Extracts from the Nov-Dec 2002 edition of Renew
These extracts only represent about 25% of it

11. Wind around the world

Although Germany remains the leader, renewables and particular wind power projects, are expanding quite rapidly around the world, even in countries where nuclear power is still seen as a viable option for expansion. For example, Japan expects to have around 1.7GW of wind power capacity installed by 2006 and China’s wind target is 3GW by 2010. It has also been reported (New Energy 3/2002), that the USA could soon see its first offshore wind- in a 28 square mile area known as Horseshoe Shoal, four miles off Yarmouth, New England. Costing between$500-700, it could be the largest in the world, if current plans go ahead. Even Australia, which like the USA, seems to be dragging it feet on renewables and climate change, has plans for 1962MW of wind capacity by 2006/7.

But things are still slow in France, following the election, with new environment minister Roselyne Bachelot signing the praises of nuclear power as ‘the cleanest form of energy’ and saying that, although important, renewables like wind and solar ‘aren’t up to industry standards’.

Demark is also facing problems, following the new conservative governments cut backs. It means that Danish wind companies are increasingly having to look oversees for new commercial markets. But they seem to be succeeding. Danish firm Vestas has, it seems, won the order to supply turbines for the biggest wind farm in Poland, which Danish power company Elsam will build. The 30 megawatt wind farm will double Poland's wind energy capacity, something they evidently need to do to help them get acceptance in to the EU.

Offshore Wind

The next big push is offshore, with even the UK now getting in the race, But the pioneers, Denmark, are still ahead, despite the new Danish governments cut backs- they have allowed two already planned offshore wind projects to go ahead. The first, the worlds largest offshore wind project so far, is now completed at Horns Rev, off the coast from Esbjerg. It has 80 Vestas, V80 2MW machines and is expected to generate 600 GWh p.a., or around 2% of Denmarks energy- at around 4.73 euro cents/kWh. However, for the project to be economically viable the operators need 1.5c/kWh more, or 6c averaged over 20 years. It was hoped that the Danish green certificate scheme could have made up this difference, but the governments has abolished it and is clearly hostile to any sort of subsidies. The second Danish offshore project is to be at Rodsand, and is to use 2.3MW Bonus machines- the largest commercial units so far.

Wind gets even bigger

Wind technology continues to move up scale, with wind turbines now being designed for offshore location of up to 3, 4, 5 and even 6 megawatts.

Nordex are developing a 2.5MW offshore unit, NEC Micon are developing a 2.75MW machine, and Vestas are working on a 3MW turbine. But leading the pack, Enron Wind, now re-named GE Wind Energy after the takeover by GE, has built a 3.6MW type prototype at Barrax in Spain, with 100m rotor and 100m total height.

Next, Enercon is planning a 4.5 MW prototype, Nordex and Vestas have plans for 5MW units, while DOWEC have a 6MW prefeasibility study underway. For more details see the EWEA’s journal Wind Directions (July). Responses to Climate Change