Daily Archives: July 23, 2022

Fugro to Work on New Irish Offshore Wind Projects – Offshore WIND

Posted: July 23, 2022 at 1:12 pm

Fugro is set to kick off a geotechnical site survey campaign at the North Celtic Sea and South Irish Sea offshore wind projects at the end of July.

Supply vessel Fugro Voyager is in charge of carrying out the work which will include a downhole cone penetration test (CPT) and continuous sampling boreholes with geophysical logging.

Activities are expected to be carried out from 30 July until 30 September on a 24-hour basis, weather dependent.

The two offshore wind projects are being developed by Energia Group. The company decided back in 2019 to implement a EUR 3 billion investment program in Irelands renewable sector, which included the offshore wind market as well.

The 800 MW North Celtic Sea project will be located between 10 kilometres and 25 kilometres off the Waterford coast. Green Rebel carried out the geophysical surveys at the project earlier this year.

The South Irish Sea wind farm, currently at the early stage of the environmental assessment process, is planned to have a generation capacity of between 600 MW and 800 MW.

Ocean Infinity just recently started a geophysical survey campaign at the wind farm site located at a minimum of 10 kilometres and up to 25 kilometres off the coasts of Wexford and south Wicklow.

Follow offshoreWIND.biz on:

Here is the original post:

Fugro to Work on New Irish Offshore Wind Projects - Offshore WIND

Posted in Offshore | Comments Off on Fugro to Work on New Irish Offshore Wind Projects – Offshore WIND

UK Offshore Wind Costs 4 Times Less Than Gas-Fired Thermal Generation – CleanTechnica

Posted: at 1:12 pm

We got an email from Bill McKibben this week telling us about the latest UK renewable energy auction. When the smoke cleared and all the final bids were tallied, more than 7 gigawatts of new offshore wind energy will be added to the nations grid over the next 5 years at 44 per MWh. That is one quarter of what electricity from gas fired thermal generation today, according to Carbon Brief. In addition, 2.2 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity also won contracts at an average 55 per MWh and 0.9 GW of new onshore wind was bid in at 50 per MWh.

Carbon Brief estimates the new renewable energy from this years auction will generate 42 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity per year, which will be enough to meet around 13% of current UK demand. Energy analysts estimate electricity from these new renewable sources will save consumers an estimated 1.5 billion per year by the end of this decade when all the new generating capacity comes online and reduce annual average utility bills by 58. The price of electricity in the UK has soared by nearly 50% recently as supplies of methane from Russia have been interrupted by Vladimir Putins war of aggression in Ukraine and are projected to rise even more as winter approaches.

Kingsmill Bond, a longtime City of London energy analyst now working for the Rocky Mountain Institute, tells Bill McKibben the numbers are the best possible news for a continent scared by Vladimir Putin: We just do all this stuff and do it a bit faster, and we wont need Russian gas. It is really not that hard. You dont need to go cap in hand to foreign dictators to ask for more gas. Just change your own policy regime to bring these technologies online quicker.

Easier said than done. Many of the UK leaders vying to replace Boris The Clown as prime minister are promising to transition away from the countrys embrace of clean renewable energy and restart fracking in the UK to unlock even more methane production. Clearly Johnson is not the only cuckoo clock in the UK government.

The UK government has committed to getting 95% of the countrys electricity from low carbon sources by 2030 and to fully decarbonize the grid by 2035. It is also aiming for up to 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030, a figure that would including up to 5 GW from floating offshore projects. Floating solar is designed for installations that are further offshore in deeper water where wind speeds are more constant and predictable.

The UK is in the process of building a new nuclear power plant known as Hinkley C that will generate about 25 TWh of electricity per year when it starts operations in 2026 10 years after construction began. That electricity will cost 110 per MWh. The new renewable energy from this most recent auction will be online in less than 5 years and provide electricity at an average cost of about 41 per MWh. So lets do the math, shall we? Half the cost in half the time versus nuclear. Which begs the question, why is Hinkley C being built at all?

The market for methane gas has been turned upside down this year since Russia decided to shut off supplies to much of Europe. Reactionaries are screaming for more fracking, saying renewables are unreliable and take too long to bring online. Yet fracking for new wells can also take years before the gas gets to market. The transition to renewable energy should be moving faster because of the recent disruptions, not slower.

Thermal generation is a leading factor in making the Earth hotter and hotter. Advocating for more of it is extremely shortsighted bordering on suicidal. And yet, reactionaries everywhere are embracing thermal generation because if it was good enough for their grandparents, its good enough for them. The great leveling factor is price. Its hard to cling to something when it cost 4 times as much as the alternative. In the final analysis, economics may be the only tool that can offset ideology. The US needs to take a page from the UK renewable energy playbook and the sooner the better.

Jesse Jenkins of Princeton University tells Bill McKibben if the US can make offshore wind as cheap as onshore the way the UK has done, it opens a huge resource potential in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, close to demand centers, that would be an alternative to expanding transmission to reach onshore wind in the Midwest or solar in the Southeast, which is currently the lowest cost option for places like his home state of New Jersey. The opportunity is there for the taking. Carpe Diem!

Go here to see the original:

UK Offshore Wind Costs 4 Times Less Than Gas-Fired Thermal Generation - CleanTechnica

Posted in Offshore | Comments Off on UK Offshore Wind Costs 4 Times Less Than Gas-Fired Thermal Generation – CleanTechnica

RWE to Test Floating Solar Tech on Dutch Offshore Wind Farm – Offshore WIND

Posted: at 1:12 pm

RWE has selected SolarDuck as an exclusive provider for offshore floating solar technology with integrated storage in the companys bid for the Hollandse Kust West (HKW) site VII in the Netherlands.

A few months ago, RWE announced that it is participating in the Dutch offshore tender for the Hollandse Kust West (HKW) sites VI and VII.

The areas are located in the North Sea, about 53 kilometres off the Dutch coast. The sites will each deliver more than 760 MW of offshore wind capacity.

SolarDuck and RWE also signed a collaboration agreement to develop the use of floating solar parks at sea.

RWE plans to accelerate the commercial application of new technologies by supporting a vast amount of innovators and startups in demonstrating their innovation in an operational environment.

To this end, RWE decided to invest in SolarDucks full-scale offshore pilot in the North Sea, called Merganser, which lays the foundation for a larger demonstration project at the Dutch offshore wind farm.

RWE is constantly looking for innovative ways to further improve the production of renewable energy offshore. We are very keen to further explore the potential of offshore floating solar together with our partner SolarDuck, said Sven Utermhlen, CEO Wind Offshore of RWE Renewables.

For countries with lower mean wind speeds but high solar irradiation, this opens up attractive opportunities. We want to contribute to accelerate the energy transition, have a positive impact on marine ecology and help to integrate energy systems.

A winning bid for the HKW site VII will realise the integration of an offshore floating solar plant at a pre-commercial scale with 5 MWp combined with innovative energy storage solutions into the offshore wind farm.

Further building on the collaboration with project Merganser and HKW, RWE and SolarDuck will explore new opportunities with the objective to develop commercial offshore floating solar parks, both stand-alone and hybrid.

The integration of offshore floating solar into an offshore wind farm is a more efficient use of ocean space for energy generation (using the space between the wind turbines) and allows for synergies with regard to the construction and maintenance of the multi-source renewable energy plant, RWE said.

The result is a more balanced production profile due to the complementary nature of wind and solar resources, according to RWE.

Follow offshoreWIND.biz on:

More here:

RWE to Test Floating Solar Tech on Dutch Offshore Wind Farm - Offshore WIND

Posted in Offshore | Comments Off on RWE to Test Floating Solar Tech on Dutch Offshore Wind Farm – Offshore WIND

CMIC WON THE OFFSHORE KEY EQUIPMENT SYSTEM ORDERS OF APPROXIMATELY RMB156 MILLION – PR Newswire

Posted: at 1:12 pm

CTW is a private company in the business of marine engineering technology research, consultation and services and marine engineering equipment manufacturing, sales and rental services, and is mainly engaged in the design, manufacture supervision and marketing of self-jacking system & self-propelled units. CTW is one of three companies in the world that have full design capacities for self-jacking system & self-propelled units. CTW has been widely praised by customers and recognized by the market with continuous orders in recent years due to its outstanding product design concept and performance.

CMIC has a sound track record of cooperation with CTW. 2 complete sets of LIFTBOAT jacking systems have already been delivered by CMIC to CTW in the first half of this year. The total contractual amount of the 6 complete sets of LIFTBOAT jacking systems is RMB156 millionapproximately USD23.1 millionwhich includes both the 2 sets already delivered and the 4 new sets signed this time. In addition to the above 6 sets, both parties have agreed to sign 2 more complete sets of LIFTBOAT jacking systems and electrical control systems. All orders are for overseas ship-owners. In the future, the cooperation between the parties will focus on further enhancing product technologies, accelerating delivery and improving after-sales services, etc.

In the past years, CTW has carried out proactive advancements in the offshore oil and gas and wind power markets, which has demonstrated its strong market operation capability. With its long history in the offshore engineering and energy industries, CMIC has strong equipment design and manufacturing strength, sound market and customer network and rich operation and maintenance experience in the fields of oil and gas and offshore wind power. Leveraging on this strategic cooperation, CMIC and CTW will seek for joint development in the future through leveraging on their respective resource advantages, features and jointly provide better products and services for the offshore oil and gas and wind power markets on the principal of "synergy and collaboration with mutual benefits".

About CMIC

CMIC Ocean En-tech is a leading technology company providing complete engineering, manufacturing and integrated solutions to clients in both onshore and offshore oil and gas, offshore wind and hydrogen sectors. CMIC is also in the business of investing in energy sectors including the renewable energy sector. Established in 1995, CMIC has a large global footprint and operations to serve clients in the energy sector worldwide. CMIC is registered in the Cayman Island and its stocks are traded in the Hong Kong Stock Exchanges (206.HK).

SOURCE CMIC Ocean En-Tech Holding Co.,Ltd.

See the original post:

CMIC WON THE OFFSHORE KEY EQUIPMENT SYSTEM ORDERS OF APPROXIMATELY RMB156 MILLION - PR Newswire

Posted in Offshore | Comments Off on CMIC WON THE OFFSHORE KEY EQUIPMENT SYSTEM ORDERS OF APPROXIMATELY RMB156 MILLION – PR Newswire

Subsea 7 Plants First Cables for Hywind Tampen Floating Offshore Wind Farm – Offshore WIND

Posted: at 1:12 pm

Subsea 7 has laid the first subsea cables in the water for the 94.6 MW Hywind Tampen floating wind farm offshore Norway.

JDR Cable System is in charge of supplying the electric cables for the project from its factory in Hartlepool, the UK, while Subsea 7 is responsible for the installation of the cables and the connection to the Snorre A and B and Gullfaks A, B and C oil and gas platforms.

JDR has completed the first of multiple load-outs of dynamic subsea cables for the floating offshore wind project.

The load-out consisted of five terminated cables each with pull-in-head arrangements on either end from carousel storage located within the facility.

The floating wind project entered the offshore construction phase in March with the transport and installation of the suction anchors at the site located about 140 kilometers off the Norwegian coast.

Hywind Tampen will comprise 11 Siemens Gamesa 8 MW wind turbines installed on concrete SPAR-type floating foundations in water depths of between 260 and 300 metres.

Once commissioned by the end of 2023, Hywind Tampen will become the largest floating offshore wind farm in operation.

The project was initially scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022, but due to some deviations found in steel quality in four tower sections and supply chain bottlenecks, the first seven wind turbines will come on stream this year as planned, while the final four will be installed next spring, according to Equinor.

Equinor is developing and will operate the NOK 5 billion (EUR 488 million) wind farm on behalf of the partnerships which include Equinor Energy AS, Petoro AS, and OMV (Norge) AS for the Gulflaks license, and Equinor Energy AS, Petoro AS, Idemitsu Petroleum Norge AS, Wintershall Dea Norge AS, and Vr Energi AS for the Snorre license.

Follow offshoreWIND.biz on:

Visit link:

Subsea 7 Plants First Cables for Hywind Tampen Floating Offshore Wind Farm - Offshore WIND

Posted in Offshore | Comments Off on Subsea 7 Plants First Cables for Hywind Tampen Floating Offshore Wind Farm – Offshore WIND

Moray West Offshore Wind Farm, Scotland – Power Technology

Posted: at 1:12 pm

Moray West is an 882MW offshore wind farm being developed in the outer Moray Firth region of Scotland.

With a 95% interest, Ocean Winds, a 50:50 joint venture between ENGIE and EDP Renewables (EDPR), is developing the project. Ignitis Group holds the remaining 5% stake in the wind farm.

Once operational, the Scottish wind farm is expected to cater to the power requirements of 650,000 households in Scotland and have an operational life of 25 years.

Furthermore, it is expected to contribute to Scotlands ambition of achieving net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases by 2045. The project is estimated to provide a reduction in carbon dioxide (CO) emissions of 1.1 million tonnes.

Preliminary preparation works at the site of the projects Whitehillock onshore substation began in February 2022, while onshore preparation works for the cable corridor started the following month.

Main civil and installation works for the project are expected to begin in July 2022, while first power is expected in 2024.

To be located 22km from the coast, the wind farm will be developed over an area of 225km. It will be equipped with 60 Siemens Gamesa SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbines installed on fixed monopile seabed foundations.

The project will include both offshore and onshore developments. The offshore section will involve the construction of two offshore substations and installation of approximately 275km of inter-array cables.

Onshore development will include a new onshore substation that will be built at Whitehillock.

Each SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbine will be able to generate 14.7MW of electricity. The turbine incorporates the IntegralBlade technology, which involves the fibreglass-reinforced epoxy resin blades being cast in one piece without any glued joints.

Each turbine will have a rotor diameter of 222m, swept area of 39,000m (419,792.5ft) and three 108m-long blades.

The length of the offshore section of the cable corridor is approximately 65km, while that of the onshore section is 31km.

The offshore cables exporting the electricity generated from the wind farm will make landfall to the east of Sandend Bay, on the Aberdeenshire Coast. These cables will connect with the onshore cables at the transition joint bays, which will be located near the coast above Broad Craig.

The electricity will be transported by the onshore cables to the proposed onshore substation at Whitehillock, located off the A96 road, and then to the Blackhillock substation, near the town of Keith, for connection with the national grid.

The project will use 220kV high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) subsea and onshore export cable systems.

Siemens Gamesa received a contract to supply the turbines for the Moray West wind farm in June 2022. The contract also includes a service agreement for the turbines. The company will produce 180 IntegralBlades for the project at its factory in Hull, England.

Installation services company Cadeler was engaged by Siemens Gamesa for the transportation and installation of the Moray West project turbines in June 2022. The company will use its Wind Orca installation vessel to execute the contract.

Port Nigg in Cromarty Firth was announced as the planned location for pre-assembly and wind turbine installation works in January 2022.

Siemens Energy and lemants, a subsidiary of Smulders, were contracted to supply two offshore substation platforms for the project in December 2021. The substation platforms will be based on Siemens Energys Offshore Transformer Module (OTM) technology.

Siemens Energy was also selected to provide an onshore substation for the wind project in the same month.

Fabrication and engineering company Lamprell signed a capacity reservation agreement for the supply and shipping of 62 transition pieces for the wind farm in January 2022.

Nexans was engaged to design, manufacture and install onshore and offshore export cable systems for the project in December 2021. It will use the Nexans Skagerrak vessel to lay the offshore cables.

Dajin Offshore Heavy Industry, a Chinese offshore energy equipment manufacturer, received a contract to supply 48 monopiles for the project in June 2022.

Fugro GB Marine was appointed to undertake geotechnical site investigations at the wind farm site. It was supported by Vysus Group, an engineering and technical consultancy based in Scotland.

In April 2022, recruitment consultancy Taylor Hopkinson received a contract to supply project experts across manufacturing, construction, installation, commissioning, and operations and maintenance.

Mech-Tool Engineering (MTE) was engaged to provide the design, engineering, fabrication and delivery of eight modular buildings for the project in May 2022.

IKM Consulting was contracted to conduct civil works in support of Nexans work on two onshore circuits. The contractual scope includes design works for circuit route and corridor, utility infrastructure, carriageway and watercourse crossings, site compound, and temporary access point and haul road.

The licence for the development of the Moray Firth Zone (Zone 1) was awarded in 2010. The zone was divided in two, namely Moray East and Moray West.

First power at Moray East was achieved in June 2021. Work at the Moray West project was delayed due to constraints in the west zone. The development of Moray West started in 2016 after the project received seabed rights from The Crown Estate.

All the required permits for the development of the project were received in 2019. Geotechnical and geophysical surveys for the onshore and offshore sections of the project were undertaken in 2019.

Investigation surveys at the offshore site were conducted between September and November 2021.

Topics in this article:

View original post here:

Moray West Offshore Wind Farm, Scotland - Power Technology

Posted in Offshore | Comments Off on Moray West Offshore Wind Farm, Scotland – Power Technology

KNOT Offshore Partners’s Ex-Dividend Date Is Wednesday, Here’s What You Need To Know – Benzinga – Benzinga

Posted: at 1:12 pm

Tuesday marks the last chance for investors to receive the next dividend payout from KNOT Offshore Partners KNOP.

The company announced on Thursday that it would pay shareholders a quarterly dividend of 52 per share. On Wednesday, KNOT Offshore Partners will go ex-dividend, meaning the stock will trade lower to reflect that payout. In other words, the stock will likely open 52 lower than it would have opened on any other day.

In order to be eligible to receive a company's dividend, shareholders must own the stock prior to the ex-dividend datein this case, Wednesday. Shareholders who own KNOP as of the end of Tuesday's session are eligible to receive the 52 dividend payout for every share that they own.

According to the company, this dividend will be paid out to shareholders on August 11, 2022. Investors will then be able to either reinvest those dividends back into the stock or use the payment in some other way.

To stay up-to-date with the companies that are announcing their dividends, click here to visit our Dividends Calendar.

Originally posted here:

KNOT Offshore Partners's Ex-Dividend Date Is Wednesday, Here's What You Need To Know - Benzinga - Benzinga

Posted in Offshore | Comments Off on KNOT Offshore Partners’s Ex-Dividend Date Is Wednesday, Here’s What You Need To Know – Benzinga – Benzinga

Five Reasons to Reject Offshore Wind – Bacon’s Rebellion

Posted: at 1:12 pm

Snippet from UVA video showing how winds can destroy a large wind turbine. Click for larger view.

by Steve Haner

Researchers at the University of Virginia are part of an ongoing effort to redesign wind turbines to be both more efficient and better protected from storm-scale winds, as described in this video you can find on a university website.

What is the problem to be addressed? Says one of the engineers:

As you get these larger wind turbines, your blades end up becoming more flexible and if youre upwind then when the wind comes in and hits those blades, they can curve backwards and then it can hit that tower and destroy the entire turbine.

You can see an example of that happening on the video. It is not just theory.

So, great idea. Hurricane-resistant turbines with flexible blades facing downwind. Is that what Dominion Energy Virginia is about to build off Virginias shores, the cost billed entirely to its captive ratepayers? Well, no, actually. It is the old design But no problem it wont cost the company any money if a storm replicates that damage you see in that video. We customers will pay.

Dominion Energy Virginias Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is an epic mistake for Virginia. Yet thanks to the Virginia General Assembly the regulators at the State Corporation Commission are most likely going to approve it because the Assembly stripped them of their traditional oversight role with the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA). Virginias Republican governor appears to be among the cheerleaders.

Another screenshot from the UVA video.

The wind projects application process and subsequent review have developed a large amount of information about the project, but little news coverage, so most Virginians remain clueless about what is coming. Here are five reasons why the SCC should say no.

First and foremost is the secrecy. Despite some efforts by Attorney General Jason Miyares, creating a bit more transparency, pages and pages of data entire reports even remain under seal and visible only to those who have sworn secrecy. The data covers known and possible risks that could throw the project off schedule or even cause catastrophic failure. It also covers some of the economic analysis, leaving outsiders to decide whether to trust the rosy projections from the utility.

What are they hiding? Does it include discussions of the risk demonstrated on the video?

Second is the ownership structure. One fact that is on the record is that no other offshore wind project proposed so far in the United States is 100% owned by a vertically integrated monopoly with captive ratepayers. If any of those known or unknown risks kick in, the added cost flows down to the 2.5 million Dominion customer accounts in this state.

It could have been a third party building the plant and signing a contract to sell power to the utility. Then the third party carries the risk of losing revenue if the plant fails to operate as proposed. There is a similar set up where the utility subsidizes the privately-owned plant by promising to buy the renewable energy credits rather than the electricity, again shedding risk. Dominion opted for placing the full risk on its ratepayers.

Third, the power isnt needed, not now and not for decades. In a wonderfully circular argument, the plant is needed to comply with the 2020 VCEA law, which of course was conceived and written by Dominions lawyers and lobbyists. Eventually, VCEA will force closure of Dominions very efficient natural gas generators. It will make the gas facilities less economically efficient in the meantime, but with them running at capacity and no turbines Virginia would have plenty of generation available.

The dirty secret on wind and solar is that they only work sometimes, but we need power always. Without the natural gas backup, Dominion cannot meet its load on cloudy, windless days. Missing from all the current equations are billions of dollars needed for gigawatts of battery backup if the gas plants close.

Fourth is the cost. The General Assembly bought the bogus argument that the plant would be reasonable and prudent if it only cost 40% more than the least efficient kind of natural gas plant, a peaking plant that runs almost never. If Dominion needs more generation, solar and onshore wind facilities would provide power for less money. Another gas plant would be better still, but the VCEA stands in the way of that option.

The SCC staff examined and costed out several ways that the advertised construction cost of almost $10 billion could prove too low or the 2027 scheduled completion could be delayed. Any combination of them would explode Dominions future rates. The SCC staff also raised the specter of the missing battery backup and its related cost.

That is the fifth reason, the prospect of failure, the operational risk. Dominion is claiming that the 176 turbines will really put out only 40% of their advertised 2,600 megawatts. Even that depends on only minimal maintenance stops and 25 years of perfect operation. The harsh ocean environment may quickly degrade the efficiency of the machines and the 40% capacity factor promise will then fade into history. A category five hurricane could destroy it in a day (see video above for how.)

Notice that not even mentioned are the likely issues that will arise when time comes to remove the rusted-out towers and miles of cable, the impact the project may have on endangered right whales or sea birds, or the major transmission lines that will crisscross Hampton Roads to connect all this. Litigation could delay the project.

The case to reject this project is overwhelming, which is why the General Assembly made rejecting it impossible.

First published this morning by the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy.

Follow this link:

Five Reasons to Reject Offshore Wind - Bacon's Rebellion

Posted in Offshore | Comments Off on Five Reasons to Reject Offshore Wind – Bacon’s Rebellion

Queensland’s wild weather expected to ease as low moves offshore, BOM says – ABC News

Posted: at 1:12 pm

Queensland should get a reprieve from wet conditions today, after being hit by heavy rain on Friday, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

Strong falls and gusty winds have battered much of the state's coast in recent days.

Senior forecaster Peter Markworth said the greatest falls had been in the Wide Bay and on the Sunshine Coast.

"The highest has been Gin Gin at 83 millimetres since 9amFriday. Sunshine Coast is the other region in the last 48 hours with over 100 millimetres but since 9am closer to probably 40 millimetres," Mr Markworth said.

The weather bureau said the strongest winds yesterday were recorded at Moreton Island and Double Island Point in the south-east, which were hit with gusts of about 100 kilometres per hour, while the Gold Coast had winds of about 80 kilometres an hour.

All Gold Coast beaches and most Sunshine Coast beaches remain closed.

Mr Markworth said the rough conditions werenot quite over yet.

A severe weather warning for damaging winds in the Wide Bay and Burnett and south-east coastwas cancelled by BOM at 8am this morning, but a severe weather warning for dangerous surf remained in place.

On Friday BOM senior hydrologistJess Carey said the weather system bringing the heavy rainfall to south-east Queensland was going to start moving offshore.

"These east coast lows are quite tricky to forecast from time to time, but really we're expecting that movement to the south-east," he said.

"What will persist over the next day or so is those really strong winds that we've seen upwards of 90 kilometres per hour and exposed areas along the south-east Queensland coast.

"That 4- to 5-metre swell with waves is certainly going to persist right along the south-east Queensland coastline and even into New South Wales as well."

Cruise ship the Coral Princess was supposed to dock in Brisbane at 6am yesterday, but due to the bad weather the port was closed so the ship hadto head out to sea near Caloundra.

Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) general manager Kell Dillon said yesterday afternoon pilotage was suspended due to wave and wind conditions.

"Providing it is safe to conduct pilotage [on Saturday] morning, it is hoped the Coral Princess can be alongside mid-afternoon on 23 July," he said.

"MSQ is working with all stakeholders to recover from the disruptions caused by the weather event.

"Questions about alternative options for the Coral Princess are best addressed to Carnival."

Mr Dillon said on Saturday morning that conditions still remained "unfavourable" for the ship to enter the port.

"Conditions are being monitored closely. Safety is Maritime Safety Queensland's top priority," Mr Dillon said.

"A marine pilot is expected to board the Coral Princess in the early afternoon to assist with bringing the vessel into port.

"Providing it is safe to conduct pilotage later today, it is hoped the Coral Princess can be alongside late afternoon on 23 July."

A spokesperson for Princess Cruises said:"Guests currently on board and those who were due to embark for the next cruise are being updated regarding the ships late arrival and being assisted as fully as possible," the spokesperson said.

Aman's body was recovered yesterday morning after he was swept away in floodwaters at Nanango following downpours on Thursday night that caused flash flooding in the South Burnett region.

Police confirmed the 47-year-old man's body was discovered near Sandy Creek bridge after a vehicle was swept into floodwaters along Brown Street about 5.30am on Friday.

Manager of the Fitzroy Hotel in Nanango, Sharon Shaw, said the news of the man's death was devastating.

"It's pretty sad, especially when you don't know who it is no death is any good," she said.

"My condolences to the family of the gentleman who passed away in the flood.

"Just remember, if it's flooded forget it. Your life isn't worth it."

Ms Shaw said the town was expecting more rain.

"We've been told lately that they're still predicting another 50 to 100 millimetres in the next couple of days," she said.

The Western Downs region had not experienced flash flooding to the extent of the South Burnett yesterday, but growers in the area had been left reeling after water-damaged crops.

Doug Wunsch grows wheat and barley on his property in Jandowae, and the heavy falls had drowned the crops he had replanted for a second time.

He said it was another devastating blow after finishing planting just hours before the heavy rain.

"I went back in and started replanting there Tuesday afternoon and planted on another 120 hectares and finished up last night [Thursday] and took note of what the forecast was only saying 4 to 6 millimetres," he said.

"It came down quite well on the roof and then it just sort of got quite serious with a bit of thunder and she went all night.

"What I've seen this morning, I've just given a good wave goodbye, I'd imagine."

Read more here:

Queensland's wild weather expected to ease as low moves offshore, BOM says - ABC News

Posted in Offshore | Comments Off on Queensland’s wild weather expected to ease as low moves offshore, BOM says – ABC News

What is Automation Software | Automation Anywhere

Posted: at 1:07 pm

At the most basic, automation software is designed to turn repeatable, routine tasks into automated actions. It's used in Business Process Management (BPM) and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), among others.

The next step up is process automation. Process automation uses automation software to manage business processes. It streamlines rudimentary, repetitive tasks, and can turn several similar business processes into a single action with a few quick keystrokes.

Well known benefits of process automation include increased productivity and efficiency because automation leaves the menial jobs to computers, such as process mining. This frees the human workforce to produce more in ways that require human logic, thinking, creativity and decision making.

Integration automation is higher up in the evolution of automation software. Known as "digital workers", these software bots can be "trained" via recorded workflows. Once a process is built it requires very little human intervention. Digital Workers can become part of an integrated human/robotic workforce.

The final step of automation software is artificial intelligence (AI) automation. The added functionality of AI means the automation software can use past experience to improve how they perform the tasks required of them.

An example is AI-powered chatbots. Unlike basic chatbots, a software bot with AI ability is able to use natural language processing (NLP) to understand what a user is asking and give intelligent responses.

Throughout these four types of automation software, there are varying degrees. For example, you can have business process automation with a level of AI and machine learning. This allows the application to dig into your business processes and find other time-consuming tasks that could be better optimized.

Read more here:

What is Automation Software | Automation Anywhere

Posted in Automation | Comments Off on What is Automation Software | Automation Anywhere