The Balearic Islands are now connected by a submarine power cable, the result of marine installation operations performed by one of Prysmian’s cable-laying vessels, Cable Enterprise.

The vessel can undertake simultaneous laying and burial operations with any type of plough and can operate in mid-shallow water. The burial activities for this project were performed by the Group’s Heavy-Duty Plough, which according to Prysmian offers greater protection of the seabed environment.

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In 2021, Spanish energy company Red Eléctrica awarded Prysmian Group the contract to design, supply, instal, and commission two HVAC (High Voltage Alternating Current) 132kV three-core export submarine power cables with XLPE insulation and single-wire armouring for the Ibiza-Formentera interconnector.

The system comprises around 27km of submarine cables and 10km of land cables, both manufactured at Prysmian’s plant in Arco Felice (Naples).

Prysmian Group has participated in several submarine interconnections in Spain, including Spain-Morocco, Iberian Peninsula-Mallorca, Ibiza-Mallorca and Lanzarote-Fuerteventura.

“This important milestone further confirms our commitment to supporting the energy transition by making available the best cable technology for the upgrade and development of power grids, ensuring a stable and reliable flow of energy between the islands,” said Hakan Ozmen, EVP projects BU, Prysmian Group.

According to the Ibiza Preservation project, Ibiza and Formentera are working to minimise the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity. Not only are interconnectors aiding decarbonisation, but solar power is also proving to be a critical renewables resource.

The two islands have around 3000 hours or 300 days of quality sunshine every year.

The islands are therefore focused on exploiting this sunshine through a variety of off-grid solar solutions, storage systems, as well as employing energy efficiency measures to reduce demand.

The post Cable laying operations complete for Ibiza-Formentera interconnector appeared first on Power Engineering International.

The landmark contract is valued at over €4 billion ($4.3 billion) and according to Siemens Energy marks the world’s first order for 2GW grid connections at sea.

The grid connections will transport up to 4GW of electricity from offshore wind farms in the German North Sea to converter stations being built near Wehrendorf in Lower Saxony and Westerkappeln in northern North Rhine-Westphalia.

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This increase in transmission capacity has been hailed as a technological leap, as more wind farms can now be connected to the grid via these systems.

“The wind energy industry has repeatedly achieved outstanding technological advances in recent years, be it in the performance of wind turbines or grid connections,” said Tim Holt, member of the Managing Board of Siemens Energy.

“The two-gigawatt system fits in seamlessly here, making the transmission of green power more efficient and creating standardization where individual designs were previously necessary.”

Bipolar configuration

Siemens Energy used a “bipolar configuration” design to allow the systems to effectively operate at twice the voltage and transmit twice the power.

The systems are designed to allow several direct current connections to converge in one station. These direct-current grids on land and on the high seas (as offshore hubs) are intended to bring electricity to consumers more flexibly and quickly.

The converter systems will then act as electricity hubs at the grid nodes that transmit the electricity according to the demand situation.

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For the project, Siemens Energy will supply two converter platforms at sea, two associated stations on land, as well as offer complete maintenance for a period of 10 years.

Spanish consortium partner, Dragados Offshore, is responsible for the construction and offshore installation of the associated platforms.

The connection systems are expected to transmit power as early as 2029 and 2030.

The post Siemens Energy pioneers 2GW grid connections at sea worth €4bn appeared first on Power Engineering International.

Part of the National Grid group, National Grid Ventures (NGV) is the leading operator of electricity interconnectors linking Great Britain with continental Europe.

Sedler replaces Nicola Medalova, who will leave to become chief operating officer of Electric for National Grid’s New England business.

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An energy industry veteran with over 20 years’ experience, Sedler joined NGV’s interconnector business in January 2022 as director for Commercial, Customer and Regulation.

Cordi O’Hara, president of National Grid Ventures, said Sedler “brings with her a wealth of international experience and business development credentials accumulated across multiple senior roles in the energy industry”.

“A recognised and respected leader across the UK energy industry, she has a passion for people and decarbonisation, and I look forward to working with her as a key member of my executive team.”

The post Sedler takes over Interconnector division of National Grid Ventures appeared first on Power Engineering International.

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of this year and ABB said it would not be disclosing the financial terms of the deal.

ABB’s UK technical engineering consultancy is part of its Energy Industries division and includes a network of subcontractors and associates.

It has around 160 people operating from two main sites in the northeast and the northwest of England.

A specialist team of technical experts helps global energy customers improve process safety, equipment and asset integrity as well as technical design for new and existing industrial plants.

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It will be integrated into the Industrial Services and Cybersecurity business of TÜV Rheinland in the UK. The combined business will create a scalable, broad-based technical engineering provider delivering a full-service offer to the high hazard industries, supporting customers in the energy transition and energy security.

Troy Stewart, Head of ABB Energy Industries UK, said the divestment “follows a two-year strategic review of our portfolio and aims to accelerate the continued growth of the business”.

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“Our technical engineering consultancy business is highly recognized for the value it brings to customers, and has significant opportunity for growth, enabled by strong industry tailwinds as we navigate the energy transition.”

He added TÜV Rheinland was “an excellent new home for the technical engineering consultancy business, where it can realize its exciting growth opportunity and create customer value”.

Gareth Book, Managing Director TÜV Rheinland UK, said the ABB’s business “will complement the existing risk, safety and integrity management services provided by TÜV Rheinland. Our aim is to build upon the long-standing customer relationships and trust that ABB and TÜV Rheinland have established in the UK over the last two decades.”

The post ABB sells UK engineering consultancy to TÜV Rheinland appeared first on Power Engineering International.

The roadmap, which is now before the Public Service Commission for consideration, proposes 3GW of new bulk storage, 1.5GW of new retail storage and 200MW of new residential storage alongside an array of other actions intended to unlock the rapid growth of renewable energy across the state.

If approved, the storage buildout could reduce the projected future statewide electric system costs by an estimated nearly $2 billion, in addition to possible public health benefits because of the reduction of fossil fuel pollutants.

The proposal is that the new bulk storage would be procured through a new competitive Index Storage Credit mechanism aimed to provide long-term certainty to projects, while the new retail and residential storage would be supported through expansion of the existing incentive programmes.

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It is proposed that at least 35% of the programme funding be used to support projects that deliver benefits to disadvantaged communities and that target fossil fuel peaker plant emissions reductions, particularly in the downstate region with its high concentration of both.

Another proposal is that the electric utilities should be required to study the potential of high-value energy storage projects towards providing cost-effective transmission and distribution services not currently available through existing markets.

A continued prioritisation by existing programmes on investing in research and development related to reliable long-duration energy storage technologies also is proposed, as is the payment of the prevailing wage for projects with a capacity of 1MW up as a continued commitment to driving jobs in clean energy.

“Storing clean, renewable energy and delivering it where and when it is needed is one of the most critical challenges we must overcome to reduce statewide emissions, especially from traditional fossil fuel peaker plants,” commented Governor Kathy Hochul announcing the new framework.

“This roadmap will serve as a model for other states to follow by maximising the use of renewable energy while enabling a reliable and resilient transformation of the power grid.”

The roadmap was submitted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the New York State Department of Public Service.

Currently 1.3GW of energy storage is under contract with the state and moving towards commercial operation. Together with the proposed new 4.7GW brings the total up to 6GW.

The post New York – 6GW of energy storage by 2030 proposed appeared first on Power Engineering International.

There are a lot of analogies to draw between the France vs England World Cup match and the way the power market is struggling to cope this weekend and, especially, on Monday.

Where both countries struggle to meet demand, they may find themselves competing for power flows from other European countries.

So, what’s happening to make things this tight?

Let’s look at GB first. GB has relied on help from continental Europe for a long time. European countries have been exporting their power (and their best football players) to England as far back as when Dennis Bergkamp made Arsenal the Premier League champions (give or take a few years).

This import dependency has fed into the capacity mechanism where capacity is purchased for when the wind does not blow.

This has resulted in more than 5GW of GB generation capacity being supplied by interconnectors to other countries. This makes GB dependent on its neighbours when the wind does not blow.

In France, exporting power has been the norm ever since interconnectors were invented. The choice of focusing on a single source of power generation (nuclear) has served them as well as Kylian Mbappé in the first rounds of the World Cup.

Cheap nuclear power has made the French very dependent on that source of power generation and when those power plants, which are now getting quite old and starting to break down, it turned out there were knock-on effects.

Because nuclear power was cheap, most of the heating in France is electric and there has never been much room for other sources of generation as these would have been pushed out of the market by cheap nuclear power.

The French were never very big on building interconnector capacity, as the power in adjacent countries was always more expensive.

“On Monday, France and GB will have to work as one team via the market to share power resources across the interconnectors to balance power at the least cost to consumers in one of the first proper tests of the winter”

This would mean they would be exporting their cheap power abroad and be faced with higher prices at home, as a result.

The French appetite for electrical heating makes the power system vulnerable to cold snaps. A period of moderate weather sees low demand, but a cold snap, like the one coming over the weekend and into next week, adds a level of demand the size of Netherlands plus Belgium to the French market.

Are we going to be able to watch the game?

I’m quite confident that National Grid and RTE will manage to keep the lights on this Saturday evening. Weekend demand is always a bit lower than weekday demand and during the game demand will decline.

It may get a little exciting at half time, as during the Senegal game there was a demand spike of around 800 MW as the England fans ran to put the kettle on, but in general I think the total capacity plus imports should be sufficient for both countries.

How about Monday?

Monday is a lot tighter, though. French demand forecasts show numbers between 80 and 85GW; the total available generation capacity (and I mean everything they have) for the evening peak is slightly below 70GW.

The highest imports we have seen to date in France was 13 GW, which included the full available capacity of the France-GB interconnectors.

National Grid GB demand forecasts show around 46GW of demand at the peak. So, GB will also have to import power from the continent or think seriously about starting reserve coal-fired power plants to meet demand?

Wind is forecast to increase into the evening peak but weather models are still not resolving on a firm forecast for this period so there is a risk that generation margins will be very tight, especially if the interconnectors are on full export to France.

Booking the capacity on the interconnectors is done through an auction on Sunday at 9:00 GB-time, 10:00 CET, so that will be a good indication of where the flow will go. We will also know the weather prognosis for the evening peak.

So, what happens if demand can’t be matched? Will we see blackouts?

That is unlikely to happen, although you can never rule it out completely. The day-ahead market will be very tight though and intraday and balancing markets will be affected around France and in GB.

There is a slight chance that the market can’t clear in France as demand could be higher than supply, which would mean the price would reach the maximum level of €4.000/MWh in France.

After a waiting period of five weeks after that, a new price maximum would come into force at €5.000 if that were to happen.

Not clearing the market for an hour would leave some demand unmatched, which would leave the volume to be matched in the balancing market or not to be consumed (industrial demand). France also participates in cross-border reserve markets, which can help, but at a very high cost.

This weekend, France will play England on the football pitch and one team will have to win and one team will have to lose.

On Monday, France and GB will have to work as one team via the market to share power resources across the interconnectors to balance power at the least cost to consumers in one of the first proper tests of the winter.

The post France v England: On the pitch and in the power market appeared first on Power Engineering International.

In this session, the Graphene Flagship and invited guests aim to illustrate the power of European collaboration using one of the largest scientific research initiatives funded by the European Commission.

The Graphene Flagship unites 170 partners from across Europe to take graphene and other two-dimensional materials from the realm of academic laboratories into European society in different application areas, including energy.

The unique balance between academic and industrial partners in the Graphene Flagship allows the project to tackle challenges that no individual country or organisation would be able to take on by itself.

The strength of many organisations is combined to create something that is more than just a sum of its parts. While academic partners are good at identifying what is doable, industrial partners are better at deciding what is worth doing.

The Graphene Flagship Spearhead Projects are the quintessence of this model of collaboration. Led by companies, these projects exploit the academic and industrial partnership fostered by the Graphene Flagship to bring graphene and other two-dimensional materials into devices close to the market application.

What you will learn:

• The Graphene Flagship structure and activities in energy generation and storage
• Case study: A Spearhead Project developing the next generation of circuit breakers
• How the Graphene Flagship supports the creation of new companies growing out of research to step into the market

Moderator: Areti Ntaradimou, Editor | Smart Energy International

Speakers:

Patrik Johansson, Vice Director | Graphene Flagship

Vittorio Pellegrini, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Innovation Officer | BeDimensional S.p.a.

Anna Mikaela Andersson, Senior principal scientist | ABB

The post Webcast Recording: How to harness the power of collaboration: Graphene Flagship appeared first on Power Engineering International.

This partnership addresses critical matters relating to the financing of the project and provides a clear pathway for Marinus Link to reach Final Investment Decision in late 2024.

The agreement defines the shared ownership of the interconnector, ensures project cost sharing arrangements between the Commonwealth, Tasmania and Victoria and will ultimately lower energy bills for Tasmanians.

“This is a milestone for Australia’s energy transition, lower power prices, emissions reduction and jobs creation,” Marinus Link Board Chair Samantha Hogg said.

Marinus Link

Marinus Link is a 1,500MW undersea and underground electricity connection to link Tasmania and Victoria.

It is supported by over 240km of transmission developments in North West Tasmania. Collectively, these projects are known as Project Marinus.

Marinus Link aims to unlock Tasmania’s renewable energy and storage resources to deliver clean energy for customers in Australia’s wholesale electricity market, the National Electricity Market (NEM).

The project is designed to strengthen Tasmania’s energy security and develop on-island renewable energy resources.

According to a release from Jeremy Rockliff, premier, and Guy Barnett, minister for state development, construction and housing, Tasmanian government, the Marinus Link is “crucial to deliver Tasmania’s 200% renewable energy target…

“Marinus Link is a critical enabler for green hydrogen and other energy intensive industries being established in the State and the further expansion of our existing industrial load.”

Barnett added that the Marinus Link project will create 1400 jobs in Tasmania, facilitate AUS$7 billion (US$4.4 billion) in additional economic activity to the State, and deliver reductions of at least 140 million tonnes of CO2 by 2050.

Marinus Link CEO Bess Clark commented on the agreement: “The project has been identified by the market operator as urgently required and today’s announcement provides the commercial framework to see the project progress through to operation.

“Marinus Link will ensure long-term energy security and provide Tasmanians with a stronger, more resilient grid.

“This will put downward pressure on Tasmanian power prices, making household power bills lower than they would otherwise be without Marinus Link. It will also support affordable and reliable supply for Victorians, as coal generation continues to retire.”

Electricity generation in Tasmania is dominated by hydro power, which supplies around 80% of the state’s power.

Electricity generation in Victoria has traditionally been concentrated in the LaTrobe Valley, with large coal-fired power stations and some gas plants supplying the main load centre of Melbourne. Power has also been supplied by the Snowy hydro scheme in the north east, plus two wind farms on the southern coast.

The post Australia and Tasmania sign milestone energy sharing deal appeared first on Power Engineering International.

The 100-tonne cable was installed using the Maersk Achiever vessel and will provide power and data connection from an on-land substation in Aguçadoura to the wave energy demonstration site 5.5km offshore.

Now connected to Portugal’s national grid, the site will initially accommodate the CorPower C4 Wave Energy Converter (WEC) which will later form part of a larger four-system array.

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CorPower Ocean marine operations manager Robert Argo said the cable lay process marks another significant milestone for the HiWave-5 Project, which aims to introduce certified and warrantied WEC products to the market.

“We started the installation process by positioning the Maersk Achiever in a safe water depth within the cable corridor, approximately one kilometre offshore,” said Argo. “A messenger line was passed from an onshore winch to the Maersk Achiever, and then connected to a cable pull-in head. As the cable was being deployed buoyancy was attached to assist with the cable float into shore. Once onshore the cable was pulled through a pre-installed cable conduit running under the beach and into the on-land substation, while the remaining cable was deployed using an onboard cable tensioner.

“During the lay operation, cable protection was added to provide additional mass where required for on-bottom stability. Various parameters were also monitored throughout including cable tension, cable departure angle and touch down monitoring. On completion a visual and positioning survey was carried out by a remotely operated vehicle.”

CorPower is now gearing up for the arrival of the C4 PTO (Power Take Off) system, which has completed a rigorous one-year dry test programme in Sweden. Once transported the PTO will be integrated with a composite hull, which was custom built at CorPower Ocean’s Portuguese base, in Viana do Castelo.

Having completed tests to verify power conductors and fibre communication cores, the CorPower C4 WEC will later be fused to the cable through a quick-connect interface located at the anchor-head. While providing power connection to feed electricity to shore through the 7.2kV cable it will also deliver high speed communication to the wave farm through fibre optic cores.

The post CorPower Ocean and Maersk install subsea cable for HiWave-5 project appeared first on Power Engineering International.

The Princess Elisabeth wind power production zone is located in the Belgian North Sea and Elia has been tasked with extending the transmission grid to allow renewable energy to flow between countries.

The Princess Elisabeth Energy Island will combine both direct current (HVDC) and alternating current (HVAC). The island’s high-voltage infrastructure will bundle the wind farm export cables from the Princess Elisabeth zone together, while also serving as a hub for future interconnectors with the UK (Nautilus) and/or Denmark (TritonLink).

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According to Elia, these will be hybrid interconnectors that will ensure the exchange of electricity between countries and will also be connected to offshore wind farms in the North Sea.

Chris Peeters, CEO Elia Group, said in a statement: “The Princess Elisabeth Island constitutes a big leap forward for the energy transition. In addition to bringing 3.5GW of additional offshore wind energy to shore, the island will also be the first link in a European offshore electricity grid. It will allow us to access the huge offshore wind potential that the North Sea still has to offer us.”

Facts about the Princess Elisabeth

• Located almost 45 kilometres off the coast, occupying an area of approximately five hectares above the waterline
• The artificial island will be constructed from concrete caissons filled with sand
• The island will mainly house transmission infrastructure that will be linked to new wind farms
• A small harbour and helicopter pad are also due to be built for maintenance teams
• 300 km of alternating current cables and 60 km of direct current cables will be needed.

Energy Transitions Podcast: The North Sea – Axis of decarbonisation

Tinne Van der Straeten, Belgian minister for energy, commented on the plans: “Thanks to the very first energy island, new interconnections, three new wind farms in the North Sea and the repowering of the first offshore wind zone, we are transforming the North Sea into one big green power plant.”

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Currently, the tender process and permitting procedures for the island are being prepared and an environmental impact assessment is underway.

Construction of the island is due to start in 2024 and the island should be completed in mid-2026. After this, the construction of the electrical infrastructure on the energy island will start. The connection of the wind farms to the Elia grid is linked to the commissioning of two onshore grid reinforcement projects: the Ventilus and Boucle du Hainaut. Elia aims to achieve full connection capacity by 2030.

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