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When Patents Become a Barrier

Jesper SlothIs it not about time that we rethink the approach to patents in the wind industry to foster innovation, standardisation and scalability?
 
By Jesper Sloth, Chief Marketing Officer, Polytech, Denmark

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OCEaN: Speed Up Offshore Wind and Grid Development

By Antonella Battaglini, CEO, Renewables Grid Initiative, GermanyAt a joint conference on nature-positive offshore energy infrastructure hosted by the Renewables Grid Initiative and WindEurope, the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) confirmed that it is possible to speed up offshore wind and related electricity grid deployment while protecting and restoring nature.
 
By Antonella Battaglini, CEO, Renewables Grid Initiative, Germany

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The Financing and Bankability of Offshore Wind Vessels

Richard SmithIn this article, we explore some of the considerations concerning the financing and bankability of wind turbine installation vessels. We have seen a diverse group of financiers interested in financing vessels in the offshore wind sector and, while the nature of the financing available will depend to a large extent on the employment of the vessel, there are various issues they need to consider.
 
By Richard Smith, London Maritime Partner, Watson Farley & Williams, UK

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Will European Intellectual Property Be Key for Overseas Countries in Meeting Their Net Zero Targets?

Daniel Sizer website headshot bwTechnological advancement is unquestionably supporting the increased adoption of offshore wind, and as organisations race to achieve net zero, many are highlighting the important role of innovation. Measuring innovation and technological advancement is not straightforward but one effective way to overcome the challenge is through careful analysis of patent filing data: patentable inventions often indicate successful R&D activities. A joint report by the European Patent Office and International Energy Agency analyses global trends in clean energy technology innovation and provides some useful insights into innovation in the wind energy sector.
 
By Daniel Sizer, Partner at intellectual property firm, Marks & Clerk, UK

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Drivers of the Renewable Energy Future

Stefan GsangerIn 2021, almost 100GW of wind power capacity was installed around the world. In almost every country, wind power is today one of the pillars of the power supply strategy. This new record of wind power installations is astonishing and part of a broader trend – other renewables, in particular solar power, have also set new records.
 
By Stefan Gsänger, Secretary General, World Wind Energy Association

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Build Them at Sea, New Energy for the World

Chris WestraThe year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of my involvement in the development of wind power for generating electricity. During those 50 years, I did a lot of research on many aspects of implementing wind energy and wrote many research reports, brochures and books on the subject. Recently I have published my second book on offshore wind energy, Build Them at Sea, New Energy for the World, for a broad audience to introduce them to this important energy source for a sustainable future. I describe the policy, (technical) developments, construction, maintenance, and the vessels used and developed for this purpose. While writing, I concluded that in the coming years, we are going to make great steps: large wind turbines of 20MW, as high as the Eiffel Tower, new installation and maintenance vessels, drones for inspections, and robotised maintenance. But even more important is the development of floating turbines and the offshore production of hydrogen at sea. Competition for the most robust and cost-efficient floating design is ongoing and development of electrolysers is fast. With all of this progress, offshore wind energy is going to become the largest potential energy source.
 
By Chris Westra, the Netherlands

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