Side events



Offshore wind - The route of BARD Engineering

Date: 5 December 2007, 10:30 – 12:00

BARD Group hosted a side event during Offshore Wind 2007. The session was held on Wednesday, 5 December, 2007, from 10:30 – 12:00 in the Estrel Convention Centre.

During this side event BARD presented the latest solutions for offshore wind farms, in particular, the development of BARD VM 5 MW wind turbine, BARD patented TRIPILE foundation which provides for installation at 30 – 50 m water depths and BARD heavy-lift jack-up vessel for offshore installations.

BARD is a company with extensive experience in the field of wind energy which is combining proven concepts and components with innovative solutions. The company is developing resources to ensure sustainable climate protection, provide for a responsible approach to the environment and strengthen the growing independence from energy import.

On Thursday, 6 December, at 11:00, Heiko Ross was speaking separately at the Synergies with Offshore Industries session. His presentation outlined the importance of cooperation and information exchange in the rapidly developing renewable energy market.



The DOWNVInD Project – latest Developments

Date: 5 December 2007, 15:30 – 17:30

The session provided a detailed progress report on the five year DOWNVInD project (which began in September 2004).

DOWNVInD (Distant Offshore Windfarms with No Visual Impact in Deepwaters) is a Research and Demonstration Programme. Its objectives are, “To develop the technologies, techniques and processes to enable cost effective installation and operation of large capacity Wind Turbine Generators offshore in deepwater.”

Research is being undertaken in the areas of Environment, Electrical, Operations & Maintenance and Wind Turbine & Substructure. Demonstration entails installation and operation of two REpower 5M WTGs adjacent the Beatrice oilfield in the Moray Firth.

In summer 2006 the two jacket substructures and the A turbine were installed in a novel two stage operation. In the first stage the jacket was installed adjacent to the Beatrice Alpha oil platform. In the second phase the tower, turbine and blades were assembled onshore then lifted onto a heavy lift vessel, transported to site and placed on the jacket in a single lift. The B turbine was installed in the same manner this summer.

The A turbine was integrated into the Beatrice platform power supply from the National Grid earlier this year and has been providing power to the platform for 5 months. When commissioning of B turbine is completed the two turbines will be operated under field trial conditions to test the technologies and verify the technical and commercial viability of a full-scale deepwater development.

The project has achieved a number of major successes, notably:

  • First 5MW turbine deployed offshore
  • First application of jacket substructure in offshore wind
  • First onshore assembly of tower turbine and blades
  • First offshore installation from a floating vessel
  • Successful development of safe access system
  • Comprehensive environmental research programme

The DOWNVInD programme is undertaken by a pan-European consortium of 18 members coordinated by Talisman Energy (UK) Limited and includes utilities, research establishments, universities and specialist contractors. Main founders are Talisman Energy (UK) Limited and Scottish & Southern Energy with support from the EC, UK DTI and The Scottish Executive.

Project website www.beatricewind.co.uk.

The presentation was followed by a Scotch Whisky tasting, kindly sponsored by Scottish Enterprise.



CAPTURED ON CANVAS AND CAMERA

Participants had an opportunity to enjoy a unique artistic perspective on the world’s first deepwater offshore wind project

Artist Sue Jane Taylor was showing her preliminary working drawings of onsite construction and portraits of the workers involved. Robert Pogson, a distinguished Scottish-based photographer, has captured images of the construction and installation work of the Demonstrator Project.



TradeWind Synchronous Zone Seminar on UCTE zone

Date : 6 December, 9:00 – 17:00

The 2nd TradeWind seminar took place on 6 December during Offshore Wind 2007.

This one day seminar provided a forum for interaction between the TradeWind project partners and local TSO’s, regulators, developers, energy traders, service providers and other actors in wind power integration in continental Europe.

The seminar programme included presentations from the project partners and from stakeholders in UCTE including moderated discussion on the following issues:

  • Market rules and organisation: gate closure times, allocation of interconnection capacity at significant interconnectors and rules for balance responsibility;
  • Transmission infrastructure and operation: critical transmission corridors, possible reinforcements at significant interconnectors and synergy with offshore grid developments;
  • Wind power generation: recommendations on wind power plant location, aggregation, short-term prediction and other operational aspects.

The TradeWind study, coordinated by EWEA, investigates the necessary network and market improvements required in order to enable the large scale integration of wind power. In total, three seminars are being organised in the different synchronous zones of Europe: GB/Ireland, UCTE and NORDEL area.

For more information about TradeWind, visit www.trade-wind.eu

IEA side events at EOW 2007



The International Energy Agency (IEA) has organised the following two side events:

IEA Wind Topical Expert Meeting on Long Term Research Needs

Date: 6 - 7 December 2007
Place: Projektträger Jülich, PtJ, Berlin Division Zimmerstraße 26-27
10969 Berlin

This meeting was hosted by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment. It discussed research needs up to 2020. The objective was to identify necessary outcomes from R&D in two time frames: 5 to 10 years and 10 to 20 years. The strategic goal was to make recommendations to the IEA Wind Executive Committee, and governments involved.

Following the meeting a new strategic R&D plan for IEA Wind will be developed, reviewing the latest technology development, and drawing conclusions for further development of wind energy in the world energy mix by means of R&D.


IEA Secretariat Workshop on Offshore Wind Power - Experiences, Potentials and Key Issues for Deployment

Date: 3 December 2007, 15:00 -18:00
Place: Technical University - Berlin, Building C - ‘Chemiegebaeude’, Room C 130, Strasse des 17. Juni 115, 10623 Berlin

This workshop, which was held in concert with the above meeting on long term R&D needs, was sponsored by the Danish Government, and organised by the IEA Secretariat. The objective was to validate the analysis of offshore wind power in the IEA’s Energy Technology Perspectives 2008. As part of that study, new scenarios for deep CO2 emissions reduction will be developed for the period to 2050.