David Brown to develop 7MW offshore wind turbine gearbox

David Brown Gear Systems has been confirmed as the first successful bidder to support manufacturers developing next generation offshore wind technology. David Brown’s technology will be used for Samsung Heavy Industries’ new turbine. The gearbox, through its low weight and compact design, is expected to lower the cost of energy for wind turbine operators.

It is the first company to be awarded funding under DECC and the Technology Strategy Board’s Offshore Wind Component Technologies Innovation scheme which is worth around £5 million. Launched last November, the scheme aims to help innovators with novel ideas to reduce the cost of offshore wind energy.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: “The coalition is determined to drive ambitious green growth and this is putting our money where our mouth is. This cash shows we are really shifting gear when it comes to supporting innovation and offshore wind. Making wind turbines more efficient is common sense and will help bring down the costs making them more attractive to build and helping us increase the amount of electricity we get from clean, green sources.”

David Brown to develop 7MW offshore wind turbine gearbox

UK and Bangladesh collaborate on renewable energy

Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said: “International collaboration on research is vital to make renewable energy viable for developing countries and help tackle climate change. Through the Memorandum of Understanding, not only can we offer our world-leading expertise in sustainable energy solutions but we can also learn valuable lessons from countries that are undergoing rapid change.”

Access to energy services is a pre-condition for development. Bangladesh despite its vulnerability to climate change, has been experiencing sustained economic growth for more than a decade. It now faces big choices on the kind of energy infrastructure that it should develop to meet its ever increasing energy needs.

For Bangladesh to make those choices, it needs high quality research and development into energy systems and their interactions with society.

UK and Bangladesh collaborate on renewable energy

KIRKBI to invest DKK3 billion in wind farm off the German coast

KIRKBI will own one third of the wind farm’s production of electric power, equivalent to the output of more than 25 wind turbines. The wind farm is expected to be online in 2015.

The 77-turbine wind farm will be built as a joint venture by three Danish companies: DONG Energy, the Oticon Foundation via William Demant Invest, and KIRKBI. It will be the biggest investment private Danish companies have ever made in a wind energy project.

The investment is a healthy long-term investment for KIRKBI which will also contribute with more renewable energy to the wider community. For the LEGO Group, the investment fits well with its high ambition of making a positive impact upon the environment.

KIRKBI to invest DKK3 billion in wind farm off the German coast

Mitsubishi eyes Mareña Renovables, largest wind farm in Latin America

The JPY80 billion (US$1 billion) Mareña Renovables project will be jointly developed by Mitsubishi and its partners, Macquarie Mexican Infrastructure Fund and PGGM, in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region located in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico.

The development of Mareña Renovables will involve installing 132 units of wind mills across several tens of kilometers of the isthmus, and is expected to be completed in July 2013. The power generated by the wind farm will be provided to FEMSA and Heineken under 20-year power purchase agreements.

Mexico is putting forward an initiative to increase the total capacity of the power supply by 50 percent or up to 90GW by the year 2025. Out of the 90GW total capacity, 20GW is expected to be from renewable energy resources.

Mitsubishi eyes Mareña Renovables, largest wind farm in Latin America