Category Archives: Offshore

Senvion currently offers a 6.2MW offshore wind turbine with 126- and 152-metre rotors

Senvion's vice-president of corporate communications and marketing, Immo von Fallois, revealed the plans at the AWEA Windpower 2017 event (23-25 May) in California.

He told reporters that Senvion were planning to reveal the, as yet, unnamed turbine in London, and stopped short on giving any further details.

"It's not ready now but we know when we will deliver and we have all the facts and figures," he said.

"We're coming with a very big turbine," Fallois added.

Senvion is set to become the first major OEM to confirm plans for an over-10MW turbine. Joint venture MHI Vestas currently has the largest know offshore wind turbine, offering a 9MW version of its V164 machine to the market.

Offshore wind turbine leader Siemens offers an 8MW but teased plans for a 10MW+ machine at RenewableUK's Global Offshore Wind event in Manchester in June 2016.

Elsewhere, Siemens' now-subsidary Adwen also offers an 8MW machine, with a world leading rotor diameter of 180-metres.

Siemens itself offers a 6.2MW turbine with a 152-metre rotor, which received its first order in September 2016 for the203MW Trianel Borkum II project.

GE, the other player in offshore wind still offers its 6MW Haliade turbine, installed at the US' first offshore wind project, the 30MW Block Island site.

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AWEA 2017: Senvion to launch 10MW+ offshore wind turbine - Windpower Monthly (subscription)

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POINT PLEASANT BEACH, N.J. A crash during a powerboat race at the Jersey shore left one man dead and at least two others hurt, authorities said.

The accident occurred Sunday afternoon during a small boat preliminary event in the Point Pleasant Beach Grand Prix.

Officials said the Smith Brothers CRC boat was airborne when it came down on top of another boat, the Repeat Offender, in waters off Bay Head, sending three men into the water. David Raabe, who was in the Repeat Offender, was pronounced dead a short time later.

The crash occurred at the first turn in the race, officials said.

NJ.com reported a witness, Tom Parr, said he was watching the race with his son and realized something was wrong after the first lap.

"There were grown adults standing there crying," Parr said.

"It's a shame," said another spectator, Pat Kowalonek. "Everyone wanted to have a good time but it turned into a tragic accident. I feel terrible for the driver and the families."

The cause of the crash was under investigation. The remaining races on Sunday were canceled after the crash occurred.

Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Stephen Reid said thousands had gathered to watch the races, which drew boats from around the nation. He called the crash "very tragic."

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Man killed, 2 hurt when powerboats crash during offshore race in Point Pleasant Beach - New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV

Philippine regulators expect revenues from online gaming to eventually rival those of traditional casinos, thanks mainly to the booming demand from overseas players as well as the rapid advances in technology that make it possible for even so-called high rollers to play using their mobile devices.

Speaking to reporters recently, an official of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) said he expected online gaming to, one day, account for up to half of the gross gaming revenue of the local industry.

At the same time, lawyer Jose Tria Jr.who heads Pagcors Offshore Gaming Licensing Departmentsaid the agency is trying to moderate the growth of online gaming to make sure that the regulator could keep pace with the rapid technological advances needed to properly regulate the newly formed sector.

It will take some time, but we see it hitting 50-50 eventually, he said when asked about the prospects of offshore online gaming revenues vis-a-vis the conventional land-based casinos.

Tria said demand for Pagcors newly created Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo) license was such that there are still 44 pending applications from various would-be operators, both here and abroad, in addition to the initial batch of 42 it had already approved.

The Pogo license was created in response to the crackdown President Duterte ordered on illegal online gaming operations, as well as to rationalize the growing industry, which had previously operated under the diverse ambit of the countrys many special economic zones.

With Pogo rules in place, the Pagcor official said the government would now be able to better regulate the industry by weeding out less competent operators, and derive more tax revenues from the remaining legalized operators.

Because Pagcor is presently unable to monitor offshore gaming operations on a realtime basissomething that will require a large investment in automation and personnel trainingthe regulator has temporarily decided to impose a flat monthly royalty fee of $150,000 a month on each Pogo licensee.

Once Pagcor automates its systems, however, Tria expects that Pogo licensees will be required to pay royalty fees in direct proportion to their gross revenues in the same manner as traditional casinos.

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Pagcor eyes offshore gaming as new cash cow - Inquirer.net

Based on the size of the licence, the wind farm could grow to an estimated capacity of 1,500MW, three times the size of the largest offshore wind farm now operating in the UK. Its second project will be located off the coast of North Carolina and is expected to power-up by 2025 and, given the scale of the area, is expected to generate around 2,500MW at full potential.

Scottish Power Renewables is already developing projects in Germany and France but its move beyond European borders fires the starting gun on UK offshore wind exports into the global market.

We as a country are seen to be the leaders in this type of technology. Its great to be creating opportunities and developing skills in the UK, but also to see these being exported, Mr Anderson said.

Emma Pinchbeck of RenewableUK, the industrys trade body, said the US is emerging as an important export destination for the UK wind industry.

British innovation and expertise are valued highly around the world. Other countries are looking closely at our world-leading offshore wind industry and seeking to learn from it, so that they can emulate our success, she said.

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Scottish Power heads west for US offshore wind rush - Telegraph.co.uk

A FLOATING offshore wind farm that would cost 108 million to install is currently the frontrunner in work to develop renewable energy in Guernsey.

A preliminary feasibility study was released this week and now more equipment will be installed at Mont Cuet, in the north of Guernsey, to help move the project forward.

The study by Xodus Group concluded that a 30MW offshore wind project could be viable. It shortlisted three preferred sites for five turbines.

One option is 5km off Guernseys north coast and another is 15km away, west of Schole Bank, between Guernsey and Alderney.

The third the only floating option - is 25km north-west of the island.

The offshore floating option is the most costly, but is seen as preferable because of the visual impact of the other two which have estimated capital costs of 68.23m and 80.98m respectively.

It is the latest plan for a wind farm in Channel Islands waters, following on from a French scheme to install turbines between Jerseys south coast and the northern coast of Brittany.

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Guernsey considers floating offshore wind farm - Jersey Evening Post

NASH ISLAND, Maine On a recent sunny May day, Alfie Wakeman bent down between two small mounds of grass to scoop up a tiny ball of white fur that bleated pathetically.

He brought the newborn close to his chest, carried it past the crumbling stone-and-brick foundations of a homestead burned to the ground decades ago, and climbed the steep stairs of a 180-year-old lighthouse that is the only structure still standing on Little Nash Island.

Shes going to need some help, Wakeman told his 15-year-old daughter, Evie, who had lowered her binoculars and went down to meet her father. From the top of the lighthouse, Evie had been keeping watch over a flock of 22 adult sheep that call Little Nash home, counting about a dozen lambs that had been born into the flock in the first weeks of May. Most of the newcomers kept close to their mothers hips, but the one Alfie picked up had been alone.

Shes so tiny, Evie said, taking the day-old lamb from her father. She carried it toward the shore, where the Wakemans skiff waited on top of seaweed-draped rocks. Her father did one more quick sweep of the island to ensure he hadnt missed any other ailing newborns.

The lamb had been born small and weak, and was abandoned by its mother, who was grazing somewhere amid the rest of the flock on the other side of the island. Now, its up to the Wakemans to nurse it back to health.

The Wakemans dragged the skiff into the water. Alfie rowed out to his lobster boat, Eleni Wakes, named for his wife, which was anchored offshore. Evie cradled the struggling lamb to keep it warm.

After firing up the engines, Alfie steered the lobster boat a few hundred yards to the northeast, jumped back into the skiff, and rowed ashore on Big Nash. The Wakemans climbed up the beach, rounded rocks rolling under their feet, toward a small camp that was the lambs best chance at survival.

Come each May, a small cluster of islands about 3 miles off the coast of Addison in Washington County sees a surprising burst of activity. The Wakeman family runs Compass Rose Farm and oversees flocks of sheep that have lived on these islands for generations, providing wool to sell on the mainland.

These flocks call Little Nash, Big Nash and Flat islands home. Big Nash is the largest, covering more than 70 acres holding a flock of 110 sheep. Wakeman uses this as his base of operations in May when the sheep start giving birth. It has a small camp with a few beds, a wood stove, a stocked ice chest and a hand-pump well.

Inside the camp, he started a fire in the stove and put on a large kettle of water to make formula for the lamb, a special sheeps milk substitute. He used some of the water for a sugar solution, which he injected into the lambs stomach to give it a boost that might get it over the hump.

The lamb struggled to swallow the formula from an eyedropper, so Evie rubbed its neck to coax it down.

Slowly, the lamb started showing more signs of life, bleating more frequently and nuzzling Evies finger before falling asleep in a box next to the stove.

Later, after going back to Little Nash one more time to check for any other sick newborns hidden behind rocks or mounds of grass, the Wakemans headed for home, where theyd continue to work to bring the lamb back to health. If it survives, it likely wont be reintroduced to the island, but will become a dooryard sheep back at the farm in Addison, Alfie said.

Each May, about 20 to 30 sheep are born on Little Nash and Flat islands. Last December, Alfie Wakeman introduced four rams to the ewes on Little Nash Island, a move that should yield about 20 new sheep. As many as 80 can be born after the rams visit Big Nash.

Most lambs survive fine alongside their mothers, but Alfie finds a handful each season that need help, either because theyre sick, cold or weak and have been left behind. Other times, the mothers will struggle in labor and the Wakemans intervene to help the birth along. May is a busy time, so Alfie lives on the Big Nash for most of the month.

The Ladle, another nearby island that resembles an upside-down ladle, is used as a sort of summer residence for the rams, in order to prevent lamb births during a harsh island winter. The gestation period for a lamb is five months.

Population control is vital, as each island can only hold a certain number of sheep before it gets overgrazed.

The person who figured out that balance is Jenny Purington Cirone.

She was raised on Little Nash, where her father was the lighthouse keeper. When she was about 10 years old, she started raising sheep on the island. Cirone stayed active tending her sheep well into her 80s. She died in 2004 at the age of 92. The Wakemans took over for her, with the help of their three daughters when theyre home from school.

Cirone is buried on Big Nash, along with one of her brothers, according to Alfie.

Her former family home and other small buildings on the island were burned to the ground after it was deemed a liability by the Coast Guard in the 1940s, leaving only the foundations behind. The lighthouse remained standing, but was decommissioned a few decades later.

The sheep on these islands are far closer to being wild animals than farm animals.

They subsist solely on the island grass and seaweed strewn across the shore, and have no need for grain or fresh water deliveries. Even in the winter, theyre able to dig through ice or snow to get to the tufts of grass underneath. Aside from an occasional welfare check and birthing assist by the Wakemans, theyre self-sufficient.

The challenges of raising island-based sheep are many, but so are the benefits. Its costly to haul out supplies and get to the island regularly to check on the flocks. Poor weather can waylay travel plans or make the trip treacherous. The Wakemans were once stuck on the island for two weeks as a hurricane raged offshore.

At the same time, the islands carry benefits: no natural predators coyotes, foxes, bears and bobcats would be hard-pressed to make it this far out no need for fencing, and plenty of land that would carry a high price tag on the mainland.

But there are still dangers. Hundreds, if not thousands, of gulls hover over and around these islands.

The herring gulls, identified by their grey wings, are harmless and largely leave the sheep alone. But the black-backed gulls, which are slightly larger and have black wings, can cause tremendous damage.

Black-backed gulls have learned to peck young lambs in a certain spot to open an artery. The lambs bleed out, and the gulls feast. On rare occasions, the black-backed gulls have even attacked and killed full-grown ewes.

Chasing off black-backed gulls to protect the flock becomes a difficult and stressful job for Alfie when he lives here in May to keep a careful eye on the lambs. He said there have been years when he has walked from one side of the island to the other, only to return to find that in the few minutes he was gone, a lamb fell victim to one of the gulls.

In spite of that threat, the flocks do well. A handful of lambs need human help to survive, some can even be reunited with their mothers afterward. Few are lost.

These islands are rugged and barren compared with their neighbors. The sheep keep any foliage chewed down, preventing any trees or large bushes from taking root.

Walking across these islands, youre bound to spot a stark, sun-bleached white skull or spine left behind by a former member of the flock. It makes little sense to haul a sheep carcass when the gulls and other birds of prey will quickly peck it clean.

The only visitors they see regularly are those who come to check for lambs in the spring, and those who come every year for an Addison-area cultural rite of passage shearing. Anywhere from 20 to 80 locals hop into boats and head to the islands to herd the sheep into corrals, cut their wool and fill 100-pound burlap bags to send to spinners and other producers on the mainland.

The sheep shears are the only piece of electronic equipment on any of the islands, powered by a small generator.

Here we do things the same way theyve always been done, Alfie Wakeman said. Its a pretty amazing piece of our heritage weve kept alive out here.

Follow Nick McCrea on Twitter at @nmccrea213.

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These offshore Maine islands are populated only by sheep - Bangor Daily News

The Trump administration announced earlier this month that it is moving forward on seismic surveys in the Atlantic Ocean, the first step toward offshore drilling in a region where it has been blocked for decades. The Interior Department plans to review six applications by energy companies that were rejected in January by the Obama administration.

Local and state environmental groups as well as many coastal municipalities oppose the surveys, saying loud sounds from seismic air guns could hurt marine life. Sen. David Perdue, R-Georgia, and Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Savannah, remain in favor of seismic testing and offshore drilling.

The oil and gas industry has pushed for the surveys, which map potential drilling sites for oil and natural gas. No surveys have been conducted in the mid- and south-Atlantic regions for at least 30 years. The regions, as defined by the Interior Department, stretch from northern Florida to Delaware. Any new drilling activity is expected to be limited to the coasts of Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month aimed at expanding drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, part of his promise to use the nations energy reserves in an effort to reduce imports of foreign oil. Trumps order reversed an action by former President Barack Obama and faces fierce opposition from environmental activists and many Democrats, who say both seismic testing and offshore drilling harm whales, sea turtles and other marine life and that the resulting oil usage exacerbates global warming.

This is part of the administrations plan to push things foward and put the Southeast at risk again, said Sierra Weaver, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.

Used to locate and quantify potential oil and gas deposits, seismic testing involves firing blasts of air from large air guns toward the ocean floor for days or weeks at a time. Seismic blasts have been known to travel more than a thousand miles through the ocean, disorienting, hurting, deafening, or even killing nearby marine life.

Proponents of seismic testing focus on the conclusions of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries analysis that seismic testing in the Atlantic is unlikely to harm animals at the population level.

There has been no documented scientific evidence of noise from these surveys adversely affecting marine animal populations or coastal communities, said National Ocean Industries Association President Randall Luthi.

Opponents focus on the harm that same analysis predicted would come to individual animals.

The governments own study, their own prediction of marine mamals likely to be harmed by seismic testing through 2020, is over 100,000. Thats the governments own admission that theyre likely to injure 100,000 animals. I believe the harassment numbers are well over a million, said Weaver, who also pointed out the difficulty of documenting population level harm in ocean dwelling marine mammals.

More than 75 leading marine mammal scientists signed a 2015 letter imploring the Obama Administration, ultimately successfully, to reject seismic testing. A follow-up letter came last year from 28 researchers who focus on the highly endangered right whale, which migrates to the waters off Georgia and Florida each winter to give birth.

The additional stress of widespread seismic air gun surveys may well represent a tipping point for the survival of this endangered whale, contributing significantly to a decline toward extinction, they wrote.

Coastal Georgia municipalities including Savannah, Tybee Island and Brunswick have passed formal resolutions opposing offshore drilling and/or seismic testing. They are among more than 120 East Coast communities from New Jersey through Florida to do so.

With a vibrant commercial fishery industry and the only known calving ground for endangered North Atlantic right whales just off our coast, Georgians oppose seismic testing for offshore oil exploration and the risks it poses to our states wildlife, wild places, and quality of life, said Alice Keyes, vice president for coastal conservation at Coastal Georgia-based One Hundred Miles. The decision to deny seismic permits was based on sound science, policy, and public input. One Hundred Miles represents thousands of coastal advocates who stand together to support that decision.

Georgias lawmakers in Washington continue to support exploration and drilling.

As I have always said, I believe in an all of the above energy strategy and this is another step in the right direction to put people back to work, reduce energy costs and make America energy independent, said Carter, who represents every coastal county in the state and responded to an inquiry via email. Seismic surveys have been safely used for decades around the world and are nearly daily occurrences in the Gulf of Mexico. It is done with great consideration of the marine environment with multiple safeguards in place to ensure that no harm comes to marine animals or important industries like commercial fishing.

Perdue, who lives on Sea Island, in 2015 suggested states and local communities should be involved in that process to determine the best way to unleash our full energy potential, create jobs, and make our nation more secure.

His office released this statement Monday regarding seismic and offshore drilling: President Trump has a refreshing focus on generating jobs and unlocking our full energy potential. By approving the Keystone Pipeline and now lifting President Obamas offshore leasing ban, President Trump is moving to develop a strategic approach to Americas God given energy resources.

Seismic testing on the East Coast will require permits under the Marine Mammal Protection Act for impacts to species including dolphins and right whales before it can move forward, Weaver said. Thats an opportunity for coastal residents to weigh in.

The important thing for people to know is its time to keep speaking up for the coast, she said. And often.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Offshore exploration and drilling back on table for Georgia - Savannah Morning News

Bradenton Herald

Sea Saw wins Crosthwait offshore title with 81-pound grouper and last-minute adjustments Bradenton Herald As the crew of the Sea Saw huddled on the Bradenton Yacht Club stage around their trophy for winning the offshore division of the 34th Crosthwait Memorial Fishing Tournament, a baby, less than four weeks old, was lifted high above the crowd as cameras ...

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Sea Saw wins Crosthwait offshore title with 81-pound grouper and last-minute adjustments - Bradenton Herald

The operators have started removing buoys and moorings from the St Pauls Bay site.

AJD Tuna has begun dismantling fish farms in St Pauls Bay and Comino ahead of the May 31 deadline set by the Planning Authority for their relocation.

According to AJD, the tuna pens at Comino have already been removed, with the mooring blocks scheduled to follow in mid-June once necessary divers and work boats return from the tuna fishing season.

Meanwhile, the three cages in St Pauls Bay, containing carry-over fish, are being moved to a site six kilometres offshore, where they will be kept on tow while awaiting a temporary relocation permit from the PA.

John Refalo, secretary of the Federation of Maltese Aquaculture Producers, confirmed that the operators had begun removing buoys and moorings from the St Pauls Bay site.

READ:Two fish farms appeal PA decision to revoke cage permits

AJD and three other companies were given until the end of May to relocate to a new approved aquaculture zone further offshore. Their existing permits were revoked by the PA last September due to illegalities and harmful environmental practices, including oily slime that plagued beaches last summer.

Should the location be as planned this is definitely a step in the right direction

Two of the other operators have since obtained concessions to operate in the only existing approved zone, located off the south coast, bringing the site up to its full permitted capacity.

Efforts by the authorities to identify a similar zone in the north have been ongoing since 2011.

Dr Refalo said the authorities were satisfied with the pace of developments.

He added that all operators remained committed to complying with the agreement and were hopeful that a permanent solution would be found soon.

AJD has meanwhile applied to move four tuna pens from Cominoto a new site off St Pauls Bay but the application is unlikely to be decided by the PA until later this year. The proposed site is about six kilometres from Qawra Point, having been pushed a further 1.5 kilometres north after objections by Transport Malta and others.

The current proposal met no objections, although the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has insisted on an archaeological impact assessment to identify any possible archaeological sites or World War II remains and to assess any risks.

Nicolai Abela, from the campaign group Stop the Slime, said he too considered the proposal acceptable.

Should the location be as planned this is definitely a step in the right direction and satisfies two of our recommendations proposed to reduce the negative environmental and social impacts of tuna farming, he said.

Recommendations included a minimum distance of six kilometres from the nearest land point and the carrying out of all necessary surveys before the laying down of ground anchors and positioning of nets.

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Fish farms being moved offshore - Times of Malta

Bradenton Herald

Crosthwait begins 34th year with professional tournament and start of offshore event Bradenton Herald With less than 12 hours until Friday's start to the offshore competition of the Crosthwait Memorial Fishing Tournament, the Palmetto-based event had four boats enrolled. Winds forecast to be 15-20 knots through most of the weekend in the Gulf of Mexico ... and more »

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Crosthwait begins 34th year with professional tournament and start of offshore event - Bradenton Herald