- Category: Publishers Note
The Net-Zero Industry Act versus the Inflation Reduction Act: Europe versus the USA
The European Commission (EC) has presented the Net-Zero Industry Act as part of its Green Deal Industrial Plan to scale up green manufacturing, remain competitive with the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and become less dependent on China. The Net-Zero Industry Act aims to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of net-zero technology manufacturing in the European Union (EU) and is an answer to the IRA, which was introduced in the USA in 2022.
- Category: Publishers Note
And the winner comes from?
The race among OEMs to have the tallest turbine with the highest capacity on the market has been going on for years, especially when it comes to the offshore market. The capacity of offshore wind turbines has more than doubled in less than 10 years. For example, in 2014, Siemens started serial production of its SWT6.0, a 6MW turbine, specifically designed for offshore. The largest model that Siemens Gamesa is now offering is the SG 14-236 direct-drive (DD), which has a capacity of up to 15MW. Serial production for this model will start in 2024. The biggest Siemens Gamesa turbine in serial production is currently the SG 11.0-200 DD turbine.
- Category: Publishers Note
An imbalanced market
Lately, wind turbine manufacturers listed on stock exchange markets have announced their most recent financial results. Without exception, they are all facing challenging times. This is mainly caused by the current market environment, with higher costs and issues with supply chain reliability.
- Category: Publishers Note
What do rising energy prices mean for the wind business?
Due to the war Russia started in Ukraine, the world is facing several challenges. Besides the obvious humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, the most prominent challenge is the energy crisis. The rising cost of energy causes an inflation rate for our day-to-day spending in many parts of the world that we have not seen for decades. The main reason for this rise is the seemingly ever-increasing price of gas. At the time of writing, the gas price was at least € 280 per megawatt hour compared with less than € 30 per megawatt hour a year ago. As I wrote in my note for our March/April 2022 issue, Putin is (most likely) also using the gas deliveries to European countries as a political instrument. Because the gas and electricity prices are coupled, the electricity price has also seen a sharp increase. The European Commission has already suggested decoupling these prices since electricity is being generated more and more by other sources, like renewable energy, which is less dependent on gas prices. As I have said before, renewable energy might be a way out of this energy crisis, and it looks like governments are thinking along these lines as well.
- Category: Publishers Note
The wind energy sector requires a global cybersecurity initiative
Recently, (at least) three European OEM’s and a service company experienced a cyberattack that caused operational problems for their wind turbines under service. Other industries already face cyberattacks on a regular basis, so it is likely they will happen more often in the wind industry as well.
- Category: Publishers Note
Challenges of floating wind
If it is up to the European Commission, all the energy used will come from renewable sources by 2050. Achieving this goal will require the large-scale use of floating wind turbines. So far, the majority of offshore wind farms have been bottom-fixed; however, much of the world’s oceans and seas is too deep. In waters deeper than 50 metres, it becomes a technical and economic challenge to install bottom-fixed turbines. That is where floating wind comes in.
- Category: Publishers Note
How many wake-up calls does the world need?
‘The year 2006 started with conflict between Russia and Ukraine about supplying gas to the latter. The year 2007 started with a similar battle between Russia and Belarus about oil and Russia shut down the pipeline which transports oil to the rest of Europe.’ That is how my publisher’s note started in our January/February 2007 issue… 15 years later, Russia/Putin has invaded Ukraine and history is repeating itself.
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