Daily Archives: February 27, 2020

BAKKAFROST is poised to moveout into the open sea because bays and inlets around the Faroe Islands are filling up with cages.

The company said it wants to expand its salmon farming operation, but is running out of space. So it has applied to the government in Torshavn for permission to develop futurenew farms to the east of the island of Nolsoy.

The location is well offshore, where cages would have to be positioned much deeper and where the currents are significantly stronger.

Bakkafrost, which bought the Scottish Salmon Compnay last year, believes that if fish farming in the Faroe Islands is to develop further then a rethink is needed on strategy.

CEO Regin Jacobsen told Faroese Television recently that such offshore operations would look similar to oil rigs, but without the drilling tower.

It was also something the company had been studying for the past five yearsand was now keen to get started.

But he cautioned: Farming operationsin theopen sea are very expensive, typically between 1 and 2 billion Danish kroner (DKK) (112 million to 224 million) per unit.

They will also be much larger. At the moment, we dont know specifically what type (design)we are going for.

But what we can seetoday is that similar sites have a diameter of about 200m, with a length of 400m and a height of between 60 and 80m.

The total investment could be up to DKK 15 billion (1.7 billion).

Two years ago, the government changed its legislation to allow open sea farming and Bakkafrost has now applied for development licences. It hoped to get started as soon as the licences were granted, said Jacobsen.

He added: The fjords dohave their limits on the volumes they can produce. Farming out at sea allows us to produce larger sizes.

The fjordswould be reserved for fish to be farmed up to 2-3 kg. After that, we move them out and let them grow up to 6-7 kg, which helps to take pressure off the fjords.

Jacobsen said the Faroe Islands currently produced 90,000 tonnes of salmon a year, but a successful expansion offshore could more than double that figure to around 200,000 tonnes by 2030.

He also told the TV station that the company planned to build a new wellboat capable of carrying up to 900 tonnes, twice the volume of the current vessel, the Hans A Bakka.

Marine experts at the Faroese aquaculture research station Fiskaaling said expanding fish farming activities into the open ocean did present a number of challenges, but stressed it wascertainly not impossible.

Read the original post:

Bakkafrost plans move to offshore farming - Fish Farmer Magazine

Mike Crawley: "Northland is persuing additional projects in Asia"

26 Feb 2020byDavid Foxwell

Northland Power has signed an agreement to acquire Dado Ocean Wind Farm Co Ltd, a development company with multiple early-stage offshore wind development sites near Chodo Island, off the south coast of South Korea

Dado Ocean is currently owned by Eui Jeong Hwang, an experienced wind power developer who will continue to support the project as a local partner, working together with Northland to achieve key milestones for the project. The acquisition is expected to close in the coming weeks, subject to customary closing conditions.

The South Korean projects, which are in early stage development, include multiple development sites located in Chodo-ri and Sonjuk-ri of Yeosu City, 35 km off the southern coast of the Korean Peninsula.

The acquisition builds on Northlands presence in Asia. It is anticipated that South Koreas installed capacity will more than double by 2050, with renewables accounting for approximately 59% compared to 8% in 2018. Offshore wind will make up almost half of this renewable generation.

Northlands current portfolio in Asia includes a 60% equity stake in the 1.04 GW Hai Long offshore wind project, which is under development in Taiwan and a joint venture to pursue offshore wind development opportunities in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

Northland president and chief executive Mike Crawley said, This agreement builds on Northlands strategy to pursue opportunities in South Korea. We are excited to be part of the countrys energy transformation and the governments renewable energy programme, which aims to achieve 12.0 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.

Read more here:

Northland Power expands offshore wind pipeline with Korean deal - Riviera Maritime Media

By The Maritime Executive 02-24-2020 04:52:30

RWE Renewables and Saitec Offshore Technologies have joined forces to test new ways to affordably install and operate offshore wind farms in deep waters. In a joint pilot project called DemoSATH the RWE subsidiary specializing in renewable energy and the Spanish engineering company Saitec Offshore Technologies will start testing a floating platform for wind turbines off the Basque Coast in 2021.

SATH technology is based on a twin hull made of modularly prefabricated and subsequently braced concrete elements. The float can align itself around a single point of mooring according to the wind and wave direction. The objective of the project is to collect data and gain real-life knowledge from the construction, operation and maintenance of the unit. The pilot project will last 3.5 years: 18 months for the planning and construction of the plant, followed by a two-year operating phase.

RWE Renewables CEO Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath declares: We see great potential for floating wind farms worldwide. Especially in countries with deeper coastal waters, this opens up attractive opportunities. With DemoSATH, we are gaining experience with an innovative concrete-based platform technology that will help us to position ourselves in this growth market.

Saitec Offshores COO Luis Gonzlez-Pinto states: The potentiality of SATH to reduce the cost of floating wind is immense. Now is time to build and operate this floating wind turbine and widen this exciting market. Collaboration between both companies is seen as highly beneficial, as he explains: This is an agreement between a well-established player in offshore wind, and a young innovative company. We are confident that this combination can provide massive gains for both parties.

RWE Renewables will finance part of the project costs, contribute its many years of offshore experience, and gain access to the resulting findings in return. The focus is on the performance and on the load behaviour of the platform under all possible conditions. In addition, the partners are interested in operational experience, which is essential for the planning of future commercial wind farms. Among the things to be tested are safe and efficient solutions for vessel accessibility to the platform and for the replacement of large components. In order to be able to flexibly adapt offers for offshore wind farms worldwide to local conditions, RWE is testing other technological options for Floating Offshore in addition to SATH.

DemoSATH will be Saitec Offshores second project in open waters. In April 2020 the deployment of a scaled 1:6 model off the Coast of Santander is scheduled. For the DemoSATH project, Saitec Offshore Technologies provides the design and Project Management during the whole lifecycle of the development. The company is also managing the operation, maintenance and data treatment during the testing. This enables Saitec Offshore Technologies to capture improvement and optimisation opportunities throughout all phases.

For the large prototype, the structure and the 2MW wind turbine will be assembled in the port of Bilbao. The base of the structure will be approx. 30 metres wide and approx. 64 metres long. The platform including the turbine will be towed to its anchorage point in a test field (BIMEP) twomiles off the coast. The sea is about 85 metres deep at this point. Hybrid mooring lines, composed by chains and fibre, anchored to the seabed will hold the floating body in position. The plant is expected to go into operation in the third quarter of 2021. The electricity generated during the project will be fed into the Spanish power grid.

The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.

Excerpt from:

Floating Platform Solution for Offshore Wind Turbines to be Tested - The Maritime Executive

rsted has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the Dutch non-profit organization Stichting Noordzeeboerderij to together work on combining offshore wind and nature-inclusive seaweed farms.

The collaboration will see the parties working on combining mooring solutions with nature development in multi-use systems to realize multi-use sea farms.

Stichting Noordzeeboerderij initiated the cooperation as it is currently working on a prototype of a nature-inclusive anchoring system called the Eco-anchor, which will be designed for several multi-use activities within offshore wind farms.

According to the Dutch organization, currently, seaweed production in the North Sea occurs on a pilot scale, while the aim is to grow towards 500km2 of nature-inclusive seaweed cultivation within wind farms by 2030.

In this way, wind farms are expected to effectively become multi-use sea farms.

The Eco-anchor prototype will be ready for testing later this year at the offshore North Sea Innovation Lab, after which it will head out to an offshore wind farm.

Stichting Noordzeeboerderij emphasized that rsted is the first wind farm owner to express support for this development.

If the first tests turn out to be a success, rsted is open to exploring whether a combination of multi-use asset moorings and the Eco-anchor solution could fit its strategy for natureinclusive solutions in offshore wind farms, the organization concluded.

Follow this link:

rsted Backs Offshore Wind and Seaweed Farms Combo Project - Offshore WIND

rsted has signed a wharf lease and a 20-year operations and maintenance (O&M) lease with the Port of Taichung in Taiwan.

The leased wharfs will be upgraded and utilized for the construction of the Greater Changhua offshore wind farms, and the O&M site will serve as the O&M base for rsteds Changhua offshore wind farms from 2022 onwards.

The 20-year lease with the Port of Taichung shows our long-term commitment to fully developing and implementing in Changhua County, Matthias Bausenwein, President of rsted Asia-Pacific, said.

We want to ensure that we are well prepared for the continuing offshore wind development in Taiwan by upgrading the harbor infrastructure for construction and operations works. We also expect that during the O&M phase, our Greater Changhua wind farms will create several hundred local direct and indirect jobs with our contractors and suppliers. These efforts are a win-win situation for the development of the offshore wind industry and local communities.

rsteds Greater Changhua wind farms are located approximately 35-60 kilometers off the coast of Changhua County. The Port of Taichung has been selected as the most suitable O&M base for these wind farms due to its proximity to the sites, water depth, wharf facilities, and navigational access quality.

In accordance with the construction timeline for Greater Changhua 1 & 2a, rsted has begun the upgrade of the leased wharfs to be ready to store components, such as pin piles, towers, and blades.

The wharf lease with the Port of Taichung will cover the period during which rsted plans to install at least 1.82GW offshore wind capacity in Taiwan.

rsteds investment in the Port of Taichung for supporting the construction and O&M of the Greater Changhua wind farms will help further develop industries related to offshore wind industry and create a lot of local jobs, Port of Taichung Taiwan International Ports Corporation President Lu Chan-yu said.

Also, it enables the Port of Taichung to play an important role in the construction and operation of offshore wind farms. TIPC welcomes the rsteds investment and look forwards to working together on furthering offshore wind industry development in Taiwan.

The construction of the O&M building will begin in 2020, with the expected inauguration in 2022.

Andreas Munk-Janson, Head of Operations of rsted Asia-Pacific, said: rsted pioneers offshore wind in Taiwan by investing in the construction of a brand-new building, serving as the O&M base for our offshore wind farms. Once weve completed the construction of this building, the onshore-based O&M staff and management team will be stationed there to support the offshore-based O&M teams for these wind farms. Drawing on rsteds extensive experience in operating offshore wind farms, the building design has been optimized to drive operational efficiency.

Continued here:

rsted Homeports in Port of Taichung - Offshore WIND

RWE Renewables and Saitec Offshore Technologies have joined forces to test new ways to affordably install and operate offshore wind farms in deep waters.

In a joint pilot project called 'DemoSATH', the RWE subsidiary specialising in renewable energy and the Spanish engineering company Saitec Offshore Technologies will start testing a floating platform for wind turbines off the Basque Coast in 2021.

SATH technology is based on a twin hull made of modularly prefabricated and subsequently braced concrete elements. The float can align itself around a single point of mooring according to the wind and wave direction. The objective of the project is to collect data and gain real-life knowledge from the construction, operation and maintenance of the unit. The pilot project will last 3.5 years: 18 months for the planning and construction of the plant, followed by a two-year operating phase.

RWE Renewables will finance part of the project costs and gain access to the resulting findings in return. The focus is on the performance and on the load behaviour of the platform under all possible conditions.

In addition, the partners are interested in operational experience, which is essential for the planning of future commercial wind farms. Among the things to be tested are safe and efficient solutions for vessel accessibility to the platform and for the replacement of large components. In order to be able to flexibly adapt offers for offshore wind farms worldwide to local conditions, RWE is testing other technological options for Floating Offshore in addition to SATH.

DemoSATH will be Saitecs second project in open waters. In April 2020 the deployment of a scaled 1:6 model off the Coast of Santander is scheduled. For the DemoSATH project, Saitec Offshore Technologies provides the design and Project Management during the whole lifecycle of the development. The company is also managing the operation, maintenance and data treatment during the testing. This enables Saitec Offshore Technologies to capture improvement and optimisation opportunities throughout all phases.

For the large prototype, the structure and the 2 MW wind turbine will be assembled in the port of Bilbao, Spain. The base of the structure will be approximately 30 m wide and 64 m long. The platform including the turbine will be towed to its anchorage point in a test field (BIMEP) 2 miles off the coast. The sea is about 85 m deep at this point. Hybrid mooring lines, composed by chains and fibre, anchored to the seabed will hold the floating body in position. The plant is expected to go into operation in 3Q2021. The electricity generated during the project will be fed into the Spanish power grid.

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/wind/26022020/rwe-renewables-and-saitec-offshore-technologies-to-test-new-offshore-platforms/

See the rest here:

RWE Renewables and Saitec Offshore Technologies to test new offshore platforms - Energy Global

The spread is optimized for inter-array cablelay and includes a patented quadrant handling system for second-end deployment operations.

(Courtesy Royal IHC)

Offshore staff

KINDERDIJK, the Netherlands Global Marine Group has contracted Royal IHC to design and deliver an integrated power cablelay spread for its newly chartered vessel, Normand Clipper.

The spread is optimized for inter-array cablelay and includes a patented quadrant handling system for second-end deployment operations.

The equipment also includes IHCs 15Te break-back tensioners and an overarching control system. This integrates the control of the carousel, tensioners and quadrant handling system, which reduces the required number of operators.

The modular design of the spread enables rapid mobilization and demobilization. This, the company said, allows for greater versatility regarding the type of contracts the vessel can carry out, ensuring flexibility for future operations.

Together with KCI, its independent engineering subsidiary, IHC will provide the equipment within an accelerated delivery period. The tensioners will be provided on a long-term charter agreement from the companys base in Newcastle.

02/26/2020

Read more here:

IHC to supply cablelay spread for the Normand Clipper - Offshore Oil and Gas Magazine

CHICAGO -- The brother of Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher and nine others, including a police officer, have been charged with operating an offshore sports gambling business, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

Casey Urlacher, the mayor of the Illinois village of Mettawa, is accused in U.S. District Court of conspiracy and running an illegal gambling business.

Prosecutors allege that Casey Urlacher and the others ran a ring that raked in millions of dollars. Prosecutors said the Urlacher, 40, acted as an agent for the gambling ring. He is accused of recruiting bettors in exchange for a cut of their eventual losses.

Brian Urlacher wasn't named in the indictment.

"I don't know nothing about it,'' Casey Urlacher told the Chicago Sun-Times when asked about the charges.

Casey Urlacher played football at Lake Forest College and the Arena Football League before entering politics. He was elected mayor of Mettawa, a village of about 550 people, in 2013.

The indictment also accuses Nicholas Stella, 42, an 18-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, of acting as an agent. Stella has been stripped of his police powers.

"Those who enforce the law should understand more than anyone the importance of following the law,'' police superintendent Charlie Beck said Thursday. "The allegations against suspended police officer Nicholas Stella are very serious and if proven, they undermine everything the men and women of the Chicago Police Department represent.''

The indictment alleges the ring was headed by Vincent DelGiudice, 54, of Orland Park, who paid a Costa Rica-based sportsbook a service fee to use its online platform and recruited gamblers to place wagers on the website. DelGiudice hired people to act as agents and enlist gamblers.

Prosecutors say federal agents searched DelGiudice's home in April 2019 and turned up more than $1.06 million in cash, $347,895 in silver bars and jewelry, and $92,623 in gold coins.

Prosecutors are seeking an $8 million judgment against DelGiudice, who is charged with conspiracy to conduct an illegal gambling business, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering.

It wasn't immediately known if DelGiudice, Stella or the others charged have obtained legal representation.

See more here:

Casey Urlacher among 10 alleged to have run offshore gambling ring - ESPN

The Gimi FLNG vessel under conversion at Keppel Shipyard in Singapore.

(Courtesy Kosmos Energy)

Offshore staff

OSLO, Norway More than 1,500 Keppel personnel are currently working in Singapore on conversion of the Gimi to a floating LNG vessel, according to Golar LNG.

The vessel recently entered the third of five planned dry-dockings.

While the spread of the Covid-19 virus could impact the supply chain, yard operations in Singapore are managing the situation, Golar LNG added, and construction remains on target.

The vessel will start a 20-year contract with BP for the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project offshore Mauritania and Senegal in 4Q 2022.

Golar is in discussion on further projects with other oil majors and national oil companies, but due to the long lead time to a final investment decision, followed by a four-year construction and commissioning period, the quickest a new FLNG could deliver new LNG to market is around five years from now, the company said.

02/25/2020

Read the rest here:

Gimi FLNG conversion on track in Singapore - Offshore Oil and Gas Magazine

An international research team has claimed that thin-film modules are an ideal solution for floating PV projects in offshore locations, mainly due to their superior hydrodynamic properties. The scientists have also said that direct contact between installations and the water provides additional self-cooling opportunities, while keeping the waterproof modules clean. Such arrays could potentially withstand higher waves and the difficult environmental conditions of the open sea.

Scientists from Italys University of Naples Federico II and Indias M.Kumarasamy College of Engineering have recommended thin-film solar module technologies for floating PV projects at offshore sites and onshore remote ares. Lightweight thin-film panels are indicated as an efficient alternative for projects with highly complex logistical requirements in terms of transport, installation time frames, and the need for infrastructure.

The researchers have also claimed that projects based on thin-film panels have the advantage of being in direct contact with water, which can provide additional opportunities for self-cooling and the self-cleaning of panels. However, the main disadvantage of thin-film arrays, compared to projects built on pontoons, is the lower light absorption they offer, they said.

A floating PV system that relies on thin-film PV can be described as a single scalable array of panels linked by connectors, either in series or parallel to each other, based on a projects capacity. The thin-film panels used in floating projects are usually laminated with a highly transparent waterproof polymer. Air pockets and ducts are embedded in panels during the lamination process in order to reduce rigidity and buoyancy.

Such arrays could be ideal solutions for offshore projects, which are subject to harsh external environmental forces such as strong winds and high waves, the researchers said. Analyses based on the flexural rigidity have proved that the thin film technology-based FPV on offshore will tend to have low wave energy interaction, they said in their new paper, Floating Photovoltaic Thin Film TechnologyA Review, which was recently published in Intelligent Manufacturing and Energy Sustainability.

The researchers explained that the hydrodynamic properties of thin-film panels can reduce mechanical stress on mooring systems. This means that less infrastructure is required, so the logistics of projects are simpler than those of projects that are based on conventional crystalline silicon panels and pontoons, which require aluminum frames and structures to resist saltwater corrosion.

The researchers have also complied a detailed review of existing thin-film technologies that could be adopted in floating PV installations. They include amorphous silicon (a-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS), and gallium arsenide (GaAs).

More:

Is thin-film module technology the best solution for offshore PV? - pv magazine International