The race to roll out ‘super-sized’ wind turbines is on

In the not too distant future, 15 miles from Martha’s Vineyard, there is a potentially important part of America’s energy future. The 800 MW Vineyard Wind 1 is a project called “the country’s first commercial offshore wind farm.” .. “

Construction of Vineyard Wind 1 began last year. The facility will use a 13 MW version of the GE Renewable Energy Halia de-X turbine. The Haliade-X is part of a new generation turbine with a height of 260 meters (853 feet), a rotor diameter of 220 meters and a blade of 107 meters, and will be installed in the future.

In addition to GE, Other companies are participating in the big turbine law. August 2021, China’s Ming Yang Smart Energy Announcing design details with a height of 264 meters Use a 118 meter blade.

Elsewhere, the Danish company Vestas is working on a 15 MW turbine with a rotor diameter of 236 meters and blades of 115.5 meters. Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Is developing a turbine that incorporates a 108 meter blade and a 222 meter rotor diameter.

The reason for these increases in size is clear. In terms of height, the US Department of Energy states that turbine towers are “higher to take in more energy.” This is because, in general, the wind gets stronger at higher altitudes.

The DOE says, “We will allow wind turbines to sweep more areas, capture more wind and generate more electricity,” not only showing the larger diameter of the rotor. ..

The same is true for blades. The DOE states that long blades “can capture more available wind than short blades, even in areas with relatively low winds.”

Bringing a huge turbine to market is all right, but its size can pose medium- to long-term challenges for this sector and create pinch points that can be a headache. ..

Funakata

Take the installation. During February Survey by Rystad Energy We have refined some of the potential issues associated with ships used to install offshore wind turbines at sea.

With the exception of China, wind turbines “have seen a surge in growth in recent years, rising from an average of 3 megawatts (MW) in 2010 to 6.5 MW today.”

He explained that this change is likely to persist. “Turbines over 8 MW accounted for only 3% of the world’s equipment between 2010 and 2021, and that percentage is projected to surge to 53% by 2030.”

The above data are only relevant for offshore wind turbines. According to energy research and business intelligence companies, the demand for vessels capable of installing larger offshore turbines is expected to exceed supply by 2024.

Operators said, “We need to invest in new vessels or upgrade existing vessels to install super-sized turbines that are expected to become standard by the end of the decade, or offshore wind power. The pace of installation may slow down. “

Martin Risne, Senior Analyst for Rig and Ships at Ristad Energy, said Time.

Lysne said operators will continue to prefer large turbines and will need a “new generation of dedicated vessels” to meet demand.

These special vessels are not cheap.U.S. companies Dominion EnergyFor example, he leads a consortium to build a 472-foot Charybdis. It costs about $ 500 million and can install current turbines and next-generation turbines over 12 MW. As turbines grow, more ships like Charybdis will be needed in the future.

According to Rystad Energy’s analysis, “only a handful of current dedicated ship fleets can install turbines above 10 MW, and no unit currently can install turbines above 14 MW.” “This will change towards 2025 as new vessels begin delivery and existing vessels undergo crane upgrades.”

port

Ships that transport and install turbines will be important in the coming years, but the ports they dock are another area that is likely to require investment and upgrades to keep up with the growth of wind energy.

In a comment sent to CNBC by email, Lystad Energy’s Lysne explained that port infrastructure is “very important” from a ship’s perspective.

It seems that a large amount of money will be required in the future.According to a report from the industry group WindEurope last May, European ports You need to invest 6.5 billion euros (Approximately $ 7.07 billion) By 2030 to “support the expansion of offshore wind power”.

This report addresses the new reality of larger turbines and the potential impact this may have on ports and infrastructure. “To host a larger turbine and a larger market, we need an upgraded or entirely new facility,” he said.

According to WindEurope, ports also need to “expand land, strengthen piers, strengthen deep-sea ports, and carry out other civil engineering works.”

Recently, reports from the World Wind Energy Association have also emphasized the importance of ports.

“As offshore wind projects expand and commercial-scale floating offshore wind projects surge, port upgrades will be critical to the industry’s future success,” he said.

The Brussels-based organization said that turbine sizes have “dramatically increased” over the last 10 years, noting that 15 MW turbines are available on the market.

“Experts now predict that turbines rated at 17 MW will be common by 2035,” he added, adding that “massive” projects are being developed around floating offshore wind. ..

These “floating projects” “need to store and assemble critical quays, requiring more spacious facilities, land-based connecting transport links within the port area, and deep-sea ports.”

“Several governments have identified port upgrades that are essential to the progress of offshore wind power from Taiwan to New York.”

Regarding the port, Lystad Energy’s Lysne told CNBC that the United States, which currently has a small offshore wind market, “doesn’t have the same infrastructure as Europe, so more work is needed.”

It seems that changes in that respect will be made soon. At the beginning of March, BP When Equinor —Two well-known oil and gas producers — have signed an agreement Convert South Brooklyn Marine Terminal into an offshore wind farm.

In the announcement, Equinor stated that the port would be “a state-of-the-art staging facility for the Equinor and bp Empire Wind and Beacon Wind projects.” The site claimed to be “the destination for future offshore wind projects in the region.” Investment in infrastructure upgrades is expected to be between $ 200 million and $ 250 million.

Road ahead

All of the above leads to the importance of infrastructure and logistics. Shashi Barla, Global Head of Wind Supply Chain and Technology at Wood Mackenzie, told CNBC that while the company has the technical capabilities, the logistics challenges have proven to be “extremely difficult.” rice field.

“That’s nothing new … we’ve been talking about logistics challenges since day one in the industry,” Barla said. “It’s … it’s like we’re approaching a turning point today.”

Major economies around the world Announces plans to increase wind energy capacity To reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

While these goals are ambitious, it is clear that they are facing many hurdles. Despite the turbine size issues, it takes a lot of effort to bring all these equipment online. I have something to do.

“Increasingly, the lack of facilitating infrastructure is seen as a major limiting factor in the growth of the wind industry,” said the GWEC report.

“In many countries, the lack of infrastructure such as grids, grids, distribution highways and ports is curbing the expansion of wind power and the very innovation needed to transform energy systems,” he added. ..

Alongside these issues, the interaction of wind turbines with wildlife could be another area of ​​major debate and debate in the future.

Last week, the US Department of Justice announced a company called ESI Energy Inc. He had “three fleas of MBTA violations” or the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

As the 21st century progresses, wind energy is set to expand significantly, but the road ahead never looks smooth.The planet has recently been warned by the UN Secretary-General. “Sleepwalking to a climate catastrophe” The stake cannot be higher than this.