Daily Archives: March 17, 2017

Published on March 16th, 2017 | by Joshua S Hill

March 16th, 2017 by Joshua S Hill

Danish wind energy giant DONG Energy announced this week that it has decided to retire the Vindeby offshore wind farm, the worlds first offshore wind farm, which was installed 25 years ago.

The Vindeby offshore wind farm was completed in the summer of 1991, when 11 small 450-kilowatt wind turbines in the waters off Vindeby near Lolland in the south east of Denmark setting the country up to be one of the worlds early offshore wind leaders. The wind farm provided enough electricity for around 2,200 homes a sign of just how far the industry has come. Consider that one of DONG Energys current projects, the Hornsea Project One, when completed, is expected to provide enough electricity for onemillion households.

Vindeby Offshore Wind Farm is almost miniature-size in comparison with the giant projects which are now being realised in Northern Europe, said Leif Winther, responsible for DONG Energys Danish offshore wind farms. But without the experience gained from the worlds first offshore wind farm, we wouldnt be where we are today. Its fair to say that Vindeby is the cradle of the offshore wind industry, and that this is where the industry was born.

It was announced back in early 2016 that the Vindeby offshore wind farm would be prepared for dismantling, when DONG Energy sought dialogue around what could be done with the infrastructure which has been built up around the park.

There are cables with an associated substation onshore, and it might be interesting for companies interested in renewable energy, Winther said back in February of 2016. We would like to enter into dialogue with them prior to dismantling the wind farm.

More than that, however, the dismantling of Vindeby offers the first steps to learning how to proceed with dismantling the much larger offshore wind farms which will happen inevitably over the coming years and decades.

In future, other and much larger offshore wind farms will also have to be taken down. How to do that most efficiently and with the greatest possible consideration for the environment is still uncharted territory. In this context, Danish companies can perhaps get a head start, just as they did when we started the expansion of wind power.

All the components of the wind farm will be taken down individually by a mobile crane on board a jack-up vessel. The parts will then be sent onshore toNyborg Harbour, where DONG Energy will attempt to reuse the components as much as possible as spare parts for other wind turbines. Some of the wind turbine blades are actually set to be used as part of a research project atDTU Ris, while others are earmarked for use in a noise barrier concept.

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Tags: Denmark, dong energy, Lolland, Vindeby, Vindeby offshore wind farm

Joshua S Hill I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.

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DONG Energy Retiring World's First Offshore Wind Farm - CleanTechnica

[Update 2: In Round 17, one company bid $9 million. No other company has matched or exceeded it. Stay tuned for the BOEMs announcement of the winning bid.]

Twelverounds of bidding, four companies and $5.3 million on the table and so far, no ones flinching. Since 9:30 this morning, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has been auctioning 122,405 acres of ocean for an off-shore wind farm 27.5 miles from Kitty Hawk.

The winning bidder would not own the acreage,but lease it from the BOEM, a division of the U.S. Department of Interior. This is an online lease sale, so theres no wonderful soundtrack of an auctioneer (five-five-five do-I-hear-five-point-three-million?!) Nonetheless, the bidding updates, which started at $244,000, have been interesting.

North Carolina has more offshore wind energy potential than any Atlantic state. This would the states first off-shore wind farm.

More than 35people or groups commentedon the proposed lease, indicating the many potential conflicts even clean energy can encounter. TheWorld Shipping Councilwas concerned about the turbines interference of ocean traffic. TheTown of Kitty Hawkwanted the farm farther offshore, plus was worried aboutvisual clutter of farm-to-shore transmission lines.

Southern Environmental Law Center,US Fish & Wildlife Serviceandthe Marine Mammal Commission, while largely supportive of wind energy, urged the bureau to conduct thorough environmental assessments and offset potential harm to birds, sea life and ecosystems.

Eight companies filed paperwork with the bureau to participate in the auction: Avangrid Renewables, which owns an onshore wind farm near Elizabeth City; Enbridge Holdings/Green Energy in Houston; Shell WindEnergy; Wind Future LLC, Outer Banks Ocean Energy in Charlottesville, Va.; PNE in Chicago, a multi-international company Statoil; and WPD Offshore Alpha, based in Bremen, Germany.

Wind energy and its more popular renewable sibling, solar power, are key to a resolution filed today by State Rep. Pricey Harrison, a Guilford County Democrat.HR 401 would shift North Carolina to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. If the resolution passes (unlikely, but Harrison gets points for chipping away at the fossil fuel block) the statecould spend thenext 33 years weaning itself off the coal/natural gas teat. Converting to 100 percent clean energy could help the planet avoid what the resolution describes as a climate catastrophe.

In addition to the enormous wind energy potential, North Carolina had 1,140 megawatts of solar electric capacity in 2015, placing the state second in the nation. Of that capacity, the industry has installed enough infrastructure to power 260,000 homes roughly equivalent to the population of Durham County. AndIn 2016, the solar industry investednearly $1.7 billion on installations in the state, an increase of 159 percent over the previous year.

Primary co-sponsors are Democratic Reps. John Autry, Jean Farmer-Butterfield and Susan Fisher.

Read more:

Bidding reaches $7.5 million for state's first offshore wind farm - and ... - The Progressive Pulse

MORENA DISTRICT Catalina Offshore Products owner Dave Rudie just announced that the local seafood wholesaler has unveiled its own house brand of premium canned tuna featuring sustainable and locally harvested hook-and-line wild-caught Eastern Pacific bigeye and yellowfin, processed and packed in the U.S. The products Catalinas Choice Solid Pack Tuna in Olive Oil and Catalinas Choice Smoked Solid Pack Tuna in Olive Oil help Catalina Offshore maximize its intake of fresh fish while celebrating San Diegos history as the Tuna Capital of the World. Available for retail in its on-site fish market as well as wholesaled to restaurants, schools and hospitals, the canned tuna spotlights former professional tuna fisherman turned fishmonger Tommy Gomes, a native of San Diego who is Catalina Offshores beloved spokesperson. [EaterWire]

LIBERTY STATION Grand food hall Liberty Public Market is commemorating its first year as a local culinary destination with a celebration this Saturday, March 18 and Sunday, March 19 that includes a golden ticket prize and multiple giveaways. Through Friday, March 31st, buy a golden chocolate bar from one of the markets tenants, which will each have a mini prize inside, and potentially uncover a special Golden Ticket for a prize valued at $500. Additionally, market vendors will be offering freebies, samples and prizes this weekend. Beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 18 and Sunday, March 19, Stuffed! will be giving away free Wham sliders to the first 50 guests while Mama Made Thai, Pasta Design and Le Parfait Paris will be among the food tenants serving up complimentary bites starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 18. [EaterWire]

DOWNTOWN With locations at The Headquarters, La Jolla and Irvine, Puesto is toasting to five years as a brand with a birthday party on Sunday, April 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the open-air courtyard of The Headquarters. The Mexican eatery will be offering up complimentary tacos and aguas fresca and the free family-friendly event will include face painters, balloon artists and jumpy houses. [EaterWire]

Originally posted here:

Catalina Offshore Launches Canned Tuna Line - Eater San Diego

Yellowfin Yachts popular 36 Offshore has received a fresh set of refinements for 2017, and we got a chance to experience the improvements while running out to the West Hump 25 miles south of Islamorda, Florida, to fish for blackfin tuna.

From calm bay waters to large confused waves atop the high spot out, the Yellowfin twin-step hull performed and handled well.

With a 55-gallon livewell in the transom and an 80-gallon well under the leaning post module, the 36 offers outstanding bait capacity.

Improvements to the 36 includes include a molded-in pocket forward of the chines for a larger multichannel transducer. Yellowfin has also shifted the console forward to effectively enlarge the aft cockpit for more room while fishing.

Theres also new leaning-post option that includes a rigging station and cabinets for tackle stowage. Innovative hardware includes ultra-strong and lightweight titanium cleats and through-hull fittings.

The center console now has a full stand-up head compartment for more personal space and greater room for items such as fishing kites. In addition, backrests convert the forward seating area to a pair of loungers.

Our performance numbers reveal that the 36 jumps on plane in 4 seconds and reaches 30 mph in 9 seconds. Top speed with triple Mercury 350 Verados was 62 mph at 6,000 rpm.

Best fuel efficiency occurred at 3,500 rpm and 31.4 mph with the engines burning 22.4 gph for 1.4 mpg. With the 477-gallon fuel capacity, the Yellowfin 36 offers over 600 miles of cruising range.

To see more new boats, check out the overview below of current center consoles that could become classics.

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Yellowfin 36 Offshore Test - Sport Fishing

Sami Grover Published: March 16, 2017

In the last decade or two, offshore wind farms have gone from a rare sight to a major player in the worlds energy mix. In the U.K., in particular, the coastline is now dotted with vast arrays of turbines which make up a whopping 5 gigawatts (GW) of capacity in total. Theres another 6GW or so of capacity in the rest of Europe. And recent developments suggest the industry is hitting record low prices well ahead of its stated goals, suggesting that further rapid expansion may be on the cards.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has just five operational offshore turbines, totaling 30 megawatts (MW) of capacity.

While clean energy advocates and activists have welcomed the spread of large-scale offshore wind and they continue to hold out hope for a similar expansion in the U.S. eventually there are still question marks about what, exactly, the impacts of offshore wind farms are on the oceans in which they are located.

One article in Gizmodo, for example, highlighted new satellite imagery from NASA showing a surprising and unexpected consequence of offshore wind vast plumes of sediment stretching for many miles from the base of offshore turbines. While the article suggested that the impact of such plumes on fish nurseries and marine life is currently unclear, the very fact that the effect is visible from space suggests that further study is warranted.

Similarly, the impact of large-scale wind farms on wind patterns and localized climate has been a topic of much discussion. While anti-wind energy lobby groups have suggested that widespread deployment could disrupt regional climates and cause unintended consequences, research has largely dispelled these myths and found only minimal, localized changes to temperature or airflow.

But what about more localized impact on marine life? A 2014 paper by University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science researcher Helen Bailey called for ongoing monitoring of potential offshore wind development sites, with a view to both more careful siting of projects, and also identifying ways to minimize harm during construction and operation. Heres how Bailey described the challenge in a press release:

As the number and size of offshore wind developments increases, there is a growing need to consider the consequences and cumulative impacts of these activities on marine species. It is essential to identify where whales, dolphins and other species occur to help avoid adverse impacts and to continue to monitor their response to the construction and operation of wind turbines.

Since the publication of that paper, industry groups and environmentalists alike have been working hard to solve this puzzle. A recent study by the World Wildlife Fund suggests there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful. By deploying a wide range of methods including altering piling schedules, air-filled tubes, hydro-sound dampeners, and even utilizing bubbles as a barrier against underwater sound waves, the research suggested that a drop of even 8 decibels in construction noise could significantly reduce the chance of a decline in North Sea porpoise populations.

Of course, its foolish to talk about the potential negative of impact offshore wind turbines without acknowledging the huge upsides. Given the devastating losses to marine life that we are already seeing due to climate change and ocean acidification, any localized damage caused by wind turbine production should be weighed against the reductions in carbon emissions and other pollutants that are achieved by switching to renewables.

Similarly, its worth noting that some research has suggested that, much like offshore oil rigs, wind turbines also serve as artificial reefs. Whether or not this creates a net positive for marine life or as one long-term study into Swedens largest wind farm has suggested merely means that turbines have a largely neutral localized impact, is another factor worthy of further study.

Given that offshore wind has only really taken off since the turn of the millennium, its perhaps no surprise that there are as many questions as there are answers about the eventual impact on marine life. One thing is certain, however, the longer we allow carbon emissions to grow unchecked, the more trouble we will find our oceans in. So far, offshore wind has proven to be a powerful tool in curbing such emissions, not to mention the mercury that starts out in coal-fired power plants and ends up in our tuna. Making sure that this promising technology meets its full potential will require keeping an eye on its impacts, and continuing to ensure that wind farms are developed as cleanly and responsibly as possible.

Sami Grover is a writer, and creative director at The Change Creation, a brand creation agency that works with entities who make the world better, fairer or truer. Clients include Larrys Beans, Burt's Bees, Canaan Fair Trade and Jada Pinkett Smith/Overbrook Entertainment.

The Weather Companys primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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What Do Offshore Wind Farms Mean For The Oceans? | Weather ... - Wunderground.com (blog)

Tim Goodhews Persephone of London passing Fastnet Rock lighthouse off the West Cork coast in the Fastnet Race 2015. Photograph: David Branigan/Oceansport

Evidence of a continued resurgence in offshore racing will not be in short supply this season as a new trend appears to suggest a trend away from short inshore races and regattas.

Fixture list congestion could also be linked to the dropping numbers in the latter.

Offshore races involving overnight and sometimes weekend commitments seem to be returning to vogue having previously been dismissed as too time-consuming for crews with limited free time.

Long legs up sections of coast requiring crews to sit-out were often seen as pointless compared to technically pure windward-leeward type courses.

Arguments that offshore racing involved more seamanship as well as valuable delivery miles gained little popular support.

More recently however, the biennial Royal Ocean Racing Clubs (RORC) Rolex Fastnet Race has seen a capacity entry received in record time.

The online booking system sold-out 340 boats in just under five minutes in January.

This fleet is in addition to the other non-IRC handicap boats that are expected to bring the fleet up to almost 400 entries departing from Cowes on Sunday, August 6th.

Included in the safety requirements are mileage quotas for crew-members to complete in addition to sea survival courses.

Demand for the Fastnet Race is serving as a boost for other offshore races and this years Volvo Dn Laoghaire to Dingle Race has now been accepted by the RORC as counting towards requirements and has led the RORC and the National Yacht Club (NYC) to seek a closer partnership.

They will act in an observer capacity this year to look at the Sailing Instructions and Safety aspects and then in 2019, it may well be a RORC race, commented Adam Winkelmann of the NYCs organising committee. Its a couple of months ahead of the Fastnet so we think its an ideal race as a qualifier.

Wicklow Sailing Clubs Volvo Round Ireland Race is already a starred RORC race and entries last year were boosted to 52 boats with strong indications that the fleet will grow significantly towards a supposed maximum entry of 100 boats.

The D2D race is also expecting a bigger turnout this year with Winkelmann predicting at least 30 boats, possibly 35 or more for the race that starts on the evening of Wednesday, June 14th, a new development aimed at limiting the race to two working days off for most crews.

The Race to Dingle is also boosted by the support of the Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association that has nominated the race as its highlight for the season.

However, ISORA chairman Peter Ryan points the finger squarely at congestion in the Irish fixtures list as being the main culprit for the fall off in numbers at local and regional events and regattas.

Theres simply no co-ordination between everyone, unlike many years ago when the ISA held the East Coast conference to decide the following years fixtures list, he told The Irish Times.

Its a point echoed by Winkelmann as well.

I can already see the impact of that congestion, theres just too much on theyre (events) happening in an uncoordinated fashion and the geography is all wrong, said Winkelmann, pointing to the need to move boats from one end of the country to the other in the space of one or two weekends.

branigandavid@gmail.com

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Sailing: Offshore racing continues its resurgence - Irish Times