EDF Renewables North America’s Post

On assigment at "Horn Sea" II, with a total lending capacity of 2.5 GW ("horn sea I & II"), the world's largest wind farm, off the coast of England. First time for me onboard a latest-generation SOV. An incredible level of technical sophistication, level of confort, optimised energy consumption and yields rarely achieved on vessels of this size.

'Over the ditch' in Australia 🇦🇺 1 week left till the public consultation closes on the Bass Strait Offshore Wind Zone: Australia has identified 6 priority offshore wind zones, including the Bass Strait zone off Northern Tasmania. Bass Strait Zone Proposal: 🔹 10,136 km2 area proposed 🔹 Distance from shore: 20-70km 🔹 Water depth: 25-65m 🔹 Wind speeds: average 9 m/s 🔹 Closest port: Bell Bay The site was chosen based on strong consistent winds, proximity to electricity demand centres, and port infrastructure. Next Steps if Declared: - Feasibility licenses awarded (up to 7 years) - Environmental approvals - Management plan development - Commercial license application - Construction & operation #offshorewind #bassstrait #tasmania #shirleyparsons

Hugely important scientific output! https://lnkd.in/d_mreEE2   This compelling report, published today by the OWEC #PrePAREDproject consortium and led by the University of Aberdeen, represents timely and much-needed evidence with respect to reducing conservatism and addressing uncertainty in the Effective Deterrence Ranges used in harbour porpoise assessments for #offshorewind projects in the Southern North Sea.   Using the unique experimental design implemented for marine mammal construction monitoring of the Moray Firth wind farms, this research demonstrates that the porpoise deterrence effect of impact piling of monopiles at Moray West wind farm extends to 9.4 km, less than half the current EDR. This means that the area experiencing the disturbance effect from installing monopiles is *85% smaller* (when using an EDR of 10 km, rather than the currently-recommended 26 km).   If this evidence can be swiftly adopted by the Marine Management Organisation and nature conservation bodies (Natural England / JNCC), this could tangibly reduce conservatism in individual project and cumulative assessments, facilitating or accelerating the consenting and permitting of offshore wind farms in/near the Southern North Sea SAC. Congratulations to the team: Aude Benhemma-Le Gall, Gordon, Alex, Cormac, Oihane, Virginia, Rob, Isla, Hannah, Barbara, Núria and especially Paul Thompson for leading and driving two decades of research into the ecological effects the offshore wind industry in the Moray Firth. The Crown Estate | Crown Estate Scotland | SMRU Consulting | Marine Directorate | OW Ocean Winds

For though like myself involved in Protected Species mitigation, this document really is worth reading.

The Celtic Sea between Wales, England and the Republic of Ireland, is an almost virgin energy basin with huge offshore wind resources harbouring astonishingly rich ecosystems, very busy navigation, host to a thriving fishing industry. Much work is happening to unlock its wind energy potential, but in the absence of a clear plan progress is slower and costlier than it needs to be, and the overall picture is maybe more reminiscent of a Pollock than a Constable painting. Highly complex projects like this one need a systems approach across all relevant dimensions, tying all requisite strands together, from grid infrastructure and ports, to technology and supply chain development, consenting, the integration of broad stakeholder interests, and an investment framework for the private sector. Did someone say GB Energy? As a £20 billion project for the first 5GW, windpower in the Celtic Sea is comparable with Crossrail, the project that delivered the Elizabeth Line, London’s latest railway, that went from investment sanction to its 2022 opening in 14 years. The greatest similarity is that both the Celtic Sea and Crossrail create value for people way in excess of the basic functionality that they deliver. Railways aren’t about track and train carriages alone any more than windfarms are about turbines and cables. They deliver huge value to the societies in which they are embedded, creating opportunities for economic growth and empowering people to make the choices that suit their lives. But this can only be achieved by taking a holistic view where no-one is left behind. Here then is the great opportunity for our new government: creating a delivery body focused on the actual hardware that needs to be built. Empowering it to work across the many national and regional government departments. Funding it to commit to the long lead investments in ports, grids, and people. Taking a hard-nosed look at the technology interventions needed to make floating wind a viable option. And tasking it to create value for all sectors that derive their livelihoods from the Celtic Sea, going way beyond energy alone. Combined with the opportunities defined in the Industrial Growth Plan, the delivery plan from a Celtic Sea Delivery Body will send the clearest signals possible to energy developers, supply chains and societal stakeholders. This will galvanise our domestic industries and genuinely drive value creation in the regions around the Celtic Sea and way beyond. #offshorewind #celticsea #delivery

The Shannon Airport Group welcomes the recent progress report update from the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce, outlining significant advancements towards realising the vision for the Shannon Estuary region to be Ireland’s powerhouse of the 21st century. As a member of the Taskforce, we celebrate the progress from the past six months outlined in the report, while also acknowledging that it is crucial to recognise the ongoing journey ahead. The national policy developments related to offshore wind are indeed promising, but further ambition and speed are imperative. Our shared commitment to making the Shannon Estuary a hub for renewable energy demands sustained dedication to accelerating the development of essential infrastructure and planning procedures. The Shannon Estuary region holds immense promise, and together, we can all play a part in shaping its future success. https://bit.ly/3RVepil

🌊🌊🌊 Ireland Marine Surveying Update!!🌊🌊🌊 Geotechnical analysis services and a new Metocean survey campaign to be commissioned by Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, for the first two development areas of the South Coast DMAP: 👉 A - Tonn Nua 👉 B - Lí Bán This work will complement the geophysical surveys now completed by Marine Institute and Geological Survey Ireland. 💪 💪 (Update to come from DECC shortly - watch this space!)   🚨 Closing Date: 8th October🚨 For the uninitiated (like myself until very recently), all this seabed, wave and wind data gathering and analysis is really important to reduce the upfront risk faced by offshore wind projects as much as possible - this in turn reduces the cost we all ultimately see on our household and business electricity bills 🤑 - and increases the deliverability of our IE climate targets.☁ 🌡 https://lnkd.in/e6Vdez9F Aisling Greene, Eoin McShane, Conor McCabe, @Jo Coloe, Brogan Costello, Wind Energy Ireland.

Network Rail stands on the brink of revolutionising its approach to overhead line and structure design, thanks to ground-breaking research by Dr Hassan Hemida, Dr Marios Theofanous and their team here at BCRRE at the University of Birmingham. 🔍 Uncovering Inefficiencies: Delving deep into the design code, Hassan's team identified slightly obscured numerical values in the wires drag coefficient at different wind speeds and angles. Through meticulous research and numerical analysis, they unveiled these figures as conservative, limiting efficiency and cost-effectiveness. 💡 Optimising Design: By challenging conventional wisdom and embracing true, non-conservative data, the team achieved a remarkable significant reduction in force on overhead wires (~20%). This not only enhances safety but also promises hundreds of millions in potential cost savings for Network Rail. 🌬️ Tackling Environmental Challenges: Hassan's team didn't stop there. They tackled head-on the environmental challenges posed by wind speeds exceeding standard thresholds. Their research not only ensures safety but also promotes sustainability by minimising CO2 emissions and saving raw material through optimised design parameters. 🛠️ Transforming Infrastructure: Based on Hassan and his team’s work Network Rail have redefined the design code, implementing longer spans and possible lower-diameter cables. This not only saves money and materials but also reflects Network Rail's commitment to sustainable infrastructure development. Find our more about our TRAIN rig facility in Derby: https://lnkd.in/gkHBjecM

With Canada's Trans Mountain pipeline project nearing the finish line, we can acknowledge the win - a badly needed boost to transmission capacity that opens up access to Asia and other international markets for Canadian producers - while heeding the warning signs that the history of this project so clearly reveals. Read the full story to learn what the Trans Mountain saga - with it's nearly 500% budget overrun and repeated fits and starts - can tell us about the change that is needed to enable the infrastructure projects that will secure our energy future. https://hubs.ly/Q02kbpxF0 #energy #infrastructure #transmountain #energysecurity #energypolicy

Wind Analysis for Low-rise Building, Based on ASCE 7-05 / IBC 2009 / CBC 2010 Downloads https://lnkd.in/dRZ5SEiB