators.
"The rapid development of wind power is facing challenges in adapting to and integrating with the current electricity system."
"In certain areas with grid curtailment, the traditional energy system, management system and policies cannot fully meet the requirements of new energy development such as wind power," he added.
Under China's renewable energy law, all wind power produced is required to be consumed by grid operators. In reality, however, more than 20% is wasted in some areas with grid companies claiming they do not have sufficient capacity to absorb more wind power.
China will work to strengthen the electric power system and improve policies to support the industry, said Liu.
It will also promote the full acquisition of wind energy produced in the country, he said.
Liu added that the government will "prioritise developing onshore wind farms with favourable market conditions, and safely and reliably develop offshore wind power".
The government is also aiming to expand the demand for wind power by developing new markets and using wind power for heating or irrigation of farmland.
China surpassed the US last year to become the country with the most installed wind power capacity at 62.5GW.
But there has long been a significant gap between the number of installed wind farms and the projects actually connected to the electricity grid.
China is expected to add another 16-17GW of new installations this year according to at least two analysts, giving it around 78GW of total capacity and leaving it with a substantial amount not connected to the grid.
China is aiming to have 100GW of grid-connected wind power capacity by 2015, rising to 20GW by 2020, according to its 12th five-year plan for renewable energy.
Dominique Patton
Published: Tuesday, November 20 2012
