wiredinUSA November 2014

INDEX

Power at the Heart

Power for Scotland

HVDC upgrade

Rig contract

Global wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power has received consent from Scottish ministers to build and operate its 450MW Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm in the Outer Forth estuary in the North Sea. Pre-construction activities are expected to begin next year and the wind farm should be generating electricity by 2018. The wind farm will consist of up to 75 wind turbines, and occupy an area of approximately 80 square kilometers. At its closest point to land it lies over 15km off the Fife coast, in water depths of 45m to 55m. The subsea cable transmitting the wind farm’s power will come ashore at Thorntonloch Beach in East Lothian from where its underground cable will travel along a 12.5km route to a substation located within the Crystal Rig onshore wind farm in the Lammermuir Hills. Mainstream Renewable Power’s founder and chief executive, Eddie O’Connor, said: “[The] announcement is of particular importance for Scotland because it is the first time a wind farm will be built in Scottish waters with thepurposeof supplying Scottish homes and businesses with renewable energy. In fact, it will generate enough green power to supply more than all the homes in Edinburgh.”

Developers have announced that the world’s first heart-shaped solar power plant is to be built on a Pacific island. German solar company Conergy is to build the 2MW photovoltaic plant on the largest island of the French overseas territory of New Caledonia, located in the southwest Pacific Ocean around 1,200km east of Australia. Construction is scheduled to begin later this year and the plant, named the Heart of New Caledonia, is planned to come online in the first quarter of 2015. The plant’s 7,888 solar panels are expected to generate enough electricity to power 750 homes, saving two million tonnes of CO 2 over its 25-year lifetime. Located in the Voh region, the plant’s design was inspired by the island’s Coeur deVoh, anatural wildmangrove formation. The design will be visible only from the air. David McCallum, Conergy’s managing director, said: “The Heart of NewCaledonia will be a giant heart-shaped message to the world – it’s time to start loving solar energy. It will also, probably, be the world’s first beautiful PV plant, and perhaps the first beautiful power station of any description, anywhere on the planet,” he added.

Energinet.dk, the transmission system operator in Denmark, and 50 Hertz, the transmission system operator responsible for the eastern part of Germany, have given ABB an order worth around $16 million to upgrade the 600MW Kontek high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission link. The project scope includes installation of ABB’s MACH control and protection system, remote operator work stations, training and spare parts. The link was originally delivered by ABB in 1995 and the modernization will enhance the operational reliability of the link and reduce maintenance needs. The upgraded link is scheduled to be in full operation in 2016. “This upgrade reinforces ABB’s focus and commitment to supporting customers throughout the lifecycleof theproducts and systems it delivers,” said Hanspeter Faessler, head of ABB’s grid systems business. ABB has significant experience in upgrading HVDC links around the world and is working on many similar projects. The Kontek contract is the 23 rd major HVDC modernization project for ABB since 1990, including 17 control system upgrades.

Prysmian Group has been awarded a new order by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co Ltd (SWS) – a wholly owned subsidiary of China CSSC Holding Ltd – to supply 320km of NEK 606 offshore cables for the company’s new2+2CJ46-X100-D jack-up (self-elevating) drilling rigs. The CJ46-X100-D jack-up drilling rig is mainly used for exploration, drilling, and operation of oil and gas with an estimated drilling efficiency of up to 50 percent more than other similar platforms. The latest contract reconfirms the validity of Prysmian’s technologies for applications in the oil and gas industry, and the group’s role in the strategic Chinese market. It follows a recent award by Nantong COSCO – a subsidiary of China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) – to supply 600km of offshore power cables (MV and LV) for 2+2 Ocean 500 semi-submersible accommodation vessels.

EUROPE NEWS

wiredInUSA - November 2014

wiredInUSA - November 2014

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