WD Nov 10 Final

T h e e u r o p e a n
w i n d i n d u s T r y
m a g a z i n e
November 2010
Volume 29/N
o
5
TiNA BirBili
Greek Energy Minister
inTerview
Unravelling the grid
Bringing wind power to
the consumers
MINING FRONT END
REACTORS
& SERVICES
BACK END RENEWABLE ENERGIES
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3 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010
| contents |
Wind Directions is published fve times a year.
The contents do not necessarily refect the views and policy of EWEA.
Publisher: Christian Kjaer
Editor: Sarah Azau
Writers: Sarah Azau, Chris Rose, Crispin Aubrey, Elke Zander,
Zo Casey
Design & production: www.inextremis.be
Cover photo: Stiftung Offshore Windenergie
letter from the editor 5
For a greater grid
brussels brieng 6
The latest EU news
country focus 9
A closer look at Croatia
interview 11
Tina Birbili, Greek Energy Minister
wind news 14
site visit 18
Scaling the heights of technology
feature 21
A question of supply
guest columnist 27
A change of mind
wind bites & wind dates 29
focus 30
The grid that never sleeps
Powering Europe: EWEAs new grids report
How does the grid work?
Dr Klaus Rave on a citizens electricity network
mini focus 42
The wind star state
technology corner 46
Larger turbines: bigger and better?
wind energy basics 48
Is wind energy competitive?
run-up to COP16 51
That was then; this is now: the climate change hiatus
EWEA news 52
EWEA welcomes new members 55
the last word 58
Bicycles, bands and bad guys
T H E E U R O P E A N
W I N D I N D U S T R Y
M A G A Z I N E
November 2010
Volume 29/N
o
5
Cert no. SGS-COC-006375
Our new wind turbine in Hamburg is 40 metres
higher than conventional ones. Since wind speed
increases with every extra metre of height, this
means 20 % more power. This 190-metre turbine
is the highest of its kind anywhere in the world.
2,500 households are now benetting from clean,
green power, and CO
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emissions have been cut
by 3,100 tonnes a year. Is there anything we can
develop for you?
WE GIVE THE WIND
20 % MORE POWER
IF YOU WANT.
www.nordex-online.com
You ask:
Can we generate 20 % more
power from a wind turbine?
We answer:
Yes, if we make it
40 metres higher.
| letter from the editor |
I
want you to imagine for a minute you are walk-
ing on top of a cliff overlooking the North Sea.
The wind is so strong you can lean your whole
body into it. Below, almighty waves, swept up in
the gale, are crashing into the rocks.
Now imagine you are in Spain, or perhaps Italy
or Portugal. The sun is soaking into your skin.
The sky dazzles with the intense southern light
that bounces glaringly off buildings and cars.
With such immense renewable sources of
power to hand, it seems incredible that Europe
is still forking out for fossil fuel imports. It is as
though a farmer with a huge and fertile orchard
were paying an unreliable neighbour for fruit while
his own rotted in his back garden.
The analogy is of course not quite accurate
Europe is developing its renewables and fast, with
wind leading the feld for new power installations
two years running. But if the abundant winds
and the sunshine with which Europe is blessed
are not connected to those who need the power
they provide the electricity consumers we will
remain dependent on polluting and expensive fuel
imports from outside.
The grids question and more specifcally, the
idea of a supergrid, laid over Europes current power
networks and stretching out into the seas and pos-
sibly the deserts of northern Africa is discussed
in this Wind Directions on p. 30. It is also the focus
of EWEAs GRIDS 2010 event, being held from
23-24 November in Berlin, and of our latest report:
Powering Europe: wind energy and the electricity
grid, which will be launched at GRIDS 2010.
Further away, but no less drenched in sunshine
and swept by the wind is the state of Texas, which
has seized the lead in wind energy in the US,
reaching 9,410 MW of cumulative installed capac-
ity by the end of 2009. Chris Rose travelled to
Texas for Wind Directions to fnd out more read
all about it on p. 42.
Bits and pieces
It is easy to think of a wind turbine as an
object in itself, but it is of course made up
of different bits, or components, which each
have to be manufactured and rigorously
tested. This was brought home when I visited
the Technology R&D headquarters of Vestas
in Denmark in September and found out a
little bit about the complex procedures that
frame every stage of the design, building
and monitoring of every turbine (p. 18).
Chris, meanwhile, was exploring how those
components come together: who provides
the materials? How is it coordinated? What
materials make a turbine a turbine? His article
on the supply chain is on p. 21.
Aside from all of this, we have an exclusive
interview with the Greek energy minister Tina
Birbili on p. 11, an exclusive extract from
a speech on grids by Dr Klaus Rave from
Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein, the
Technology Corner exploring larger turbines,
and the usual other sections including the
Country Focus, Wind Energy Basics, Brussels
Briefng, Wind News and EWEA News, not to
mention articles from external contributors
Rolf De Vos and Mark Edwards.
And as you read, perhaps by electric light,
or on a computer screen, remember the
silent work of the grids that transported that
power to you. Often overlooked, grids are
fast becoming the key issue on which the
further development and use of wind energy
in Europe depends. We must ensure they
are modernised and extended to guarantee
a secure, cost-effcient and renewable-based
energy future.
More information on GRIDS 2010:
www.ewea.org/grids2010
For a greater grid
By Sarah Azau
Editor
EU energy policy must be bolder,
more effective and more ambitious
says Commissioner
EU energy
ministers: grid
interconnections
must be sped up
G
rid projects of European interest
should automatically receive the
fastest possible realisation in each
individual Member State, the Energy
Ministers proposed at a recent informal
meeting.
Having agreed on the need to improve
interconnections to integrate the energy
market properly, and shore up the EUs
energy supply, ministers stated that in
many Member States there are severe
delays for building energy transmission
and distribution infrastructure. These de-
lays could be reduced by putting projects
considered to be of European interest
into a fast track system.
Ministers also agreed that the market
should fnance energy infrastructure
projects, and that this should be made
easier by simplifying the administra-
tive procedures. One suggestion from
the European Investment Bank was to
support high risk energy infrastructure
projects by a customised European
fnancing mechanism.
The energy ministers have correctly
identifed the importance of improving
grid interconnections for an integrated
energy market with more renewable
energy, said Justin Wilkes, EWEAs
Policy Director. Simplifying the red tape
involved will allow this to happen rapidly
and help ensure the EU meets its renew-
able energy targets by 2020.
For more information please contact Justin Wilkes at
jw@ewea.org.
I
n a speech on the preparation of the
EU energy strategy 2011-2020, EU
Energy Commission Gnther Oettinger
stressed the need to take urgent and
ambitious actions today to be ready for
a low-carbon, effcient and democratic
energy future.
One of the guiding principles of the
energy policy should be the vision of a
largely decarbonised economy by 2050,
he said, also warning that Europe risked
losing its renewables leadership to the
US and China if action is not taken.
Oettinger stated that he wants to
improve conditions for investments
in low-carbon energy so we can look
forward to a real energy revolution, and
to develop large-scale production of
renewables.
Developing the power networks is
key to this, said the Commissioner. We
must completely renew our electricity
networks to cope with a much larger
renewable production, he said, and
cited the need for pan-European energy
infrastructure.
Commissioner Oettinger concluded
his speech by announcing that a consul-
tation on a 2050 Energy Roadmap would
be opened in November.
New environment information tool for
EWEA members
N
eed to read the latest fndings on wind
power and bats? Want to show how
wind turbine noise has changed over time?
All major studies on wind energy and
the environment can now be found on
EWEAs newly launched Environmental
Impacts Information Tool (EIIT), exclusive-
ly available for EWEA members.
The EIIT includes a review of the exist-
ing and most relevant literature on the
various potential impacts of wind energy,
both onshore and offshore. Browse
by category birds, bats, marine life,
landscape issues, light effects, noise,
electromagnetic disturbance, and various
safety issues - search for the main docu-
ments or look for the leading experts on
each topic to get in touch with directly.
The EIIT will be regularly updated with
the latest research.
| brussels briefng |
Photo: iStockphoto
Photo: C-Power
EU-Africa renewable energy
cooperation programme launched
T
he EU is to contribute 5 million
to a renewable energy cooperation
programme (RECP) which it recently
launched together with the African Union
at a meeting of the Africa-EU Energy
Partnership (AEEP). The programme will
help contribute to the EU-Africa renew-
able energy targets for 2020.
The targets include building at least
5,000 MW of wind energy and adding over
10,500 MW of other renewables. They
also cover giving access to modern and
sustainable energy to at least 100 mil-
lion more Africans by 2020, and improving
energy security by doubling the capacity
of cross-border electricity interconnec-
tions, the use of natural gas in Africa, and
African gas exports to Europe.
The Renewable Energy Cooperation
Programme will run for ten years.
Offshore grid gets EU Presidency
boost
I
n October, at a high level conference in
Ostend jointly organised by the Belgium
Presidency and EWEA, representatives
from energy ministries and industry
agreed the importance of developing
offshore electricity infrastructure. They
were focusing on plans to build an off-
shore grid in the North Seas.
The Belgian Director General for
Energy, Marie-Pierre Fauconnier, ex-
plained that This intergovernmental
initiative aims to create an integrated
offshore electricity grid in the North Seas
[...] Building this North Seas offshore
grid is essential to meet Europes future
energy needs secure electricity supply,
free of carbon emissions, at an afford-
able price - as it will connect Europe with
its greatest domestic energy resource,
offshore wind.
Christian Kjaer, Chief Executive of
EWEA told the conference: It is vital
that European countries work together to
create the North Sea grid which will im-
prove security of energy supply and bring
more competition into the electricity
market. Europe needs this international
infrastructure to connect offshore power
to onshore grids.
On 2 December 2010 the North
Seas Countries that is, Belgium,
Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland,
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway,
Sweden and the UK - will sign a
Memorandum of Understanding on
what is known as the North Seas
Countries Offshore Grid Initiative. The
Memorandum of Understanding will pro-
vide a framework for regional cooperation
to fnd solutions to questions relating
to current and future grid infrastructure
developments in the North Seas.
To date in Europe there are 948
offshore wind turbines in 43 fully opera-
tional offshore wind farms, with a total
capacity of 2,396 MW.
| brussels briefng |
Pilot network
code to be
nalised in 2011
T
he European grid operators pilot
network code for grid connection re-
quirements with a special focus on wind
energy will be fnalised in 2011, with
stakeholder consultations being carried
out in the frst three months of the year,
according to the body of European trans-
mission system operators (ENTSO-E)
draft work programme for next year.
The work programme, which has
ended its public consultation period,
also covers the plan that outlines future
changes or additions to the power grid -
the Ten Year Network Development Plan
(TYNDP). ENTSO-Es work programme
states that given the stakeholders mes-
sage of urgency on applying a top-down
pan-European approach to the TYNDP,
the Member States National Renewable
Energy Action Plans (NREAPs) will be
examined this year and, if they sug-
gest a signifcantly different generation
scenario for 2020 from the pilot TYNDP,
ENTSO-E will publish the results in
mid-2011.
It is very encouraging that ENTSO-E
is pushing ahead with the network code,
and that it has listened to the wind
industrys calls to integrate the NREAPs
into the TYNDP, said Paul Wilczek,
EWEAs Regulatory Affairs Advisor. It is
essential that the EU countries plans
are taken into account so that suffcient
grid upgrades are made to integrate the
planned amounts of wind and other re-
newables and meet the 2020 targets.
In another recently closed consulta-
tion, the EU energy regulators (ERGEG)
asked about the so-called framework
guidelines on grid connection require-
ments. Framework guidelines are
supposed to provide clear guidelines for
developing network codes, contributing
to the overall goals of non-discrimination
and effective competition, as set out
in the third Liberalisation Package. The
responses will go towards ENTSO-Es
work developing the network code on
grid connection requirements.
Find out more: www.entsoe.eu;
www.energy-regulators.eu
Photo: Gamesa
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Phone: +49-40-5 55 50 90-0 Fax: +49-40-5 55 50 90-39 99 E-mail: info@repower.de Internet: www.repower.de
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| country focus |
S
tretching almost the entire length of
the Eastern Adriatic Sea, Croatias
plentiful coastline and long coastal
islands make it an ideal location for
wind farms. Although the country leads
the Balkans when it comes to wind
power, it is a relative newcomer to the
sector. Its frst farm with a total capacity
of 5.95 MW was installed in 2004 on
Pag, the ffth largest island in Croatia.
Situated in the northern Adriatic Sea,
Pag an island also famous for lace
making - is buffeted by the Bora wind,
which in pre-Slavic means cruel wind.
In 2006 a second farm opened near
Sibenik one of the oldest towns in
Croatia which was frst mentioned in
1066 in a Charter of the Croatian King
Petar Kresimir IV. Currently, this farm
called Trtar Krtolin is the largest farm in
the country with an installed capacity of
11.2 MW.
Croatia has a current total of
27.75 MW of wind power the com-
bined total of four wind farms across the
country. Two additional wind farms with a
combined total of 51.2 MW are under-
going a trial run. In addition, there are
several projects under construction in the
country with a combined total of 30 MW.
These farms are awaiting equipment de-
liveries, but they should be fully installed
by the end of this year. While wind power
in Croatia is still small fry compared to
nearby Italy, its total capacity is on the
rise: back in 2007 Croatia had 17 MW
installed, rising only slightly to 18 MW by
the end of 2008, EWEAs fgures show.
Looking at the overall power mix, the
country currently gets most of its energy
A closer look at
Croatia...
In 2010, Wind Directions will
take a look at a selection of the
developing wind energy markets
with the most potential.
Croatia the wind energy facts
from gas, while hydropower also plays
a signifcant role. In terms of renewable
energies, Croatia is set to reach a 5.8%
renewable energy share by the end of
2010 (excluding large hydro), according to
the Energy Institute Hrvoje Poznar. Wind
power will provide the biggest contribution
in achieving this target, the Institute said.
In order to encourage a greater devel-
opment of renewables, in July 2007 fve
regulations were enacted on incentives
to generate electricity from renewable
sources, including feed-in tariffs. In 2010
the feed-in tariff for wind power was
0.09/kWh. However, the Energy Institute
Hrvoje Poznar said that there are still
some unresolved issues surrounding the
regulations, such as a lack of coordina-
tion between energy and construction
laws. A wind farm developer may also
have to obtain several different permits
and have multiple contacts with different
state institutions before getting the green
light for a farm.
Croatia and its surrounding countries
are also working on creating a regional
energy market. In October 2005, Croatia,
an EU candidate country, the EU and
nine other South-Eastern European coun-
tries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro,
Kosovo and Romania signed the Energy
Community Treaty. (Since then, Ukraine
has also joined the Energy Community,
while Romania and Bulgaria have be-
come EU Member States.) This treaty,
which was also the frst legally binding
agreement signed by the South East
European states since the 1990 wars,
aims to create the legal basis for an
integrated European market for electricity
and gas.
By Zo Casey
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TRADITIONAL ENERGY SOURCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gas
SUPPORT MECHANISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feed-in tariff of 0.09 per kWh
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AND M0PE EVEPY DAY.
| interview |
25% of Greeces electricity will come from wind by 2020,
says the countrys energy minister.
Boosting green
development
looks as one
of our best
alternative
for gradually
reshaping our
economy.
Modern Greek
T
ina Birbili has been Greeces Minister for
Environment, Energy and Climate Change
since October 2009. Dr. Ioannis Tsipouridis, CEO
of PPC Renewables, asked her some questions
on behalf of EWEA.
Greece recently approved a bill raising its 2020
renewables target to 20%. This is higher than
the 18% target set in the EU Renewable Energy
Directive. Why did you set a higher target? How
has this affected your National Renewable Energy
Action Plan (NREAP)?
We have indeed done so because we are con-
vinced that investing in renewables, and clean
energy technologies in general, is the most ef-
fcient way to achieve our medium and longer term
national targets regarding energy, environmental
protection and economic growth. At this stage, in
particular, boosting green development looks like
one of our best alternatives for gradually reshap-
ing our economy, transforming it from a con-
sumption-based to a production-based one that
also exploits indigenous resources. Thus, setting
ambitious still realistic targets is a conscious
political decision and our NREAP refects that and
is fully compatible with that.
What proportion of the 20% do you expect wind
energy to meet?
Our 2020 target for electricity from renewables is
40%. Out of that 40%, wind will account for 25%
and the other 15% will come from other renewables.
This results in 10% wind contribution in the overall
20% fgure, when it comes to the total fnal energy
consumption.
What measures does Greeces renewable energy
bill include to help the wind energy industry meet
this goal?
There are two critical things. The frst has to do
with the new legislative framework we established
by law in early June 2010 which a) accelerates
permitting procedures, b) removes non-technical
barriers for realising large projects, including grid
interconnections, in order to exploit the huge wind
potential of our Aegean sea islands, c) foresees
The energy mix in Greece
As of 2005, 6.9% of Greeces energy - 10% of
its electricity - came from renewables. This 10%
broke down into 8% hydro and 2% wind power.
By the end of 2009, Greece had installed a
cumulative total of 1,087 MW. Wind currently
provides around 4% of Greeces electricity.
Greece has to reach 18% of its energy
from renewables (40% of its electricity) by
2020 according to the 2009 EU Renewable
Energy Directive.
In its National Renewable Energy Action Plan,
Greece stated that this 40% renewable elec-
tricity in 2020 would break down into 24% from
wind, 9% from hydro, 4% PV, 1% biomass, 1%
geothermal and 1% CSP.
In its 2008 Pure Power report, EWEA
predicted that Greece would install 6,500-
8,500 MW of wind power capacity by 2020,
providing between 22% and 29% of the
countrys power.
Photo: Greek Energy Ministry
| interview |
the possibility for an increased feed-in tariff for
exploiting low wind potential areas and d) taking
frst steps towards offshore development by
employing a centrally coordinated licensing and
bidding procedure. The second has to do with the
grid. New grid extension, reinforcement and inter-
connection actions are now seriously planned for
the short-medium and longer term timeline.
Greece had 1,087 MW of wind energy capacity
installed by the end of 2009. What are the main
barriers to wind energy development in Greece?
How are they being tackled?
The problems were always well known; the
complicated and unfriendly legislative framework,
the grid inadequacy, and public acceptance.
In all three of them we have now made some
real efforts for change. For the grid we already
discussed earlier. We have much improved the
legislation in an attempt to shorten the licens-
ing period from (practically speaking) four to six
years to one to 1.5 years and, most importantly,
we have built a One-Stop-Shop in the ministry to
accelerate the licensing procedures. We also did
some indirect work regarding public acceptance
by providing incentives, through the reduction of
their electricity bill, to people living close to wind
farms. We are aware that much more has to be
done regarding public acceptance and awareness
and we plan to put additional effort into that.
What do the Greeks think of wind energy? Do you
have any issues with social acceptance?
NIMBY (not in my backyard) is a universal dis-
ease. We defnitely face social acceptance issues
as we already discussed earlier.
Greece has a lot of coastline. Are you planning to
develop offshore wind?
Yes, we have started doing so under a centrally
coordinated scheme, as I already mentioned. We
have concluded the preliminary sitting exercise
and now we are quickly moving to the needed
Strategic Environmental Assessment procedure.
Although the sea in Greece is much deeper than
it is in northern Europe, it looks like our country
has some signifcant offshore resource as well.
The country is heavily reliant on coal and two
new lignite plants will have been built by 2017.
Surely this is cancelling out the positive steps
taken developing CO
2
-free wind energy?
It is clear for us that lignite will continue to
contribute to our electricity mix as an important
indigenous resource that we cannot just ignore.
Evidently, the technology we will use for our new
power plants will be much cleaner and effcient
that it used to be before. Of course, this is not
solving the CO
2
emissions problem. It is also clear,
on the other hand, that the lignite contribution into
the energy mix will be continuously fading in the
future and the resulting defcit will be mainly substi-
tuted by RES electricity. The two new lignite plants
replace others that will be shut down.
At the upcoming COP16 meeting in Cancun, coun-
tries will again try and come up with a binding
agreement on climate change. Do you think they
will succeed? What needs to be included in the
agreement in your opinion?
This is a very diffcult one. We went to
Copenhagen under better global economic condi-
tions than today and, still, we failed to achieve a
binding agreement. I dont know how Cancun can
do better in that. What I can say is that Greece is
a very strong supporter of the European position
that urges for such a binding agreement and we
believe that it is just a matter of time that every
nation will streamline with this belief. But, per-
haps, time is not enough.
Tina Birbili was born in Athens in 1969. She graduated with a degree
in Physics from the University of Athens in 1990. After a Masters
course at Imperial College, University of London on Environmental
Technology, she did a PhD on environmental management and eco-
nomics, completing it in 1995.
From 2004, she was advisor to the President of the Panhellenic
Socialist Party.
After the elections of October 2009 she was appointed Greeces frst
ever Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Change.
New grid
extension,
reinforcement and
interconnection
actions are
now seriously
planned for the
short-medium
and longer term
timeline.
P
h
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t
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:

H
W
E
A
Wind energy-related
activities were organised
in Greece for this years
Global Wind Day.
| wind news |
BRAZIL
Three wind farms to be built
Enel Green Power has signed a contract
for three 30 MW wind farms to be built in
Brazil, at sites at Cristal, Primavera and
Sao Judas (state of Bahia) where the
capacity factor is nearly 50%. The wind
farms should come online in the sec-
ond half of 2012, doubling Enel Green
Powers installed capacity in Brazil.
More information: www.enelgreenpower.com
CANADA
New rotor blade manufacturing
facility to open
Siemens Energy intends to invest in
setting up a new rotor blade manufactur-
ing facility in Canada, which will cre-
ate up to 300 jobs, the company has
announced. Siemens has also signed
a framework agreement with Samsung
C&T Corporation for the supply of wind
turbines with a combined capacity of
600 MW to various projects in Ontario,
which is suffcient to supply power to
the equivalent of 240,000 Canadian
households.
More information: www.siemens.com
GERMANY
Developers order new Vestas
turbines
German developers PROKON have placed
the frst ever order for the new V112
turbine from Vestas. The 17 turbines,
which each have a capacity of 3 MW, will
be used in the Krackow wind farm project
in Germany. They will be delivered by the
beginning of 2012.
More information: www.vestas.com
Central German wind farm to
expand
GE is supplying three wind turbines
totalling 7.5 MW for the expansion of the
wind farm Gro-Santersleben Sd near
Magdeburg in central Germany, to add to
the 12 MW currently in operation there.
More information: www.gepower.com
Upcoming 74.8 MW wind farm
near Rostock
REpower is to deliver and install 22 of its
3.4 MW wind turbines at the 74.8 MW
Hohen Luckow wind farm near Rostock,
northern Germany. The farm, which is
being developed by German company
Denker & Wulf, is expected to be built by
mid 2012.
REpower has signed a 15 year con-
tract to service and maintain the wind
turbines, which have a hub height of 128
metres.
More information: www.repower.de
INDIA
5,000 MW of wind power
Suzlon Energy Limited, Indias largest
wind turbine manufacturer, announced
it has now reached 5,000 MW of wind
energy capacity in India. The installed
turbines avoid 8.5 megatonnes of CO
2

every year.
More information: www.suzlon.com
POLAND
Further wind energy growth in
southwest Poland
Vestas is to supply 29 of its 2 MW
turbines to subsidiaries of Polish Energy
Partners S.A, for wind farms in ukaszw
and Modlikowice in the southwest of
Poland. Delivery of the turbines is sched-
uled to be completed in 2011.
More information: www.vestas.com
SWEDEN
Sweden builds wind power
technology centre
The centre has been set up in Sweden to
support the countrys wind energy sector.
The Swedish Wind Power Technology
Centre (SVTC) has total funding of nearly
11 million from the Swedish Energy
Agency, the wind energy industry and
Chalmers university of technology. The
centre will focus on wind power design
and on training engineers.
UK
Worlds largest offshore wind
farm opens
The 300 MW Thanet offshore wind farm,
12 km off the coast of Kent in the UK,
opened in late September. The wind farm is
made up of 100 of Vestas V90 3.0MW tur-
bines, which were installed in less than 100
days. The turbines have a tip height of 115m.
The Thanet farm boosts the UKs
offshore wind energy capacity by nearly
one-third, and will produce enough power to
supply more than 200,000 homes per year
with clean energy.
More information: www.vattenfall.co.uk
Parts of Brazil offer
a 50% wind energy
capacity factor
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and more wind turbines
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| wind news |
Growth planned for one of
Europes largest wind farms
The Whitelee wind farm in Scotland is to be
expanded to 539 MW as from 2012, own-
ers Iberdrola Renovables have announced.
69 Alstom turbines will add 250 MW to the
farms capacity. The wind farm should sup-
ply the equivalent of more than 300,000
households with power, while avoiding
840,000 tonnes of CO
2
per year.
More information: www.iberdrola.es
New factory to build offshore
foundations
Tag Energy Solutions, a UK company,
has secured fnancing worth
23.5 million in order to build an
offshore manufacturing plant in
Billingham, northeast England. The
factory is to produce monopiles for
offshore foundations in the
North Sea.
More information: www.tagenergysolutions.com
Hornsea offshore wind farm
granted grid connection
The frst 1 GW of the planned 4 GW
Hornsea offshore wind farm, situated off
the north-east coast of England in water
depths of up to 70m, has been granted
grid connection. The frst section will be
built and connected in 2014, and the
other 3 GW between 2015 and 2020.
The Hornsea farm is owned by the SMart
Wind consortium, led in a joint venture
by Mainstream Renewable Power and
Siemens Project Ventures.
More information: www.mainstreamrp.com;
www.siemens.com
US
Monitoring station opens in
Oregon
Iberdrola Renovables has opened
Portland NCC, a renewable energy control
facility that will monitor the companys
wind farms and substations in the US all
year round, then story the information
for analysis. Iberdola currently operates
nearly 3,900 MW in the US, from 41 dif-
ferent wind farms. The centre will employ
25 members of staff.
More information: www.iberdrola.es
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The UKs offshore sector
is expanding
wpm??? 1/2??
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R
eading trade news stories from the
wind energy sector, one could be
forgiven for thinking that building a wind
farm is a simple matter. Order wind tur-
bines, pay money, get turbines delivered,
put them up. Hey presto: more clean,
free energy for consumers to enjoy. Of
course, one of the things those stories
simply do not have space to cover is the
enormous amount of technology research
that goes into every component of each
turbine design, and the extensive monitor-
ing of its performance once its up.
My recent trip to the Technology R&D
headquarters of Vestas, situated on the
east coast of the Danish mainland in the
town of Aarhus, gave me a glimpse into
the extraordinarily advanced technolo-
gies used to control and optimise every
part of the development of a wind farm,
from siting to designing and building
to monitoring.
In the lab, failure is knowledge
Where the wind turbine itself is con-
cerned, Vestas technological expertise
works towards two main goals: robust-
ness and reliability.
A wind turbine has to be ten times
more robust than a car, pointed out
Bjarne Ravn Srensen, President of
Vestas Control Systems. A 2 MW tur-
bine runs for 8,750 hours a year on aver-
age, with two maintenance visits, while a
car runs around 500 hours a year
1
with
two maintenance visits.
At the product laboratory, we had a
practical demonstration of how robust-
ness is achieved, as engineer Niels
Martin Henriksen showed us a chamber
for testing components, and told us how
it is used.
All products degrade over time, and a
turbine has a lifetime of about 25 years,
so we build in a degradation margin.
This means we overstress the product at
the testing stage and make sure it can
withstand conditions far more extreme
than it will ever encounter, he explained.
We can fnd out in a day what would
happen over the turbines lifetime; in the
lab, failure is knowledge.
In order to do this, the chamber contains
a platform foating on springs with ham-
mers that punch the component. The
component is subjected to temperatures
of 200C which are then brought down to
minus 100C with liquid nitrogen.
Other tests include resonance to
ensure no two turbines have the same
Scaling the heights of technology
1
40,000 km at 80 km/hour.
| site visit |
frequency and electromagnetic compat-
ibility, which is checked in a room entirely
covered with foam pads and spikes, as
well as vibration, humidity and a lightning
simulator. There is also a heavy duty
test centre at Aarhus Harbour where
they test complete systems.
Choosing your spot
Finding the optimal turbine design with
the most robust components is one
thing, but choosing where to install the
turbine is quite another.
Turbines are not dropped randomly
like bombs: we put a lot of effort into
planning where they go, says Lars
Christian Christiansen, Vice President of
Vestas Wind & Site Competence Centre.
He explains that they have worldwide
weather data going back ten years, and
receive updates from the 33,000 meteor-
ological stations around the world every
six hours to have a complete overview of
wind conditions everywhere over time.
Showing us a wind map of the United
States, he demonstrates how unsuitable
wind farm sites can be eliminated with a
click of a mouse.
By Sarah Azau
Photos: Vestas Wind Systems AS
Inside the foam-covered electromagnetic capacity testing room
Simulating a turbine
So that engineers and technicians can familiarise themselves with the turbines
before they have to work on them, and customers see more of their purchase,
Vestas have developed a virtual reality centre which simulates what it is like
inside the nacelle of a real machine.
The centre is a replica nacelle of a V90 turbine, empty except for the screen
that covers the end wall. Stepping into it feels rather like stepping into one of the
simulators of rockets or cars you sometimes come across at theme parks.
We put on 3D glasses as instructed, and as the screen comes on we see,
not the latest offering from Pixar, but a row of offshore turbines at sea. We
whiz towards them and fnd ourselves in a nacelle, this time fully equipped and
functioning.
As Visualisation Designer Rasmus Dejgaard Jensen works the controls, he
explains that we are inside a 3 MW V112 turbine, which should go into serial
production in the second quarter of 2011. In the simulator, we can explore the
different components and move around as though we were inside.
The virtual nacelle is lifesize - that is, 14 metres long, and the real thing will
weigh 230 tonnes. The V112 turbine itself will have a tip height of 175 metres.
I can have different options allowing
me to eliminate any land that is over
1,500 metres high which makes wind
turbines less effcient, any areas where
wind speeds are less than 3m per
second, cities, national parks, airports
and so on. So I instantly see areas to
avoid for my wind farm. I can then also
zoom in on a very precise spot and
see the wind conditions there. The tool
even allows me to calculate where I
should position each turbine within a
particular site.
Turning such highly detailed informa-
tion into a user-friendly tool needs a
powerful computer.
In 2008 we bought a 9 metre long,
8 tonne computer that produced enough
heat for 18 Danish houses. That com-
puter is now too small and we have just
ordered one that is 40 metres long. It
costs $500 just to hit enter....
Following through
Once the turbines are installed, they
need to be constantly monitored
throughout their lives so that any errors
or faults can be quickly fxed or, prefer-
ably, prevented. Vestas does all this
from its global performance and diag-
nostic centre, which is also situated in
Aarhus. A small, circular room, it seems
unbelievable that 20% of the worlds
installed wind power capacity 27 GW,
| site visit |
Vestas Technology R&D is situated in the green heart of Denmark
from 16,000 turbines is monitored
from here.
Operations Engineer Helle Kirstine
Lauridsen explains how it works.
We base our calculations on a
standard deviation. That means we
compare the performance of the turbine
against the standard performance of
that model to see how far it deviates.
We have different deviation ratings so we
know how serious the issue is.
The beauty of the system, she says,
is that it can often predict the problem
even before it becomes one, and alerts
the person in charge of the wind farm.
Since the system was installed a few
years ago the average time between
inspections has doubled.
The Vestas customer is also able
to log on to the system and follow the
performance of their turbines, which is
updated every ten minutes. They also
access an FAQ section which shows all
the faults there have previously been
with that type of turbine, and in what
proportion.
The height of modernity: inside Vestas Technology R&D
Q&A with Finn Strm Madsen, President of Vestas Technology R&D
What is the most exciting technology trend for
you right now?
Our aim is not to go with any particular technol-
ogy, it is to make wind the cheapest energy
source on the planet. We are not religious
about which type of technology we use to do
this.
What is essential is that the technology is
reliable and lowest cost.
When will onshore wind energy become the
cheapest power generating technology?
I expect to see it happen in the next fve to 10
years. The cost of onshore wind energy is going
down all the time. Today, offshore is 2.5 times
higher but the gap will close.
What will be the main technology develop-
ments that will help the industry get there?
The developments that will help include substantially bigger rotors, the shape
of the blade, more advanced control system and software and the use of lighter
materials such as further development of carbon fbre and other composites.
Do you think it most important to focus onshore or offshore wind technology
development in the coming years?
Both! We need to make onshore more attractive and bring down the costs
of offshore.
A sea of technology
Travelling from Aarhus to Brussels
involves changing planes in Copenhagen.
As we take off from Copenhagen airport,
I peer out of the window at the wind
turbines dotting the sea. It is diffcult
to imagine the complex, cutting-edge
technology behind them as they turn
gracefully, yet nowadays this determines
everything about the wind turbines we
see, from their shape, to the materials
used for them, to their location and their
continued effciency.
| site visit |
Photo: Andr Andressen
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| Feature |
A
lthough photographs of wind turbines
gracefully generating electricity have
become the easily recognised icons of
the wind energy sector, the success of
the growing industry actually depends on
thousands of components and services.
Called the wind power supply chain,
these diverse ingredients which
include grease, wrenches, computer
printouts, test studies, minerals, metals,
plastics, trains, boats, trucks, concrete,
fbres and bolts and muscle power
are vitally necessary on a long, arduous
and expensive journey from the planning
stage of a wind farm to grid connection
completion.
Michael Holm, head of the global
press offce for Danish company Vestas
Wind Systems, says having a functional
supply chain is the foundation of the
wind power industry.
If we dont have a supply chain, we
dont have a business, said Holm. Its
that simple.
Pointing out that the average wind tur-
bine has approximately 9,000 different
components, Holm said Vestas which
has about 16,000 employees in Europe
A question of supply
Behind the booming wind power sector is a highly important supply chain. By Chris Rose
and another 7,000 around the world
puts most major turbine components
together except for gearboxes.
He added, however, that Vestas gets
many types of materials for its turbines
from various suppliers in different parts
of the world.
Holm said that while the company
does not rely only on single-source sup-
pliers, it does work hard at developing
sound relationships with its suppliers
so that materials and components are
available when needed. By doing so,
he added, Vestas which expects to
achieve an EBIT (earnings before interest
and taxes) margin of 5-6% and revenue
of 6bn this year attempts to keep
warehousing costs to a minimum.
This is an evolving industry and we
work together with our suppliers, he
said, adding that one challenge to having
a universally seamless supply chain is
the fact that in some parts of the world
suppliers are not as fully developed as
in others.
He added it is extremely important
to have a dependable supply chain that
can deliver high-quality materials on
an agreed to date. We will not start
producing our turbines before we have a
signed order.
Feeding the supply chain
Supplying the growing wind power sec-
tor both onshore and offshore has
become a huge business in recent years
as nations and companies around the
world try to tap into the emerging green
electricity market as a way of replacing
ageing fossil fuel and nuclear
power plants.
Indeed, in its 2009 annual report
the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC)
noted wind power grew a staggering
41.5% compared to 2008.
More than 38 GW of new wind power
capacity was installed around the world
in 2009, bringing the total installed ca-
pacity up to 158.5 GW, the GWEC report
said. This represents a year-on-year
growth of 31.7%.
GWEC also noted that last years mar-
ket for turbine installations was worth
about 45 bn, and that they expect to
reach close to 200 GW worldwide by the
end of 2010.
A2SEAs Sea Jack vessel
is specially converted
for offshore wind turbine
installation
Photo: Medvind
| Feature |
A 2009 EWEA report provides one way of
trying to understand wind power supply
chain costs. The Economics of Wind
Energy notes that about 75% of the total
cost of energy from a wind turbine is
related to upfront expenses such as the
cost of the turbine, foundation, electrical
equipment and grid connection.
Additionally, a recent draft EWEA
research paper notes that the main
materials used in wind turbines include
stainless steel, aluminum, copper, epoxy
and polyester resins, glass and carbon
fbres, foam, concrete, balsa wood and
nickel. Many, if not all, of these materi-
als are also required in other industries,
making a smoothly operating wind power
supply chain all that more important.
The draft paper adds that the
European wind power sector is becom-
ing an increasingly important player in
the raw materials market as it con-
tinues to grow in terms of capacity
installed.
Supply chain management is key to
wind turbine supply, says EWEAs 2009
edition of Wind Energy The Facts.
The relationships between manufac-
turers and their component suppliers
have become increasingly crucial, the
report notes. Supply chain issues have
dictated delivery capabilities, product
strategies and pricing for every turbine
suppler. Manufacturers have sought to
strike the most sustainable, competitive
balance between a vertical integration of
component supply and full component
outsourcing to ft their turbine designs.
According to a MAKE Consulting Supply
Side report published in May, last years
ongoing economic crisis
created some diffculties
for the European and
American companies in
the wind energy supply
chain, as orders dropped
by more than 40% over
2008 measured by MW
orders announced.
Following years of
shortages of several important compo-
nents in the wind power supply chain, the
supply balance shifted towards overca-
pacity in 2009, the report said.
The report said this was from tight
project fnancing, slowed development
plans, a considerable number of wind
turbines on the resellers market, and
increased sales of existing wind farms by
distressed developers.
Predicting that situation will improve
in the latter half of this year, the MAKE
report said the tremendous wind power
growth in the Asia Pacifc region in 2009
largely shielded it from the fnancial cri-
sis felt elsewhere in the global sector.
Overall, global supply capacity did
not experience any bottlenecks in 2009,
but wind power installations in 2009
approached the nominal annual capacity
of bearings, forgings, and castings, the
report said. However, there has been a
large expansion of capacity in the compo-
nents during 2009, particularly in the
Asia Pacifc region.
The report said it did not expect short-
ages of any of the main
wind power components
this year and in 2011.
Towards 2012 we
forecast that bearings,
particularly main bear-
ings, may once again
become a key restraint
for the industry and
that increasing demand
for larger [wind turbines] could create
bottlenecks for some of the large sized
components such as gearboxes and
blades. Nevertheless, overall global
component capacity will be suffcient to
meet demand.
The report also identifed several supply
chain challenges in the next three years,
including increasing capacity to meet
Northern Europes offshore wind demand
for large and specialised components,
increasing capacity to meet Asia Pacifcs
demand for larger turbines and compo-
nents, and expanding the US supply chain.
Nicolas Fichaux, a technical consult-
ant with EWEA, agrees with the MAKE
reports prediction that there will be no
signifcant shortages in turbine compo-
nents before the end of 2011.
What we see are the effects of the
fnancial crisis, Fichaux said, adding that
he also agrees with MAKEs suggestion
The relationships
between
manufacturers
and their suppliers
have become
increasingly crucial.
Photo: LM Wind Power
This 61.5 metre long blade will be installed
on a 5 MW wind turbine at sea
| Feature |
the industry could start facing supply
chain bottlenecks again after 2012.
Thats because, he added, the industry is
continuing its shift towards offshore wind
and increasing turbine size from 3 MW
machines to 5 MW and larger.
Melding a companys abilities with
the needs of wind energy
When people think of materials and serv-
ice supplied to the wind power sector, it
is a safe bet they likely do not focus on
adhesives, glues and sealant products.
Yet Sebastian Schilling, Henkels
business manager for industrial adhesive
technologies in the Benelux countries,
says his companys products are ex-
tremely important elements of the wind
power supply and material chain.
Schilling said about 24,000 of
Henkels 50,000 employees working
around the world are employed in the
companys Adhesive Technologies unit,
which last year generated 6.2 bil-
lion working with various industries,
including the transportation, consumer
products, electronics, packaging and
aerospace sectors.
But dealing with the wind power sec-
tor is an important part of the industrial
adhesives units work, he said.
As an example, he said his unit helps
Hansen Transmissions with its gearbox-
es. Our products are used in different
parts of the gearbox production, such
as threadlocking, gasketing and retain-
ing applications, he said, adding that
adhesives help protect against corrosion.
In a way, then, he said Henkel is a
supplier of a supplier
since Hansen is well
known for providing wind
power manufacturers
with its noted gearboxes.
Schilling said the wind
power sector is a target
market for his company
which, according to its website, also
provides UV- and weathering-resistant
sealants for blades, nacelles and steel
tower segments and anaerobic thread-
locking systems for mechanical engineer-
ing since it is always changing and
improving. Also, the wind power market
believes in sustainability and Henkel
wants to be as sustainable as possible.
Theres a good ft between our company
and the wind power sector.
He added he can not think of a wind
energy company that Henkel does not
supply. I cant imagine there is any
wind turbine in the world that is without
our product.
LM Wind Power, which is involved in
blade manufacturing, brake manufactur-
ing and service and logistics, describes
itself as the worlds leading component
supplier to the wind
turbine industry, says
the companys sen-
ior communications
manager Helle Larsen
Andersen.
Headquartered in
Kolding, Denmark, LM
Wind Power employed
4,676 people globally by the end of
2009 and had annual revenues of
777m, Andersen said.
LM Wind Power supplied rotor solu-
tions to 28 and brake systems to 44
wind turbine manufacturers worldwide
last year, he said, adding the more
than 130,300 blades the company has
produced in over 30 years corresponds
to approximately 43 GW of installed wind
power capacity.
Andersen also said more than 46,000
wind turbines have been supplied with
braking systems over the past 20 years
and the companys newly-created Service
and Logistics division helps increase the
lifetime value of the investment of wind
farm owners.
Asked how competitive it is for a com-
pany to be involved in the wind power
supply chain, Andersen said competition
is increasing as the sector becomes
more mature and additional companies
enter the industry. LM Wind Power still
has a strong foothold in the wind energy
market and we are determined to con-
tinue to grow our market share.
LM Wind Power is a good example
of a company growing and develop-
ing along with the wind energy sector.
Noting that LM Wind Power (at that time
LM Glasfber) started producing blades in
1978, Andersen said the blade produc-
tion was a spinoff of the companys
activities within boat manufacturing.
After continual product refnements, he
said the company is now the leading
independent supplier of blades.
The industry could
start facing supply
chain bottlenecks
again after 2012.
Europes offshore industry needs
12 new installation vessels to
meet its 2020 targets
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| Feature |
Employing and building special
equipment
Once materials for wind power compo-
nents have been located and the various
parts have been manufactured and as-
sembled, the nearly-completed turbines
still need to transferred to the site where
they will fnally be erected.
For the onshore wind sector this
phase usually means using trucks or
freight trains. For the offshore sector it
means special vessels for transportation
and installation.
Danish company A2SEA has installed
60% of the worlds offshore wind turbines
since 2000, said Chief Sales Offcer
Kaj Lindvig.
A2SEAs project teams strive to com-
plete every installation safely, on time,
and on budget, Lindvig said.
With 220 employees in Denmark and
another 20 around the world, the com-
pany is owned by DONG Energy but in
June, Siemens invested 115 million to
buy 49% of A2SEAs shares, putting the
value of the company at around
250 million.
Lindvig estimated the value of A2SEAs
contracts with wind power companies
last year at 80 million.
He said the only challenge A2SEA
faces is having the right installation
equipment for the products being in-
stalled or serviced.
Equipment and vessels the company
currently uses include two identical self-
propelled crane vessels equipped with
four jack-up legs that are effective for
mounting turbines in shallow waters, a
specially constructed barge loaded with
advanced equipment that enables off-
shore tasks to be carried out with great
precision in deeper waters and high tidal
ranges, and a modern jack-up barge spe-
cially equipped to operate offshore wind
and install a wide range of equipment.
A2SEAs website also notes that it is
having a next generation wind turbine
installation vessel built that will be able
to operate in the more challenging con-
ditions that will be encountered further
offshore and in deeper water.
In keeping with EWEAs Oceans of
Opportunity report published last year,
which emphasized that the European
offshore industry will require 12 new
installation vessels, each costing about
200 million, if the sector is to meet a
target of 40 GW by 2020, Fichaux noted
that construction on four new vessels
began earlier this year.
And there will be more of them,
Fichaux predicted, adding the rapid
expansion of the UK offshore sector is
driving much of the demand for the sup-
ply chain to come up with new ships.
The rotor is
about ready to
be hoisted into
position
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The backbone
of Europes energy future
Grids 2010, Berlin, Germany, 23-24 November 2010
Upgrading, extending and connecting Europes electricity grids is essential to meet
Europes emissions reduction and renewable energy targets. Without new and better
grids Europe cannot exploit its enormous wind energy resources and rapidly move
towards a renewable energy economy.
This two-day conference and exhibition will explore the fnancial, technical, policy
and regulatory issues that will shape the development of a grid that meets Europes
energy, consumer and climate needs.
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ORGANISED BY: SUPPORTED BY:
Register online
to attend this essential debate
I
nfrastructure has fnally made it to the top of
the agenda of policy makers and what is
even more important of investors. It took quite
some time to achieve that position. I still recall a
specialist meeting in Amsterdam, some ten years
ago, concluding that infrastructure is the key to a
sustainable energy supply. But during ten years
since that meeting, no real development in this
direction has occurred in grids. That is about to
change substantially, and it is about time!
It is not hard to understand why knowledgeable
people came to the conclusion that infrastructure
is a very important asset in an energy transition.
Building a sustainable energy supply is not simply
a matter of replacing coal or gas-fred power
stations with wind farms, bio-energy power or pho-
tovoltaics and connecting them to the grid. That
simply doesnt work, because features of renew-
able power generation and use are quite different
from fossil fueled energy generation.
Grid investments lagged behind for a
number of years, especially in EU power grids.
Liberalisation of the EU energy market caused
a hiatus in the responsibility for the grids.
Organisations like the International Energy Agency
and the European Union acknowledged the urgen-
cy of renewed investments to secure the reliable
supply that we are used to. Several new initia-
tives started, such as the trans-European energy
networks (TEN-E) project, coordinating a solution
for a number of bottlenecks in the EU.
Do we really have to regret that investments
lagged behind for so many years? Yes we have,
but I am also quite sure that had we made
investments previously, we might have invested in
old-fashioned types of grid which would possibly
have ended up prolonging the lock-in situation in
which we are at present.
Looking at the TEN-E initiatives and other re-
cent assessments like the Roadmap 2050 of the
European Climate Foundation (ECF), new invest-
ments in old infrastructure are still necessary.
ECFs analysis shows that analysed that a signif-
cant expansion of grid interconnection between
and across regions in Europe will be needed to
facilitate large shares of renewables by 2050.
But while investing too little, we also saved
some money to be spent in a more sustainable
direction.
When thinking about new development,
it helps me to get out of the box by asking
A change of mind
myself: what would we do if humanity started
all over again, on a new planet (because the
resources on the old one would be used up)?
With our current knowledge we would defnitely
optimise on sources like wind, solar, ocean en-
ergy, hydro pump storage, and in the end maybe
even some fossil fuels. But we would have to dig
them up again, pffff.
So far for this little brain experiment; lets go
back to reality and build on our former achieve-
ments. We defnitely need to expand the grid and
overcome some grid barriers right now.
So interconnections need to be improved and
cables need to be thicker. On a lower level, distri-
bution networks have to get smarter. If we want
to harvest all renewable possibilities, we have to
start at the end-user and explore local opportuni-
ties frst, like local storage, demand control, and
so on. And last but not least, we have to work on
intra continental super-connections. Think of har-
vesting energy from the oceans, solar power from
southern Europe, storage in Scandinavia, etcet-
era. These sources will fourish with a supergrid.
In any case, the most important thing that
has to be applied to grids is a change of mind.
Instead of centering the grid on large central
power stations, fueled by fossil fuels, grids have
to be designed for many local and also many
central power generators, and for many small and
many large users.
| guest columnist |
Grid
investments
lagged behind
for a number of
years.
By Rolf de Vos
Journalist at Ecofys International
By invitation
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We must work on intra continental
super-connections
Wind is the Leading Trade Fair for Wind
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| wind bites |
I believe that Northern Ireland
needs, and is able, to move rapidly
to much higher levels of renewable
electricity production and so am
conrming that Northern Ireland will
seek to achieve 40% of its electricity
consumption from renewable sources
by 2020. I see this new target as a
real challenge.
Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland Department of
Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister
Overall, wind energy continues to
be a growth market, weathering the
economic crisis much better than
some analysts had predicted.
Steve Sawyer, Secretary-General of the Global Wind
Energy Council
Scotland has
unrivalled green
energy resources
and our new
national target
to generate
80 percent of
electricity needs
from renewables by 2020 will be
exceeded by delivering current plans
for wind, wave and tidal generation.
Alex Salmond, Scottish First Minister
The Government has a very ambitious
target of reducing carbon emissions
by 80% by 2050. As we look to rebuild
the whole of our energy infrastructure
the development of wind is going to be
a very important part of that process
both onshore and offshore and so its
critical towards achieving our goals
of low carbon energy and energy
security.
Charles Hendry, UK Minister for Energy
I rmly believe we should be
harnessing our wind, wave and tidal
resources to the maximum.
Chris Huhne, UK Secretary of State for energy and
climate change
Wind bites
We need to do for energy what
we have done for mobile phones:
real choice for consumers in one
European marketplace.
Jos Manuel Barroso, European Commission
President
The larger the renewables industry
in Europe becomes, the sooner
European industry can benet from
economies of scale, ultimately making
renewables more competitive.
Paul Rbig, MEP
Renewables have gone from being
a sideshow to being the key solution,
together with energy efciency, for the
transition to a low-carbon economy.
Willy De Backer, Head of the Greening Europe
Forum, Friends of Europe
Wind power really impacts the energy
scenarios of today.
Ingmar Wilhelm, Executive Vice President of ENEL
Europe must do
whatever we can to
protect and develop
our stronghold
within the energy-
efcient and
renewables sectors.
Connie Hedegaard,
European Commissioner for Climate Action
Wind power is an opportunity for
Turkey. In order to exploit this poten-
tial, permitting procedures must be op-
timised and the government must put
in place a legal framework that offers
stability and certainty to those who
want to invest for the next 15 years.
Murat Durak, Chairman of the Turkish Wind Energy
Association (TREB)
We are seeing real changes and a
historical transition in low carbon
technology.
Nobuo Tanaka, IEA Executive Director
The European
Union is a world
leader in wind
energy but faces
serious competition
from China, the
United States,
Japan, South Korea
and India. I would hate to see Europe
losing out.
Christian Kjaer, CEO of EWEA
The 32 GW of installed capacity
proposed by the offshore wind energy
developers for 2020 would supply a
quarter of the UKs electricity needs.
This means the UK will have a secure
and low carbon electricity supply. In
addition, the UK economy will benet
as offshore wind is a growth industry
that will create new businesses and
jobs as well as attracting inward
investment.
Roger Bright CB, Chief Executive of The Crown
Estate
Europe must become more
independent from energy imports.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras, centre-right MEP
Something to say?
Do you have something to say
about Wind Directions, wind energy,
renewables, EWEAs events or any-
thing else? Write to Sarah Azau at
communication@ewea.org with the
subject title: Wind Directions letters
page, and your letter could appear
in the next issue!
Photos: EWEA
| focus |
Photo: inmagine
| focus |
The grid that
never sleeps
When European Commission president Jos Manuel
Barroso recently spoke to the European Parliament of
the need to complete the internal market of energy,
build and interconnect energy grids, he was voicing a
point of view that is becoming ever more widespread.
By Sarah Azau
| focus |
W
hile it would be unthinkable for Europe
not to have the most modern telephones,
motorways or aeroplanes, our power grids infra-
structure that is even more fundamental to our
daily lives are embarrassingly out-of-date and
old-fashioned. The links carrying power between
countries known as interconnectors are few
in number and unable to handle much electric-
ity. As a result of this, variable renewable ener-
gies like wind power are not exploited properly
and there is little cross-border trade in electric-
ity. As Eddie OConnor, CEO of wind developers
Mainstream Renewable Power points out, 95%
of power in Europe is consumed in the country in
which it is produced.
An updated, Europe-wide power grid, with
stronger, more numerous interconnectors, would
allow wind power to be transported from wherever
in Europe its blowing to wherever in Europe the
consumers are.
It would also mean power could be traded
in an internal electricity market. Think what it
would mean if you could only buy shoes made
by one company: you would pay whatever price
was set. Opening up the power market in Europe
would have a far greater impact on thousands
of consumers, bringing prices down as fuel-
free wind power and other renewables would
be preferred by the market to fossil fuels with
unpredictable costs.
Yet the theory is of course surrounded by a
host of practical questions. What has to be done
frst? How and who by? Who will pay? What needs
to be built? Where does the material come from?
And who is in charge of the process?
Supersizing the grid
The grid at EU level need to develop in a more
coherent way and focus especially on intercon-
nection to integrate large amounts of wind and
renewable energies, says Jos Luis Mata from
Spanish transmission system operator (TSO) Red
Electrica. Or as President Barroso put it in his
speech: We need to make frontiers irrelevant for
pipelines or power cables.
One of the most talked about grid concepts
of the past few months is what is known as a
supergrid. This supergrid is not just a bigger
version of the grid we have had for years, but a
whole new concept. The Friends of the Supergrid
(FOSG) - a group of companies who have come to-
gether to lobby for, and work towards, a supergrid,
explain this clearly on their website:
Supergrid is not an extension of existing or
planned point to point HVDC interconnectors
between particular EU states, it says. Even the
aggregation of these schemes will not provide
the network that will be needed to carry marine
renewable power generated in our Northern seas
to the load centres of central Europe. Supergrid is
a new idea.
This notion is supported by Konstantin
Staschus of European grid operators body
ENTSO-E, who says a supergrid would be over-
laid on Europes existing infrastructure, work-
ing together with the current grid and the entire
electric system. ENTSO-E is developing a work
programme to plan for a 2050 supergrid, and
says it intends to take a lead role in developing a
pan-European supergrid.
OConnor, who is involved in FOSG, was one of
the frst to launch the idea of a pan-European and
offshore network in which the different national
grids would be linked together at points called
supernodes, and baptise it the supergrid, in
around 2001.
We saw a research paper from the University
of Kassel in Germany that pointed out that the
wind is always blowing somewhere, and we
realised that if we could smooth out the fuctua-
tions we would solve the intermittency issue, he
explains.
95% of power
in Europe is
consumed in
the country
in which it is
produced.
Photo: Hemera
HVDC network which would provide interconnec-
tion between different countries, which is how it
would work in a supergrid - than to connect each
farm directly to shore as is currently the case.
For OConnor, this direct
to shore, or point to point
connection is illogical. Its
rubbish! he says. It makes
no sense to connect each
offshore project individually to
land in the UK they only get
40% use out of a wind farm
like that. They need to think
about what theyre doing.
OConnor believes
the supergrid could dra-
matically change the amount of use of renewa-
bles by linking together far-fung sources of
carbon-free energy.
If we build the frst leg from Norway running
down to Scotland and the UK coast, going into
German waters and fnishing in the Rhr, we can
have Norway with its hydro capacity as the bat-
tery, Scotland can develop its offshore wind, and
trade and system reliability will be boosted, with
the countries selling electricity to each other. We
should get 90% utilisation of the lines.
The supergrid is essential for integrating large
amounts of wind energy in the long term, agrees
Mata.
The EU is pushing for renewables, which
means we have to go and pick
the electricity where it is for
example wind energy from the
North Sea, solar energy from
the desert and take it to the
consumption points. We need
a supergrid for that.
Frans Van Hulle, consultant
for EWEA, believes that for the
time being, reinforcing what
we currently have should be
the frst step.
There is no economic case for a high voltage
direct current (HVDC) overlay grid
1
or supergrid
today, but we do need in the short and me-
dium term - an intelligent solution for connecting
offshore farms in Northern European waters, he
says, and refers to the IEE-funded OffshoreGrid
project (see box p. 38) which is investigating the
best way, technically and economically speaking,
to integrate offshore wind into an offshore grid
using computer-based models.
Van Hulle points out that the OffshoreGrid
project has already shown that it is more econom-
ical to connect offshore wind farms in a meshed
We need to make
frontiers irrelevant for
pipelines or power
cables.
1
See section on A technical matter.
The wind is always blowing somewhere
| focus |
| focus |
A technical matter
The vision painted is certainly attractive, but ques-
tions remain on the practicalities, such as which
cable technology to use. Currently, high-tech
turbines are plugged into one of Europes ageing
onshore grids - Finn Strm Madsen, President
of Vestas Technology R&D, describes this as
like plugging your new laptop into a switchboard
from the 1940s. When electricity from offshore
turbines is being carried 30km or more just to get
to land, the power loss from traditional cables can
be considerable.
As reported in Science Corner in the
September issue of Wind Directions, new types
of cables known as High Voltage Direct Current
or HVDC are being developed which promise a
good deal. These have far less power loss than
the traditional alternating current AC cables,
while being able to carry far more power. The tech-
nology is far more expensive, but once the cable
in question is longer than about 80 kilometres,
the power losses avoided by HVDC justify the ad-
ditional cost.
The people I spoke to were generally cautiously
positive on HVDC.
I cant speculate too much on it, but we are
currently talking about putting 40 or 50 GW of
power in the North Sea, while we currently have
cables which carry just 1 or 2 GW, says Crouch.
We should not underestimate the challenge!
Strm Madsen and OConnor are more af-
frmative. We need to create superhighways
of HVDC, says Madsen. OConnor states that
A wide DC grid will open Europe up to being
energy-independent.
However, using DC offshore would necessitate
highly sophisticated and expensive breakers,
to convert it back into AC for the onshore grid.
Financing, when discussing any aspect of the
supergrid, is key. Building a new power line is not
like putting up a wind turbine. It takes an aver-
age of seven years in the EU and it is a major in-
vestment. EWEAs new report Powering Europe
estimates the investment cost of a transnational
offshore grid to be 20 to 30 billion up to
2030. An entire supergrid would of course cost
far more: according to OConnor, between 300
and 600 billion, but he stresses that prices will
go down.
Grids are really fairly cheap, considering
they are permanent and low maintenance. Once
theyre under the ground, its unlikely theyll have
to be dug up again.
And of course, the benefts the supergrid would
bring in terms of security of supply would mean
a good deal less European money going towards
fuel imports, and the increased use of renewables
would bring power prices down.
Ownership matters
Eventually, it seems certain that the cost of the
new lines would be paid for by the consumer,
but who would make the initial investments, and
above who should own the supergrid, is a matter
of some debate.
When talking about an offshore super-
grid, the ownership question is one of the real
challenges, says Mata. Should each power
producer build his own wind farms with his own
link, or should they really all sit down and plan
It makes
no sense to
connect each
offshore project
individually
to land.
Better interconnection is essential to create an internal electricity market in Europe
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it? Should the new lines be decided nationally or
in a pan-European way? Some TSOs such as
Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK and Germany
are trying to sit down and do this together but
they have no mandate to do so.
OConnor suggests several pos-
sibilities for the ownership of the
frst leg of the supergrid, including
the grid companies or a consor-
tium of private companies.
Staschus believes that the
TSOs should own the supergrid as
they are responsible for operating
and planning it. In the immediate
future, however, ENTSO-E are, with
their ten-year network development
plan (TYNDP) which includes
all new grid lines and projects up to 2020 and is
updated every two years - providing all grid stake-
holders with a valuable insight into what is actually
planned in terms of upgrades and new lines.
Martin Crouch from the European energy regulators
group, CEER, stresses that the TYNDP is key for
seeing what the next steps are.
Although the TYNDP is certainly not a super-
grid plan, its essential for improving the current
network, and seeing the weak grid points to be
reinforced, says Mata.
Van Hulle also thinks that one of the crucial ac-
tions to be taken rapidly is to reinforce points on the
grid where there are bottlenecks, meaning the line is
at times unable to transport enough power. He points
out that the IEE-funded TradeWind project identifed
42 points in the European transmission network,
mainly interconnections between different countries,
that need to be strengthened and found that this
would bring about savings of 1,500 million per year,
justifying investments of around 20 billion up to
2030. The European transmission system operators
(TSOs) need to act quickly to ensure
this happens. The onus is on the
TSOs, agrees Crouch.
The TSOs themselves in the
form of ENTSO-E are working
towards a Roadmap towards
a pan-European power system
2050, which will involve consulta-
tion with grid stakeholders and the
European Commission. In their
preparatory work, ENTSO-E have
identifed three categories of issue
to address technological (for example, technical
feasibility and voltage levels), economical/fnancial
(which includes realisation and ownership of the
supergrid and electricity prices) and political/socio-
political (such as the legal and regulatory frame-
work and permitting processes).
For OConnor, the next steps are above all politi-
cal a policy debate on the supergrid should
be launched by the industry with the EU and
national decision-makers, he says. He believes
that the supergrid must be thought out in the
next four years, and we need to
start building in 2015 to 2020.
Otherwise, theres no way coun-
tries like the UK can meet their
offshore 2020 targets.
Others are slightly more cau-
tious when they look to 2020.
Well have the same grid as
now, says Mata. But it will be
reinforced, better connected, and
without the main constraints we
currently have.
In 2020 Europe should have an improved,
modernised transmission network with increased
capacity and some additional lines, says Van
Hulle. At distribution network level, there will
also be increased use of smart grid principles,
which include more active network management
through enhanced communication and demand
response, assisted by smart meters.
A 2050 vision
By 2050, according to Mata, there could well be
a supergrid overlaid on the current grid, taking
power long distances to where it is needed.
This timeframe is backed up by ENTSO-Es work
on a 2050 supergrid roadmap.
While it is perhaps impossible now to specu-
late too far ahead, what is certain is that great
change is afoot for Europes grids, which have
for too long been ignored by the modernisers.
The wind industry, which has lobbied legislators
to upgrade and extend the network for many
years, is now being listened to. Legislation like
the European Commissions up-
coming infrastructure package
is a sign that grid development
is being taken seriously.
It is essential that the
remaining questions are ironed
out by the decision-makers,
and that they ensure the fund-
ing is available for the new
infrastructure so that it can be
built in time to integrate large
amounts of wind energy and
other renewables to meet the EUs 2020 targets,
as well as boost Europes energy security and
ensure it has a fully liberalised electricity mar-
ket. Only that way can Europe have a properly
modern power system adapted to the needs of
the 21
st
century.
When talking
about an offshore
Supergrid,
the ownership
question is one of
the real challenges.
The TYNDP is
essential for
improving the
current network, and
reinforcing the weak
grid points.
| focus |
A
t its GRIDS 2010 conference in Berlin this
November, EWEA is releasing its new report
on Europes power grids. The report is called
Powering Europe: wind energy and the electric-
ity grid. Sarah Azau spoke to Paul Wilczek,
Regulatory Affairs Advisor for EWEA and one of
the contributing authors.
Why did EWEA decide to release a report on grids?
EWEA released a frst complete report on grids
back in 2005. Since then the topic has gained
real political momentum in Europe with new
legislation ensuring renewables have priority grid
access and opening up the internal electricity
market. We now have a body that represents the
grid operators, ENTSO-E, that will provide the frst
EU-wide grid management rules and a vision of
European grid development. Electricity market in-
tegration is ongoing in Europe and the North Sea
Countries are working together on an offshore grid
in the North Sea.
With all this change, it was time for an update
of the report. Grids is THE bottleneck if we want
to achieve the 2020 targets in a cost-effective
manner, and as it takes a lot longer to build a new
power line than to put up a wind turbine, we have
no time to lose.
What are the reports conclusions?
The reports main conclusions are that the capac-
ity of the European power systems to absorb
signifcant amounts of wind power is determined
more by economics and regulatory frameworks
than by technical or practical constraints. It is
harder to add larger amounts of wind power to the
grid barriers not because of the winds variability,
but because of inadequate infrastructure and
interconnection, as well as electricity markets
where competition is neither effective nor fair.
Already today, it is generally considered that wind
energy can meet up to 20% of electricity demand
on a large electricity network without posing any
serious technical or practical problems, as shown
for example in Denmark and Spain, and we need
to pass this message to the key decision makers.
What is its main message for political
decision-makers?
Policy makers have to work to build a suitable
regulatory framework and importantly, enforce
the framework once its in place. For example, we
have now the EUs third Liberalisation Package
which contains useful tools in terms of binding
network codes and newly established bodies such
as ENTSO-E. However, the debate now needs to
move on to clarify which policy options can be ac-
tually followed in order to implement the Package.
A suitable legal and regulatory framework is
required not only to trigger the actual grid invest-
ments but also to enable the effcient use of the
infrastructure.
What is its main message for stakeholders in the
power sector?
Transmission and distribution system operators
and owners are the ones who will have to build
and run the grid in Europe. Important decisions
will be still up to them, such as what types of
technology to use to integrate large amounts of
wind power. What is needed is a shift towards a
power system characterised by fexibility and with
lots of wind and other renewables, rather than
one in which large-capacity fossil and nuclear
plants, which are slow to switch up or down, pro-
vide the bulk of base power. System operators
must be open to following measures that make
system operation with large shares of variable
renewables reliable and cost-effcient for the
power system.
Powering Europe:
EWEAs new grids report
Mapping the grid
As part of its new report, EWEA has
produced fve grid maps, in order to
show the evolution of wind energy
and other renewables in the future
2050 European renewable energy
power system.
The maps show the main areas
renewable electricity will be pro-
duced and consumed, as well as
the main corridors in which power
would fow.
The main goal is to show the way
towards an integrated, green and
reliable European power system by
2050, with wind energy playing a
major role.
You can see the maps for 2010 - the current situation - and EWEAs
vision for 2050 on the next page, and EWEAs Head of Policy Analysis,
Glria Rodrigues, explains whats going on.
Photos: EWEA
Paul Wilczek
Glria Rodrigues
| focus |
In 2050 the system operates with 100%
renewables, with the necessary grid infrastruc-
ture in place and full market integration. Wind
power will meet up to 50% of Europes electric-
ity demand, dominating in the North Sea and
Baltic Sea areas, and the Iberian Peninsula,
Southern France and Central Italy. Variable
renewables will be balanced with hydro power
production in Scandinavia, the Alps and the
Iberian Peninsula. Photovoltaic and concen-
trated solar power will play a crucial role in
the Southern European power market, and
biomass generation in Central and Eastern
European countries.
This map shows the current role of renewable
energy sources in a fragmented power system.
After hydro, wind is the largest renewable pow-
er generation source, with around 4.8% of EU
electricity demand. Wind energy already has a
considerable share in the Northern German,
Danish and Iberian power systems.
2050
2010
Cyprus
Hydro energy production area
Ocean energy production area
Biomass energy production area
Solar energy production area
Main consumption area
Power corridor
Cyprus
Wind energy production area
Power corridor
Power corridor
Power corridor
WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010
T
he grid is made up of two types of network:
transmission and distribution. The transmis-
sion cables move electrical power with a high volt-
age over long distances, and sometimes across
international borders.
The distribution network is what the consum-
ers are connected to: when you turn on your
television, thats where the current is coming
from. The voltage level in the distribution network
is lower.
The two networks are connected by a substa-
tion, which is where the high voltage power from
the transmission lines is turned down to the
distribution voltage level. Once it reaches its fnal
destination, the power is stepped down again to
the required local level.
However, the grid is only one element of the
whole power system. There are various other
concepts that in EWEAs view are fundamental to
help integrate large amounts of wind power, which
are discussed in detail in EWEAs new report
grid available on www.ewea.org (or see section
on EWEAs new grids report, p. 36). Some of the
most crucial are:
| focus |
How does the grid
work?
All the talk of power grids, interconnections, hubs and
cables can be confusing, but how it works can be explained
reasonably simply.
Projecting a grid
EWEA is involved with several EU-
funded projects that explore the devel-
opment of the power grid.
Offshore Grid, funded by the
Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) pro-
gramme and coordinated by 3E, is
analysing offshore grid infrastructure
and the power market, and aims to
produce a selection of blueprints
for an offshore grid in the Baltic and
North Sea.
The project will aim to fnd the
best way, technically and economically
speaking, to integrate offshore wind
into an offshore grid, using computer-
based models, explains EWEAs
Sharon Wokke, who is managing
EWEAs tasks in the project.
In its second phase, it will go on to
look at the Mediterranean area, and
the fnal report will be published in
October 2011. More information on
www.offshoregrid.eu.
Another project is TWENTIES,
funded by the EUs seventh Framework
Programme (FP7) and coordinated by
Red Electrica. It will explore how to op-
erate grid systems once large amounts
of wind energy and other renewables
are fully integrated.
TWENTIES will use six demonstra-
tion projects to collect its results,
focusing on different areas from
offshore HVDC networks to dealing
with stormy weather, says Filippo
Gagliardi, EWEAs Project Manager.
We will identify what needs to be
done to improve the pan-European
transmission network, releasing our
recommendations in 2013. This will
allow us to fully exploit the potential of
wind energy.
Talking griddish some key network
words
Base load: The unvarying portion of the
electric demand
Capacity: The maximum amount of power a
system can carry
Curtailment: A reduction in the power
produced
Gate closure: The deadline for when the
power producers must tell the system
operator the amount of power they expect to
produce in the next chunk of time.
Interconnection: A link between two parts of
a power system
Transmission System Operator (TSO): A
company responsible for operating, maintain-
ing and developing a power system
38
- Designing the power system to be as fexible as
possible in order to manage the increased vari-
ability of renewables.
- Introducing shorter gate closure times that
is, the amount of time ahead for which the
producer has to forecast his power output, to
allow wind energy output to be predicted more
accurately.
- Harmonising the technical requirements for
putting wind on to the grid (known as grid
codes) across Europe so developers dont
have to meet different requirements in different
countries.
P
h
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:

i
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o
c
k
p
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| focus |
24
hours a day, seven days a week and 365
days a year, largely unnoticed by the public,
highly-qualifed, specialised staff are at work manag-
ing the electricity grid. In Germany alone, thousands
of engineers and technicians work to make sure
that every household, factory and football stadium
has constant access to an alternating current of 50
Hertz. Germany has the lowest number of power
failures in the world, an average of 21.53 minutes
per consumer per year.
1
This fgure is of outstand-
ing economic importance. In the USA costs caused
by blackouts are estimated to be around US$150
billion per year.
2
An excellent energy infrastructure is of great
importance for Germanys economic position in the
world. We at Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein
are aware of this fact. We focus on promoting
infrastructure, especially for energy and information
technology.
Pathetic as it may sound, our entire civilisation
depends on energy services, especially electricity.
Recently The Economist published the following
statement from Americas National Academy of
Engineering: Neither the car nor the computer have
been the biggest engineering accomplishments of
the 20
th
century, but the large distribution of electric-
ity via national grids.
3

Now, we are living in another century, and we are
facing a fundamental change in the way grids are
designed, built and managed.
Three mega trends are forcing that change: glo-
balisation, decentralisation and decarbonisation.
Intelligent networks
The design of the electricity grid is of fundamental
importance. Bringing the grid issue to the interna-
tional level and making it more intelligent will bring
vast amounts of renewable energy to consumers,
reducing CO
2
emissions and linking decentralised
systems to a large power house.
Without electricity, information technology is unim-
aginable, and something new will come from this
merger between IT and electricity: an intelligent grid.
The confguration of our electricity grid originates
from the era of industrialisation, and is over 100
years old. We have to think about a grid for the
21
st
century. However, frst lets look at the old
world, which still represents the status quo here
in Germany. The German electricity grid is divided
into four control areas, which were operated by the
sister energy companies Eon, RWE, Vattenfall and
EnBW, two of which have sold their grid operations
to investors.
Traditionally, the German system falls back upon
so-called base-load, medium-load and peak-load
electricity generation plants. Electricity fows from
the power station to the consumer along a one-
way street. That is the supply side. But what about
demand?
If we want to face up to the challenges of the
future, this one-way street must not become a
dead end. The electricity highway of the future
will optimise the balance between supply and
demand and thereby overcome traditional barri-
ers. Renewables are unsteady and stochastic, but
an intelligent grid will stabilise them and optimise
their economic value.
We face the battle against climate change, the
fniteness of fossil fuel supplies and the dangers of
nuclear energy. The solution lies in the development
of renewable energy sources, integrated into a new
grid confguration. The EU has a concrete goal: 20%
renewables by 2020.
4
The plans of the German gov-
ernment are 30% renewables within just 10 years
only.
5
And two recent scenarios one for Germany,
one for the EU look to 100% renewables by 2050.
But without a renewed grid infrastructure,
renewables will not reach their full potential. This is
already achievable with todays technology, for exam-
ple through the implementation of highly developed
sensors. Let us built a Smart Grid and implement
Smart Metering.
Towards polyphony
The grids will be truly smart when the one-way
streets have been transformed into an intelligent
communication network. In this grid, there would
be variable usage tariffs, car batteries for storage
capacity, electric appliances automatically switched
off when not needed and virtual power plants. The
A citizens electricity network
Dr Klaus Rave, Managing Director of Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein and
chairman of the Global Wind Energy Countil (GWEC) uses examples from
Germany to argue for smart, Europe-wide grids.
In the USA
costs caused
by blackouts
are estimated
to be around
US$150 billion
per year.
P
h
o
t
o
:

I
n
v
e
s
t
i
t
i
o
n
s
b
a
n
k

S
c
h
l
e
s
w
i
g
-
H
o
l
s
t
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i
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| focus |
Energy Agency NRW has estimated that 20- 25% of
energy could be saved per household.
6

With the adoption of the Smart Meter intel-
ligent electricity monitors Italy has been a pioneer
in Europe since the year 2000. Recently, Sweden
made it obligatory to use Smart Meters. In Germany,
both Smart Meters and offers for time- or demand-
variable tariffs have been compulsory since 1
January 2010 but hardly anything has happened
since then.
7
We are still in the stage of testing and experi-
menting: interesting as these schemes are, the time
has come for the real thing and the large scale. By
using information technology, the coordination of
energy generation and energy consumption as well
as the integration of decentralised renewable energy
sources can be optimised.
8
Admittedly the route to a Smart Grid is not easy.
As one expert said, In the Smart Grid, we have to
conduct a large, multi-faceted orchestra, which has
a lot of individuality.
9
Polyphony instead of monoto-
ny. Sounds good to me.
A real problem is that in the electricity market
there are 360 different communication standards
or protocols.
10
These hidden barriers are diffcult to
overcome.
An intelligent grid can work! Of course investments
are needed to set it up. On the other hand, costs
linked to peak-load electricity generation plants
can be saved.
11
However, electricity producers and
salesmen have different business interests. Grid
operators are following a different agenda.
When it comes to renewable energies Europe
has a frst mover advantage. But the next competi-
tion is about the grid of the 21
st
century. The US
administration of President Barack Obama has
promised $3.4 bn for the development of the smart
grid.
12
In order not to lose its advantage, Europe
should join the race.
Opening up new perspectives for renewables.
A further technology is essential for modernising
electricity distribution in Europe: high-voltage direct
current (HVDC) electric power transmission, which
enables the transfer of energy over long distances
with little loss of power. This technology has been
around for a long time, especially in China and
India: electricity from the Three Gorges Dam is
transported hundreds of kilometres with HVDC.
Currently, the most powerful HVDC long-distance
transmission systems are in China.
13
In Europe the
North Sea Super Grid is a promising project.
On an inter-regional, even a transcontinental
level, the potential of HVDC is enormous. The
Desertec project (www.desertec.org) should be able
to demonstrate this: companies such as Mnchner
Rck, Siemens, Deutsche Bank and RWE consider
new grid infrastructure and energy generation to be
feasible. Moreover, if the Desertec project is con-
nected to a European Super Grid, solar power from
the Sahara desert could be combined with offshore
wind power from the North Sea: desert power
plus coastal power. Hydropower from the Alps and
Scandinavia can serve as the storage capacity our
systems need.
Not only does the north-south axis open up op-
portunities. In the east-west direction, considerable
energy resources lie within the grids. If we were to
combine the European and Russian electricity grids,
[] an exchange of power across ten time zones
would be possible.
If the technology is available and the potential
is enormous, why are these things not yet a large-
scale reality? There are established structures
that oppose those who advocate change: too much
money is made by too few power players.
Monopolising the situation
The electricity grid is a natural monopoly. Separating
transportation and production of energy goods, the
so-called unbundling, is essential for more com-
petition and an open and transparent market. The
transportation of electricity is a different business
from the generation and sale of electricity.
In my home state of Schleswig-Holstein, around
40% of electricity already comes from wind power.
14
Remarkably, the state government wants to increase
the designated area for wind power plants from 1 to
1.5%, to supply 100% of electricity from wind power
by 2020.
15
This requires an installed capacity of
8,000 to 9,000 MW. As Schleswig-Holstein cannot
absorb such capacity all the time the case for a
further expansion of the electricity grid in Germany
according to a Windtest Kaiser-Wilhelm-Koog
study is compelling.
Incidentally, in Berlins current coalition agree-
ment there is a commitment to the further
development of the legal requirements for a
comprehensive modernisation of energy grids into
Pathetic as
it may sound,
our entire
civilisation
depends
on energy
services,
especially
electricity.
Renewable energy has a huge impact on employment
P
h
o
t
o
:

S
t
i
f
t
u
n
g

O
f
f
s
h
o
r
e

W
i
n
d
E
n
e
r
g
i
e
| focus |
intelligent grids. Furthermore, the agreement
says, we want to campaign for the German power
grids to be merged into an independent and
money-market compatible grid cooperation.
16
Up to now, we have let energy grid opportuni-
ties pass us by - German Reunifcation, the Baltic
Ring and Viking Cable projects to name a few.
However, the opportunities linked to the further
development of the single European market
are also encouraging. Crucial according to
EWEA and EURELECTRIC to the large scale
deployment of renewable energy in this regard
is a European approach to grid planning and the
integration of wholesale markets.
The crucial role of Europe
By the end of 2010 the Commission will propose
an Energy Infrastructure Package that will form the
basis for infrastructure and interconnection develop-
ment at European level. I believe the EU must aim
for an intelligent electricity grid in the form of a hold-
ing company that would effectively promote competi-
tion, security and climate protection.
We need a truly European approach and solution
that takes into account the necessary technological,
environmental and economic criteria.
The trademark of Germany as a business
location is a modern infrastructure. To keep it
that way new grids are needed in particular for
Northern Germany with its offshore potential.
Northern Germany has considerable opportunity
for growth: with more than 50 billion being
invested as capital expenditure by 2030, its wind
power industry will emerge as one of its most im-
portant industries.
18
The overall economic effects
of the wind sector are remarkable.
Renewable energies have a very positive im-
pact on employment between 2004 and 2006,
the Renewable Energy Report recorded a 45% in-
crease.
19
Germany currently has a high economic
potential in the feld of green technology. This
has been tellingly demonstrated in a recent study
from the German Institute for Economic Research.
With regards to environmental and climate protec-
tion commodities, there is a signifcant demand
of approximately 75 bn in Germany today. This
could increase to 171 bn by 2020: an increase
of almost 10% year on year.
20
Talking money
As a banker, I know that structural changes
require capital fows in particular in times
of fnancial crisis. This capital needs to come
not just from economic stimulus packages and
development banks, but also the private sec-
tor. In 2008, private investments in renewable
energy sources worldwide were, for the frst time,
larger than in fossil fuels.
21
In Europe in 2009,
wind power was the number one source for newly
installed power plants, followed by gas; photo-
voltaic was third.
So why not initiate a new, attractive invest-
ment opportunity? After all, everyone is an
electricity customer! What would it be like with a
citizens grid? With a legally fxed rate per kwh,
the Renewable Energy Law is the driving force
behind investments in wind, solar and biomass
power plants in Germany. Citizens wind farms
have offered an excellent investment opportunity
and are not only extremely popular but a much
admired model for the world.
There are other examples: the wind farm op-
erators on the German island of Fehmarn joined
forces to build a grid and the island now is com-
pletely cabled. And all within eleven months!
Grids are natural monopolies; they are reli-
able and offer long-term proftable assets in
a regulated market with defnitive return. That
is especially these days much better than
a savings account! And local resistance to grid
extensions or new grids can be overcome by
ownership involvement.
New ownership, new technologies, new dimen-
sions constitute a powerful challenge and a real
opportunity: lets not miss it.
This article is based on a speech given in July 2010 at the
Summer Academy Energy and the Environment 2010 in a ses-
sion entitled Sustainable Energy Transmission Challenges and
Visions.
In Schleswig-
Holstein,
around 40%
of electricity
already
comes from
wind power.
The state
government
wants [...] to
supply 100% of
electricity from
wind power by
2020.
Notes
1
www.ewerk.hu-berlin.de. The Federal grid agencys monitoring
report (Period: April 2007April 2008).
2
The Economist, 10.10.2009, pg.69 (US$ 80bn according to
their records).
3
The Economist, 10.10.2009, pg.69.
4
EWEA Wind Watch June 2010.
5
Freie Bahn fr Hochspannung, in Energy 2.0 5/2010.
6
Earn money with Smart Metering, in: energiespektrum 10.2009,
pg. 39.
7
Articles 21b & 40 of the Energy Industry Act.
8
www.etelligence.de.
9
ABB, from wind to HVD via CHP.
10
Dr. Christian Feit, Cisco Industry Lead Utilities Internet
Business Solutions Group.
11
The Economist, 10.10.2009, pg.13.
12
Smart Grids Ein Jahrhundertprojekt, in: Energy 2.0, 5/2010.
13
Wikipedias list of HVDC plants.
14
Federal Association for Wind Energy.
15
Schleswig-Holsteins coalition agreement, 17th legislative
period, pg.15.
16
Draft coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU and FDP, 17th
legislation period, pg.21-22.
17
Stock taking document towards a new Energy Strategy for
Europe 2011-2020.
18
Hans-Gerd Busmann, according to a German Press Agency
report.
19
FES: The Green New Deal, October 2009, pg.8.
20
Klaus F. Zimmermann: The start of the green boom? In: Cicero
10/2009, pg.95.
21
Amory Lovins (RMI): Interview Its easy being green, in: The
American Interest, pg.47.
The wind star state
The state of Texas has more installed wind energy capacity than any EU country except
Germany and Spain. Chris Rose travelled to the city of Sweetwater to fnd out more.
W
hen Jim Wilks looks out on the horizon of his
family ranch, he sees the same countryside
he witnessed when he was a six-year-old boy tak-
ing part in his frst cattle round-up.
But in addition to the mesas, the wide-open
spaces and the deer Wilks, now 73, also sees the
wind turbines that grace property belonging to him
and his neighbours.
Im happy to look at them
because of the cheques, Wilks
said, adding land belonging to him
and four other ranchers became the
regions frst wind farm in 1999.
Consisting of 100x1.5 MW
turbines, the Trent Wind Farm owned
by American Electric Power was the
precursor of a trend that has trans-
formed Sweetwater located on
rolling fatlands about 300 kilometres
west of Dallas from a dying community to one
facing a brighter future.
It is representative of an amazing success
story that wind power has enjoyed in parts of
Texas, where seemingly endless turbines turn
wind into electricity and money.
Indeed, Texas has for several years far out-
paced all other American states in its amount of
installed wind power. The American Wind Energy
Association notes that at the end of 2009, Texas
had 9,410 MW of installed capacity, followed
by Iowa with 3,670 MW, California (2,794 MW),
Washington (1,980 MW) and Minnesota
(1,809 MW).
Texas has far more installed capacity than any
of the EU27 nations except Germany, which had
25,777 MW at the end of 2009, and Spain with
19,149 MW.
Signs of this new wind rush are everywhere
from the ubiquitous turbines, to the cover of
the local phone book that features a galloping
horse and a turbine, to the local newspaper that
promotes wind turbines as part of its logo, to the
corporate identity of Sweetwater town itself.
A lawyer who keeps about 65 cows, Wilks
says he can not see any negative benefts to
wind power, which makes both landowners and
local tax districts wealthier.
Wilks remembers when the wind company
frst approached him with the idea of paying him
money for a 25-year lease to use part of his
property for turbines.
I thought it would be a wonderful idea if we
could lease the rocks and the wind, he said.
I just dont see any downside to it. Its made
some people out here some money.
Im sure the town is better off with wind
power than without it , he added. We have
three new hotels here we wouldnt have without
the wind and weve got another restaurant or two
we wouldnt have without the wind.
This town has three
new hotels here we
wouldnt have without
the wind and weve got
another restaurant or
two we wouldnt have
without the wind.
| mini focus |
Photos: EON
Texas 1999 Renewable Portfolio Standard
required energy companies to develop a
certain percentage of renewables
Wind energys kiss of life
Ken Becker, executive director of the Sweetwater
Enterprise for Economic Development, agrees
with Wilks.
Becker says the fve counties surrounding
Sweetwater, which has a population of 11,415
people, contributed 11% of the 35,159 MW of wind
capacity in the US by the end of 2009. All of Texas,
he said, contributed 27% of the national MW total.
Were fortunate as we are a diverse commu-
nity but now we [also] have the wind; its really
come in and taken hold and is doing quite well,
Becker said.
Asked why, Becker said that in 1999 the state
de-regulated the power industry and opened it up to
competition, there was an under-utilised transmission
line running all the way to the huge population centre
of Dallas-Fort Worth, there were wide open spaces,
farmers and ranchers were open to leasing their land,
and there were dependable levels of wind.
A catalyst for wind power was the states 1999
Renewable Portfolio Standard, which required en-
ergy companies to include in their portfolios the
development or purchase of a certain percentage
of wind power and other renewables energies.
Unfortunately, said Becker, as more wind power
companies began erecting turbines in west Texas,
the under-utilised transmission line became over-
utilised to the point that wind power now cant get
on about 20% of the time.
However, Texas has committed to spending
about $5 billion (3.6 bn) on almost doubling its
transmission capacity to 18,500 MW and the frst
phase of the expansion should be completed by
late 2011. Most of that new transmission capac-
ity is already earmarked for wind power.
Greg Wortham, mayor of Sweetwater and
the executive director of the Texas Wind Energy
Clearinghouse, is also an enthusiastic cheerlead-
er for the growing wind sector.
We have people
out here who
have been able
to save their
farm or ranch
because of the
wind income.
TEXAS
Austin
Sweetwater
Roscoe
United States
A primer on Texas
Texas is known as the Lone Star State and its capital is Austin.
With close to 25 million people, Texas borders Arkansas, Louisiana,
New Mexico, Oklahoma and Mexico.
Texas is the second largest state in the US it covers 678,054 km
2
,
making it slightly larger than France and its elevation ranges from
sea level at the Gulf of Mexico to 2,667 metres at Guadalupe Peak.
An independent nation from 1836 to 1845, Texas is a leader in
cattle, agricultural products, petrochemicals, energy, computers and
electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences.
In terms of wind energy, Texas remained the leading US state with
more than 9,400 MW of total installed capacity at the end of 2009.
During 2009, work was completed on the worlds largest wind farm
near Roscoe, Texas, with an installed capacity of 781.5 megawatts
(MW), generating enough electricity to power more than 230,000
homes.
| mini focus |
The land surrounding
Roscoes 627 turbines is also
used for producing cotton
Wortham estimated there are about 10,000 jobs in
Texas related to the wind industry, including lawyers,
steel workers, truck drivers and port workers.
Those are well-paying jobs. They are paying
twice the taxes per capita we used to have,
Wortham said, adding recent studies indicate
total employment related to the wind power sector
is now equal to the aviation and computer indus-
tries in Texas.
Wind power in Texas has benefted from a
stream-lined state regulatory structure that allows
for reasonably fast decision making, he said, add-
ing consistent federal policies for production in-
centives for renewable energies has also helped.
Wind is a future, he said. Its an energy
future, its a global future.
Trying to transmit
Patrick Woodson, the development manager for
owner E.ON Climate & Renewables, which has
11 wind farms in Texas with installed capac-
ity of close to 1,800 MW, said one of the most
pressing problems for the continued growth of
wind power in Texas is increasing transmission
capacity.
The transmission situation is the most press-
ing problem, he said, adding that challenge
should cease in the next few years once the
transmission capacity is roughly doubled from the
near 10,000 MW that exists today. I think Texas
will remain a vibrant market for wind power.
Asked why wind power has done so well in
Texas is such a short period of time, Woodson
said the state has a very good regulatory market
for wind, it has lots of available land, and the
ranchers and farmers are already used to using
their land for a variety of purposes such as oil
and gas. They have already had multiple expo-
sures to their property.
Woodson was also asked if there are any les-
sons Europes policy makers and the wind power
sector can learn from the Texas experience. The
most compelling part of the Texas wind story is if
you create an environment where the market can
proceed . . . you can move very quickly.
Tatiana Rodriguez, the 26-year-old managing
editor of the daily Sweetwater Reporter, has
lived in the town all her life and witnessed a lot
of improvements since wind power companies
began arriving.
I think its great, Rodriguez said. Its def-
nitely boosted the economy around here.
Most of the local residents are in favour of
wind power because it is emissions-free and it
has brought a lot of business to Sweetwater, she
said, adding some people now call the town the
clean energy capital of the world.
Acknowledging Sweetwaters boarded-up shops
and decaying buildings represent a declining
economy, Rodriguez said she feels the recent infu-
sion of wind power money is helping to build the
town up again.
As an example, she said one local man has
just started his own business repairing wind
turbines, and the nearby Texas State Technical
College has been offering a wind power technician
course for the past three years.
John Kirgan, an antique dealer whos also lived
in Sweetwater all his life, had watched his town
stall and fade until, in the past 10 years, it began
to experience a new lease on life with the growing
wind power sector.
When the windmills came in, they generated
a lot of money in town, Kirgan, 65, said. The
money they made in Sweetwater has to have
made a difference.
Rattlesnakes, ranches and
renewables
Faith Feaster is a local lawyer who helps land-
owners negotiate leases with wind power compa-
nies for the use of their land.
Feaster said the wind energy sector has given
landowners and the community a huge econom-
ic boost that has been much appreciated since
the oil and gas industry began drying up.
She said that in 2003 Nolan County, which
Sweetwater is a part of, was described as the
fastest declining community in Texas; popula-
tion and economic growth. But then the wind
power companies began arriving.
Feaster said landowners can expect to be
paid between $6,000 and $10,000 (4,400 to
7,300) per turbine per year depending on the
electricity produced and transmitted. Most of the
leases are for a minimum 25 years.
We have people out here who have been
able to save their farm or ranch because of the
wind income, she said. Most of our clients
are thrilled.
She said one of the clients of the law frm she
works for, Westel & Carmichael, has 80 wind tur-
bines on his property and is getting set to have
an additional 80 turbines added.
Sweetwater
has evolved
from being
known as the
home of the
worlds largest
rattlesnake
roundup to
being the wind
energy capital
of the world
| mini focus |
Texas 781.5 MW Roscoe wind
farm is the largest in the world
First time visitors to the fat farmland, rolling hills and rocky
terrain surrounding this sleepy 120-year-old town can be for-
given for thinking that not much is here besides blistering sun,
cattle and snakes.
And yet Roscoe, with a population of just 1,378 people at
the beginning of this decade, boasts an astonishing interna-
tional record the largest onshore wind farm in the world.
Were proud we have the title for now, said Patrick
Woodson, the development manager for owner E.ON Climate
& Renewables.
Forming the Roscoe wind complex, a 781.5 MW facility that
E.ON estimates is worth about $1.5 billion (1.09 bn), are
a total of 627 turbines sprawling over a 32 by 13 kilometre
chunk of semi-arid land that also produces wheat and cotton.
The amount of emissions-free electricity created by
the complex located about 60 kilometres southwest of
Abilene is said to be capable of powering 235,000 aver-
age American homes and displacing approximately 520,300
tonnes of C0
2
emissions per year.
Woodson said E.ON described as the worlds largest
investor-owned utility bought the complex assembled over
four different sites from developer Airtricity towards the end
of 2007.
He said about 1,400 workers were employed during
construction, which began in the spring of 2007 and ended in
July 2009. E.ON currently has about 15 full-time employees
on site while another 45 maintenance workers represent the
three companies that manufactured turbines used at the
complex.
Wind speed, voltage, current and other aspects of the gen-
eration process at the wind farm complex can be monitored
both onsite and at E.ONs control centre 365 kilometres
southeast in Austin, Texas. The North American headquarters
for E.ON, which has 10 other wind farms in Texas and one
each in New York and Pennsylvania, is in Chicago. It is a sub-
sidiary of E.ON of Dusseldorf, Germany.
Each of the four wind farms in the Roscoe complex have a
substation and they all connect at E.ONs Kiowa substation.
From there, the power is transferred onto the states ONCOR
transmission line at the adjacent Tonkawa substation.
The four facilities include the Roscoe wind farm, which
has 209 1 MW Mitsubishi turbines, the Champion wind farm,
which has 55 Siemens machines of 2.3 MW each, the Pyron
wind farm, which uses 166 GE 1.5 MW turbines, and the
Inadale wind farm, which has 197 Mitsubishi 1 MW machines.
Woodson said all wind farms in west Texas have access
to the state grid only 15% to 20% of the time because of in-
adequate transmission capacity. He added, however, that this
should change once a doubling of state transmission capacity
in the windy area is completed by the end of 2013.
Robin Ham, E.ONs site supervisor for the Champion and
Pyron wind farms, worked in the oil and gas industry before
he became interested in the wind power sector about a
decade ago.
Ham, who has a science degree, said wind power initially
interested him because of its ability to help lower US depend-
ence on foreign oil and because it can also mitigate climate
change caused by burning fossil fuels.
I was thinking this will be something thats going to be
the future, Ham said, adding both his son and son-in-law now
also work in the wind power sector. I think its going to be a
good future for wind power.
Welcome to Roscoe, the biggest wind farm of them all
A paper prepared by Feasters law frm for the 2010
Wind, Solar and Renewables Institute in February in
Austin highlighted some of the recent history facing
the exploding wind power sector in Texas.
The landscape of west Texas has changed
signifcantly in the past decade, the paper noted.
The exponential growth of the wind industry in
the area has evoked vivid memories of the oil
booms during the 1950s and early 1980s.
The paper added that, like in any other boom,
speculation was rampant and landowners had to
decide who to trust. It also said the west Texas
area was attractive to wind developers because
there was adequate wind capacity, close proxim-
ity to high voltage transmission lines, many wide
open spaces, and it was reasonably close to a
major centre of consumption, Dallas-Fort Worth.
In the years between 2002 and 2006
Sweetwater evolved from being known as the home
of the worlds largest rattlesnake roundup to being
the wind energy capital of the world with two of the
worlds largest wind farms, the paper said.
| mini focus |
There are about 10,000 jobs in Texas
directly related to the wind industry
| technology corner |
By Crispin Aubrey
Larger turbines:
bigger and better?
As the best on land sites in some European countries
begin to fll up, and the industry moves offshore for new
opportunities, turbine manufacturers are once more looking
at designs which push the boundaries of size and capacity.
S
o far, only three offshore wind turbine models
of 5 MW capacity or greater have been manu-
factured as a commercial series by the German
suppliers REpower and Bard, and the Areva Wind.
REpower has now installed 23 of its 5M machines
both on land and offshore, Bard is currently
erecting 80 of its 5 MW design on tripod founda-
tions far out in the North Sea, and Multibrid has
installed ten M5000s, including six at the Alpha
Ventus offshore German test site.
On land, Enercon has installed more than 20
of its E-126 6 MW direct drive turbines, each of
which can generate 18 million kilowatt hours of
electricity per year, enough for more than 5,000
households.
Not content with this progress, however, some
designers are now looking at machines of up
to 10 MW capacity or even more. For offshore
use the motivation is that foundations are much
more expensive and larger capacity individual
turbines therefore offer economies of scale. On
land, where pressures of space are beginning to
emerge, the attraction is to pack more punch into
a particular location by erecting a single turbine
that can supply an impressively large quantity
of power.
Manufacturer Turbine Capacity Rotor diameter Status
Enercon E-126 6 7.5 MW 127 m Commercial production
REpower 6M 6.1 MW 126 m Prototypes
Vestas - 6 MW 130-140 m Development
Clipper Britannia 10 MW 150 m Development
Sway/Areva Sway up to 10 MW n/a Development
Siemens - 6 MW - Prototypes
Most attention has been paid to the dramatic pro-
posal by US company Clipper to develop a 10 MW
turbine known as the Britannia. Supported by the
British government with a grant of UK4.4 million
(equivalent to about 5.1 million), this involves
extending some of the principles that have been
successfully deployed in the 2.5 Liberty design.
The Liberty employs a lightweight two-stage
helical design with four permanent magnet
generators instead of the usual single-wound
rotor-induction model. This multi-drive approach
radically decreases individual gearbox component
loads and therefore reduces overall gearbox size
and weight. The Clipper gearbox would weigh just
36 tonnes, compared with up to 70 tonnes for
a more traditional turbine. Other elements, such
as the use of carbon fbre in the blades, will also
contribute to an overall predicted weight of 500
tons for the nacelle mass, the company says,
about the same as for a machine of half the ca-
pacity. Keeping weight under control is one of the
crucial factors in scaling up turbines to a multi-
megawatt level.
Encouragement from the UK government
means that Clipper has been building a new
factory on the river Tyne in north-east England to
manufacture the blades, which will be 72 metres
long and weigh over 30 tonnes. The gearbox
system is being developed by UK company David
Brown. When complete the frst prototype turbine
would be purchased by the Crown Estate, the
body responsible for overseeing the development
of all offshore wind projects in British waters, and
could be installed in one of the large Round 3
offshore sites. Progress may depend, however, on
a resolution to Clippers recent fnancial problems.
The other company developing a 10 MW de-
sign is the Sway consortium from Norway, whose
partners include energy businesses Statoil,
Statkraft and Shell, together with engineering
and infrastructure specialists Lyse and Inocean.
The main focus here is on the offshore support
structure, in this case a foating tower anchored
to the seabed and considered particularly ap-
propriate for very deep waters. The Sway tower is
counterweight ballasted so that it stays virtually
Wind turbine models above 5 MW capacity
Some
designers are
now looking at
machines
of up to
10 MW
capacity or
even more.
| technology corner |
upright but will sway slightly (hence the name) in
response to wave movements.
Sway has been working with Areva Wind to
adapt the companys existing 5 MW turbine for
use on the foating tower, but is also considering
a larger 10 MW version. This is being supported
by Enova, a company set up by the Norwegian
Ministry of Petroleum and Energy to diversify
the countrys energy supply. A grant of NOK 137
million (17 m) has been made by Enova to help
develop a prototype.
The Areva Wind design has similar features to
Clippers, with synchronous permanent magnet
generators and a compact drive train mid-way
between direct drive and a conventional multi-
stage geared system. As a result of its compact
integrated slow-rotating drive train, single-stage
gearing and a single main bearing (no main shaft)
Areva Winds 5 MW turbine has a nacelle and ro-
tor weight of just 349 tonnes.
The prize for successfully developing the Sway
design is greater energy capture. At 50 km off
the coast of Norway, the consortium says, where
the water depth is typically between 100 and
300 metres, power production from each turbine
would be 20-30% higher than the same machine
located at the Horns Rev wind park, 15 km from
the Danish coast.
Other turbine suppliers are concentrating on
moving more gradually upwards from the exist-
ing 5 MW plateau. REpower, for instance, already
has a 6.1 MW design at the prototype stage,
with three turbines installed on the German-
Danish border and plans for 48 to go offshore in
the Nordsee Ost wind park from 2011 onwards.
Vestas, the largest player in the market, has
also announced its intention to develop a 6 MW
turbine with a 130-140m rotor diameter, although
no further details are available.
Enercon, meanwhile, the German pioneer of
large-scale turbines, continues to expand the plat-
form of its largest direct drive design from 6 MW
up towards 7.5 MW. We have tried and proven
that we can operate the E-126 safely and with the
required reserves, even at 7.5 MW rated power,
the companys Arno Hildebrand announced at the
beginning of 2010.
The challenges facing developers of these
multi-megawatt turbines are being assessed by
the UpWind research project, which receives fund-
ing under the European Unions Sixth Framework
Programme. Its conclusions so far are that while
both manufacture and installation of these large
turbines are feasible, this does not mean that up
to 20 MW capacity versions of current state of
the art 5 MW designs will offer any cost/perform-
ance advantages. In the energy industry, econo-
mies of scale generally lead to larger designs for
cost-effectiveness, Takis Chaviaropoulos from
the Greek Centre for Renewable Energy Sources,
an UpWind partner, told this years EWEC in
Warsaw. But it is not obvious that this applies
after a certain size. Economies of scale can be
negated by increases in rotor and nacelle costs.
Longer blades can be particularly sensitive to
buckling and fatigue failure, he added.
UpWind is looking at three specifc areas
where technical advances are needed to reduce
costs. One is the need for increased availability,
therefore more reliable designs and effective
monitoring of the turbines operating condition.
Second is improvements in aerodynamics and
control systems to make best use of the available
wind. The third is weight reduction through new
manufacturing techniques and improved load cal-
culations. It is certain that substantial R&D and
industrial effort is still needed to conquer these
technical barriers, Chaviaropoulos concludes.

For more information: www.areva-wind.com; www.repower.de;
www.bard-offshore.de; www.enercon.de; www.sway.no;
www.vestas.com; www.clipperwind.com; www.upwind.eu
In the energy
industry,
economies
of scale
generally
lead to larger
designs for
cost-
effectiveness.
Steady as she goes: the REpower 5 MW turbine is put into place
Photo: REpower
I
s it true that wind power is not fully competitive
with conventional power technologies?
Up until now, energy costs have been calculat-
ed using one-sided methods that have not taken
into account all the costs, benefts and risks of
each power generation technology.
Conventional power sources like coal, oil and
gas produce varying amounts of CO
2
. The cost
to society of CO
2
and other pollutants has not
traditionally been considered. But as from 2013,
the European power sector will have to buy all its
emissions allowances, rather than getting them
for free as is currently the case. The more CO
2

emitted, the more the producer will pay.
Conventional fuels also need to be imported
into Europe in vast quantities Europe imports
more than half its energy, a fgure that is expected
to climb to 70% in the next 20 to 30 years. The
prices of these fuel imports are unpredictable.
The cost of wind power can be predicted with
great certainty. It produces no CO
2
and requires no
fuel. It is a capital-intensive technology with 75%
of the costs paid upfront, whereas in conventional
fossil fuel fred technologies such as a natural
gas power plant, as much as 40-70% of costs are
related to fuel, and operations and maintenance.
From that point onwards, because of wind
powers zero fuel costs and zero carbon costs,
it is a low-risk investment conventional power
sources depend on fuel imports from politically
unstable regions and at unpredictable carbon and
fuel prices. These uncertainties of future fuel and
CO
2
prices imply a considerable risk for future
generation costs.
That means for example that when analysing
the optimal energy mix, one must include the
fuel price risk as well as the price of carbon if
they rise, the competitiveness of wind-generated
power increases.
The increase in the price of a barrel of oil from
$20 to $80 has added $45 billion (32 bn) to the
Is wind energy
competitive?
In 2010, Wind Directions is going back to basics. Each
issue this year will take a closer look at one of the
fundamentals of wind energy.
EUs annual gas import bill whereas in 2008, wind
power avoided fuel costs of 6.5 billion and CO
2

costs of 2.3 billion. According to EWEAs sce-
narios as set out in the 2009 Pure Power report,
this will constantly increase in the future for both
avoiding carbon costs (8.3 billion in 2020 and
15 billion in 2030) and fuel costs (27.7 billion
in 2020 and 55.5 billion in 2030).
With its low marginal cost, wind power can fur-
ther reduce the electricity price, pushing out more
expensive power generating technologies from
the market. Naturally, this affects the electricity
price that goes down with large amounts of wind
power integrated into the grid. For a more detailed
explanation of this, see EWEAs recently released
grid report.
The capital-intensity of wind power is also
constantly decreasing with the trend towards
larger turbines. The economic consequences of
this trend and improved cost-effectiveness are
clear. For a coastal site, for example, the average
cost has decreased from around 9.2 c /kWh
for the 95 kW turbine (mainly installed in the mid
1980s), to around 5.3 c /kWh for a fairly new
2,000 kW (2 MW) machine, an improvement of
more than 40% (using constant 2006 prices).
This means that in reality, the cost of wind power
can become lower than natural gas and only
around 10% more expensive than coal.
Finally, the European wind industry is a world
leader. Investing in wind energy means that
money going to fuel-exporting nations is put to
work at home. In 2008, European manufacturers
had a 60% share of the global market for wind
turbines.
For more information on wind energy and competitiveness, see
EWEAs report The Economics of Wind Energy, free to download on
www.ewea.org.
| wind energy basics |
By Elke Zander P
h
o
t
o
:

T
h
i
n
k
s
t
o
c
k
EWEA Events:
the winning formula
www.ewea.org/events
EWEA events:
high quality conference + targeted exhibition + unique networking opportunities = the winning formula
The industry is still growing rapidly, creating exciting
opportunities for new and existing businesses. Year
after year, the European Wind Energy Association, EWEA,
continues to serve the wind industry with the most valuable
and professionally organised events in Europe. The success
of EWEA events mirrors the booming wind industry and
they are consideredun-missable for any business serious
about its future in the wind energy sector.
Europe possesses an energy source which could power it seven
times over: the wind. European companies are world leaders in
wind power, generating thousands of jobs. Wind energy reduces
Europes dependence, and spending, on imported fossil fuels. It
lowers electricity prices and emits no CO
2
.

Over the next 12 years, Europe must build new power capacity
equal to half the current total. We must use this opportunity to
construct a modern power system that meets the challenges of
the 21
st
century.

Give Europe a breath of fresh air by adopting a wind turbine at
www.ewea.org/freshair
Give Europe a breath of fresh air
Breath
AIR FRESH of
www.ewea.org/freshair
I
t has been almost a year since the
world anxiously waited for the interna-
tional community to complete negotia-
tions in Copenhagen on a new treaty to
limit and reduce toxic greenhouse gas
emissions caused by burning fossil fuels.
But shortly before the annual United
Nations Conference of the Parties on cli-
mate change also known as the COP
could convene early last December,
expectations had already begun to
unravel.
Two years prior to the Copenhagen
meeting, at a COP meeting in Bali, ne-
gotiators agreed a new treaty to replace
the Kyoto Protocol in 2012 would be
relatively easy to achieve by late 2009.
And, at a 2008 meeting in Poznan, nego-
tiations were still on track to reap a new
agreement in Denmark.
But then it all began to fall apart.
In autumn 2008, the worst recession
since the Great Depression in the 1930s
reared its ugly head crushing stock
portfolios, bankrupting fnancial institu-
tions, destroying equity in houses by as
much as 50% and affecting nearly every
country in the world.
Climate change started slipping off
the top of the public agenda.
And then, just before the
Copenhagen conference began, leaked
e-mails from climate change scientists
were published, giving global warming
sceptics a viral propaganda victory as
the illegally-obtained messages ap-
peared to cast doubt on elements of
the scientifc consensus. Months later
the scientists were exonerated but the
damage had already been done to the
Copenhagen summit.
By the time heads of state began
arriving in Denmark, supposedly to sign
off on a binding global plan to limit
temperature rise to a somewhat manage-
able 2C, business-as-usual and national
self-interests were back in vogue. As de-
veloped and developing nations opposed
each other, a number of countries agreed
to a vague and non-binding Copenhagen
Accord designed as a stopgap measure
until nations could ratify a new treaty
this December at the UN climate change
conference in Cancun.
Rmi Gruet, Regulatory Affairs Advisor
for EWEA, said that no substantive
progress on the vitally important sub-
jects of emission-reduction targets and
fnance mechanisms occurred at three
UNFCCC meetings earlier this year in
Bonn.
According to Gruet, nations seem
to be distancing themselves from the
Copenhagen Accord and reverting back
to entrenched positions from before the
COP-15 summit.
It feels like being back two years ago
before the Poznan meeting (COP-14) where
everybody knew everything should be
decided in Copenhagen and no progress
needed to be made too early, Gruet said.
As a result of this government inac-
tion, Gruet predicted little progress would
be made on the most important climate
change issues at the UNFCCC meeting in
October in Tianjin, China.
And that doesnt bode well, he added,
for the UNs COP-16 climate change
meeting in Cancun from 29 November to
10 December.
Gruet pointed out the Mexican govern-
ment made it very clear that a binding
international agreement on limiting
greenhouse gas emissions should not be
expected in Cancun.
It seems likely that the world will have
to wait until at least 2011, when COP-17
is held in Johannesburg, for a new bind-
ing treaty on climate change.
Gruet said that acting on climate
change now will be far cheaper and less
environmentally damaging than waiting
until the problem gets even worse.
The economic crisis is also the
opportunity for economic infrastructure
change, he said. The crisis will bring
benefts to those who adapt to the future
energy market: one driven by wind, re-
newables and low-carbon technologies.
| Run-up to COP16 |
That was then; this is now:
the climate change hiatus
In the run-up to COP16 in Cancun, Chris Rose reviews the progress
made so far on an international binding treaty on climate change,
and examines the next step.
A parched area of Namibia,
where climate change has
brought terrible droughts
Photo: Thinkstock
EWEA campaign: thousands of
turbines adopted around Europe
The competition to win a weekend in
Copenhagen or the Swiss Alps is grow-
ing ferce as more and more people
are adopting a wind turbine as part of
EWEAs Breath of Fresh Air campaign,
and voting for their friends turbines.
Over 8,000 people have now shown
their support for wind energy by adopting
or voting for a wind turbine, said Elke
Zander, EWEAs Campaigns Offcer. Also,
many of them are visiting
www.ewea.org/freshair to fnd out more
about wind energy. It is great to see the
publics enthusiasm for learning how we
can give Europe a breath of fresh air!
Hard Rain packs a punch
EWEAs Breath of Fresh Air campaign
continued to make waves in the EU quar-
ter of Brussels in September with the
hard-hitting photo exhibition on climate
change, Hard Rain.
The photos, which are coupled with
the lyrics to Bob Dylans classic song
A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall, depict the
devastating impacts of climate change.
Working with the exhibition organiser
and photographer Mark Edwards, EWEA
counterbalanced them with images of
clean, CO
2
free wind energy to show the
real difference it can make.
The exhibition ran from 13 to 25
September directly outside the EU
Parliament, and on Brussels annual car
free Sunday on 19 September, EWEA staff
members were on hand to give out fuo-
rescent cycling vests, mints and leafets
explaining the exhibition and campaign to
the many people cycling and walking by.
Further music and entertainment was pro-
vided by a band, whose members dressed
up to represent wind energy.
With the exhibition we wanted a re-
ally visual message on how wind energy
can help against climate change, and we
timed it to coincide with the European
institutions return after the summer and
the car free Sunday to communicate both
with the decision-makers and the wider
public, explains Elke Zander, EWEAs
Campaigns Offcer.
Debating the future
From clowns to commissioners, the
second campaign debate, entitled Wind
of Change how Europe can beneft
from reducing emissions by 30%, took
place in Brussels on 13 October. Connie
Hedegaard, EU Commissioner for
Climate Change, Jo Leinen MEP, Chair
of the Environment Committee, Teresa
Presas, Chairwoman of the Alliance for
a Competitive European Industry, ACEI
and Arthouros Zervos, President of
EWEA, were on the panel.
The debate, which was moder-
ated by Financial Times Environment
Correspondent, Fiona Harvey, covered
questions such as what is the link be-
tween Europes competitive advantage
in green technology and climate leader-
ship? How can Europe beneft from
reducing emissions by 30%? How can
we quantify the true economic gains of
tackling climate change and what invest-
ments are needed? And in the lead up
to the COP16 in Mexico, what respon-
sibility does the EU have in promoting
constructive dialogue and leading by
example?
A pamphlet based on the debate and
looking at the theme of climate change
and a 30% emissions reduction target
for Europe will be available soon, and
the next campaign debate, on grids, is
scheduled for 2 December.
More on EWEAs campaign: www.ewea.org/freshair
EWEA staff hard at work on Car Free Sunday
P
h
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o
s
:

E
W
E
A
/
J
a
s
o
n

B
i
c
k
l
e
y
The Hard Rain exhibition took place outside
the European Parliament
EWEA gave out cycling vests for free to passers by
| EWEA news |
EWEA annual event is coming to
Copenhagen in 2012: save the date!
Europes premier wind energy event is coming home to Denmark, one of wind
energys pioneers, in 2012. EWEA 2012 conference and exhibition will run from
Monday 16 to Thursday 19 April in the Danish capitals Bella Centre, and will
cover all the key aspects of wind energy from technical and theoretical to policy
and practice.
Exhibition space is now open to buy: it will be snapped up quickly so dont
hesitate to contact Sanna Heinonen on she@ewea.org or tel: +32 2 213 1837.
More on EWEA 2012: www.ewea.org/events
Making connections at EWEAs 2011 event
Over 10,000 wind energy professionals
will be focking to Brussels for four days
of debate and business development in
early spring next year. The EWEA Annual
Event (formerly known as EWEC) 2011
will be held in the heart of Europe from 14
to 17 March. The conference and its high
profle speakers will cover all the hottest
topics affecting the wind energy industry
in Europe and beyond, from fnancing, to
grids, technology, social acceptance, re-
search and more. Alongside the more than
50 conference sessions and side events,
there will be many opportunities to network
and make new business contacts, includ-
ing themed receptions and a gala dinner.
On 13 March, a pre-conference seminar
will be held, focusing on Wind Energy
The Facts. On 15 March, a Belgian Day
will centre on the wind energy industry of
the host country, Belgium.
Due to huge demand, the parallel
exhibition has been expanded, and will
be the biggest yet. Covering a total of
almost 13,000m
2
, it will feature key
players in wind power from Europe, North
America and Asia the worlds foremost
manufacturers, developers, engineer-
ing and construction companies, power
generators and utilities.
EWEAs Annual Event is the major
meeting for the European wind energy
market, connecting the key players
together: corporate leaders, investors,
fnanciers, policy makers and scientists,
said Michel Helbig de Balzac, President
of Edora, Fdration de lEnergie
dOrigine Renouvelable et Alternative
(the Renewable and Alternative Energy
Federation).
It represents a unique combina-
tion of business opportunities, techni-
cal discussions, political debates and
networking. For EWEA 2011, Brussels is
a strategic place to promote the growth
of the wind energy sector in Europe,
and will make a crucial contribution to
the implementation of EU objectives on
renewable energy production.
EWEA 2011 in the heart of Europe
will confrm the ambition of the wind
industry to deliver a vast amount of
Europes power needs, agreed Chris
Derde, President, ODE - Organisatie
Duurzame Energie (the Organisation for
Renewable Energy), Flanders.
Registration is now open: www.ewea.org/annual2011
| EWEA news |
EWEC 2003
in Madrid
EWEC 2004
in the UK
EWEC 2006
in Athens
EWEC 2009
in Marseille
In 2011, EWEAs annual event is
coming back to the heart of Europe
Photos: EWEA
EWEAs annual events throughout the years
Ume, Sweden
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EWEA welcomes new members
Aristoncavi SpA (Italy)
Producer of electric cables insulated with rubber,
X-linked synthetic rubbers and thermoplastic
compounds. Product range: CABLES FOR LOW AND
MEDIUM VOLTAGE POWER DISTRIBUTION, CABLES FOR
SPECIAL APPLICATIONS. Special fexible loop cables,
torsion resistant, for mobile laying in Tower and Nacelle
applications, for on-shore and off-shore installations.
Products: WINDMILL WINDATOX - WIND90 - WIND110
www.aristoncavi.com
Axis Renewables (UK)
www.axiscapital.com
BOW Terminal (Break & Offshore Wind Terminal) (The
Netherlands)
Bulgarian Wind Energy Association (Bulgaria)
The Bulgarian Wind Energy Association is Bulgarias
frst association focused solely on wind energy. BGWEA
unites the majority of the national and international
businesses active in the Bulgarian wind energy sector.
BGWEA works constructively and dynamically to
improve the public, business and policy framework of
the Bulgarian wind energy sector for all stakeholders.
www.bgwea.org
DDIS (France)
www.ddiswt.com
Georgias New Energy (Georgia)
Kintech Ingenieria S.L. (Spain)
www.kintech-engineering.com
ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia (Denmark)
www.kemawind.com
MAINA Organi di Trasmissione S.p.A. (Italy)
www.maina.it
Mammoet Europe BV (The Netherlands)
www.mammoet.com
Pentalum Technologies Ltd (Israel)
www.pentalum.com
Platina Partners LLP (UK)
www.platinapartners.com
PM Renewables GmbH (Germany)
PM Renewables specialises in the supply and
construction of foundations for offshore wind
projects. We manufacture large diameter tubulars
for monopiles as well as fabrication and assembly
of complete jacket foundations (tripod & 4 leg
structures). We supply and ft out the complete
transition piece with all E&I, secondary steel and
paintwork ready for installation. A bespoke service
for a special industry
www.pmpiping.com
Schuler Pressen GmbH & Co.KG (Germany)
www.schulergroup.com
Seafox Contractors (The Netherlands)
www.workfox.com
Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH (Germany)
www.seaports.de
USE61400-25 user group (Spain)
www.USE61400-25.com
VITEC ENERGY (Sweden)
www.vitec.se
Zhangzhou Nheolis Technology Co., Ltd (China)
ZHANGZHOU NHEOLIS TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD,a
China-France joint venture. We manufactures and
distributes small and medium wind turbines--
nheowind 3D 50 and nheowind 3D 100, using
nheolis patented Chistera 3D Blades.
Nheolis wind turbine advantages: start-up at low
speed, no noise, integrating into the city environment
easily, etc. For more information, please visit:
www.nheolis.com.cn/www.nheolis.com.
Photo: fotolia.com
Events
GRIDS 2010
23-24 November 2010
Berlin, Germany
E-mail: events@ewea.org
Tel: + 32 2 213 18 00
EWEA 2011 Annual Event
14-17 March 2011
Brussels, Belgium
www.ewea.org/annual2011
Tel : + 32 2 213 18 00
OFFSHORE 2011
29 November -1 December 2011
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
www.ewea.org/offshore2011
Tel: + 32 2 213 18 00
EWEA 2012 Annual Event
16-19 April 2012
Copenhagen, Denmark
Tel: + 32 2 213 1800
Wind Directions is published by the European Wind
Energy Association and read by 10,000 wind energy
sector professionals, European institutions, local
governments, academia and media. Wind Directions
is mailed to over 60 countries including the EU 27,
Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, the Republic
of Korea, Norway, Switzerland and the US. It is also
distributed at all the major wind energy events.
Editorial Calendar 2011 - Focus*:
January 2011:
Big in Brazil: samba, football and wind energy
March 2011 (EWEA Annual Event):
Whats next? Looking past 2020
June 2011:
Portugal: the quiet wind energy star
September 2011:
The awakening of the African giant
November 2011 (Offshore):
Into the sea: the power offshore
Raise your pro le
among key wind industry players
Advertise in Wind Directions,
the European Wind Industry magazine
Join the leading
companies in
wind energy and
advertise in
Wind Directions!
We are. And were looking for people with air, vision and a
clear commitment to delivery, to join our existing Offshore Team.
MainstreamRenewable Power was established in 2008 to develop, build and operate
renewable energy plant in collaboration with strategic partners and we have almost
100 people working together in seven countries, spanning four continents.
We have established our Offshore Centre of Excellence in London, where our highly
experienced and dynamic teamis dedicated to delivering our ambitious plans for offshore
wind in Europe, including the Neart na Gaoithe project in Scotland and the Horizont project
in Germany. Through our investment in supporting wind technician training in the UK,
Mainstreamis committed to driving the offshore wind sector by training skilled personnel
to work offshore.
Were focused on delivering the bigger picture and our vision for a pan-European offshore
supergrid is central to our offshore strategy.
If offshore wind is your passion and you want to be part of an exciting and entrepreneurial team,
we are looking for exceptional people to ll positions in London, Glasgowand Berlin.
www.mainstreamrp.com
BERLIN CAPE TOWN CHICAGO DUBLIN LONDON SANTIAGO TORONTO
ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT OFFSHORE WIND?
Offshore Project Engineer
Glasgow
Offshore Health and
Safety Manager
London
Offshore Project Engineer
Berlin
Offshore Developer
Berlin
General Manager
European Offshore
London
For more information on these
positions, visit our Careers section
at www.mainstreamrp.com
Book now
your 2011
advertising for
2010 rates
Fill in the booking form pg.57
*Subject to confrmation
Advertising booking form
Fax to: +32 2 213 1890 or Post to: EWEA, Rue dArlon, 80, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Yes, I would like to advertise in Wind Directions.
SIZE EWEA Member () Non Member ()
Double Page Spread 5040 5544 . . . . . . . . . . .
Full Page 2520 2904 . . . . . . . . . . .
Half Page Horizontal 1512 1742 . . . . . . . . . . .
Half Page Vertical 1512 1742 . . . . . . . . . . .
Quarter page (portrait format only) 840 968 . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inside Back Cover 2856 3291 . . . . . . . . . . .
Inside Front Cover 3024 3485 . . . . . . . . . . .
WD eMag URL link to your advertisement 500 700 . . . . . . . . . . .
ISSUE Booking deadline Copy deadline Distribution
Issue 1 29 November 2010 3 December 2010 -
Issue 2 3 February 2011 10 February 2011 EWEA 2011 - Windpower 2011
Issue 3 26 April 2011 3 May 2011 International Conference
on Wind Engineering (ICWE 13)
Issue 4 21 July 2011 28 July 2011 Eolica Expo 2011,
Renewable UK 33
nd

annual conference & exhibition
Issue 5 6 October 2011 13 October 2011 OFFSHORE 2011
MULTIPLE ISSUES EWEA Member Non Member
3 out of 5 issues per year* 5% off single advert price 5% off single advert price . . . . . . . . . . .
5 issues* 10% off single advert price 10% off single advert price . . . . . . . . . . .
* If purchasing after the yearly publication cycle has commenced, a multiple-issue package will roll over into the following years publication cycle.
CUSTOMISED ORDERS Customised advertising is possible. Please call to enquire.
Please note that a 5% premium is charged for any guaranteed position
DEADLINES: All advertisement information must be received by the Copy Deadline. After this deadline, inclusion of your advertisement in the publication cannot be guaranteed
and no refund will be given.
CANCELLATIONS: Requests for advertisement cancellations must be made in writing. For cancellations made 2 months prior to the Copy Deadline (of the target issue), 50% of the
advertisement rate will be reimbursed. For cancellations made after the Copy Deadline, no reimbursement will be given.
TOTAL PAYABLE (You will be invoiced once the magazine is printed) . . . . . . . . . . . .
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PAYMENT
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Bank: ING Bank / BIC code: BBRUBEBB / IBAN code: BE73 3630 4209 0360
I will pay by credit card (Visa, Eurocard, Mastercard)
Card Holder Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Card Number: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Expiry Date:..............
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DIGITAL FORMAT
You can send advertising copy in digital format only. Wind Directions is an A4 size
publication, printed with 4-colour process throughout. Digital copy should be pro-
vided as a high-resolution PDF fle. We accept CDs, memory sticks and e-mailed zip
fles under 5 MB. You must send the digital copy with a printed version and indicate
Wind Directions and the Issue the advert is intended for.
For more information on advertising, please contact:
Christi Newman, Business Development Manager
European Wind Energy Association asbl
Rue dArlon, 80, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel.: +32 2231 1807, Fax: +32 2 213 1890
E-mail: cne@ewea.org
Advertising copy material should be sent to:
Iga Niewiadomska, Business Development Intern
European Wind Energy Association asbl
Rue dArlon, 80, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel.: +32 2 213 1846, Fax: +32 2 213 1890
E-mail: ini@ewea.org
: , 1 ' ' , 5 ( & 7 , 2 1 6
I
had been working with EWEA to prepare the
Hard Rain exhibition for its two week display
in front of the European Parliament in Brussels
for several months, so I was very much looking
forward to seeing it for myself.
The exhibition shows climate change and the
global problems that contribute to the problem. It
is designed to renew the ambitions for change in a
large cross-section of the public and encourage po-
litical and business leaders to take bold, long-term
decisions to secure our gains and avoid disasters
that appear increasingly imminent. This venue and
the collaboration with EWEA made this a key event
in the Hard Rain diary. I was particularly keen to
see EWEAs own exhibition with stunning images of
wind energy as a solution to the climate problem.
We timed my visit to coincide with Car
Free Sunday on 19 September, when all cars
are banned from the centre of Brussels from
9am to 7pm.
It was great to see Brussels normally choked
with cars taken over by cyclists and pedestri-
ans. I was greeted at the Place du Luxembourg,
where the exhibition was set up, by various smil-
ing members of the EWEA team including Julian
Scola, Communication Director and Elke Zander,
Campaigns Offcer. They had set up a stand from
which they were explaining the exhibitions while giv-
ing out leafets about Hard Rain and the Breath
of Fresh Air campaign, along with mints and fuo-
rescent vests, to the passers-by.
The photo banners were arranged all around
the grassy centre of the square. Its hard hitting
but family after family cycled or walked along the
procession of images which illustrate each line of
Bob Dylans lyric, A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall.
Elke and the team had also organised for some
great entertainment to attract people to the exhibi-
tion. A brass band dressed up as wind energy
characters, in blue and white with turbine hats,
played music while chasing off the bad guys:
Mr Coal, Mr Gas and Mrs Nuclear. They drew a
huge crowd!
The transformative power and real precision of
poetry, the urgency of photography and street thea-
tre made this opening unique. The message that
we have the tools to deal with our problems makes
Hard Rain all the more poignant. Lets hope the
EU MPs take it on board and support real action in
favour of the future.
The Hard Rain tour of the US begins in April 2011.
Find out more on www.hardrainproject.com.
| the last word |
Bicycles, bands and bad guys
Photographer and organiser of the Hard Rain exhibition on climate change, Mark Edwards,
describes his visit to Brussels on the citys Car Free Sunday 2010.
Taking a breath of fresh air
EWEA brought the Hard Rain exhibition to Brussels as part of its
Breath of Fresh Air campaign, which aims to communicate on the ben-
efts of wind energy.
You can take part in the campaign by going to www.ewea.org/freshair
and adopting your very own turbine, and then asking your friends to vote
for it. If you get the most votes, you could win a weekend to Copenhagen
or the Swiss Alps, including a visit to a wind farm!
The
transformative
power of
poetry, the
urgency of
photography
and street
theatre
made this
unique.
Mark Edwards (left) by the
Hard Rain exhibition in
Brussels on Car Free Sunday
Photo: EWEA Jason Bickley
Make the
right connections
14-17 March 2011, Brussels, Belgium
European Wind Energy Conference
and Exhibition (formerly known as EWEC)
SUPPORTED BY: ORGANISED BY:
Year after year, EWEA annual events keep on growing. Europes leading wind
energy conference and exhibition offers a comprehensive overview of the
latest developments and vibrant networking opportunities.
Engage with over 10,000 of the industrys key players to discover new leads
and prospects, and make the right connections.
EWEA annual events are organised by the industry for the industry and
represent real value for money: every euro you spend on this event is put to
work promoting wind energy.
Discover new business opportunities and nurture relationships
with your existing clients
Exhibition space
extended to 13,000m
2
.
Book your stand now

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60 WIND DIRECTIONS | November 2010

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