Latest news with #Ørsted
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Solar continues to power growth in the renewable industry both domestically and worldwide
The Irish solar energy market has bolstered the renewable energy sector, which has otherwise been mired by planning delays and economic volatility in recent years, and the momentum is set to continue during 2025. Solar prices are expected to decrease by another 25% this year, while battery innovations transform energy storage possibilities, according to analysis from PwC. Solar has become a go-to climate action measure for both industry and households to save costs and be more sustainable as the minimum cost for PV systems comes to around €7,000 while grants cut the cost further. Despite growing demand for solar, the Irish market has proven to be a difficult one for developers as it offers among the highest developer risk profiles and longest development timelines of any territory, PwC found. This is reflected in auction prices around €104/MWh — significantly higher than European averages of €60-70/MWh. Under the current circumstances, Ireland risks missing its 2030 solar PV climate target of 8 GW by up to 2.9 GW, according to a report published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Ireland surpassed 1GW of solar generation connected to the grid for the first time last year and A&L Goodbody, a corporate law firm, said it expects solar generation to 'continue to expand rapidly with over 959 MW of solar projects successfully receiving offers' in the Government's fourth Renewable Energy Support Scheme (Ress) auction RESS 4. This would represent over 70% of the total offer quantity in that latest round. Meanwhile, Clonfad Solar Farm, expected to be the largest solar farm in Ireland, is currently under construction in Co. Westmeath. The project is led by Europe's largest generator of renewable energy, Statkraft, and has a potential capacity of 175 MW when operational. The development will consist of 300,000 solar panels and will create more than 250 jobs during the construction, operation and maintenance phases of the proposed project. Another European renewable industry titan, Ørsted, began construction of the first phase of its first Irish solar farm last year. Garreenleen Solar Farm is located just outside Carlow town and has the potential to power more than 29,000 homes with clean energy through 81 MW capacity. Phase 1 is set to become operational in 2026. Ørsted currently operates 378 MW of onshore wind across the island of Ireland, producing enough green power for over 246,000 homes. Ørsted's Irish headquarters are based in Cork City, where it employs over 100 people. Elsewhere, Power Capital Renewable Energy's Lysaghtstown Solar Farm in Cork is also under construction. The project has the capacity for 131 MW and is set to be operational this year. Separately, Cork is set to see a significant jump in solar capacity, as several new farms are planned for this year. In one example, a 100 MW solar farm is set to be the largest in the region, according to Irish Wind, a firm that specialises in wind turbine and solar PV installations. This promised solar farm is set to provide power to thousands of homes and boost Cork as a major economic hub. However, solar development in Ireland goes hand-in-hand with battery storage systems. Ireland only gets so much sunlight throughout the year. Ireland hit a new high for the level of energy produced by solar power in March, according to EirGrid. Without battery storage systems in place though, excess green energy produced on months like these will be lost. Rob Costello, partner, PwC. Further analysis from PwC partner Rob Costello signalled battery storage developers 'initially found Ireland's clear regulatory framework attractive,' with companies like Hanwha Energy Corporation investing over €300m. 'However, recent changes to market support mechanisms have created uncertainty around revenue streams, challenging project bankability,' he said. One solution to the battery storage issue could be the use of so-called hybrids. The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities' (CRU) second Hybrids Consultation closed in April and a successful outcome will allow onshore technologies to co-locate behind a single connection point. Hybrids enable storage of surplus solar energy for use during peak demand periods, or to complement daytime solar with nighttime wind generation, according to the Irish Solar Energy Association. 'This extends availability of renewable electricity and reduces dependency on fossil-fuel-based backup power,' said the organisation. Energy Storage Ireland currently estimates that there are 5.2 GW of operational wind and solar that could incorporate Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and extend the availability of renewable electricity. While other sources of renewable energy including onshore and offshore wind continue to decarbonise electricity supply in Ireland, it has become a laborious process to get these major projects off the ground. Wind energy developers have been severely impacted by chronic planning shortages and 'not-in-my-backyard' or NIMBY rejections. However, solar continues to attract customers, likely driven by factors such as cost and easier installation. Solar power has become the 'engine of the global energy transition,' according to a major report by not-for-profit think tank Ember. Clean power surpassed 40% of global electricity generation last year as renewables, solar in particular, witnessed record growth, the report found. The report showed solar generation has maintained its high growth rate, doubling in the last three years, and adding more electricity than any other source over that period while demand continued to soar. Surging demand for electricity was fuelled by the Tech industry, especially in areas such as artificial intelligence, data centres, electric vehicles and heat pumps. This consumption outpaced the generation of clean electricity last year. The report also found that the main reason why electricity demand growth was elevated in 2024 compared to 2023 was an increase in air conditioning use during heatwaves, as climate change continues to create unmanageable weather. 'Hotter weather drove the fossil generation increase in 2024, but we're very unlikely to see a similar jump in 2025,' said Phil MacDonald, Ember managing director. 'The world is watching how technologies like AI and EVs will drive electricity demand. It's clear that booming solar and wind are comfortably set to deliver, and those expecting fossil fuel generation to keep rising will be disappointed,' he said. Global solar power capacity reached 1 TW in 2022 after decades of growth, but reached 2 TW only two years later, in 2024.
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Ørsted: Fighting climate change through renewable energy
Ørsted onshore in Ireland The Ørsted onshore Ireland team are proud to develop, construct, and operate onshore wind farms, solar farms and energy storage facilities. Based in Cork City, we have a team of over 100 people across the island. We have invested around €800 million in Ireland and operate 373 MW of power across 21 onshore wind farms. With a lifecycle approach to development, we take our projects from inception through to operation and partner closely with communities to do so. We are delivery focused from the short to long term, and here we take a look at some of the projects we have in construction in 2025. Garreenleen Solar Farm Garreenleen Solar Farm is based 15km outside of Carlow town. Our first Irish solar project to enter construction, work began on the first phase of this development in summer 2024. This 81 MW phase will support the Irish power system to reduce its reliance on fossil fuel by providing indigenous generation to power up to 29,000 homes. As part of the construction, the team is also installing the necessary grid infrastructure for phase two of the solar project which comprises a further 82 MW. It is an exciting time for solar energy as it begins to contribute significantly to Ireland's energy needs. Ballinrea Solar Farm Just a stone's throw from Ørsted's European onshore headquarters on Albert Quay, in Cork, is the company's second Irish solar farm — Ballinrea. This development is situated between Carrigaline and Cork City and once completed, the 55 MW project will produce enough clean electricity to power the equivalent of 16,000 homes. Ballinrea forms part of a very strong pipeline of projects in Co Cork for Ørsted that are currently in development. Farranrory Wind Farm With 21 operational wind farms across the island of Ireland, Ørsted is a key developer in the onshore wind sector. The latest wind development to enter construction is Farranrory Wind Farm, in Co Tipperary. Farranrory marks Ørsted's third wind farm in Tipperary and the nine-turbine development will generate more than 43 MW of renewable energy; with the potential to power 25,000 Irish homes. Work is progressing at Farranrory, with grid connection works currently ongoing. The first Sorne Hill wind farm, 9km east of Buncrana, Co Donegal, has 16 turbines with a capacity of 32MW. It has been operational since January 2006. Sorne No2 is under construction. To prepare for the arrival of the turbines, we have been working on site to get elements such as foundations completed. In recent weeks, some of the blades and tower sections for the project have begun arriving in Bellview Port in Waterford, which is always a significant milestone for any project. Ireland is a world leader in onshore wind, and we are proud to be progressing this flagship project which will help to maintain this leadership position. Working with communities Our team plans, develops, constructs and operates wind and solar farms, and in each of the communities in which we work, we partner with the local community and build long and sustainable relations with these areas. Because of this, we work closely with the locals living and working near our developments throughout the process. Our projects give back via Community Benefit Funds. We have funded astro turf pitches, community shops, vital equipment for community organisations and a wide variety of other projects in the areas in which we develop. In our three projects mentioned above alone, there will be up to €650,000 worth of Community Benefit Funds available for allocation and we look forward to working with communities on this. For our team, collaboration is key, and we would not be able to do our work without the support and friendship of the communities in which we work. Ørsted: Fighting Climate Change Through Renewable Energy
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ed Miliband ‘poised to miss' 2030 offshore wind targets
Ed Miliband will likely miss his 2030 offshore wind targets by a large margin amid a lack of investor appetite, a report has warned. The Energy Secretary's ambition for British offshore windfarm capacity to hit 43 gigawatts (GW) by the end of the decade is looking out of reach, analysis by BloombergNEF found. Mr Miliband will fall 10GW short of his target, the energy research consultancy predicted. It comes after Ørsted recently pulled out of plans to double the size of the Hornsea project off the East Yorkshire coast. The Danish offshore wind developer, which is the world's largest, blamed its decision on rising costs. The expansion would have generated enough electricity to power 2.6m homes. Energy giant SSE is also slowing investment in a project to build the world's largest offshore wind farm on Scotland's east coast. The project was met with resistance from wildlife charities, which claimed it would kill and displace 31,000 seabirds. Efforts to expand offshore wind have been struggling in the face of high interest rates, difficulties in sourcing components and an expected decline in long-term electricity prices. This has rendered some government subsidy contracts, known as contracts for difference, unviable. A contract for difference guarantees developers a minimum price for their electricity once it is generated. However, ballooning costs mean some agreements struck in the past no longer make financial sense. BloombergNEF warned that these challenges meant only a small number of the 16.6GW-worth of planned wind projects would actually go ahead. Despite the forecast that Mr Miliband will miss his 43GW target, BloombergNEF said the Energy Secretary could still achieve his overall target of gas supplying only 5pc of electricity generated by the end of the decade if the weather proves 'reasonably windy'. In better news, BloombergNEF also said the UK was poised to meet Mr Miliband's 47GW to 50GW ambition for solar power by 2030. A spokesman for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero said: 'We categorically reject these claims. 'We have a strong pipeline of projects to deliver 43GW-50GW offshore wind by 2030 and our mission-led approach ensures we can steer our way through global pressures and individual commercial decisions to reach our targets. 'Through our mission we will deliver an energy system that brings energy bills down for good and bolsters Britain's energy security as part of our plan for change.' In another blow to the Energy Secretary, The Telegraph reported last week that a massive hydrogen project at the heart of his net zero plans is also under threat. BP's H2Teeside scheme had been poised to deliver more than 10pc of Mr Miliband's overall clean power target by 2030, but the energy giant may now scrap or scale it back. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Wind wars' erupt in North Sea as giant turbines compete for power
It's a familiar dilemma: you've bagged yourself a home with uninterrupted views and then someone else comes along and spoils it. Or maybe a tree in the garden next door has grown so tall it is blocking out your sunlight. How can you amicably resolve this dispute with your neighbour? This is the question facing wind farm developers across the North Sea today, as their neighbourhood becomes increasingly crowded. Yet in this case it's not the views that are being ruined, but the wind – and the stakes are significantly higher. Through a phenomenon quaintly described as the 'wake effect' by academics, Britain's biggest wind farm owners fear the wind is literally being taken out of their sails. It is a problem that threatens to cost the likes of Ørsted, RWE, Scottish Power, Total and Equinor billions of pounds without resolution, with the companies waging war in the planning system over who will take precedence – and who picks up the bill. Flustered industry insiders have even coined a term for it: wind theft. In recent months, the issue has caught the attention of ministers amid concern that it risks creating unhelpful turbulence for Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, as he seeks to steer the country towards a clean power system by 2030. To ensure wind theft doesn't blow him off course, Miliband recently commissioned a national study led by Manchester University that will establish a proven method for calculating the wake effect, how it impacts revenues and how to prevent or resolve neighbourly disputes. The goal is to avoid the sort of scenes unfolding off the coast of Europe, where Belgium is being blamed for stealing wind from the Dutch, and the Dutch are themselves accused of sapping gusts claimed by Germany. 'The main problem for the wind industry is that there is currently a lot of uncertainty,' says Pablo Ouro, a renewable energy expert who is leading the Manchester University study. 'And uncertainty is not good news for financial projects.' Wind theft happens when air hits the turbines of one wind farm and is disrupted, leaving behind less powerful air flows for wind farms positioned further downstream. It had not been much of a problem for the offshore wind industry until relatively recently. But there is only so much seabed that is suitable for fixed wind turbines, and the turbines themselves are growing in size. As recently as the mid-2010s, a typical turbine was just shy of 200 metres tall. Now, monsters like the world's largest turbine being built in Bradenberg, Germany, can reach as high as 364 metres – higher than London's Shard skyscraper. And as the turbines grow bigger, so do their wakes. This means that for upcoming projects, the wake effect of one wind farm can easily still hit another as far as 37 miles (60km) away, says Ouro. The extent to which this saps the output of the affected wind farm might be relatively small. Yet when this is compounded over many years, the financial consequences can be disastrous for developers. 'The differences from the wake effect are not huge, in the sense that there will not be an impact of more than say 4pc to 5pc,' Ouro says. 'But actually, for a relatively large wind farm over more than one year, that's a lot of money. 'So even if it's a small chunk, it has a quite large impact on the losses.' Earlier this year, for example, Ørsted and Equinor complained that Total's proposed Outer Dowsing wind farm off the Yorkshire coast could cost them a combined £363m in lost revenues. Ørsted estimated that the scheme would affect its existing Race Bank, Hornsea 1 and Hornsea 2 projects, sapping 0.52pc, 0.67pc and 0.68pc of their outputs respectively at a total cost of up to £199m. Meanwhile, Equinor says its Dudgeon and Sheringham Shoal projects will lose 0.88pc and 0.76pc respectively, with planned extensions also set to suffer. The company predicts the cumulative impacts could amount to up to £164m in lost revenues. Elsewhere, Scottish Power owner Iberdrola alleges that RWE's proposed Five Estuaries project will reduce the output of its East Anglia 2 wind farm by as much as 2.1pc. That has prompted RWE to hit back and accuse its rival of hypocrisy: East Anglia 2 is sapping the wind of its Galloper or Greater Gabbard wind farms, it says. And yet another row is raging in the Irish Sea, where Ørsted is duking it out with EnBW, BP and Flotation Energy over the effects upcoming projects could have on its existing portfolio. All told, around 20 gigawatts (GW) of wind projects are now ensnared in wind theft disputes, according to the consultancy Tamarindo. Kester Gunn, the renewables chief scientist for RWE, which is a partner in the national wake effect study, has warned that settling such disputes is tricky business. Calculating precise numbers for impacts is made harder by the constantly changing wind direction, although the prevailing wind in the UK is generally from the south-west. 'Full wake mitigation between wind farms is not possible, but wind farms are designed so that the wake effects between the turbines are reduced as much as possible,' Gunn said in a recently published article. 'When we assess wake losses we have to take the average effect over all weather conditions. Even very large wake effects for one wind direction tend to average out to very small impacts – less than 1pc – over the year.' Equinor, a leading partner in the giant Dogger Bank wind farm development in the North Sea, said wake effects were a serious threat to future developments. 'These effects are too often underestimated,' a spokesman says. The tension building over wake conflicts is so great that it could undermine Miliband's plans to turbocharge offshore wind capacity. The UK has about 2,800 offshore wind turbines with about 15GW of generation capacity today. Miliband wants to more than triple this to 50GW by 2030, with even more planned after that. Overall there is about 77GW of capacity in the planning pipeline, roughly equating to 8,000 turbines to be added to the 2,800 already in place. As development gathers pace, so is pressure for a more systematic approach to wind theft. Until now, such conundrums have been dealt with by the Planning Inspectorate on an ad-hoc basis. But Miliband's decision to commission the Manchester study underlines a view in Whitehall that a proper framework is now needed to deal with disputes. The Government says the Crown Estate, which is responsible for leasing seabed to wind farm developers, already takes some measures to reduce wake effects, such as ensuring there are 'buffer zones' between wind farms. But a spokesman adds that officials soon hope to develop 'clearer guidance to manage wind wakes' following the Manchester study. 'It's likely that any solution or mitigation will mean changes to the way these buffer zones are designed,' the spokesman says. Further down the line, some industry insiders are also lobbying for a compensation regime to be agreed for wind farms that lose out from the wake effect. 'The main disagreement is actually, do we have models that capture the dynamics of these inter-wind farm wake effects?', says Manchester's Ouro. 'That's what this project is trying to do. And we're working with the industry to improve the confidence in these models, because, in the end, we all know that wake effects are not going away.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Wind wars' erupt in North Sea as giant turbines compete for power
It's a familiar dilemma: you've bagged yourself a home with uninterrupted views and then someone else comes along and spoils it. Or maybe a tree in the garden next door has grown so tall it is blocking out your sunlight. How can you amicably resolve this dispute with your neighbour? This is the question facing wind farm developers across the North Sea today, as their neighbourhood becomes increasingly crowded. Yet in this case it's not the views that are being ruined, but the wind – and the stakes are significantly higher. Through a phenomenon quaintly described as the 'wake effect' by academics, Britain's biggest wind farm owners fear the wind is literally being taken out of their sails. It is a problem that threatens to cost the likes of Ørsted, RWE, Scottish Power, Total and Equinor billions of pounds without resolution, with the companies waging war in the planning system over who will take precedence – and who picks up the bill. Flustered industry insiders have even coined a term for it: wind theft. In recent months, the issue has caught the attention of ministers amid concern that it risks creating unhelpful turbulence for Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, as he seeks to steer the country towards a clean power system by 2030. To ensure wind theft doesn't blow him off course, Miliband recently commissioned a national study led by Manchester University that will establish a proven method for calculating the wake effect, how it impacts revenues and how to prevent or resolve neighbourly disputes. The goal is to avoid the sort of scenes unfolding off the coast of Europe, where Belgium is being blamed for stealing wind from the Dutch, and the Dutch are themselves accused of sapping gusts claimed by Germany. 'The main problem for the wind industry is that there is currently a lot of uncertainty,' says Pablo Ouro, a renewable energy expert who is leading the Manchester University study. 'And uncertainty is not good news for financial projects.' Wind theft happens when air hits the turbines of one wind farm and is disrupted, leaving behind less powerful air flows for wind farms positioned further downstream. It had not been much of a problem for the offshore wind industry until relatively recently. But there is only so much seabed that is suitable for fixed wind turbines, and the turbines themselves are growing in size. As recently as the mid-2010s, a typical turbine was just shy of 200 metres tall. Now, monsters like the world's largest turbine being built in Bradenberg, Germany, can reach as high as 364 metres – higher than London's Shard skyscraper. And as the turbines grow bigger, so do their wakes. This means that for upcoming projects, the wake effect of one wind farm can easily still hit another as far as 37 miles (60km) away, says Ouro. The extent to which this saps the output of the affected wind farm might be relatively small. Yet when this is compounded over many years, the financial consequences can be disastrous for developers. 'The differences from the wake effect are not huge, in the sense that there will not be an impact of more than say 4pc to 5pc,' Ouro says. 'But actually, for a relatively large wind farm over more than one year, that's a lot of money. 'So even if it's a small chunk, it has a quite large impact on the losses.' Earlier this year, for example, Ørsted and Equinor complained that Total's proposed Outer Dowsing wind farm off the Yorkshire coast could cost them a combined £363m in lost revenues. Ørsted estimated that the scheme would affect its existing Race Bank, Hornsea 1 and Hornsea 2 projects, sapping 0.52pc, 0.67pc and 0.68pc of their outputs respectively at a total cost of up to £199m. Meanwhile, Equinor says its Dudgeon and Sheringham Shoal projects will lose 0.88pc and 0.76pc respectively, with planned extensions also set to suffer. The company predicts the cumulative impacts could amount to up to £164m in lost revenues. Elsewhere, Scottish Power owner Iberdrola alleges that RWE's proposed Five Estuaries project will reduce the output of its East Anglia 2 wind farm by as much as 2.1pc. That has prompted RWE to hit back and accuse its rival of hypocrisy: East Anglia 2 is sapping the wind of its Galloper or Greater Gabbard wind farms, it says. And yet another row is raging in the Irish Sea, where Ørsted is duking it out with EnBW, BP and Flotation Energy over the effects upcoming projects could have on its existing portfolio. All told, around 20 gigawatts (GW) of wind projects are now ensnared in wind theft disputes, according to the consultancy Tamarindo. Kester Gunn, the renewables chief scientist for RWE, which is a partner in the national wake effect study, has warned that settling such disputes is tricky business. Calculating precise numbers for impacts is made harder by the constantly changing wind direction, although the prevailing wind in the UK is generally from the south-west. 'Full wake mitigation between wind farms is not possible, but wind farms are designed so that the wake effects between the turbines are reduced as much as possible,' Gunn said in a recently published article. 'When we assess wake losses we have to take the average effect over all weather conditions. Even very large wake effects for one wind direction tend to average out to very small impacts – less than 1pc – over the year.' Equinor, a leading partner in the giant Dogger Bank wind farm development in the North Sea, said wake effects were a serious threat to future developments. 'These effects are too often underestimated,' a spokesman says. The tension building over wake conflicts is so great that it could undermine Miliband's plans to turbocharge offshore wind capacity. The UK has about 2,800 offshore wind turbines with about 15GW of generation capacity today. Miliband wants to more than triple this to 50GW by 2030, with even more planned after that. Overall there is about 77GW of capacity in the planning pipeline, roughly equating to 8,000 turbines to be added to the 2,800 already in place. As development gathers pace, so is pressure for a more systematic approach to wind theft. Until now, such conundrums have been dealt with by the Planning Inspectorate on an ad-hoc basis. But Miliband's decision to commission the Manchester study underlines a view in Whitehall that a proper framework is now needed to deal with disputes. The Government says the Crown Estate, which is responsible for leasing seabed to wind farm developers, already takes some measures to reduce wake effects, such as ensuring there are 'buffer zones' between wind farms. But a spokesman adds that officials soon hope to develop 'clearer guidance to manage wind wakes' following the Manchester study. 'It's likely that any solution or mitigation will mean changes to the way these buffer zones are designed,' the spokesman says. Further down the line, some industry insiders are also lobbying for a compensation regime to be agreed for wind farms that lose out from the wake effect. 'The main disagreement is actually, do we have models that capture the dynamics of these inter-wind farm wake effects?', says Manchester's Ouro. 'That's what this project is trying to do. And we're working with the industry to improve the confidence in these models, because, in the end, we all know that wake effects are not going away.' Sign in to access your portfolio
