Top News of the Week, 13 – 19 November 2017

BiFab Crisis: Workers Rally at Scottish Parliament as Unions Urge SSE to ‘Rein In’ SHL

The trade unions supporting BiFab workers have called on SSE to ‘rein in’ the contractor Seaway Heavy Lifting (SHL) and save 1,400 jobs in Fife and Lewis. On 16 November, SSE issued a statement saying that, as a 15% shareholder of BiFab, it is willing to play its part in a recovery package supported by and involving all shareholders.

Ørsted to Compete for Hollandse Kust Zuid I and II

Ørsted, previously DONG Energy, will participate in the Dutch tender for the Hollandse Kust Zuid (South) I and II offshore wind farm zones.

Fire Breaks Out on CTV at Nordsee Ost Offshore Wind Farm

On the morning of 15 November, a fire broke out in the engine room of the crew transfer vessel (CTV) World Calima that was operating at the Nordsee Ost offshore wind farm. Eight wind farm technicians and five crew members were aboard the CTV at the time and nobody was hurt during the incident.

Portugal’s Energy Future Is in Floating Wind

Portugal’s renewable energy mix could be boosted by offshore – and especially floating – wind, as the country could meet 39% of its electricity demand with wind power by 2030, while 25% is currently covered with 5GW of wind turbines on land.

Italian Offshore Wind Project Loses Construction Permit

The Regional Administrative Tribunal of Sicily (Il Tribunale Amministrativo Regionale per la Sicilia – TAR) has revoked a construction permit granted by the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea (IMELS) for the 137MW offshore wind project in the Gulf of Gela off Sicily’s southern coast.