Offshore wind and its ‘interesting times’
The saying “may you live in interesting times” - often erroneously thought of as a Chinese curse - can easily be attributed to the wind sector during 2023.
UK
Ayrshire wind turbine sheds blades in Storm Gerrit gales
Onlookers captured the moment an onshore wind turbine in Scotland shed its blades and disintegrated amid high winds during Storm Gerrit.
Hundreds of offshore wind vessels boost traffic at Port of Aberdeen
700 offshore wind vessels - 12% of total traffic - came to the port in 2023.
Lamprell secures supply work for Norfolk Vanguard offshore wind developments
UAE-based fabrication firm Lamprell has signed a "very large capacity" supply agreement for two major offshore wind developments off the coast of Norfolk.
TotalEnergies to sell part of Seagreen wind farm for £552m
TotalEnergies (XPAR: TTE) has agreed to sell 25.5% of Seagreen, Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm, in a £552m deal with Thailand national oil firm PTTEP.
Aberdeen’s OEG Renewables lands Taiwan offshore wind contracts
OEG Renewables is continuing its expansion into the Asia-Pacific renewables markets, with further opportunities beckoning in Japan and South Korea
Ørsted takes FID on Hornsea 3
Ørsted has taken a final investment decision (FID) on the 2.9GW Hornsea 3 wind project – billed as the world’s single largest offshore wind farm.
First substation in place at Moray West wind farm
Boskalis has installed the first offshore substation at the Moray West wind farm, while work to install monopiles continues.
UK to introduce carbon levy on imports starting 2027
The UK will introduce a carbon border levy in 2027 for imports of emissions-intensive goods from countries deemed to have weaker climate rules, following a similar move by the European Union.
Government to set budget for ‘catch-up’ AR6 CfD auction in March
AR6 could be the ‘catch up auction’ for offshore wind projects after last round failed to attract bids.
SeAH lands ‘biggest foundation contract’ in its history for UK wind farm
SeAH Wind has hailed its largest ever single contract award, with the firm now set to supply all monopiles for Vattenfall’s Norfolk Vanguard wind project.
Wind sector on stronger footing after ‘rollercoaster’ 2023 – but port challenge remains
An uptick in strike prices leaves the offshore wind sector in a ‘good place’, according to supply chain experts – but challenges remain around investing in grid and infrastructure.
OEUK report outlines North Sea clean energy skills potential
The North Sea's skilled oil and gas specialists must be retained to power the transition to clean energy, according to a report released by Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) today.
Offshore wind R&I programme to offer up to £300k per project
The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) backed offshore wind research and innovation (R&I) programme is set to launch an innovation call to help deliver projects.
Offshore wind contractors are starting to say “no”
"The market is shifting. The contractor side is gaining bargaining power, the clients in my world are stepping back and negotiating with contractors who are just saying no. A line has been crossed.”
14 North East Scotland energy transition firms share in £2.5m ETZ Challenge Fund grants
The grants ranging from £50,000 to £250,000 will to go businesses and projects located in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray.
Forth Ports CEO steps down after 23 years in charge
Forth Ports Group chief executive officer Charles Hammond has announced he will step down from the role next year after 23 years in charge of the Edinburgh-based company.
Crown Estate kicks off Celtic Sea wind leasing round
The Crown Estate has kicked off a brand new tender process for its upcoming fifth wind leasing round, which promises three new floating projects in the Celtic Sea.
SSE Renewables plans approved for 125MW Cloiche Wind Farm in the Scottish Highlands
The Scottish Government has granted consent to SSE Renewables for its proposed 29 turbine Cloiche Wind Farm located in the Scottish Highlands.
Urgent action needed to prevent UK’s energy sector being left in the cold, warns Vysus Group boss
Uncertainty over domestic energy policy and a failure to capitalise on Aberdeen and the wider UK’s potential are hindering the country's efforts to become a world-leader in the energy transition, Vysus Group CEO says.
Planning milestone as Berwick Bank gets onshore connection approval
Timely approval from Holyrood in the new year could now pave the way for the project to enter the UK's next CfD round.
Engineer who lost arm while working on North Sea wind turbine wins compensation
Darren Hoadley wins compensation from employer Siemens Gamesa after losing his arm in a 2018 accident installing a wind turbine in the Belgian North Sea
Report finds just 4% of offshore wind leaders think UK will meet 50GW by 2030 target
'Re-Energising Offshore Wind' report reveals ports, grid infrastructure and supply chain resilience are among the issues most concerning the sector.
Masdar to invest in East Anglia THREE amid €15bn wind, hydrogen push with Iberdrola
Iberdrola and Masdar have formed a partnership to invest up to €15 billion in offshore wind and green hydrogen projects – including the UK’s East Anglia THREE.
Masdar stacks up deals on 20 GW of clean energy
Masdar head Al Ramahi said the Kyrgyzstan agreement marked a “new chapter for Masdar in our clean energy journey … we are glad to have the opportunity to bring the energy, passion and focus to hydropower that we have utilised for so many other renewable energy sources”.