Category Archives: Offshore

General view of the Walney Extension offshore wind farm operated by Orsted off the coast of Blackpool, Britain September 5, 2018. REUTERS/Phil Noble//File Photo

Investment firms Arendals Fossekompani (AFK) (AFK.OL) and Ferd have formed an offshore wind joint venture named Seagust to seek acreage in an upcoming tender in their native Norway, the companies said on Wednesday.

The venture will join several others that plan to bid in Norway's first offshore wind tender. L5N2NK3H7

"We have a huge opportunity in Norway to take the technologies that have been developed for offshore operations in general and make them part of a green value chain. For us it's important to be part of this," Seagust Chairman Morten Henriksen told Reuters.

Both AFK and Ferd own stakes in suppliers to the offshore wind sector.

AFK, which invests in green energy-related ventures, holds a majority stake in Volue (VOLUE.OL), a technology and analysis provider to European energy markets.

Privately-owned Ferd is one of Norway's largest investment firms and has a 50% stake in Aibel, a supplier to the sector.

Seagust is interested in both of the areas the Norwegian government has earmarked for development, of up to 4.5 gigawatt (GW), in the North Sea.

The areas are Utsira Nord, northwest of the oil industry capital Stavanger and suited to floating turbine technology, and Soerlige Nordsjoe II, bordering Danish sector of the North Sea and suitable for bottom-fixed installations.

Meanwhile, the size of Seagust's planned investment and projects depend on the tender details, Henriksen said. Authorities will provide details on June 11.

The partners also plan to expand into other markets once they have built a position in Norway, but it was too early to name specific countries at this point, he added.

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Investment firms form Seagust JV to bid for Norway offshore wind - Reuters

Equinor has selected Swedens MMT to carry out the 2021 export cable route surveys for the Beacon Wind wind farm offshore Massachusetts, US.

The project is led by MMTs team based in Providence MMT US Inc.

Having commenced in April to complete in July, MMT, the Ocean Infinity company, is conducting a combination of geophysical, geotechnical, environmental, and benthic surveys along the export route of the Beacon Wind sites 1 and 2.

This contract is in addition to the offshore survey work awarded to MMT in 2020 which completed in May 2021.

The Beacon Wind offshore wind farm is located 20 miles south of Massachusetts and 60 miles off the coast of New York.

When complete, Beacon Wind 1 will provide 1,230 MW of offshore wind power to the State of New York.

Beacon Wind is being developed by Equinor and bp through their 50/50 strategic partnership in the US.

Equinor acquired the Beacon Wind lease in 2019. The site has the potential to be developed with a total capacity of more than 2.4 GW.

In January, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) selected Equinor and bp as the winners of the States second offshore wind solicitation.

Apart from Beacon Wind 1, the consortium was also successful with the 1,260 MW Empire Wind 2 project in this solicitation round.

Equinor is already developing the 816 MW Empire Wind Phase 1 wind farm whichwas selectedin New Yorks first-ever offshore wind solicitation in 2019 alongside rsted and Eversource Energys Sunrise Wind project.

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Equinor Stays with MMT on Beacon Wind - Offshore WIND

International Trade Minister, Graham Stuart, visited the worlds largest offshore construction grouting specialists FoundOcean in Livingston, Scotland, to announce a major new export contract won by the firm, which will create 30 new green jobs in the local area.

FoundOcean have won a contract to provide the foundations for a 100 turbine offshore wind farm in Taiwan after receiving financial support from UK Export Finance (UKEF), the governments export credit agency.

The company will provide the foundation grouting to enable wind turbines to be secured to the seabed to form the wind farm. The farm will then be able to produce over 1GW of power equivalent to 20% of the level the UK produces.

Graham Stuart MP, Minister for Exports, said: The UK has one of the worlds best export credit agencies in UKEF, which will help Scottish exporters such as FoundOcean as we level up every part of the UK and build back greener from the pandemic.

UKEF is helping us to accelerate the transition to clean energy, which will bring prosperity and a wide range of sustainable jobs to Scotland.

UK Government Minister for Scotland, David Duguid, said: Seeing a pioneering Scottish company like FoundOcean win this contract underlines UKEFs important role in showcasing Scotland as a thriving hub of industry on the world stage.

As well as creating 30 jobs, this work demonstrates the global potential for Scottish businesses in supporting clean energy, part of the UK Governments ambitious 10 point plan for an industrial green revolution.

FoundOcean has transitioned towards renewable energy over the last decade, and is now supplying some of the largest offshore wind farms in the world.

80% of FoundOceans businesses now comes from renewable energy projects and the firm now has clients across the globe in South East Asia, Gulf of Mexico and in the Netherlands, anticipating that over half of its contracts will be abroad in 2021.

Jim Bell, Chief Executive Officer of FoundOcean, said: Our business has been running for over fifty years and in the last few, weve managed the transition to mainly renewable energy.

Thanks to UKEFs support, we have been able to fulfil a major contract, grow our business and create vital jobs for people across the country. Were so proud to play a part in powering Taiwans own green energy drive.

The UK is one of the worlds biggest offshore wind markets with 10.4 GW of total installed capacity, and the UK government is helping UK companies export the countrys expertise to new, emerging markets a core part of its 10 point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.

UKEF has provided 500 million of financing for three offshore wind projects in Taiwan since late 2019, helping to unlock the export potential of the UKs offshore wind sector.

Offshore wind projects often require a performance bond ensuring completion of the project at up to 15% of the contract value before work is even commenced. This would have meant putting a significant deposit forward and, due to the scale of the Taiwan project, FoundOcean was unable to arrange this through its bank. UKEF stepped in with bond support that enabled FoundOcean to fulfil the contract.

Craig Green, Export Finance Manager at UKEF, said: Businesses such as FoundOcean are central to the worlds renewable energy revolution, and UKEF is here to ensure they can export their specialist products across the globe, get paid, and create more jobs to support the transition.

Energy Global's Spring 2021 issue

The Spring issue of Energy Global features a varied spectrum of in-depth technical articles detailing recent projects, future projections, and technological advancements in the renewables sector, from companies including GlobalData, Atlas Copco, Watlow, QED Naval, TRACTO, AB Energy, and more.

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/04062021/ukef-to-support-offshore-wind-exports/

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UKEF to support offshore wind exports - Energy Global

June 4, 2021

Credit: vschlichting/AdobeStock

Denmark-based Aegir Insights, an offshore wind investment analytics company, has announced a partnership with Shell, where Aegir Insights will provide data-driven analytics and intelligence to help Shell's offshore wind business development.

Scott Urquhart, CEO of Aegir Insights said:"Leading offshore wind players recognize that having access to agile and advanced analytics solutions will provide them with a competitive edge in the fast-paced field of energy infrastructure investments,

"We are very happy to have such an ambitious, industry-leading partner at the outset of our business, and we look forward to sharing our forward-thinking, differentiated approaches to this rapidly evolving industry with Shell."

Through the partnership, Shell will gain access to Aegir Analytics solution as well as market intelligence data sets, which will enable it to make better informed decisions on offshore wind opportunities. Shell will also provide feedback on Aegir Insights product development roadmap.

Aegir Insights, whose team has a background from offshore wind industry players, including Orsted and Vattenfall, said that its Aegir Analytics platform was created to be a central solution for offshore wind investor workflows, allowing advanced project and portfolio assessments and rapid evaluation of new opportunities.

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Shell, Aegir Insights in Offshore Wind Collab - Offshore Engineer

ByRachel Morison (Bloomberg)

Britain could become a net exporter of electricity to Europe as soon as 2026, according to S&P Global Platts.

The U.K. imports about 7% of its electricity from Europe now, but thats set to reverse, in part due to new cables that will boost links with the continent. With Britainaiming toquadruple offshore wind capacity this decade, it could have excess power to send through those lines.

Power flows to where prices are highest. At the moment this is often Britain, particularly along the two cables from France. But prices are expected to rise in mainland Europe, especially in the biggest market Germany as coal, lignite and nuclear plants are closed down, according to Platts. That will alter the economics and flow of electricity.

The U.K. aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, and importing supplies of low-carbon electricity from countries like France, Norway and Denmark is part of that plan. Yet with power demand set to double over the period, Britain is also bolstering its own supply, targeting 40 gigawatts from offshore wind by 2030.

The U.K. market is getting structurally longer, while the whole of western Europe is moving in another direction, said Sabrina Kernbichler, European power analyst at S&P Global Platts.

New interconnector cables will boost Britains links with Europe to 18 gigawatts from 8 gigawatts by 2030. Theres a medium-term possibility that the country will become a net exporter, according to Andreas Gandolfo, an analyst at BloombergNEF.

But it wont last. While wind-power growth in the coming decade will depress prices in the U.K., the increased electrification of energy use will subsequently drive them up, he said.

Planned new interconnectors include:

2021Bloomberg L.P.

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Offshore Wind Could Turn UK into Net Power Exporter to Europe in Five Years gCaptain - gcaptain.com

04 Jun 2021byDavid Foxwell

Vessel owner and operator Crowley and training company RelyOn Nutec have signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance the availability of offshore wind safety training in the US

The agreement pairs the well-known Jones Act maritime solutions provider and vessel owner with RelyOn Nutec, a provider of specialised safety training and consultancy for the offshore oil and gas, offshore renewables and industrial sectors.

Together, the companies will develop and administer offshore wind training through the creation of Global Wind Organization (GWO) satellite facilities. The facilities will provide training to certified standards that align with the requirements of the GWO.

RelyOn Nutec Gulf of Mexico managing director Jenni Lewis said, Crowley is well-known as a leader in maritime operations and logistics and is growing its focus in the US offshore wind industry.

Combining Crowleys expertise in offshore operations and supply chain management with RelyOn Nutecs experience in wind training and management systems, expertise and global presence will ensure that training can be delivered in what is a fast-growing market for offshore wind in the US.

Working in co-operation with government and higher learning institutions, the training offered by RelyOn Nutec and Crowley will support the safety of mariners and windfarm technicians.

The partnership will draw on Crowleys hands-on experience in the energy sector to augment RelyOn Nutecs GWO training and provide training support for personnel on crew transfer vessels, service operation vessels and installation vessels.

Crowley New Energy vice president Jeff Andreini said, This partnership will combine Crowleys commitment to safety and RelyOn Nutecs tested safety training and consultancy in the offshore, renewables and industrial sectors. This will enable the growth of a qualified workforce to support the new energy sector.

Crowley Shipping announced the formation of its New Energy division earlier in 2021. Its New Energy division will concentrate on offshore wind and liquefied natural gas. Crowley said the new division will build on the companys 53-year history of supporting the offshore oil and gas industry with US-flag vessels, engineering and logistics services.

In March 2021, Crowley and Danish shipping company Esvagt announced plans to provide purpose-built Jones Act service operation vessels (SOVs) to the US market. The companies formed a joint venture that will see Crowley own and operate the vessels, complying with the requirements of the Jones Act. The companies will work together to develop and deliver US-flag SOVs.

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Crowley and RelyOn Nutec to provide offshore wind training in the US - Riviera Maritime Media

A year ago SpaceX made headlines after posting job openings for operations engineers. The task at hand? To help design and build an offshore rocket launch facilityaka, a floating spaceport. Between the job postings and Elon Musks tweet that the spaceports were intended for launches to Mars, the moon, and hypersonic travel around Earth, the whole thing seemed somewhat outlandish.

A year later, though, SpaceX is forging ahead with its plans. Musk tweeted this week that construction on the first spaceport has begun, and rockets may launch from it as soon as next year.

The floating spaceport plans have actually been in motion since almost a year ago, when a SpaceX-affiliated LLC bought two offshore oil rigs in July of 2020. The rigs were sold by Valaris, the worlds biggest offshore drilling company, which is headquartered in Houston and incorporated in the UK. After filing for Chapter 11 protection in August of 2020, the company completed a financial restructuring and came out of bankruptcy this past April.

The rigs SpaceX bought are classified as ultra-deepwater semi-submersible, and they sold for $3.5 million each. A semi-submersible is an offshore drilling platform that can be moved from place to place; while most of it floats above the waters surface, it anchors itself using pontoon-type columns submerged under water. Ultra-deepwater drilling takes place at depths of 1,500 meters (~5,000 feet) or deeper.

What this all adds up to? SpaceX bought some of the sturdiest floating rigs out thereaka, what youd expect for a place rockets will launch from and land on. And not just any rocketsthe biggest ever used in spaceflight. Starships 160-foot spacecraft plus 230-foot booster makes for a 394-foot-tall (taller than the length of a football field) by 30-foot-wide rocket.

Both rigs are located in the Port of Brownsville at the southern tip of Texas, very near the border with Mexicoand conveniently, near SpaceXs Starship development facility in Boca Chica (whose name Musk wants to change to Starbase.I mean, if you lived there, that name alone would give you some bragging rights, wouldnt it?).

SpaceX quickly renamed the rigs, from rigs 8500 and 8501 to Phobos and Deimos, the names of Marss two moons. It seems construction on Deimos is moving along first, according to Musks tweet.

Right now it seems entirely possibly that the spaceports will be launch-ready long before the spaceships are; of the rockets first five high-altitude flights, three exploded on contact during landing and the fourth exploded a few minutes after landing. The fifth flight, which just took place a month ago, was explosion-free and thus successful. To get to the three-a-day launches Musk envisions, though, SpaceX will need a far better scorecard than one out of five.

On the plus side, the company did just hit a significant milestone in reusability when one of its B1051 boosters completed its tenth flight over the course of just 26 months.

And there are all kinds of plans in the works, from sending a Starship into orbit on its way to Hawaii to launching the full stack Super Heavy booster and Starship as soon as July.

We cant be sure that SpaceXs plans will play out on the exact timeline given (which, in the case of the spaceports, is appropriately vague; as soon as next year allows for a solid 11 months or so of wiggle room), but the company thus far hasnt had many issues with a lack of follow-through. That means its only a matter of time until we see rockets launching off converted oil rigs and heading for the moon, all corners of Earth, and Mars.

Image Credit: SpaceX

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SpaceX Will Have an Offshore Spaceport Ready for Starship Launches as Soon as Next Year - Singularity Hub

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) does not need to conduct full environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) when granting an offshore wind farm lease, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed. The decision followed a lawsuit by commercial fishing organizations and seaside municipalities who claimed that BOEM violated NEPA and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) when it auctioned an offshore lease to Equinor (formerly Statoil) without performing an environmental review of the anticipated windfarm project. The decision puts to rest the question of whether a mere lease sale may trigger extensive environmental review under NEPA, potentially streamlining the initial lease acquisition process, but also requiring the investment of significant funds before developers have cleared environmental review.

InFisheries Survival Fund, et al. v. Sally Jewell, et al.,1plaintiffs challenged BOEMs issuance of the lease, arguing that it violated NEPA because it failed to analyze the environmental impacts of constructing and operating a wind energy facility. Leases for offshore energy projects proceed under different processes depending on whether BOEM or the developer proposes an area for lease. Either way, BOEM must consult with state task forces, other state and local representatives, and with representatives of Indian Tribes whose interests may be affected. Before issuing a lease, BOEM follows a four-step process, issuing a Call for Information and Nominations, completing the Area Identification process, publishing a Proposed Sale Notice, and publishing a Final Sale Notice.

Here, BOEM published an environmental assessment at the same time it published the Proposed Sale Notice for the wind energy lease at issue. The environmental assessment found that the reasonably foreseeable impacts of the lease sale would not significantly impact the environment. Plaintiffs argued that that more extensive environmental review was required, not just of the lease itself but of the full impacts of the anticipated wind farm, alleging that BOEM violated NEPA by failing to perform this more extensive review. BOEM maintained throughout the litigation that additional analysis and environmental review under NEPA was not required until Equinor conducted a site assessment and proposed a construction and operations plan for the wind energy facility.

The District Court sided with BOEM, finding plaintiffs claims unripe because, while BOEM had granted a lease to Equinor, it had not yet approved a site assessment plan or construction and operations plan for the proposed facility. The Court of Appeals affirmed, noting that lease did not, by its own terms, authorize any activity within the leased area. Furthermore, the lease reserved to BOEM the right to approve or disapprove the site assessment plan or construction and operations plan if the environmental consequences of either would be unacceptable. Because of this retained authority to approve the project, the Court of Appeals found that BOEMs obligations under NEPA were not triggered because the project had not reached a critical stage of a decision which will result in irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources to an action that will affect the environment.2While the court noted that Equinor had already invested US$42 million in securing the lease and would expend additional sums preparing the necessary plans, these expenditures did not give rise to a de facto commitment on the part of BOEM to approve the project.

The decision confirms that offshore wind developers can secure an offshore lease for a wind farm without an assessment of environmental impacts of that farm. However, this cuts both ways. While the decision will help streamline a key initial step in offshore wind development, required environmental reviews that follow this same approach will occur after a developer has committed significant resources toward its project. Developers should also note that plaintiffs may attempt to assert claims other than those brought under NEPA, like the OCSLA claims the plaintiffs untimely asserted here.3

As NEPA practitioners and industry veterans know, the environmental review process is fraught with complexity. Early planning and communication with relevant agencies and stakeholders are essential components to a successful NEPA strategy. The decision here raises the stakes for developers because public involvement in the NEPA process is delayed. Developers should therefore consider engaging with other stakeholders early in the process to identify potential impacts before they arise later in formal environmental reviews.

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DC Circuit Affirms That Offshore Wind Lease Does Not Trigger NEPA Review - Lexology

Two uncrewed vessels remotely controlled from shore have travelled up to 40 kilometres offshore into the North Sea to undertake survey work for Berwick Bank and Marr Bank Offshore Wind Developments, owned by SSE Renewables.

The XO-450 Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs), owned and operated by XOCEAN, performed multiple nearshore and offshore cable route surveys in water depths ranging from zero to 60 metres earlier this month.

Onshore support was provided by local personnel from Marine Quest.

The surveys allowed the project team to map a previously unknown rock ridge, located on the seabed and identify an alternative path for export cables.

Identifying this alternative route early has ensured that there is no requirement for potentially intrusive measures on the rock ridge, such as trenching, providing a much more environmentally friendly outcome for the project and local habitat.

In addition, XOCEANs USVs provide a reliable, sustainable platform for ocean data collection, emitting 1,000 times less carbon than traditional survey vessels, SSE said

Louise Davis, Consents Team Manager for Berwick Bank Wind Farm, said: SSE Renewables are delighted to have worked alongside XOCEAN to complete this logistically challenging piece of survey work. These smaller, nimbler vessels have allowed the Berwick Bank project team to identify possible options for our export cable corridors, whilst avoiding damage to the local sea environment. We are especially delighted to be using innovative technology with a much-reduced carbon footprint.

The proposed Berwick Bank and Marr Bank wind farms would be located in the outer Firth of Forth, over 49 kilometres and 40 kilometres, respectively, from the East Lothian coast.

The projects have different timescales, with scoping for Berwick Bank submitted in August 2020 and virtual exhibitions held in November 2020, and Marr Bank at an earlier stage.

The Berwick Bank project is expected to be 2.3 GW and comprise up to 242 offshore wind turbines. It would be capable of generating enough renewable energy to power 3.5 million homes annually, more than all the homes in Scotland, and reduce carbon emissions by four million tonnes each year. Marr Bank is projected to be 1.85GW.

Throughout the survey, the data collected was monitored from shore in real-time by experts located in the UK, to validate data collection before the vessel departed the site.

This demonstrates the highly flexible and collaborative nature of this technology, enabling industry experts to have direct access to real time data, from any location, SSE said.

In addition to its environmental credentials, XOCEANs USVs offer significant safety benefits with operators remaining onshore and efficiency with 24/7 operations which together leads to significant economic savings.

James Ives, CEO of XOCEAN, said: Our USV platform has demonstrated itself to be a safe, reliable and low carbon solution for the collection of ocean data. We are delighted to be working with SSE Renewables on this project.

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Uncrewed Tandem Deploys Offshore Scotland - Offshore WIND

Cooperative surveys by scientists and fishermen have laid groundwork for the first baseline study of how offshore wind turbine construction will affect southern New England fisheries, and organizers are seeking more advice for fine-tuning the effort.

Were really designing this on the fly, said Steve Cadrin, a professor at the University of Massachusetts School for Marine Science and Technology, during a virtual meeting Thursday with fishermen and scientist advisors. Were wide open on how we can do this better.

With offshore wind development plans surging ahead under the Biden administration, theres a scramble in the marine sciences to understand how the potential construction of hundreds of turbines off the U.S. East Coast could change regional ocean environments and fisheries.

Getting a baseline (study) is a real challenge given the speed of recent developments, and the UMass-Vineyard Wind project is drawing on decades of fisheries survey work in Northeast waters, said Cadrin.

Based on eight surveys since 2019, researchers have determined that protocols used in the Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (NEAMAP), an integrated, cooperative state and federal data collection program, will be sensitive enough to detect a moderate change for most important commercial species such as whiting, longfin squid and summer flounder when the 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind project is constructed, said Cadrin.

The NEAMAP methodology calls for pulling survey trawl nets for one tow every 30 square miles of ocean, to collect data on a finer scale than the 100 square mile grid of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration annual surveys.

In addition to the trawl survey, the UMass program is using drop cameras to assess life on the sea floor; fish traps to count lobster and black sea bass; and collecting information about recreational fishing for highly migratory species like tuna and marlins, a big business for the southern New England charter fishing fleet.

Each survey was designed in collaboration with fishermen who added their local and regional knowledge to that of scientific advisors, said Cadrin. Theyre highliners in these species.

Results from the studies are posted on Vineyard Winds website and organizers said they will also include a recording of Thursdays meeting.

Fred Mattera, executive director of the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island, said virtual meetings should be a regular feature of the study to bring in more insights.

This is the first one (offshore wind fisheries study) out of the gate, said Mattera. He asked if the UMass and NEAMAP methodology could serve as a standardized design for fisheries studies around other wind projects.

Thats what we recommend, Cadrin replied. Rutgers University is planning to use the NEAMAP trawl protocol for its study of rsteds Ocean Wind project off New Jersey, so I think the probability is very high, he added.

Next door to the Ocean Wind lease area off New Jersey, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind LLC announced Thursday that it and Rutgers are launching a multi-phase modeling study in collaboration with the surf clam industry.

The goal of the study is to better understand how Mid-Atlantic wind farm developments that are anticipated over the next 30 years, along with climate change, may influence the distribution and abundance of surf clams, according to a statement from the company. The study will also examine the economics of the surf clam fishery within the Atlantic Shores lease area and the greater Mid-Atlantic Bight.

The study is based on a Rutgers model called the Spatially explicit, Ecological, agent-based Fisheries and Economic Simulator that was developed in partnership with the surf clam industry, fisheries managers, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and National Marine Fisheries Service.

The simulator models the surf clam stock biology along with fishermen and fleet behavior, federal management decisions, fishery economics and port structure. The new project will add planned offshore wind energy development and operations over the coming 30 years to the mix.

We are looking forward to having our model take this next step towards future casting, said Daphne Munroe, the studys principal investigator and associate professor of marine and coastal sciences at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. The strength of our modeling approach lies in the information and advice we are generously provided by advisors, in particular the New Jersey surf clam fleet, who have a deep working knowledge of the systems we are trying to simulate.

We appreciate the willingness of the surf clam industry to actively participate with us in this effort, said Jennifer Daniels, development director at Atlantic Shores. This study is the latest in our continued commitment to lead with science by making our lease area available to researchers and mariners alike. Its through the application of tools like this simulator that we can responsibly develop our lease area and deliver renewable energy for New Jersey communities with minimized effects on the fishing industry.

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Vineyard Wind fisheries study to assess effect of offshore turbines - National Fisherman