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Nordex and Fraunhofer IWES develop new wind turbine testing method
German manufacturer Nordex and research institute Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energie Systems (Fraunhofer IWES) have developed a new approach to testing a wind turbine’s ability to operate when connected to the grid.
Top Story
Eni to expand in Italy and Spain with PLT acquisition
Italian oil and gas group Eni’s retail power and renewable energy unit Plenitude has signed a deal to acquire Italian wind energy developer and operator PLT, in a transaction that will boost its Italian onshore wind capacity and give it a foothold in Spain.
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News in brief
Podcasts
Is biggest best when it comes to wind turbines?
Anders Nielsen, chief technology officer for the turbine manufacturer Vestas, discusses why the race for the biggest turbine has to slow down.
Unlocking the potential of floating offshore wind
Experts from Corio Generation, Vestas and Northland Power discuss the opportunities and the challenges for this nascent industry
WindEnergy Hamburg round-up with GWEC's Ben Backwell
Ben Backwell, CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council, discusses the key themes to emerge from this year’s WindEnergy Hamburg conference.
Waking the 'sleeping giant' of German onshore wind
Industry specialists discuss how a raft of new policy measures from the German government could ramp up its onshore wind industry.
How will SGRE-GE court battle affect US offshore wind?
The US Business Network for Offshore Wind discusses the implications of SGRE and GE’s court battle and Biden’s big policy announcement
Will war in Ukraine lead to faster energy transition?
Vestas, Acciona and the European Commission discuss whether the war has sharpened minds on green energy roll-out
Is the EU's 480GW wind target for 2030 realistic?
WindEurope's CEO Giles Dickson joins us to discuss whether we can hit the EU's ambitious wind target
Opinion
Could modularisation and standardisation restore profitability to OEMs?
The wind industry today has reached sufficient levels of maturity and is ready to embrace modularisation and standardisation (M&S).
Could Mara regulator be a gamechanger for Ireland’s offshore wind?
A lack of dedicated policy and outdated legislation in Ireland has directly impeded the development of the country’s offshore wind.
UK can't afford to waste grid connections for viable wind development
It’s now a year since the UK government announced plans to deliver a 95% renewable electricity mix by 2035.
GE’s patent wars with competitors have backfired
The ongoing patent dispute between GE and Siemens Gamesa is part of a broader strategy by the former, but it appears to have backfired.
Welcome to Schrodinger’s windfall tax on renewables in the UK
When is a windfall tax on renewable energy not a windfall tax? Allow me to explain.
UK’s CfD policy risks sabotaging wind investment and hampering turbine firms
The UK’s plan for a market-wide conversion to contracts for difference looks good on paper but investment in its supply chain, and the rapid build-out of new capacity are all at risk.
Why Siemens Gamesa's patent win against GE could be bad for offshore wind
Patents serve to protect and reward innovation, but an injunction against GE selling its Haliade-X turbine in the US could push up prices for developing offshore wind farms.
Massachusetts’ climate bill is a blueprint for US carbon neutrality
Earlier this month, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a major climate and clean energy bill to tackle some of the problems the state is facing in the quest for carbon neutrality.
UK’s latest auction begs the question – are CfDs a boon or a burden to offshore?
The biggest ever round of the UK government’s flagship renewables auction scheme was finalised last week with offshore wind emerging as one of the sector’s biggest winners.
Distribution of value in the wind industry is broken – it’s time for a new settlement
Former Siemens Gamesa insider says turbine manufacturers are in dire need of the bright future they were promised
Discover
Exclusive: Eize de Vries reviews NGC's leap in torque density for fully-integrated 18MW powertrain
Nanjing High Speed Gear Manufacturing Company (NGC), one of the world’s largest wind-turbine gearbox suppliers, presents its strong roadmap with a focus on medium-speed drivetrains. Eize de Vries finds out more.
Exclusive analysis: Eize de Vries reviews 'gamechanging' bottom-fixed substructure solution
UK-based OWLC is hoping to challenge the dominance of monopile offshore substructures with a novel gravity tripod concept in full concrete. Eize de Vries hears more from the company's CEO, Matt Bleasdale.
Siemens Gamesa records huge net loss for full-year results
Siemens Gamesa reported a net loss of €940 million for its 2022 fiscal year (1 October 2021-30 September 2022) and faces a 'transition year' ahead, but CEO Jochen Eickholt said the firm is on course for profitable growth.
Does hydrogen hold the key to a green future?
It’s easy to assume it will play a pivotal role in the energy transition. But can we afford to divert up to 500TWh of renewable power to it in Europe alone when wind capacity is not being deployed fast enough to meet existing targets?
Interview: 15 minutes with Vestas development chief Thomas Alsbjerg
Vestas’ executive vice president for digital solutions and development Thomas Alsbjerg on permitting, partnership and the company’s project development ambitions
Paying for net zero: a matter of perspective
The global energy crisis has thrown the cost of achieving net zero into the spotlight, but will it really be as expensive as some suggest? And, even if it were, the bill for back-tracking on global ambitions could be significantly higher.
Installed costs for onshore wind continue to fall despite rising turbine prices
The 2022 edition of the Land-Based Wind Market Report, published by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in August, analyses cost trends for the 13.4GW of onshore wind capacity that was added in the US in 2021.
GE unveils workaround for Haliade-X in patent dispute court filing
GE has unveiled two new designs for the Haliade-X as part of its ongoing patent dispute with rival turbine manufacturer Siemens Gamesa in court filings made public today.
Exclusive: Inside the Vestas V236-15.0 MW - a huge leap in technology
Nine years after exploring inside the near-ready Vestas V164-8.0 MW prototype nacelle, Eize de Vries revisited Lindø to experience the V236-15.0 MW successor.
Technology
Business and finance
Market and policy
Project development
Turbines of the Year
Windpower Monthly Turbines of the Year 2021
The wind industry continues to raise the bar with new innovations and evolutionary developments, as our selection shows
Turbines of the Year 2021: Onshore turbines 4.7MW-plus
Low wind pioneer takes top spot with new model, but Chinese OEMs with super-size rotors are making headway
Turbines of the Year 2021: Onshore turbines up to 4.6MW
End of Chinese onshore subsidies creates new 3.5-4MW-plus “large-rotor” segment with focus on cutting levelised cost of energy
Turbines of the Year 2021: Offshore wind turbines
Extensive track record pays dividends for major offshore player, but as sector expands beyond Europe, competition is getting fiercer
Turbines of the Year 2021: Drivetrains
Focus on lowering costs as turbine sizes increase, with the winning solution ready for future 20MW-plus powertrains
Turbines of the Year 2021: Wind turbine rotor blades
Blades are still getting longer, but as the R&D focus on recyclability gathers pace, the winning concept has the edge
Turbines of the Year 2021: Innovations
The wind industry’s supply chain continues to innovate in response to growing turbine sizes and cost pressures, both onshore and offshore
Turbines of the Year 2021: Floating systems to watch
While floating wind is still a small offshore segment, it is seeing a lot of innovative design work. We look at some systems to watch
