Posts

Construction begins on Europe’s largest floating solar farm

Construction work has started on what will be the largest floating solar farm in Europe. Located at the Queen Elizabeth II reservoir near London, the project is part of a greater effort by Thames Water to source a third of its energy from renewable methods by 2020.

Once completed in March, the floating array will boast the impressive accolade of being the second largest of its kind in the world.

In excess of 23,000 panels will be floated on the surface of the reservoir water, generating enough electricity per year to power the equivalent of around 1,800 homes. Once complete, the finished array will cover around a 10th of the reservoir’s surface area – roughly the same area as eight Wembley-sized football pitches.

Thames Water has confirmed that the renewable electricity produced by the 6.3MW floating array will be used to power a water treatment centre nearby.

Energy Manager, Angus Berry said “Becoming a more sustainable business is integral to our long term strategy and this innovative new project brings us one step closer to achieving our goal – this is the right thing for our customers, the right thing for our stakeholders and most importantly the right thing for the environment.”

The installation will require over 61,000 floats and 177 anchors to keep the array above water and in situ, and is been delivered by solar energy company Lightsource.

Chief Executive at Lightsource, Nick Boyle commented that as an increasing number of industries quite rightly turn their attention to lowering their carbon footprint, the solar industry will need to develop new skills in order to ensure that future projects deliver maximum efficiency.

“There is a great need from energy intensive industries to reduce their carbon footprint, as well as the amount they are spending on electricity and solar can be the perfect solution. Therefore, constantly evolving new skill sets to ensure that all of our projects deliver maximum energy generation over the lifetime of the installation” said Nick.

Floating solar farms are considered an efficient way to maximise renewable energy generation in areas where land is scarce, by using the normally redundant surface area on reservoirs and lakes.

The largest floating solar array is currently under construction on a reservoir in Japan. Once completed, it will provide enough clean electricity to power nearly 5,000 households.

Advocates of the approach argue it can also reduce evaporation from reservoirs, while the cooling effect of the water is said to help improve output from solar PV cells.

News of the floating array follows the recent announcement that wind turbine towers are set to reach heights of up to 170m – almost as high as the Gherkin in London, in the near future. This shows that in the world of energy, renewables continue to power ahead in terms of growth and innovation.

/by

Wind turbines set to reach mega heights with new techniques

Wind turbine towers are set to reach heights of up to 170m with new construction techniques and materials, according to wind power engineering specialists K2 Management. Tower heights have grown steadily over the last decade as operators seek stronger wind speeds higher up in the atmosphere.

Based on work with various clients across the globe, K2 Management believes new technology developments like modular concrete structures mean turbine heights are likely to soar to up to 170m in the coming years – higher than London’s ‘Gherkin’, and almost as high as the Eiffel Tower. This compares to the tallest towers of 150m at present. There has been a 48% increase in average hub height since 1999, and based on its experience in the industry and its partnerships, K2 Management has insight on how to manufacture hybrid tower concepts up to 170m.

According to K2 Management wind resource experts, a 3 MW turbine located in a forest area for example, with an average wind speed of 6 meters per second, will meet 13 percent more wind speed if the turbine height doubled from 70 to 140 meters. Annual energy yield prediction would increase by almost 30 percent because of less surface aerodynamic drag and the viscosity of the air.

Therefore, going up to 170 meters from 70 meters will boost energy yield prediction by 35 percent on average. The more complex the terrain – for instance forests, hills, mountain, buildings – the larger the impact is in using taller turbine towers.

K2 Management CEO Henrik Stamer says “170m towers could become a common sight in the near future in markets like the USA and Germany as part of a new renewable skyline. We expect to see more of these mega designs as we help our clients get the most out of their wind projects.”

Through its network of experts across the globe, K2 Management possesses a unique vantage point overlooking the wind industry, allowing for a view into emerging trends. The Company is able to draw on this wide breadth of experience to identify ways of making wind projects more efficient.

Stamer adds: “As a company that is at the global cutting edge of technology we are helping push the limits of the wind industry in terms of power generation efficiency, cost-effectiveness and return on investment; and these new mega wind turbine towers are a case in point.”

/by

World’s largest concentrated solar plant opened in Morocco

Morocco has launched the first phase of the largest concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in the world. When fully operational, the plant will produce enough energy for more than one million Moroccan households.

Inaugurated officially by His Majesty Mohammed VI of Morocco, the solar plant underlines the country’s determination to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, use more renewable energy, and move towards low carbon development.

The three-plant Noor-Ouarzazate CSP complex called NOORo expects to achieve over 500 megawatts (MW) installed capacity, ultimately supplying power to 1.1 million Moroccans by 2018. It is estimated that the plant will reduce the country’s energy dependence by about 2 and half million tons of oil, while also lowering carbon emissions by 760,000 tons per year.

Concentrated solar power is such a promising technology that the International Energy Agency estimates that up to 11 percent of the world’s electricity generation in 2050 could come from CSP. This is especially true in the Middle East and North Africa, a region with abundant solar resources and high hopes of eventually helping to meet the E.U.’s demand for energy.

“With this bold step toward a clean energy future, Morocco is pioneering a greener development and developing a cutting edge solar technology,” said Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, World Bank Country Director for the Maghreb, “the returns on this investment will be significant for the country and its people, by enhancing energy security, creating a cleaner environment, and encouraging new industries and job creation.”

Despite the potential of CSP, relatively high technology costs, when compared to fossil fuel alternatives, deter utilities from investing. Concessional and public financing were key to lift this project off the ground. The Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy, the government agency focused on the country’s solar ambitions, secured over $3 billion needed for the Noor-Ouarzazate complex from the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), European financing institutions and the World Bank.

“This launch shows that the low-cost, long-term financing provided by the CIF can serve as the spark that attracts the public and private investments needed to build massive CSP production facilities at an attractive cost for countries interested in developing solar energy,” said Mafalda Duarte, Head of the Climate Investment Funds.

Trailblazing projects on the African continent, like the Noor solar plant, are proving the performance of CSP. As well as the environmental benefits, the plant results in new, local jobs, and can lead to a high-performing sustainable energy economic sector for Morocco.

Yacine Fal, AfDB resident representative in Morocco, said “Noor solar complex is part of the innovative operations of AfDB in the energy sector in terms of financing and technology. It stands to serve as an example for Africa and the world about how to create effective pathways to greener and more inclusive economies through renewable energy”.

/by