Top News of 2019 – Editors’ Picks

With 2019 now behind us, our editorial team looks back on what shaped the offshore wind industry in the last year of the decade.

GE Renewable Energy

Below is a subjective list highlighting some of the most impactful events in the sector:

UK Offshore Wind Strike Prices Slide Down to GBP 39.65/MWh

Offshore wind projects selected in the third Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 3 will be delivered at a strike price as low as GBP 39.65/MWh, a near 30% reduction compared to the second CfD auction held in 2017.

GE Haliade-X 12MW Produces First Power in Rotterdam

The GE Haliade-X 12MW prototype wind turbine located at Maasvlakte, the Port of Rotterdam, produced its first power in early November.

Vietnamese Offshore Wind Farm Breaks Ground

Vietnam’s Tra Vinh Wind Power has held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of the 48MW Korea- Tra Vinh wind farm (Phase 1).

Dunkirk Strike Price Is EUR 44/MWh

The Dunkirk offshore wind farm will deliver electricity to the French national grid at a strike price of EUR 44/MWh, Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE) has revealed.

Spain’s First Offshore Wind Turbine Goes Into Operation

The 5MW Elisa prototype, Spain’s first offshore wind turbine, was officially put into operation in March.

Last Turbine Stands at World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm

The final Siemens Gamesa 7MW wind turbine was installed at Ørsted’s 1,218MW Hornsea One offshore wind farm located 120 kilometres off Yorkshire, UK, in early October.

Senvion Starts Offshore Wind Wind-Down

German wind turbine manufacturer Senvion has started a wind-down process of its offshore wind segment for which a potential buyer still has not been found.

Arcadis Ost 1 First to Use Floating Turbine Installation Method

Parkwind, MHI Vestas and Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) will utilize a new floating turbine installation method on the Arcadis Ost 1 offshore wind farm, an industry’s first.

South Korean Floating Wind Attracts Big Names

The City of Ulsan has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with four domestic and foreign partnerships and investors to build and maintain floating wind farms, as well as to create a local supply chain in South Korea.

First UK Offshore Wind Farm Disappears from Horizon

E.ON has decommissioned the two-turbine Blyth project, the first offshore wind farm built in UK waters.

Ørsted Greenlights 900MW Taiwanese Offshore Wind Farm

Ørsted has taken the final investment decision (FID) on the Changhua 1 and 2a offshore wind farm in Taiwan.

Japanese Floating Wind Turbine Put Into Operation

Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has held an opening ceremony in Kitakyushu City to commemorate the start of demonstration operations for the Hibiki barge-type floating offshore wind power generation system.

Ørsted and Equinor Share New York Offshore Wind Spoils

The State of New York has selected Bay State Wind, a joint venture between Ørsted and Enersource Energy, and Equinor to develop two separate offshore wind projects with a combined capacity of around 1.7GW.

First WindFloat Atlantic Turbine Sets Sail

The first WindFloat Atlantic platform with the turbine fully installed has set off from the Spanish Port of Ferrol towards its final destination 20 kilometres off the coast of Viana do Castelo in Portugal.

Mega Jack-Up to Install Haliade-X Turbines on Dogger Bank

Jan De Nul’s new offshore jack-up installation vessel Voltaire will have its debut on the 3.6GW Dogger Bank offshore wind farm in the UK.