62-year-old Stuart Bee was was spotted by crew members on the container ship Angeles, 86 miles east of Port Canaveral, Florida. USA TODAY

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. Clinging to the bow of his capsized boat, 62-year-old Stuart Bee was stranded alone at sea Sunday morning roughly 86 miles east of Port Canaveral.

Crew members aboard the 225-foot container ship Angeles spotted Bee and rescued him about 11a.m. EDT, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class David Micallef said.

Bee departed Cape Marina at Port Canaveral about 4 p.m. Friday aboard Stingray, his 32-foot Sea Ray. He was reported missing shortly before noon Saturday by a marina memberwho told Coast Guard officials that Bee typically does not stay out overnight on his boat.

Stuart Bee was rescued Sunday morning after his boat capsized roughly 86 miles east of Port Canaveral.(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

Bee's boat became disabled at sea because of a mechanical problem,Micallef said. About midnight Saturday, Bee was awakened because his crippled craft was taking on water in the darkness.

When theAngeles approached Sunday morning, Bee took off his shirt and waved it to attract attention,Micallef said.

U.S. Coast Guard personnel,including a C-130 Hercules aircraft crew based in Clearwater,had searched for Bee and his boat early Sunday.

Stuart Bee , 62, swims from his stricken boat early Sunday after being spotted 86 miles off Port Canaveral. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

Its an amazing story. Were just very thankful for the motor vessel Angeles and their entire crew for keeping a sharp lookout, Micallef said. And we're just very thankful, especially during this holiday season, that we can bring this man home to his family.

Micallef said Coast Guard officials had issued an enhanced group call a transmission intended for larger vessels crossingthe area to look out for Bee's Sea Ray.

According to Vessel Finder, Angeles is a container ship built in 2010 that sails under the flag of Liberia. Angeles was en route from the Port of Puerto Barrios in Guatemalato the Port of Wilmington in Delaware.

Their crew spotted the vessel capsized. And as they approached it, they saw the man clinging to it,"Micallef said.

A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol plane also searched for the missing mariner.

"Saving lives at sea is our highest calling," Capt.MarkVlaun, commander ofCoast GuardSector Jacksonville, said in a news release Sunday afternoon. "This is a truly incredible outcome that demonstrates the bond among all mariners and our community."

Follow Rick Neale on Twitter:@RickNeale1.

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'Truly incredible': Missing Florida boater found alive clinging to capsized vessel 86 miles offshore - USA TODAY

Written byNickBlenkey

Image: Grear Lakes Dredge & Dock

Gearing up for future U.S. offshore wind development, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (NASDAQ: GLDD) has engaged Ulstein Design & Solutions B.V. to undertake conceptual and regulatory design engineering for what will be the first U.S.-flagged, Jones Act compliant, inclined fallpipe vessel for subsea rock installation.

GLDD says the vessel represents a critical advancement in building the future of the new U.S. offshore wind industry, which will include establishing a U.S.-based rock supply chain network spanning eastern seaboard states with active offshore wind leases.

Pending federal permitting and regulatory approvals as well as a final investment decision, the vessel will be operational as early as first quarter 2024, to coincide with major offshore wind project construction timelines.

Designed to state-of-the-art specifications, the vessel will be built to the highest maritime standards, including best-in-class air-quality controls to adhere to EPA Tier 4 emissions standards. It will be built on the Gulf Coast and, while the vessel initially would serve the East Coast, GLDD believes it will be available as offshore wind projects develop along the Gulf and West Coasts.

The vessel is expected to help spur additional job growth and regional economic opportunities corresponding with the establishment of a U.S.-based rock supply chain network for subsea rock installation, with quarries in states along the East Coast.

U.S. offshore winds potential growth could be a true economic stimulus for America. We believe this is the optimal time for us to leverage our extensive specialized vessel expertise to enter this exciting market now coming to the United States, said Lasse Petterson, GLDDs chief executive officer and president. We are initiating this project because we firmly believe that a Jones Act compliant offshore wind subsea rock installation vessel is a critical foundational piece required to advance the U.S. offshore wind energy industry. We are committed to safe and sustainable operations and excited to make history with this landmark vessel.

As the leading U.S. dredging company and with 130+ years experience and expertise in dredging, marine engineering, specialized vessel design and safe offshore operations, GLDD believes its move into the offshore wind energy industry is a natural business progression.

We applaud GLDDs foresight and decisive action in entering this potentially transformative new industry in its early days. Their new vessel will complete another major piece of the offshore wind industry puzzle, said Liz Burdock, CEO of the Business Network for Offshore Wind. This milestone brings our nation one step closer to realizing the substantial benefits from clean energy including the economic growth from projects, supply chain development, and job creation.

We look forward to playing a key role in developing this new industry on the eastern seaboard that will provide multidimensional benefits to our nation, concluded Petterson. The full potential direct, indirect and induced economic benefits of offshore wind development have yet to be calculated because the various aspects and value of the supply chain are still unknown and yet to be developed. The potential impacts are staggering.

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GLDD plans to build offshore wind rock installation vessel - Marine Log

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The offshore wind cable market is expected to grow by USD 655.89 million, progressing at a CAGR of over 7% during the forecast period.

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The growing offshore renewable energy installations is one of the major factors propelling market growth. However, factors such as higher investments needed in offshore projects will hamper market growth.

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Offshore Wind Cable Market: Geographic Landscape

By geography, Europe is going to have a lucrative growth during the forecast period. About 75% of the markets overall growth is expected to originate from Europe. UK, Germany, and France are the key markets for Offshore Wind Cable Market in Europe.

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Global Offshore Wind Cable Market 2020-2024: COVID-19 Analysis, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, and Threats - Technavio - Business Wire

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) is developing the first U.S.-flagged Jones Act compliant vessel for subsea rock installation.

Ulstein Design and Solutions is in charge of the conceptual and regulatory design engineering of the inclined fallpipe vessel.

GLDDs vessel will be built by a U.S. shipyard on the Gulf Coast. While it would initially serve the East Coast, the company believes it will be available as offshore wind projects develop along the Gulf and West Coasts.

Pending federal permitting and regulatory approvals, as well as a final investment decision, the vessel will be operational as early as Q1 2024, to coincide with major offshore wind project construction timelines.

According to GLDD, the vessel represents a critical advancement in establishing a U.S.-based rock supply chain network spanning eastern seaboard states with active offshore wind leases.

U.S. offshore winds potential growth could be a true economic stimulus for America. We believe this is the optimal time for us to leverage our extensive specialized vessel expertise to enter this exciting market now coming to the United States, said Lasse Petterson, GLDDs CEO and President.

We are initiating this project because we firmly believe that a Jones Act compliant offshore wind subsea rock installation vessel is a critical foundational piece required to advance the U.S. offshore wind energy industry.

Follow this link:

US Offshore Wind Industry Getting First Subsea Rock Installation Vessel - Offshore WIND

In todays Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

rsted is partnering with Marylands Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) to provide a new virtual reality (VR) offshore wind energy training program starting next year.

rsted is one of two developers working to bring a 120-megawatt wind farm online by 2023 off the Ocean City, Maryland, coastline. It will feature up to 12 wind turbines.

Offshore wind students will navigate through a simulation of rsteds Ocean Wind and Revolution Wind projects that are being built off the New Jersey and Rhode Island coasts using virtual reality.

rsted and MITAGS are using VR because the US currently only has Block Island in Rhode Island online, so students would have to travel to Europe. rsted provided MITAGS with a grant and project specifications to develop the model used in the simulator, according to the Baltimore Business Journal.

Anyone who works in either building or maintaining wind turbines will be required to complete the new course. The Atlantic Coast offshore wind project pipeline is expected to support up to 86,000 jobs, according to the US Department of Energy.

The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) yes, you read that right is a voluntary CEO-led initiative that aims to accelerate the industry response to climate change. It represents around 30% of global oil and gas production, with 62 participating companies. The report claims to have driven change across four areas:

Electreks Take: Its really hard to not be cynical about this group. Just the name, Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, seems ridiculous. Exxon isnt even trying, and the only true way to reduce emissions and address the climate crisis is to switch to green energy. Methane reduction is great, but those targets need to be stronger. Further, exploring feasibility in decarbonizing transport comes across as completely inert.

However, the UN Environment Program is a bit more optimistic. It feels that collaborative programs are positive, as the fossil fuel industry can be fragmented. It wants everyone on board. In other words, its easier to keep an eye on them if theyre together in a group. Fair enough. But this is only 30% of the oil and gas industry.

The Environmental Defense Funds president, Fred Krupp, said of the initiative:

Thanks to the 62 companies for committing to measure, report, and reduce pollution from their core operations and joint ventures. This will be the basis for robust standards in Europe, and beyond, that ensure the oil industry takes the practical actions urgently needed for our climate.

So its better than nothing. Just five years ago, this would have been unimaginable.

Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.

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EGEB: US offshore wind workers to get virtual reality training in Maryland - Electrek

Boskalis will add a multipurpose DP2 vessel Boka Tiamat to its fleet in January 2021, the company said via social media on 3 December, and will deploy the vessel on offshore wind projects in Taiwan.

The offshore construction vessel was built by VARD BRATVAAG and delivered as a new-build in 2019. It has been retrofitted with a 1,300 kW SeaQ Energy Storage System, which will reduce fuel consumption and emissions during DP operations, according to Boskalis.

By adding the Boka Tiamat to our fleet we take another step towards realizing our sustainability ambitions for our vessels, the company said in a social media post.

The 98-metre vessel features a 120-tonne active heave compensation offshore knuckle jib crane with main winch on crane, and can accommodate 82 people in 54 cabins.

In Taiwan, Boskalis will also deploy its Bokalift 2, a drillship currently being converted into an offshore installation vesselat Drydocks World in Dubai. The vessel will be operated by BoWei Offshore, a joint venture between Boskalis and Hwa Chi construction.

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Boskalis Boosts Its Offshore Wind Fleet with Boka Tiamat - Offshore WIND

Jessica Cejnar / Tuesday, Dec. 1 @ 5:51 p.m. Touting Potential Economic Benefits, Crescent City Harbor District Commissions Offshore Wind Energy Study

Harbor commissioners have commissioned a study focusing on offshore wind energy production in Del Norte County similar this Portugal project. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy

Though the Crescent City Harbor District will move forward with a study on the pluses and minuses of offshore wind energy production to Del Norte County, the decision wasnt unanimous.

When making the case for a $12,000 partnership with Humboldt State Universitys Schatz Energy Research Center to fund the study, commissioners Brian Stone and Wes White on Tuesday touted the potential economic benefits wind energy production could bring to the harbor.

The Crescent City Harbor District could house offices and maintenance facilities, berths for boats that would work on the offshore wind turbines as well as substations for pumping that electricity into the grid, they said.

However, their colleagues Carol White and Rick Shepherd, a commercial fisherman, said they were concerned about the environmental impacts those turbines would have on Del Norte County waters.

The Crescent City Harbor District Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 in favor of the Schatz Energy study. Carol White and Rick Shepherd dissented.

The ocean has been my workplace for the last 48 years, Shepherd said. To change it in the way youre talking about changing it, I couldnt vote for it. I know its going to happen. Its in the future. But its a sad day for me when I see something like that go on the ocean.

During his presentation, Wes White noted Californias goals to go to clean energy by 2045, the benefits of wind as a renewable energy source over solar and other offshore projects in Scotland, Portugal, Maine and Virginia.

Wes White argued that offshore wind energy would be a cheaper more reliable energy source for Del Norte County and could be used as an impetus to get high power usage companies to relocate to Crescent City.

We believe this study will shed light on the pluses and minuses of such a project offshore of Del Norte County, Wes White said, adding that he and Stone have researched the possibility of wind energy production in local waters. My sense is we need to be as knowledgeable as we can about this stuff because its going to happen somewhere offshore (in) California.

Stone noted that in the last two weeks California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order announcing that the state will end the sale of gasoline and diesel-powered cars by 2035. He also referred to potential wind energy development in Humboldt County, saying its something like five years out, maybe six years out.

We may be a little bit further down the road, but weve already spoken to investors and all of them have indicated with a 95 percent-plus certainty that this is the area where they want to locate, Stone said. What we need to do is understand whats going on. We need to have something in our hands so we can discuss how we manage whats going to happen.

Stone said that the potential for having a substation and other infrastructure supporting offshore wind energy projects at the harbor would help keep slip rates low for the fishing fleet and would help the keep the port in the black in the future.

I think this is seed money thats needed to keep us in the know and help us all understand what is possible, he said.

Following her colleagues presentation, Carol White said based on her research, land-based wind turbines have caused a lot of ecological damage, impacting animals as well as humans that live nearby.

Plus the last article I read said it cost up to four times more to put these out on the ocean as opposed to putting them on land, Carol White said. Im with Rick I dont think we should be messing with the ocean at this point, especially when fishermen are struggling to make ends meet.

Shepherd also brought up the land-based wind turbine projects, pointing out the negative impacts they have on bird populations. He drew a comparison with regulations developed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to reduce whale entanglements in crab gear following a 2017 lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity.

Those birds on the ocean are the ones we rely on to make our living, Shepherd said. Itll be OK for wind energy mills to slaughter millions of birds, but fishermen are getting shut down for a whale. I just really dislike the whole idea.

Commissioner Jim Ramsey, who sat in on his final meeting after choosing not to seek re-election, took a more neutral approach.

I am in favor of getting off of fossil fuel dependency, he said. Its a mess and its really destroying our environment.

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Touting Potential Economic Benefits, Crescent City Harbor District Commissions Offshore Wind Energy Study - Lost Coast Outpost

RWE Renewables is striving to obtain a substantial share of the offshore wind market in the US and key East Asian countries such as Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, as the German utility is pushing to expand beyond it European core markets, the companys offshore wind head said.

We want to hold sizable positions in every market we operate in to realise economies of scale, Sven Utermhlen, Chief Operating Officer Wind Offshore Global of RWE Renewables, told Recharge.

Out of the utilitys 22GW global project development pipeline, more than 7GW are in offshore wind, a volume that could increase as RWE Renewables is also considering taking part in more tenders for wind at sea. The company has earmarked 5bn ($6.05bn) net in renewable energy spending by the end of 2022 to add to its operating renewable portfolio of 13GW net.

East Asian seas

Plans for an expansion in East Asian seas are already well underway.

In the Asia-Pacific region, we see good growth opportunities for offshore wind, for example in South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. These countries have plans to considerably increase the role of offshore wind energy in the electricity production - and we want to be part of this development.

RWE already has opened offices in Tokyo, Taipei and Seoul to drive its offshore wind business in the wider Asia-Pacific region.

Currently, we are working together on a feasibility study for an offshore project off the coast of Yurihonjo City in Akita Prefecture, Utermhlen said.

We firmly expect the Japanese offshore wind industry to gain momentum, as the country not only has excellent wind resources, but also sees offshore wind energy as a key factor in the transition from fossil fuels to renewables.

The company early last year had signed a first cooperation agreement with Kyuden Mirai Energy to jointly develop offshore wind projects in Japan.

The country last month had formally launched its first offshore wind tender, for fixed-bottom projects off Akita and Chiba prefectures, as part of an attempt to get 10GW of wind projects up and running off Japan by 2030.

In Taiwan, Asias biggest offshore wind market outside mainland China, RWE has partnered with Asia Cement Corporation to further develop the Chu Feng offshore wind project, and intends to participate in the next grid allocation round in the island nation.

With a planned installed capacity of up to 448MW, it will be located off the northwest coast of Taiwan near Hsinchu City, in the wind-rich Taiwan Strait.

US push

RWE Renewabless other big offshore expansion area outside Europe is the US, where the company already is a major onshore wind, PV and storage player.

Based on our established US business and team and our European offshore experience it is a natural strategic step for us to expand into offshore wind technology in the US. The US coastline offers globally one of the best untapped potential for offshore wind, Utermhlen marveled, adding that RWE is focusing on getting access to a number of attractive lease areas.

So far, the companys efforts to establish itself in the growing US offshore wind market alongside other European majors such as Orsted or Iberdrola have been modest, though.

RWE Renewables together with the University of Maine and a subsidiary of Mitsubishi is developing the 12MW Aqua Ventus 1 floating demonstrator project, as part of its efforts to push floating wind projects world-wide.

The purpose of the demonstration project is to further evaluate the floating technology, monitor environmental factors and develop best practices for offshore wind to coexist with traditional marine activities, Utermhlen explained.

We are relying on floating offshore wind, because we believe that this technology has great potential, especially for countries with deeper coastal waters, such as, for example, the US or Japan.

Aqua Ventus vs AquaVentus

The US floating project is not to be confused with a massive plan wind power-to-hydrogen plan around the German North Sea island of Heligoland, which also has the name AquaVentus (but without a space between Aqua and Ventus as in the US floating project).

The AquaVentus initiative aims to use electricity from offshore wind farms to operate floating electrolysers at an industrial scale with the island Heligoland as a central hub, Utermhlen said.

Our wind farms on site Nordsee Ost, Amrumbank West and in the future Kaskasi are ideal for this. The plans of the initiative envisage setting up electrolysis units in the North Sea with a total capacity of 10 gigawatts by 2035, enough to produce 1 million metric tons of green hydrogen.

RWE is part of the AquaVentus initiative, which, however is still in an early development phase.

How seriously the utility is taking (the German) AquaVentus and other hydrogen plans is shown by the fact that the utility already employs 250 people that work on 30 projects in Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.

Continue reading here:

RWE eyes 'sizeable positions' in East Asian and US offshore wind markets - Recharge

RWE Renewables plans to produce hydrogen directly at two offshore wind turbines in the German North Sea, the company revealed as part of a PR video on WindTV during the WindEnergy Hamburg industry conference.

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The green hydrogen will be produced from electrolysers directly integrated at the base of the tower of two 14MW turbines to be installed close to the island of Heligoland in a pilot phase of the AquaVentus initiative, which has the long-term goal to produce hydrogen from 10GW of offshore wind capacity close to the island by 2035.

The two units will be connected to the grid via a pipeline. It was not immediately clear when they are expected to enter into normal operating mode.

To date, there is no 14MW wind turbine on the market, but Siemens Gamesa said its SG14.0-222DD model is expected be commercially available by 2024.

The initiative spearheaded by Heligoland mayor Jrg Singer during the summer said it plans to build a first 30MW of electrolyser capacity called AquaPrimus by 2025, connected to a hydrogen pipeline to the island. The size would almost match the 28MW of the two turbines now mentioned by RWE.

AquaVentus is one of the largest of a growing list of offshore wind-to-hydrogen projects that also includes the North2 project by Shell, Eneco and Groningen Seaports that aims at feeding electrolysers with power from 10GW offshore wind farms in the Dutch part of the North Sea.

Industrial scale floating electrolysers

RWE Renewables chief executive Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath in the video urged that the use of green hydrogen needs to be scaled up quickly, and stressed the crucial role government policies play for the ramp up of the green gas.

We should strive for dedicated hydrogen targets by [EU] member states to support the European hydrogen strategy, Dotzenrath said.

We need to reflect hydrogen in renewables build-out targets as it comes on top of existing renewable targets.

Sven Utermhlen, Chief Operating Officer Wind Offshore Global of RWE Renewables, in an interview told Recharge this week that the AquaVentus initiative plans to operate floating electrolysers at an industrial scale with the island Heligoland as a central hub.

Our wind farms on site Nordsee Ost, Amrumbank West and in the future Kaskasi are ideal for this. The plans of the initiative envisage setting up electrolysis units in the North Sea with a total capacity of 10GW by 2035, enough to produce 1 million metric tons of green hydrogen, he added.

An innovation cluster including the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Federation, the Offshore Wind Foundation and the municipality of Heligoland together with business and research actors will develop a strategy paper for the German government by 2022 on how to put the AquaVentus vision into practice, the initiative said earlier this year.

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RWE plans to produce hydrogen directly at pilot offshore wind turbines in Germany - Recharge

New York, Dec. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Offshore Wind Turbine Market 2020-2024" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05060934/?utm_source=GNW Our reports on offshore wind turbine market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by the government support for wind energy projects and rise in offshore installations. In addition, government support for wind energy projects is anticipated to boost the growth of the market as well. The offshore wind turbine market analysis includes substructures segment and geographical landscapes

The offshore wind turbine market is segmented as below: By Substructures Monopiles Gravity foundation Others

By Geographical Landscapes EMEA APAC Americas

This study identifies the decline in LCOE for wind power generation as one of the prime reasons driving the offshore wind turbine market growth during the next few years.

The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters. Our offshore wind turbine market covers the following areas: Offshore wind turbine market sizing Offshore wind turbine market forecast Offshore wind turbine market industry analysis

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05060934/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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The Global Offshore Wind Turbine Market is expected to grow by 54975 MT during 2020-2024 progressing at a CAGR of 24% during the forecast period -...

The second day of December will start out with cool morning lows from the 30s across most inland valley locations before temperatures climb to the 60s and 70s by the afternoon.

Northeasterly winds will continue through the morning hours before a possible shift out of the northwest by the afternoon. During the afternoon, wind speeds could reach 15-25 miles per hour, and as a result, the northwesterly flow could result in the return of the marine layer Wednesday night through Thursday morning. It's important to note that although the sunny skies and warmer temperatures may feel pleasant, the Central Coast remains in an abnormally dry state, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. As a result, this means vegetation and soil are dry and fire danger remains a concern.

By Wednesday afternoon, daytime highs at the coast will range from the mid-60s to low 70s while most valley locations will range from the mid-60s to upper 70s.

At the coast, a high surf advisory will go into effect at 6 a.m. Thursday and last until 10 p.m. Friday as breaking waves range from 10-14 feet. The advisory will cover San Luis Obispo County's and northern Santa Barbara County's coastline.

Read more:

Dry conditions and warmer daytime highs remain in the forecast as offshore flow continues - KSBY San Luis Obispo News

San Luis Obispo County remains under a wind advisory Tuesday morning as northerly and northeasterly winds continue to reach 20-25 miles per hour with wind speeds close to 40 mph.

After the advisory expires at 10 a.m., the offshore flow will continue to be a factor in the forecast and keep daytime highs above average and skies clear. Most coastal valley areas will stay within the 70s, while beaches will range from the 60s and low 70s. For inland valleys, the Santa Ynez Valley will be around the mid to upper 70s, and the SLO County interior valleys will stay closer to the mid to upper 60s.

Fire level concern will be heightened due to the dry and warm weather which is going to remain in the forecast through the end of the week. Daytime highs will begin to trend down by just a few degrees Wednesday as a shallow trough makes its way over the west through Wednesday. As this is happening, it's likely that the Central Coast will start to see the redevelopment of coastal clouds and marine layer in the overnight hours.

Read more here:

Breezy offshore flow will keep daytime highs above average Tuesday - KSBY San Luis Obispo News

In a world increasingly affected by climate change, burning fossil fuels is no longer a long-term option.

Thankfully, the natural world around us offers plenty of opportunities for clean, renewable energy. The ocean is one of them.

Today there are three main sources of offshore renewables. This is how they work.

Today, wind farms are the most popular type of offshore renewable and compared to wind farms on land, they have many advantages:

"How an offshore wind farm works is actually very easy and fascinating as well", explains Lizet Ramirez, an offshore wind analyst from WindEurope.

When the wind blows, the turbine blades spin. The blades are connected to a series of mechanisms that increase the spin speed. This energy is then transmitted to a generator.

"It's like if you think of a fan but the opposite", adds Ramirez.

The generator transforms that kinetic energy into electricity. The power is then sent to a substation, a point where the electricity produced in the wind farm is collected. After that, a transformer will change the voltage to a higher level and the energy will be sent to houses onshore.

Offshore wind energy is helping to mitigate climate change. But one of the biggest challenges is that the infrastructure remains expensive to build and maintain. Wind farms can face harsh weather conditions, such as storms and hurricanes.

Currently, European engineers are working on solutions and the industry is already reducing costs.

"The technology has evolved", says Christoph Zipf, press and communications manager from WindEurope. "Turbines got bigger, but also because of scale effects. The more we learn, the cheaper they get".

Zipf also highlights that today, offshore wind is one of the cheapest sources of electricity in Europe: it's cheaper than all fossil fuels.

What about the ocean itself? Waves contain a lot of energy and many companies around the world are exploring how to exploit it.

AW-Energy Oy is one of them. This company has created the WaveRoller, a device that converts ocean wave energy into electricity hundreds of metres away from the coast and at the bottom of the sea.

"The big panel moves back and forth with the ocean waves and captures the energy," explains AW-Energy Oy's chief technology officer Jussi kerberg. "The power take-off unit with generators levels the energy and converts it to electricity."

The bigger the wave, the more powerful it is. But the power generated also depends on its speed, its length, and the power of the wind pushing it.

"In the future, multiple WaveRoller units can be combined to create a bigger wave farm", he adds.

But despite its many advantages, this technology isnt widely used yet. Researchers are still investigating how to make it an affordable and reliable alternative.

Tidal energy is one of the largest untapped renewables. And it has plenty of benefits.

Tides are highly dependent on the gravitational forces of the moon, which are determined by its cycles. That means they are easier to predict than wind and sun and that its possible to know in advance how much electricity will be produced. Unlike other offshore renewables, they don't rely on the weather either, they work even when there is no wind or sun.

Tidal energy is generated with tidal power generatorsunderwater turbinesthat are installed in places with high tidal movements. The movement of the water makes the blades turn. This drives the generator to produce electricity that is then sent to shore via power cables.

These devices can be difficult to install and maintain in the ocean due to harsh conditions, especially at competitive costs. However, recent technological improvements are making this possible. And many European countries are already embracing this technology, such as France and the United Kingdom.

Today, only 2% of Europe's electricity is produced at sea. Nevertheless, the continent is the global leader in offshore renewables.

The EU wants to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and by then, offshore renewables will become the first source of power.

That is why the European Commission has launched an ambitious strategy.

By 2030, Europe's offshore wind capacity is set to multiply by 5, going from 12 to 60 GW. And by 2050 it will reach 300 GW, that's 25 times more than today. The EU has also committed to increasing ocean energy and other emerging technologies.

To meet these objectives nearly 800 billion will be needed. Most of that will need to come from private investment.

See more here:

What are offshore renewables? And how do they work? - Euronews

Australia will put more focus on the remote and offshore teaching of international students, after a Canberra meeting failed to decide the key issue of when they would be allowed back into the country.

The Council for International Education has resolved to develop a new international education strategy highlighting opportunities in educational technology and online learning, while working towards the return of international students as a priority for 2021.

A federal governmentcommuniquissued after the 3 December meeting says that governments and the sector have advanced plans for the return of international students, when health conditions and quarantine capacity allow.

But the document does not speculate whether quarantine arrangements will be expanded to allow arrivals to isolate in purpose-built student accommodation a concession that could allow universities to fly in foreigners ahead of the 2021 academic year.

Quarantine capacity is a major limiting factor on international admissions, with prime minister Scott Morrison insisting that returning Australian citizens must be given priority over foreign students. The International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) has been lobbying for changed quarantine rules so that students can come as early as next month.

IEAA chief executive Phil Honeywood said the federal government had made it clear that any such changes would need to be approved individually by states and territories. But he said that the meeting had been upbeat, with the federal government members including the ministers for trade, foreign affairs, employment and industry and the acting minister for immigration expressing considerable support for the sector.

Were not going to get the critical mass we wanted, but the mood from the government is that they understand that the industry is in pain, he said, adding that the government had flagged public relations campaigns to assure students that they were welcome and to highlight the benefits of international education to the Australian public.

Education minister Dan Tehan, who chairs the council, said there were reasons for Australia to be optimistic about the future of international education. They included developments in Covid-19 vaccines and newly released economic data showing that the country is technically out of recession.

But he said that Australia must seize future opportunities by developing a new strategy to chart the industrys progress over the next decade. We must be prepared for more focus on offshore, online and blended learning, and a growth in new models of delivery such as microcredentials.

Mr Honeywood said that the councils focus on transnational education was sensible, given strong offshore enrolments at some institutions. Australias largest private school, for instance, had boosted student numbers at its Chinese establishments by one-quarter this year.

He also cited positive signs in this weeks arrival of 63 foreign students in Darwin. Most of them had been Chinese, demonstrating appetite for Australian education in the key source country.

The communiqu says council members will lead consultations on the new strategy between February and April, ahead of its expected finalisation in mid-2021.

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com

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Australia looks offshore with overseas students' return uncertain - Times Higher Education (THE)

The government of Japan has launched its first-ever auction for fixed bottom offshore wind projects within the countrys General Common Sea Area.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT) opened the auction for applications on 27 November.

The tender will remain open until 27 May 2021.

The auction covers four offshore wind zones. Three zones are located off Akita Prefecture: Noshiro (Mitane Town and Oga City), Yurihonjo City North, and Yurihonjo City South.

The fourth zone, Choshi City, is situated off Chiba Prefecture.

Major Players Expected to Participate

A consortium of eight Japanese companies led by Sumitomo Corporation is expected to participate in the auction with a 480 MW Noshiro-Mitane-Oga project.

The Yurihonjo City zones will likely attract a joint bid submitted by RWE Renewables and Kyuden Mirai Energy.

The zones off Akita Prefecture are also of interest to the consortium comprising Equinor, Electric Power Development (J-Power), and JERA.

The Choshi City zone will most likely draw a bid from rsted and TEPCO which earlier this year established a joint venture company for the purpose of participating in offshore wind auctions in Japan.

This is Japans second offshore wind auction since the new Renewable Sea Area Utilization Law came into power in April 2019.

The first auction was launched in June for the development of a floating offshore wind farm off Goto City, Nagasaki Prefecture.

All of the areas in the two auctions were identified as potentially suitable for the development of offshore wind farms in the summer of 2019. The five zones soon after underwent wind and geological surveys.

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Japan Launches First Fixed Bottom Offshore Wind Auction - Offshore WIND

Jan De Nul and China Merchant Heavy Industry (CMHI) have begun the construction of the 5,000-tonne floating installation crane vessel Les Alizs.

Les Alizs is specifically designed for loading, transporting, lifting, and installing offshore wind turbine foundations.

It will be capable of building the newest generation of offshore wind farms once delivered in April 2022, but is also suitable for decommissioning offshore oil & gas platforms.

Main features include a main crane of 5,000 tons, a deck loading capacity of 61,000 tons, a deck space of 9,300 m, as well as 6 MAN 12V32/44CR main engines.

SCHOTTELwill providea full propulsion package and Red Rockwill supplythree knuckle telescopic offshore cranes.

Les Alizs will be equipped with an exhaust gas filtering technology that complies with the EURO STAGE V guidelines for emissions on land and inland waterways.

Additionally, it will be fitted with an Energy Storage System (ESS), forming a hybrid setup with the main diesel engines, which will compensate power peaks on the main engines and recover energy from the heavy-lift crane, resulting in optimized engine operation and less fuel consumption and emissions, Jan De Nul said.

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Construction of Les Alizs Begins - Offshore WIND

The Ocean Renewable Energy Action Coalition (OREAC) is calling on governments to ramp up their offshore renewable energy ambition to achieve the coalitions vision of 1400 GW of offshore wind by 2050. To support the rapid, global scale-up of ocean-based clean energy, OREAC has published The Power of Our Ocean as a guiding document for countries to accelerate offshore wind development and reap the socioeconomic, environmental and health benefits it can offer.

OREAC is an initiative led by world-leading developers, technology suppliers, utilities and non-profit organisations in the offshore energy sector, formed after the 2019 call for urgent ocean-based climate action by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel). OREAC has published this new report and an Offshore Wind Market Readiness Assessment Toolkit, and is engaging with governments worldwide to support their offshore wind development.

In its new report, OREAC outlines a roadmap to support the sustainable scale-up of ocean-based renewable energy and five fundamental building blocks to grow an offshore wind market: stable policies, pipeline visibility, resourced institutions, a supportive and engaged public, and a competitive environment.

Ocean-based solutions can deliver 21% of carbon emissions reductions needed by 2050 to keep global warming within 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, according to the Ocean Panel. Ocean-based renewable energy like offshore wind offers the most effective decarbonisation route and can provide half of these reductions; other forms of ocean energy can also play a part if brought to commercialisation.

In addition to reducing carbon emissions, offshore wind reduces air pollution and water consumption for energy use, providing compound value for investment in welfare and economic gains. The report finds that if the 1,400 GW vision is achieved, this could save $1.88 trillion in pollution-related public health costs an area currently strained by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Offshore wind is also an important industry to revitalise coastal communities and support the development of critical infrastructure. The report estimates that a 500 MW offshore wind project with an average 25-year lifetime creates about 10,000 years of full-time employment

Stephen Bull, Senior Vice President Offshore wind at Equinor, added: While 1,400 GW may seem like a daunting number compared to the 29 GW of offshore wind installed today, this is only a small fraction of the technical potential available worldwide. We want to ensure that governments around the world are well-equipped to effectively tap into this resource potential.

The full report is authored by BVG Associates and contains data, case studies, and guidelines to achieve OREACs vision of 1,400 GW of offshore wind by 2050. OREAC will continue engaging with governments to realise their ocean energy potential in the run-up to the UN Ocean Conference next year.

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1400 GW of offshore wind achievable by 2050 | theenergyst.com - The Energyst

French telecommunications corporation Orange has ordered a cable vessel specially designed for the maintenance of submarine cables, including the inter-array cables used on offshore wind farms.

Ordered by Orange Marine, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Orange, the new vessel will replace C/S Raymond Croze, launched in 1983.

The hybrid vessel will be constructed by the Colombo Dockyard shipyard with the assistance of the Norwegian company Vard. The launch of the ship is scheduled for the first half of 2023.

The decision to build this vessel is very good news for Orange Marine, its employees and its customers, Didier Dillard, CEO of Orange Marine, said.

We will have a new and high-performance tool, with a low environmental footprint, which will allow us to offer high-quality services for several decades to our customers, not only owners of submarine telecommunications cables but also operators of offshore wind farms.

Orange said that the investment in the new vessel is part of the companys strategy to develop its position as a leading player in the international networks market in general and submarine cables in particular.

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Orange Targets Offshore Wind with New Cable Vessel - Offshore WIND

Between 2015 and 2018, while Zhang was in China, the suit alleges, Mr. Yin developed a scheme to convert the plaintiffs funds in whole or in part to his own use the plaintiff entrusted Mr. Yin with the equivalent of approximately $45 million for the purpose of investment in real estate.

One venture involved buying five bungalows around West 41st Avenue and Alberta Street, near Oakridge. The suit says Yin accepted 60 million Chinese yuan (the equivalent of $11 million Canadian) from Zhang for the $20-million land assembly.

Three of the bungalows were later sold in 2017 for $25 million. The plaintiff received nothing from the sale, according to the lawsuit. The sold properties have since been developed into a six-storey apartment complex, which is under construction.

The lawsuit, filed in October, says the adjacent Vancouver dwellings, at 408 West 41st and 426 West 41st, remain under the control of Yin, his wife Yan Chun Liu, and daughter, Yu Yin.

In 2016, Zhang also transferred the equivalent of $29 million out of China so that Yin could buy a strata development in Richmond at 6840 and 6860 No. 3 Rd. The suit says Yin and his family were unjustly enriched by the plaintiffs contribution to the property.

Zhang also claims he funnelled the equivalent of more than $5 million through Yin to help buy a property at 3208 140th St. in Surrey, in a plan to turn it into an extended-living facility, plus a house at 4826 Buxton in Burnaby.

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Douglas Todd: Offshore investor of $45 million in Vancouver housing claims fraud - Vancouver Sun

Global leading wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has taken full ownership of its offshore turbine joint venture, MHI Vestas.

The Danish companyrevealed Thursday that it has acquired Mitsubishi Heavy Industries half of the offshore business. MHI will take a 2.5 percent stake in Vestas and a seat on the board in return. The all-stock deal is valued at around 709 million ($832 million).

Vestas istargeting market-leading status in offshore wind by 2025 and will launch a new technology platform imminently.

We wont achieve market leadership with the current turbine, said Henrik Andersen, group president and CEO of Vestas, during an analyst call.

Rival supplier Siemens Gamesa is the market leader for offshore wind turbines. In May SGRE revealed a new 14 MW turbine, whileGEs Haliade-X platform, now scaled up to a 13-megawatt turbine, has provided it with fresh momentum in the offshore sector too.

MHI Vestas largest turbine is currently rated at 10 MW. In a statement, the company said its new tech would improve efficiency and drive the levelized cost of energy further down.

Vestas also said it would be eyeing savings and synergy in sales, technology, manufacturing footprint and procurement to sustain customer relationship [and] lower costs.

When were sitting with two entities, were not going to maximize the value creation, Andersen said on the call with analysts and investors.

Work on thatintegration begins immediately and Andersen said efforts on bringing together procurement is also underway now the acquisition is public. That process will accelerate once the deal closes, which is expected in Q4 2020 or Q1 2021.

Vestas and MHI will create a sales JV for both on and offshore turbines in the Japanese market.

Global offshore wind deployment is poised for growth with the biggest markets getting bigger and a raft of demand emerging in new locations too. The global offshore wind project pipeline has grown 50 percent in 2020, according totrade body RenewableUK.

Developer rsted is tracking as much as 30 GW of tenders in the next 15 months. Asia-Pacific is building momentum in Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. The U.S. will host seven tenders during that period. The largest end-market so far, the U.K., has committed to deploying 30 GW on its own between now and 2030. It currently has an installed capacity of around 10 GW.

Were very well localized and taking orders in Taiwan, said Andersen. Were well-positioned in Europe on the Isle of Wight [off the south coast of England] and Im sure as the U.K. expands we can take advantage of the localization there.

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Vestas to Acquire Full Control Of Offshore Turbine Business - Greentech Media News