Daily Archives: June 1, 2020

A UK Government select committee is to consider the potential of offshore wind and how policy can facilitate the UK making the best and most cost-effective use of the technology.

The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) will hold the evidence session on Thursday 4 June at 09:30.

The UK has the largest market in the world for offshore wind. Over the past decade the offshore wind has grown rapidly due to reductions in the costs of constructing and operating wind power facilities.

Following the Governments Offshore Wind Sector Deal in March 2019, the EAC will consider the opportunities that will maximise the industrys potential, and the challenges it faces in delivering greater capacity.

The session will hear from experts from the sector and those involved with developing the Governments Offshore Wind Sector Deal.

The witnesses are Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult chief executive Andrew Jamieson, RenewableUK policy and regulation head Rebecca Williams and Orsted UK market development, consenting and external affairs head Benj Sykes, who is also co-chair of the Offshore Wind Industry Council.

The EAC's remit is to consider the extent to which the policies and programmes of government departments and non-departmental public bodies contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development.

The EAC audits their performance against sustainable development and environmental protection targets.

The session can be viewed at Parliament TV.

Excerpt from:

UK Government to probe offshore wind potential - reNEWS

A consortium of eight Japanese companies will jointly bid to develop an offshore wind power project in Akita Prefecture for which a public tender is scheduled.

Sumitomo Corporation, INPEX Corporation, Japan Petroleum Exploration, JR-EAST Energy Development, Kato Construction, Narita Construction, TEPCO Renewable Power, and Venti Japan will jointly take on the project near the cities of Noshiro, Mitane, and Oga.

The Noshiro-Mitane-Oga offshore wind farm will be a fixed-bottom foundation project with a capacity of up to 480 MW. The wind farm is scheduled to be operational by 2026. The wind farm zone covers an area of 59 km2 with water depths of up to 30 metres.

In accordance with the Offshore Renewable Energy Act, the Japanese government is presently designating areas for which offshore wind power producers will be selected by public tender.

The area offshore Akita Prefecture offers a very suitable natural environment, with its favorable wind conditions and relatively shallow waters, so it appears likely to be designated a promotion area, the companies said.

Sumitomo Corporation has since 2018 been conducting environmental impact assessments, seabed surveys, wind condition studies, and other research in the area.

The consortium as the operating body will be making preparations for submitting a proposal for the proprietary use of the area.

The developers will also take into consideration the views expressed by a council comprising representatives from Noshiro, Mitane, and Oga as well as the national governments policies as it develops the project.

Continued here:

Japanese Consortium to Bid for Wind Project Offshore Akita - Offshore WIND

The survival of Newfoundland and Labradors offshore oil and gas industry is essential to the survival of the province as a contributing member of Confederation.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended the funeral service for my late father, John Crosbie in January, and I thank him for his courtesy and grace in doing so, and in visiting privately with the Crosbie family.

I know he is aware of the tumultuous struggles of this province to gain control of our offshore resources, culminating in principal beneficiary status for the province under the Atlantic Accord, and the aspiration captured by Premier Brian Peckford that Have not will be no more.

Since the discovery of the Hibernia oil field in 1979, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have worked tirelessly to develop a world class industry. This industry now accounts for almost 30 per cent of provincial GDP, 13 per cent of labour compensation and 10 per cent of provincial employment.

While these numbers are significant, they do not account for the sense of prosperity and pride the oil industry has brought to the province. Through the hard work of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in the oil industry, our province has been transformed and looking forward to a bright future under fiscally responsible good government.

Due to dual blows from foreign price wars and the economic devastation caused by the ongoing public-health crisis, the offshore oil industry is now at risk. Companies in the supply and service sector have left the province, workers have been laid off, exploration is being deferred, and major projects put on hold.

Every resident of this province feels the impact of this downturn, and a population loss looms comparable to that triggered by the 1992 cod moratorium.

Our long history with the ocean has taught us to be economic stewards, and the need for transition to sustainable energy is generally understood. As leader, I commit the PC Party when in government to the objective of meeting our share of Canadas 2030 greenhouse gas emissions target.

This week industry and provincial political officials publicly pleaded with the prime minister for industry support. The economic viability of the countrys most easterly province is in the balance.

On May 28, I wrote the prime minister not to plead, but to warn.

His failure to take action to deliver tax incentives to make investment in our offshore competitive with the investment regimes offered elsewhere in the world will risk a fiscal conflagration that may not be contained within the boundaries of one province. The prime ministers reputation in Canadian history for statesmanship rides on his response to the offshore petroleum industry in its moment of need.

The reputation and electoral future of the Silent Six Liberal MPs. led by Silent Seamus ORegan also rides on their ability to deliver in this moment of need. ORegan is the minister of Natural Resources responsible for the offshore and our federal cabinet representative. His failure to deliver competitive incentives would prove his irrelevancy.

On behalf of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians I urge the prime minister and his Liberal government to deliver a world-competitive investment regime for our offshore industry.

History is watching.

Ches Crosbie,MHA Windsor LakeLeader of the PC Official Opposition

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LETTER: Urgent help needed for Newfoundland and Labradors offshore petroleum Industry - The Journal Pioneer

Ireland stands to lose billions due to offshore wind projects being built from bases outside the country unless strategic investments are made in improving port infrastructure, according to a report by the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA).

The Harnessing our Potential report states that offshore wind could create 2,500 jobs over the next ten years and attract over EUR 42 billion in lifetime investment, but Irish firms would be able to attract, at most, just over a fifth of this investment unless steps are taken to grow the local supply chain.

The key reason is that developers will be forced to use ports like Belfast, Mostyn or Barrow to construct wind farms because no Irish port meets all the requirements to serve the project construction.

Developing 3.5 GW of new offshore wind necessary to achieve the Climate Action Plans 2030 target also creates new opportunities for smaller ports as O&M bases, the report writes.

One of the recommendations is that strategic investment is directed urgently into one or more local ports on the east coast to develop offshore wind farms, including providing O&M support.

Additionally, the Government is advised to bring together industry, ports and communities to develop enterprise hubs to attract international investors and link them to Irish suppliers.

The report also suggests that educational institutions should be brought together to eliminate the skills gap and ensure that domestic workers can compete for the 2,500 construction and 700 permanent jobs.

Ireland has set a target of delivering 3.5 GW of offshore wind which presents a significant challenge given we are going from almost a standing start. Key to meeting that target will be building an indigenous and economically sustainable supply chain that makes a substantial contribution to the Irish exchequer and lowers the cost of electricity to the consumer, said Peter Lefroy, Chairperson of IWEAs offshore committee.

Offshore wind globally is rapidly expanding as the technology improves and costs fall.Establishing an Irish supply chain will be critical to ensure Ireland fully captures that opportunity and can compete on a global market. This not only relates to physical infrastructure but also to the workforce, skills and training required to service the industry in the long term.

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Ireland Needs Port Upgrades to Cash In On Offshore Wind (Report) - Offshore WIND

Using a blue-green laser, LADAR penetrates the ocean enabling detection of submerged objects and debris

By Mark Fuhrmann 05-27-2020 03:17:25

Research scientist and entrepreneur Sverre Dokken believes laser-based remote sensing has big potential in the maritime domain.Our mission is to be the world leader in innovative maritime sensor products that enhance the safety and security of shipping and all manner of offshore activity, says Dokken, principal at Ladar Ltd (LDR).

In the sensor vanguard

Essentially a laser-based navigational aid, LADAR (Laser Detection and Ranging) combines long distance object detection with high-accuracy measurement, giving users a full 2D/3D/4D (3D plus time) perspective for optimal maritime awareness. The laser pulse scans a specific area or target with over 100 readings per second. Its water-penetrating capabilities enable very high-resolution detection of objects in the surface layer up to approximately one nautical mile distant and up to 10 meters deep in ideal conditions. Objects can be anything from a person, floating container, icebergs, whales, or small craft to environmental factors such as waves or pollution.

The systems proven capability to detect, characterize, classify and track various surface-layer objects in real-time make it suitable for a wide variety of applications, says Dokken.

The modular design incorporates unique technologies such as laser diodes together with optical camera, gyros, optional AIS, and/or radar and sonar feeds to produce a comprehensive analysis of the ocean surface layer ahead of a vessel.

The system overlaps many existing ship radar functions with added benefits, high-speed operation and no latency, says Dokken. It can be configured to different light bandwidths as required.

LADAR outperforms

LADAR outperforms both radar and sonar through its ability to detect both smaller and larger objects in the surface layer. Sub-meterresolution at close and long range and 1000-times better resolution in azimuth and elevation than both radar and sonar also enable detection of very small objects. The system is independent of speed, meaning it can be used on high-speed vessels andstationary platforms alike.

Machine learning helps to continuously improve detection and classification capabilities. Users can also experience the live environment using Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR).

Data feedback can optionally activate functions such as safe re-routing around navigational hazards, wave spectrum and ocean current observations, charting of marine plastic pollution, uncharted reefs, shoals, moving sand-banks, and so on.

LADAR uses narrow laser beam scans, providing a full 3D perspective

Highly versatile

All this makes LADAR the only cost-efficient subsurface tool that can be tailored to many maritime and offshore applications, Dokken says.

He believes the system has many immediate benefits. Our research indicates it can increase safety with a potential 50 percent reduction in navigational risk. That means fewer dry-dock visits due to accidents and collisions, reduced costs and extended vessel lifetime, he says.

LADAR can also plug the sensor gap with large amounts of situational data as the industry moves to autonomous operations and e-navigation. LDR is also working on matching the system with drone technology.

Were convinced the generalization of this technology will see new applications still unknown to us, Dokken says. But right now, there are no other laser sensor solutions in the market with the kind of performance our system offers. Whatever alternatives there are have less range, are bigger and less adaptable. Theyre also three or more times the price.

Focus on performance testing

The LDR lab continues iterative electronic and mechanical assembly to further reduce the size, weight and production cost of the system. We also focus on performance testing both in the lab and in live settings, says Dokken. Last summer, for example, we were in the Mediterranean doing tests on plastic detection with very positive results.

LDR has conducted trials on board the cruise ferryColor Magicalong its route between Oslo and Kiel, as well as proving its use in fish inventory assessment, bathymetric/sea floor mapping by aircraft and floating mine detection for a navy.

The company currently has LOIs in place with the likes of Team Tankers Management, Hurtigbtforbundet HRF, The Fjords, GOTA Ship Management, Hargun Havfiske, Barents Nord, the Port of Rotterdam and Grand Large Yachting.

LADAR's underwater range extends to a maximum depth of up to 10 metres at short distances

Scientific team

Dokkens team have been perfecting their advanced LADAR sensor technology for some years now. The company was spun off from an EU-funded project that produced an early prototype.

Our LADAR team have 100 years combined expertise in sensor systems, software and electrical engineering, says Dokken. We also cooperate with several experienced sea captains to ensure the system meets end-user needs and to keep tabs on market trends.

Dokken himself has over 20 years experience in marine and remote sensing R&D programmes. He has held various academic and managerial positions in the European Space Agency (ESA), Chalmers University of Technology, and the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment. He has co-ordinated several EU Framework Programme projects as well as investor- and venture-capital backed technology enterprises.

With a double MSc from the Agricultural University of Norway and both a PhD/Dr.Tech and LicEng from Chalmers University of Technology, he says the impetus for his move from pure research scientist to entrepreneur came in 2000 when doing a Financial MBA at the International University of Monaco. I havent looked back, he jokes.

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

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Laser Sensor Technology for the Maritime and Offshore Industries - The Maritime Executive

Saipem and Equinor have signed a two-year frame agreement, under which Saipem will provide engineering services to Equinor, as well as assistance for the developers offshore wind projects.

The agreement covers feasibility and conceptual studies, FEED, detailed engineering and related follow-on and support for R&D activities, and assisting Equinor with its upcoming projects, including those in the offshore and floating wind sectors.

The work scope also extends, among other things, to field layout and routing design for products such as umbilicals, cables, static flexibles and power cables.

Saipem already worked on an Equinor floating wind project, having won a contract in 2016 for the lift and mating operations of floating wind turbines for the 30 MW Hywind Scotland project.

At the beginning of this month (May 2020), Saipem signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Cassa Depositi e Prestiti to jointly evaluate the launch of environmentally, socially and economically sustainable projects, aimed at promoting the energy transition in Italy and abroad.

One of the initiatives under the MoU is the development and construction of renewable energy infrastructures, including offshore and/or floating wind farms.

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Saipem to Assist Equinor on Offshore Wind Projects - Offshore WIND

TenneT has selected the consortium of ENGIE Fabricom and Iemants to design, engineer, produce, deliver, transport, and install a 700 MW offshore substation for the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind farm.

The contract also includes the options for identical work on the Hollandse Kust West Alpha and Hollandse Kust West Beta offshore substations.

The Hollandse Kust Noord wind farm will comprise two zones with a combined capacity of between 693 MW and 760 MW.

The zero-subsidy tender round for the rights to build and operate the wind farm closed on 30 April.

The round attracted several bids, including those by rsted and a joint bid by Shell and Eneco.

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) plans to announce the winner of the tender by the end of July at the latest. The wind farm is expected to be operational by 2023.

The 700 MW Hollandse Kust West Alpha substation is scheduled for commissioning in 2024, and the 700 MW Hollandse Kust West Beta substation in 2025.

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Breaking: Belgian Consortium to Build Dutch Offshore Substations - Offshore WIND

Navantia and Harland and Wolff (Belfast) Limited are in advanced teaming agreement discussions for cooperation in the offshore wind sector.

The partnership will focus on fixed and floating foundations for the offshore wind sector in the UK.

The teaming agreements are in relation to a series of specific projects that have been identified as commercially viable, InfraStrata, Harland & Wolffs parent company, said.

We have always selected our partners carefully. In Navantia, we see a long-term partner not only within the defence sector, but also in the offshore wind farm sector for fixed and floating foundations, for which we are already in advanced teaming agreement discussions, the company writes.

At the end of last year, Navantia and InfraStrata signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate on offshore wind projects, among other things.

The deal envisages the usage of the UK shipyards assets for providing a range of services to Navantia.

Read more from the original source:

Navantia and Harland & Wolff to Jointly Pursue UK Offshore Wind Projects - Offshore WIND

File Photo: curraheeshutter / Shutterstock

By Amy Stillman (Bloomberg) When 62-year-old Tomas Morales registered a fever of 101.3 Fahrenheit on April 14, the doctor told him to self-isolate. But there was a problem: Morales was on an oil platform off the Mexican coast only reachable by helicopter, and he shared a bedroom with three other workers.

Morales improvised, using a curtain to separate his bed from those of his companions, yet they still had to use the same bathroom. It took two days for Morales to be evacuated from the platform, followed by a three-hour bus trip to his home and, eventually, a move into a company-run hospital.

Moraless case and others open new questions about the ability of Mexicos state-owned oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos, to protect workers amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Seventy two workers and two contractors have died from the virus, the company reported on Monday. As many as eight died in one day.

We werent prepared, Morales said, speaking by telephone from his home in Paraiso. There werent sufficient control measures for Covid-19 because this was something totally new for everyone.

Critics say Pemexs actions mirror that of the administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which was slow to enforce a national lockdown and has chosen not to shut down its ports of entry or restrict visitors from countries with a high number of Covid-19 cases.

Pemex responded in a statement that its taking great pains to protect its workers. The company is sanitizing, sending workers home, and taking other measures to distribute supplies to keep work places and equipment clean.

Oil companies in the Gulf of Mexico are grappling with the challenge of maintaining operations amid social distancing and sanitizing on thousands of offshore drilling rigs and oil production platforms. The platforms house hundreds of people and require workers to sleep in shared rooms and eat together in crowded dining halls.

Yet the death toll at Pemex has soared above peers.

As of May 22, there were no deaths in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico among about 25,000 people rotating on and offshore, according to Justin Williams, a spokesman for the National Ocean Industries Association. Brazils Petrobras, which has about 40% fewer employees than Pemex, has not reported fatalities from Covid-19. Brazils National Petroleum Agency says one offshore contract worker died from the virus, without saying which company the person worked for.

Pemexs 72 virus deaths are almost 1% of the national total of 7,633.

It is necessary to emphasize the importance that people who work in strategic facilities in the country, such as oil and electricity, are taken care of in a timely manner, and that all necessary measures are taken to prevent outbreaks both in the personnel (in the facilities) as well as in their communities, said Dr. Mauricio Rodriguez, spokesman for the Covid-19 committee at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Pemexs relatively new management team, which took over after Lopez Obrador became president in December 2018, is at least partly to blame for not containing the virus, said Pablo Lopez Figueroa, a Pemex employee and representative of the National Union of Petroleum Technicians and Professionals. The newly formed oil workers union competes with the official Pemex union.

General management has zero oil experience, very little capacity to understand technical activities and no clear idea of how to reduce the risk of contagion right now in the marine area, said Figueroa, speaking over the phone from Paraiso, Tabasco.

Morales, the platform worker, wasnt tested for the virus until 10 days after his fever started. The mechanical integrity engineer at the Abkatun-Pol-Chuc offshore field, said others on his platform had also complained of flu-like symptoms.

The platform doctor told me to hold it together because there were others more screwed than I was, he said.

Pemex faces the added challenge of reversing 15 years of oil output declines and staggering debt, the highest of any oil major. Its strategy of accelerating drilling in onshore and shallow-water fields hit a roadblock as cities all over the world came to a halt amid efforts to stem the Covid-19 outbreak, and it faces a glut in fuel supply as demand has cratered.

While oil companies the world over are reducing capital expenditure amid the oil price crash and pandemic, Lopez Obrador has tasked Pemex and the Energy Ministry with continuing daily work on a new $8 billion refinery in the presidents home state. The so-called Dos Bocas refinery is symbolic of the governments agenda to rid the country of dependence on foreign gasoline markets, with works continuing even as non-essential businesses across Mexico are under lockdown.

After Pemex evacuated Morales from the oil platform, the company told him to self-isolate in a hotel in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche and to pay for it himself, he said. Instead, he hopped on a three-hour bus to his home in Paraiso, Tabasco. There, Moraless fever worsened and he was eventually sent to a Pemex-run hospital in Villahermosa, the capital of Tabasco. I was in very bad shape by the time they brought me to the hospital in an ambulance, he said.

The doctors diagnosed Morales with pneumonia and put him on oxygen that helped him recover.

Morales is already expected to return to the rigs as early as June 4 after being evaluated by a doctor. But the seasoned engineer is optimistic. He said that Pemex told him theyve increased sanitation measures on platforms and reduced the number of people who can eat together in the mess hall by half roughly 50 people.

I still feel panicked. But I will go back because I love my job, Morales said. Today I am much better, 90% recuperated, thank God.

With assistance from Peter Millard, Sheela Tobben and Andrea Navarro.

2019 Bloomberg L.P

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Pemex Criticized Over Virus Handling as Offshore Worker Death Toll Soars - gcaptain.com

The Netherlands intends to extend the licences for new offshore wind projects from 30 to 40 years, according to Eric Wiebes, the countrys Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy.

In a letter sent to the Dutch Parliament, Minister Wiebes said that the extended licences will allow the developers of the future wind farms in the Dutch North Sea to adjust their business plans by extending the operating lifetimes of the projects and their grid connection permits.

The developers and operators of the existing offshore wind farms, of those currently under construction, or of those for which the tendering procedure is ongoing will also be able to apply for an extension to their operating licence.

These projects will be able to apply for an extension 20 years after the start of the original licence, Minister Wiebes said.

These amendments to the countrys Offshore Wind Energy Act are expected to be introduced in the Parliament this summer, Minister Wiebes said.

The Ministry and the transmission system operator TenneT are currently exploring if the grid connections of the wind farms that have just been built or are currently under construction can extend their operating lifetimes by about five years in a cost-effective manner.

If this is the case, and the amendments are adopted, Minister Wiebes will instruct TenneT to take into account the extended licence periods.

The Netherlands plans to have 11.5 GW of operating offshore wind capacity by 2030.

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The Netherlands to Extend Offshore Wind Licences to 40 Years - Offshore WIND