Energy Focus November 2020

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR ENERGY LEADERS

EMEA

ENERGYFOCUS

www.emea-energy.net

November 2020

ENGIE:

R&D Helping ENGIE Plan for World of Tomorrow ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Total / Vestas / E.ON - Audi / Equinor

EDITOR’S LETTER EDITOR Joe Forshaw  joe@emea-energy.net SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER Sam Hendricks  sam@emea-energy.net SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER Tommy Atkinson  tommy@ emea-energy.net SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER Lewis Hammond  lewis@emea-energy.net PROJECT MANAGER James Davey  jamesd@emea-energy.net PROJECT MANAGER Chris Wright  chrisw@emea-energy.net FINANCE MANAGER Chloe Manning  Chloe@emea-energy.net SENIOR DESIGNER Liam Woodbine  liam@emea-energy.net CONTRIBUTOR Manelesi Dumasi CONTRIBUTOR Karl Pietersen CONTRIBUTOR David Napier CONTRIBUTOR Timothy Reeder CONTRIBUTOR Colin Chinery CONTRIBUTOR Benjamin Southwold CONTRIBUTOR William Denstone

Published by Chris Bolderstone – General Manager E. chris@cmb-media.co.uk Rouen House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RB +44 (0) 1603 855 161 E. info@cmb-media.co.uk www.cmb-media.co.uk CMB Media Group does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors. The points of view expressed in articles by attributing writers and/ or in advertisements included in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of the publisher.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within this magazine, no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from use of information published. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrievable system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher. © CMB Media Group Ltd 2020

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It is becoming more obvious with each passing month that the big global energy players are realising they must shift focus from fossil fuel production to renewable - even if this means investing in smaller players or starting new arms to produce in modern ways. Offshore wind, solar, biogas, tidal – all have now received investment from the big players.

In this edition we take a closer look at investments into renewable projects made by big players including Total, Engie, Equinor and E.ON. By 2050, most of these majors will have made a complete shift away from fossil fuels and will be heavily reliant on renewables.

But renewables will not look the same as they do today.

Take Equinor for example – the Norwegian company is looking at the potential for floating offshore wind farms to harness wind power in deeper, harsher, more challenging conditions.

Turbines can be housed on floating towers that use the same ideas as the basic sea buoy. Then there’s Engie – the French business is looking at the potential for biogas and how its production can be maximised without losing efficiency. The company recently opened a new state-of-the-art facility in France to investigate potential. For E.ON, the German-based business has partnered with auto maker Audi to install Europe’s largest rooftop PV plant at its centre in Hungary.

While widespread use of oil, gas and coal in the global energy mix will not be disappearing anytime soon, the wheels are already in motion to make the switch to renewables.

Backed by public sentiment, these big businesses will undoubtedly be key drivers of change.

Get in touch and tell us what your business is doing as part of the energy transition. Whether you’re a producer or user – we want to hear how renewables are growing in your business. @EmeaEnergy

Joe Forshaw EDITOR

GET IN TOUCH  +44 (0) 1603 855 161  joe@emea-energy.net www.emea-energy.net

www.emea-energy.net / 3

8/ ENGIE R&D Helping ENGIE Plan for World of Tomorrow By investing into renewable energy technologies, with the goal of achieving a carbon neutral society, ENGIE is making all the right moves to position itself at the top of the pile when it comes to leading the transition around the world.

Š ENGIE

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CONTENTS

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© Total

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ENGIE R&D Helping ENGIE Plan for World of Tomorrow TOTAL Innovative Total Changing Lanes for Sustainable Future VESTAS Innovation & New Orders Keep Vestas Turning E.ON - AUDI Powerful Partnership Completes Europe’s Largest Rooftop PV Project EQUINOR Floating Offshore Wind Buoys Equinor’s Renewable Ambitions A&P FALMOUTH Ship Repair Expertise Vital to Energy Future SEABASED No Waves, No Glory for Seabased www.emea-energy.net / 5

RUSSIA READIES FOR WINTER Russian energy business, Gazprom, is preparing for a surge in demand during the winter months by injecting more gas into the country’s system.

At the end of October, a management committee reviewed the state of the Unified Gas Supply System (UGSS) and found that all systems were ready to step up – both for local and export operations.

Despite restrictions in place to combat the spread of Covid-19, the company has managed to undertake important maintenance, readying the system for cold snaps.

90 comprehensive gas treatment units (CGTUs) and gas pre-treatment units (GPTUs) have been repaired at gas production facilities. It is planned to increase the capacity of booster compressor stations (BCSs) at the Bovanenkovskoye field in Yamal and to put into operation new BCSs at the Kshukskoye and NizhneKvakchikskoye fields in Kamchatka until the year-end. As of October 1, the Company repaired 362 km of the linear part of gas trunklines, 11 strings of submerged crossings, 410 gas compressor units, and

190 gas distribution station. More than 22,000 km of gas pipelines underwent in-line inspection. Special attention was paid to the operation of underground gas storage (UGS) facilities which ensure a rapid increase in gas supplies during cold snaps or in periods of peak demand.

By the beginning of the withdrawal season, the working gas inventories in Russian UGS facilities reached an all-time high of 72.3 billion cubic meters (taking into account the UGS facilities in Belarus and Armenia – 73.5 billion cubic meters).

SIEMENS BOOSTS CHINESE OFFSHORE WIND Global industrial giant Siemens has built a new power transmission system to be trialled at a Chinese offshore wind warm. In partnership with Shanghai Electric, Siemens is bringing the innovative, eco-friendly system in response to demand for a new generation of wind power plant.

“The growing power demand requires a new generation of wind power plants equipped with innovative technologies. Our SF6-free switchgear and our synthetic-ester transformer are contributing to the concept of an integrated clean energy solution.

This demo project demonstrates true technology leadership and we are proud to be at the forefront with our sustainable product portfolio,” says Beatrix Natter, Executive Vice President Transmission at Siemens Energy.

The switchgear and transformer designs have been optimised to hold up under the hostile conditions of

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offshore applications and to keep the maintenance demand as low as possible.

The system consists of a SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride)free gas-insulated high-voltage switchgear (GIS) called 8VM1 Blue GIS® and a liquid-immersed distribution transformer with ester fluid. The wind turbine generator is the first to run on 66 kilovolt (kV) in China. The 8VM1 Blue GIS® was specifically developed to enable higher voltage levels in wind turbines and is also the first Blue GIS® operating in China. It utilizes vacuum interrupters for switching functions and “clean air” as the insulation medium (industrially purified air) representing an environmentally friendly alternative to the potentially climate-harming insulating gas SF6. The 8VM1 Blue GIS® can be installed inside a wind tower or a transition piece thanks to its wind turbine application adopted compact and lightweight design – even with clean air insulation.

NEWS SNAPSHOT BAYWA RE TO INVESTIGATE HYDROGEN POTENTIAL IN NETHERLANDS BayWay Re has partnered with the largest network company in the Netherlands to research the potential of hydrogen production and if it can follow the generation profile of a solar plant, reducing congestion in the grid. The partnership between Alliander and BayWa (through its subsidiary GroenLeven) will surround the operation of the SinneWetterstof Hydrogen Pilot Project.

The project, expected to be operations at the end of 2021, will source energy from the adjacent 50 MWp solar farm, previously built

by GroenLeven, to generate green hydrogen as a storable form of energy by electrolysis of water. The project is a first of its kind and the partners are excited.

“This hydrogen pilot project will

be one of the first that is powered by an adjacent solar farm and optimized to mitigate grid issues. We are excited to be working with Alliander on this project, which will allow us to enter the green hydrogen space as part of the transition towards 100% renewable energy in all sectors,” said Manfred Groh, Strategy Manager, Corporate Strategy, Energy Policy & Sustainability, at BayWa Re. Alliander Project Leader, Ben Tubben, commented: “The pilot project in Oosterwolde provides the opportunity to gain experience with the application of an electrolyser regarding control, controllability and safety. We also want to investigate how the entire hydrogen chain works, which agreements must be made with stakeholders, and which laws and regulations are necessary.

The installation is expected to be commissioned by mid-2021.”

Willem de Vries, Project Manager Large Projects at GroenLeven, explains: “Locating a hydrogen electrolyser at a solar farm allows us to gather invaluable insights into decentral and renewable hydrogen production as a storable form of energy that could significantly reduce grid congestion. In addition to showing how an electrolyser can follow the power production of a solar plant, we will also be testing the optimum power ratio between an electrolyser and a solar farm. We look forward to understanding more about these capabilities and what they mean for our future energy needs as the pilot project progresses.”

NEW SOLAR PLANT FROM EDF COULD POWER 9690 HOMES The renewable energy arm of EDF (EDF R) is planning to build a new solar development at Tye Lane near Bramford in Suffolk, UK. The new plant will reportedly generate 49.9 MW, enough to power the domestic needs for 9690 household annually, saving 16,700 tons of CO2 emissions each year.

Currently, the company is liaising with the local community after carrying out feasibility studies. The expectation is that a planning application will be submitted before the end of the year.

“This is an excellent site for a solar farm, which is suitably sunny and with a nearby grid connection. EDF Renewables is an experienced renewables developer and Tye Lane is one of the first of a number of solar projects we have planned in the UK. This project will enable us to contribute to the UK’s green economic recovery from COVID-19 and help the country reach its net zero targets,” said EDF Renewables Director of Solar and Onshore Wind Development, Mark Vyvyan-Robinson.

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ENGIE

R&D Helping ENGIE Plan for

World of Tomorrow PRODUCTION: David Napier

By investing into renewable energy technologies, with the goal of achieving a carbon neutral society, ENGIE is making all the right moves to position itself at the top of the pile when it comes to leading the transition around the world.

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© Engie

INDUSTRY FOCUS: RENEWABLES

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Long recognised as one of the long-term solutions and contributors within a modern energy mix, biogas is yet to see the uptake of offshore wind or commercial solar, but as technology advances and ideas become cheaper and easier to implement, this important provider of clean, renewable energy is starting to come into its own.

Still, only two billion cubic meters (bcm) of biogas are produced each year in Europe. The continent consumes some 470 bcm annually, so there is room for growth. Industry onlookers vary in their predictions for how big and how fast the industry can grow – some suggest almost 100 bcm by 2050, others are more conservative, predicting 20-36 bcm per year.

Germany leads way in biogas production, but hit a stumbling block in 2014 when government removed support for the sector after environmental concerns. Denmark is viewed by many as the example, with biogas representing 10% of gas injected into the national grid. Both France and Italy have been inspired and, with favourable policy conditions, these two European powerhouses are rolling out biogas successfully.

In France, one of the leading organisations involved in the biogas revolution is ENGIE. A leading global energy player, ENGIE exists to aid in the transition to a low-carbon society.

Headquartered in Paris, with 170,000 employees around the world, ENGIE walks the walk. Formerly known as GDF, the national gas monopoly in France, the

// IN A WORLD IN WHICH INDUSTRIAL CHANGES ARE EXTREMELY FAST, R&D IS ESSENTIAL TO MAINTAIN OUR COMPETITIVENESS // 10 / www.emea-energy.net

company has broadened its horizons Alongside its subsidiary, ENGIE Bioz, the aspiration is to produce five terawatt-hours of biomethane by 2030.

The company already has a number of operational plants around France, and more will come online soon. In Italy, ENGIE has been active for 20 years, now recognised as one of the country’s energy leaders. Across the rest of Europe, the company commands revenues of more than €17 billion.

GREEN GAS In September, ENGIE launched its new green gas and energy transition technology research centre, the ENGIE CRIGEN centre, in Stains, France. Located just north of Paris, the new centre will undertake operational R&D projects while developing industrial pilot projects in France and Europe, to hone expertise in low-carbon technologies and to help projects to reach maturity.

Academics from different areas of thought and different regions will share the new centre. All experts in their field, with several PhD graduates and many studying for Doctorates, the research team will be focussed around green gases, new energy uses and technologies of the future.

Main areas of study include low-carbon energies and in particular green gases (hydrogen, biogas, etc.); intelligent and efficient energy

consumption in cities, buildings and industry 4.0; and emerging technologies essential for the energy transition (artificial intelligence, nanotechnologies, robots and drones, etc.).

The opening of the new centre was marked with a small gathering of JeanPierre Clamadieu, ENGIE Chairman of the Board; Claire Waysand, ENGIE interim CEO; Azzédine Taïbi, Mayor of Stains; Bernard Larrouturou, Head of Research and Innovation Division representing Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Education and Research; and Eric Cesari, Vice President of the Grand Paris Metropolis.

“In a world in which industrial changes are extremely fast, R&D is essential to maintain our competitiveness. We are convinced that accelerating the transition to a carbon-neutral economy is based on an ambitious Research and Development policy. This investment in our new research centre gives our teams the resources they need to invent the solutions of tomorrow,” said Jean-Pierre Clamadieu and Claire Waysand, in a joint statement.

In 2019, ENGIE committed €189 million to R&D spending and now has eight R&D centres in seven countries.

In July, ENGIE signed a MoU with BTS Biogas – part of Bioenergy DevCo – to share expertise and resources with the goal of advancing low carbon technologies and decarbonization

ENGIE

strategies across Italy and then Europe.

As a leader in the biogas sector, Bioenergy DevCo through BTS Biogas hopes to build a pipeline in partnership with ENGIE that will result in the construction of more anaerobic digestion projects, where organic waste can be used to create renewable natural gas.

Franco Lusuriello, CEO of BTS Biogas commented: “Entering into this partnership with ENGIE provides us with incredible opportunities to leverage our technology and expertise on decarbonization projects. Anaerobic digestion is experiencing a renaissance, with increased interest throughout Europe, Asia and now North America – but our heart and our home is and will always be Italian. Through this deal we can help ensure that Italy meets its zero-carbon goals, invests in sustainable projects that encourage economic

recovery and contributes to the global fight against climate change.”

Shawn Kreloff, CEO of Bioenergy DevCo and Executive Chairman BTS Biogas agreed, saying: “The agreement between ENGIE and BTS Biogas brings together two leaders in sustainable energy development. The BTS approach to anaerobic digestion is unmatched, driven by decades of experience, data and innovation – and we look forward to the projects that result from this collaboration as more communities and businesses worldwide realise the potential for both sustainable organic waste management and renewable energy generation powered by BTS’ anaerobic digestion solution.”

From the ENGIE side, CEO of ENGIE Italia, Damien Terouanne was excited: “This is a valuable partnership,” he said.

“ENGIE aims to be the leader of the

zero-carbon transition and is committed to the realisation of numerous projects for the production of sustainable energy. In BTS Biogas we have found profound technological competence for the construction of advanced biomethane production plants with numerous environmental and economic advantages. In the current historical context progress in the field of environmental and social sustainability means pushing and supporting economic recovery.”

FUTURE STRATEGY? While biogas is viewed by most as an important part of strategy for not just businesses in the sector but also countries and economies, the future of this form of energy generation – and renewables as a whole – was briefly called into question recently when

BTS Biogas and Engie: the green partnership to provide renewable energy projects Our expertise is the development of complex, smart and profitable projects for companies and utilities in many different sectors

BE PART OF THE ZERO-CARBON TRANSITION

bts-biogas.com

226

25

191MWe

2.480Sm3

PLANTS BUILT

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

INSTALLED

BIOMETHANE PRODUCED PER HOUR

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: RENEWABLES

ENGIE announced the appointment of Catherine MacGregor as its new CEO. From 1 January 2021, MacGregor will lead the organisation forward, executing its transformation to a carbon neutral economy. Paulo Almirante, Judith Hartmann and Claire Waysand will continue to serve as interim management team until January 1st.

However, MacGregor’s career has largely centred around the oil and gas and fossil fuels industries and it was asked if her experience was appropriate for a global company looking to embrace renewables.

“On behalf of the Board and employees of the Group, I am pleased to welcome Catherine MacGregor and wish her full success in her missions.

Her professional and personal skills will be essential assets in accelerating

ENGIE’s transformation. I look forward to working with her in the months and years to come to deliver the Group’s strategic orientations,” said Jean-Pierre Clamadieu.

“One should not reduce Catherine MacGregor to someone who comes from the oil industry. She has had a career in services to the extractive industries, but more than that she is someone who has major operational experience in complex environments and who has overcome all those challenges successfully,” he added.

MacGregor’s career spans more

than two decades in the energy industry, starting out at Schlumberger in 1995 and holding senior positions across the globe, before joining TechnipFMC in 2019 and leading the Technip Energies business.

“I would like to thank the Board of Directors for the confidence it shows in me. It honours and commits me. On the strength of our shared industry culture and my operational experience, I will work with all of our teams to achieve our goal of enabling ENGIE to accelerate the energy transition,” she said.

// WE ARE CONVINCED THAT ACCELERATING THE TRANSITION TO A CARBON-NEUTRAL ECONOMY IS BASED ON AN AMBITIOUS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY //

© Engie

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ENGIE

© Engie

RENVICO ACQUISITION At the end of 2019, ENGIE acquired Renvico, a renewable energy business with interests in offshore wind in Europe. With 329 MW of installed wind capacity and a greenfield portfolio of 300MW, the hope is that this latest acquisition will offer up hope to those who are set on a carbon neutral future.

Gwenaëlle Avice-Huet, ENGIE’s

// ENGIE ALREADY SUPPLIES 100% GREEN ELECTRICITY FOR 2.9 MILLION CLIENTS IN FRANCE AND ONE MILLION CLIENTS IN ITALY //

Executive vice president in charge of Renewable Energy said: “This acquisition will contribute to ENGIE’s growth ambitions, adding 9 GW worldwide by 2021, of which 3 GW in Europe.

In France, this transaction will allow ENGIE to strengthen its onshore wind leadership, with a 2.1 GW installed capacity at the end of 2018. In Italy, ENGIE will double its onshore wind installed capacity, to reach more than 300 MW. ENGIE already supplies 100% green electricity for 2.9 million clients in France and one million clients in Italy. This new portfolio brings also an additional 300 MW capacity to be developed. It’s a corner stone of our ambition to accelerate the zero-carbon transition of our clients.”

This approach, taken by ENGIE but only a handful of other global energy businesses, is vital for the future of

the sector. As perceptions change and people position the spotlight right over the energy industry, there is a clear demand for renewable, carbon neutral and environmentally friendly practices.

By investing heavily into research and development, gaining world-class expertise to lead the business, and brining on board other businesses with shared values and expertise, ENGIE is actively working towards its purpose. By adding three or four GW of renewable capacity each year, ENGIE perhaps the perfect example of a business doing the right things for all stakeholders.

WWW.ENGIE.COM

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TOTAL

Innovative Total Changing Lanes

for Sustainable Future PRODUCTION: Joe Forshaw

By preparing effectively for the global shift towards cleaner energy, relying less on fossil fuels, Total is positioning itself as the global energy major of the future.

Its innovative history in the oil and gas space is coming to the fore in renewables and other markets as it continues to lead the way in all of its chosen markets.

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: RENEWABLES

//

French energy major Total, like most, is in the process of reinventing itself as it looks to find its place in a modern world where the environment is among the chief concerns for this generation of consumers. It was in France that the Paris Agreement was brought to the fore in 2015 as the world’s nations agreed in principle to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change.

Total, for many years a pioneer in the fossil fuel space, has adapted and changed its business to welcome renewable energy solutions to its portfolio. Today, the company boasts ‘safer, cleaner, more efficient, more innovative, more accessible energy’ as it commits to better energy in the future.

In recent months, despite major local and global challenges present as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent economic crash, Total has continued to drive towards its commitment. In September, the

company strengthened its position in the Spanish solar market before acquiring the largest electric vehicle charge point network in London.

In early October, Total entered the floating offshore wind sector in France before striking a partnership with Adani in India to participate in solar energy projects.

But later in the month, while many around the world backed off in preparation of a Covid-19 second wave, Total continued in top gear signing new deals and bringing innovations that could change the future for the better.

LNG CARGO On October 20 it was announced that a shipment of LNG that had previously left the Ichthys liquefaction plant in Australia had arrived in China, at the Dapeng terminal for delivery to the Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

Crucially, this shipment was carbon neutral, meaning that Total

and CNOOC have offset the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent associated with the whole carbon footprint of the LNG Cargo (including the production, liquefaction, shipping, regasification, and end-use) through Verified Carbon Standards (VCS) certified emission reduction projects.

This news is significant because of the enormous presence of Total in the LNG industry. The company is the second-largest global LNG stakeholder in the private industry, with an overall portfolio of nearly 50 Mt/year by 2025 and a worldwide market share of 10%.

Speaking about the successful carbon neutral deliver, Laurent Vivier, President for Gas at Total, said: “We are proud to have completed this first shipment of carbon neutral LNG with CNOOC, a long-standing partner of Total. This first LNG shipment, whose carbon emissions have been offset throughout the value chain, represents a new step as we seek to support our customers towards

Credits : Zylberman Laurent - Graphix Images - Total

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TOTAL

carbon neutrality. The development of LNG is essential to meet the growth in global demand for energy while reducing the carbon intensity of the energy products consumed.”

Clearly, LNG is a vital sector for Total and transportation of the important fuel is not the company’s only involvement in the growing industry.

NEW VESSELS At the end of October, Total announced that it would charter four Aframax-type vessels equipped with LNG propulsion.

Each vessel will have the ability to carry 110,000 tons of crude oil or refined products and will be sourced from Hafnia and Viken Shipping.

Importantly, these ships will reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 5000 tons each year. For Luc Gillet, Senior Vice President Shipping at Total, the ships confirm the company’s commitment to LNG power.

“This chartering contract is in line with our Climate Ambition and will

contribute to our Net Zero carbon neutrality target by 2050 or before,” he said. “This contract follows a similar one, signed earlier this year, for two LNG-powered VLCC (Very Large Crude Carriers), to be delivered in 2022. LNG as a Marine Fuel remains the best and immediately available solution to reduce the carbon footprint of our shipping activities. With these four new vessels, we reaffirm our commitment to expand the use of cleaner marine fuels, for a more sustainable shipping.”

Hafnia CEO Mikael Skov was equally as buoyant, saying: “These ships are another example of our strategy to support and promote industry decarbonization while still transporting the resources necessary to sustain the world. We believe LNG is the bridge fuel that the shipping industry needs to transition towards a low carbon world. Hafnia has already invested in methanol, and engaged in serious research on ammonia – two leading candidates for zero-carbon

// LNG AS A MARINE FUEL REMAINS THE BEST AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE SOLUTION TO REDUCE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF OUR SHIPPING ACTIVITIES // marine fuels – but now we are investing in the stepping stone that will get us to this future we’ve already started to imagine.”

The first two ships from Hafina will be made in China and will measure 250 metres long, with 12 cargo tanks.

Featuring LNG fuel capacity of 3,600 m3, the vessels will have a range of 13,500 nautical miles when sailing on LNG at 14.5 knots.

© Hafnia

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: RENEWABLES

ALWAYS INNOVATING Of course, Total is not only a broad energy player. Its influence goes much deeper and the group is active in many product and service categories. In October, news that Total along with partners had developed a new kind of plastic bottle made from carbon emissions. This sustainable packaging manufacturing comes as a result of American firm LanzaTech capturing industrial carbon emissions and converting them into ethanol using a unique biological process. Total, thanks to an innovative dehydration process jointly developed with IFP Axens, converts the ethanol into ethylene before polymerizing it into polyethylene that has the same technical characteristics as its fossil counterpart. L’Oréal uses this polyethylene to produce packaging with the same quality and properties as conventional polyethylene.

This major step forward for innovation in the sector is a world first and paves the way for increased capture of emissions that can now be put to good use.

Credits: Gilles Leimdorfer - Total

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“This partnership is an excellent example of collaboration between industrial firms in developing the plastics of the future produced from recycled carbon and meets a strong demand from our customers. The development of this new pathway of valuing industrial carbon emissions also contributes to the Group’s commitment to get to net zero in Europe by 2050,” said Total’s Senior Vice

President Polymers, Valérie Goff.

Jacques Playe, L’Oréal Packaging and Development Director added: “L’Oréal is constantly improving the environmental footprint of its packaging. With this innovation converting carbon emissions into polyethylene, we aim to develop new sustainable packaging solution. We have the ambition to use this sustainable material in our bottle of shampoo and

TOTAL

Credits: Guillaume Perrin - Total

conditioner by 2024 and we hope other companies will join us in using this breakthrough innovation.”

For LanzaTech, the hope is that this is just the first step. “This partnership is based on a shared goal of creating a cleaner planet for everyone,” said CEO Jennifer Holmgren. “We are grateful to both L’Oréal and Total for their commitment to reducing the carbon intensity of their activities. Together, we can reduce the carbon footprint of packaging by converting carbon emissions into useful products, making single-use carbon a thing of the past.”

MORE SA GAS In 2019, Total announced the discovery of gas off the coast of South Africa, in the Outeniqua Basin. Known as the Brulpadda discovery, the announcement was welcomed in South Africa and the hopes were that activity could assist in turning around the country’s ailing economy.

Further good news came from Total in South Africa in October when

the company announced a second significant discovery on the Luiperd prospect. The DeepSea Stavanger rig arrived in Cape Town in August 2019 to drill the Luiperd prospect for Total, and Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy in the South African government, Gwede Mantashe was confident.

“The arrival of the drill rig, following the recent successful Brulpadda discovery, reaffirms confidence in South Africa as an investment destination of choice for the exploration of oil and gas,” he said.

On the new discovery, Arnaud Breuillac, President Exploration and Production at Total hinted at gas commercialisation.

“We are very pleased with this second discovery and its very encouraging results, which prove the world-class nature of this offshore gas play. With this discovery and the successful seismic acquisitions, Total and its partners have acquired important data on the Paddavissie fairway, which will help to progress

development studies and engage with South African authorities regarding the possible conditions of the gas commercialisation,” he said.

While this more traditional method of material extraction and energy generation and extraction remains vitally important to Total as a group, as well as economies around the world, the company is committed to managing the resource in a sustainable manner.

“As an integrated oil and gas operator, we aim to provide affordable, reliable and cleaner energy. In an industry with an ever-growing number of constraints, we are harnessing our expertise and innovation capabilities to prepare the future of energy for our planet,” the company says.

WWW.TOTAL.COM

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VESTAS

Innovation & New Orders

Keep Vestas Turning PRODUCTION: David Napier

A raft of new orders from all over the world, along with an innovative nature and history, have helped Vestas to continue to thrive during a year of turmoil in global markets.

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: WIND

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As one company in the energy industry that is not having to undergo rapid overhaul to stay up to date with needs from clients, Vestas – which has been renewable to the core since switching to focus solely on wind energy in the late 70s – is thriving as countries around the world seek to reduce carbon emissions and harness nature.

Founded in 1898 as a blacksmith in rural Denmark, Vestas became a manufacturer and then an engineering business before entering the world of wind energy.

As a pioneer in the space, Vestas has witnessed the ups and downs of wind power, and is now recognised as one of the world’s authorities on turbines and wind farm installations.

Today, in a time of turmoil and disruption around the world, Vestas continues to march forward with strength as the demand for clean energy grows and sentiment surrounding the industry is bolstered by a number of major successful project all over the world.

NEW PROJECTS Earlier in the year, some projects were placed on hold as countries and companies struggled to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, and strategies

// WE ARE PROUD TO DELIVER OUR TECHNOLOGY TO A LIGHTHOUSE PROJECT LIKE GREENLAB, WHICH WORKS TO TRANSFORM THE WAY GREEN ENERGY IS PRODUCED, CONVERTED, STORED AND PUT TO USE // 22 / www.emea-energy.net

were sought to ensure socially distanced workplaces. Now, projects are starting to come back online and new projects are being commissioned.

Vestas has secured a number of orders from clients on all continents, highlighting its global importance.

In September, Vestas announced orders from Italy, the USA, Poland and China.

In Poland, Eurowind Energy A/S ordered V100-2.0 MW wind turbines combined with 120m towers for three wind farms, totalling 40 MW. The parks are located in the north-west of the country in the Wagrowiec, Oborniki and Wyrzysk provinces. With around 400 people working on an installed capacity of 2.2 GW in Poland, operating there since 2002, Vestas is a the market leader.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with Eurowind Energy A/S and deliver best-in-class technology to drive the energy transformation in the region. We’re looking forward to realising these projects for our customer Eurowind Energy A/S,” says Nils de Baar, President of Vestas Northern and Central Europe.

Eurowind Energy A/S CEO Jens Rasmussen was equally buoyant. “We are happy to place this order for a second bundle of projects that won the 2019 renewable auction in Poland.

Our pipeline of projects in Poland are

substantial and we expect to place further orders in the near future.

Vestas was a natural choice for our pipeline due to the reliability of the technology,” he said.

Similar enthusiasm came from Denmark where Eurowind Energy is busy with the GreenLab Skive project.

This project sees multiple renewable energy projects combined to produce clean power while providing research for the industry. Solar, wind and biogas are utilised on the site, in Mid Jutland, with Vestas brining a unique solution.

One V126-3.45 MW turbine, delivered in 3.6 MW Power Optimised Mode, and 12 V136-4.2 MW turbines, combined with towers will help to enhance performance. The total 54 MW order brings Vestas contribution in Denmark to more than 3.7 MW. “We are happy to execute this landmark project in Denmark together with Vestas and thus strengthening our cooperation with Vestas even further. This hybrid project - with wind, solar and storage battery - will supply green power directly to a 12 MW hydrogen/E-methanol production facility making the green transition really happening through sector coupling,” says Jens Rasmussen.

“We are proud to deliver our technology to a lighthouse project like GreenLab, which works to transform the way green energy is produced,

VESTAS

converted, stored and put to use.

GreenLab truly marks a significant step in making the energy transition come true. At the same time, we look forward to implementing yet another wind project with Eurowind Energy A/S and utilising the flexible 4 MW platform technology for the benefit of our valued customer,” says de Baar.

In October, further new orders were announced from clients in India, Chile and Vietnam.

In South America, Vestas has completed many successful installations but Chile in particular has been something of a boon market.

Today, the company has installed or under construction 1.5 GW of turbines.

Mainstream Renewable Power placed the order for supply and installation of 26 V150-4.2 Turbines to make up the 109 MW

Ckani wind park, to be located in the Antofagasta region.

“We are proud to be partnering with Mainstream Renewable Power once again in Chile, after working together on the 185 MW Cerro Tigre wind project. We are certain that the competitiveness of our V150-4.2 MW turbine and our service capabilities will make a great contribution to optimise our customer’s business case,” says Sales Senior Director for Vestas LATAM South Cone, Andrés Gismondi.

“We are delighted to announce this second partnership with Vestas in Chile and to continue working with them on the delivery of our Chilean renewable energy platform, Andes Renovables,” says Manuel Tagle, General Manager for Mainstream Chile and LATAM.

// VESTAS IS THE LEADER IN ONSHORE WIND, BUT TO ACCELERATE THE ENERGY TRANSITION AND ACHIEVE OUR VISION WE MUST PLAY A LARGER ROLE IN OFFSHORE WIND // Soon after this announcement, a 50 MW order came in from Vietnam and local developer, Ia Bang Wind Power Joint Stock Company (owned by the Vietnam-based renewable power producer Gia Lai Electricity Joint Stock Company (GEC)). The order

Courtesy of Vestas Wind Systems A/S

www.emea-energy.net / 23

INDUSTRY FOCUS: WIND

includes supply and supervision of the installation of 12 V150-4.2 MW wind turbines delivered in different power ratings to optimise energy production for the site’s specific wind conditions.

The project which should be commissioned in 2021 will take Vestas order intake beyond 1.1 GW in Vietnam.

“Partnering with GEC is a fantastic opportunity to cement our leadership in Vietnam, delivering clean and reliable energy to accelerate this country’s growth,” said Clive Turton, President of Vestas Asia Pacific. “With our extensive experience in executing projects,

both globally and locally, we look forward to getting the project online ahead of the feed-in-tariff deadlines.”

Ms Nguyen Thai Ha, Chief Executive Officer of GEC added: “In GEC’s Renewable Energy development strategy, wind power is one of the first priority segments for investment with the ambition to develop up to hundreds of megawatts of wind power capacity in the next five-year period. We are therefore honoured with this cooperation and believe that the use of Vestas’ turbines, installation supervision, operation and maintenance services will not

only help GEC to complete the project on schedule with the highest quality, but also achieve optimal efficiency in operation, contributing to the supply of clean and safe energy for the country.”

INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP At the end of October, Vestas announced that it would deepen its partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). The idea is to increase both companies exposure to relevant market opportunities while innovating and solving problems by utilising joint expertise.

// OFFSHORE WIND IS KEY TO CREATING A SUSTAINABLE PLANET FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND OFFERS UNIQUE GROWTH, AND WITH TODAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT WE UNDERLINE THAT WE WANT TO BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF BOTH //

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VESTAS

With Vestas experience in the wind energy sector combined with MHI talent on the engineering side, the partnership will help Vestas to further its profile in offshore wind while MHI will be able to influence the integration between on and offshore technology.

“Vestas is the leader in onshore wind, but to accelerate the energy transition and achieve our vision we must play a larger role in offshore wind,” said Henrik Andersen, Group President and CEO of Vestas. “On behalf of all of Vestas, I’m therefore very excited that MHI shares Vestas’ vision to become a leading player in offshore wind energy in the long term and will strengthen our partnership by becoming a large shareholder and part of Vestas’ Board of Directors.

Offshore wind is key to creating a sustainable planet for future generations and offers unique growth,

and with today’s announcement we underline that we want to be an integral part of both.

“On behalf of Vestas, I look forward to welcoming Kentaro Hosomi, CEO, Energy Systems, MHI, to our Board of Directors. We hope to benefit from his visionary and strategic mindset as we seek to create a more sustainable planet for future generations.”

Seiji Izumisawa, President and CEO of MHI, was also excited about the opportunities to develop technology that would benefit future generations.

“We are very pleased to be able to expand our cooperation and collaboration with Vestas, now more than ever, under the backdrop of increasing need for cleaner and more economical energy worldwide,” he said. “We will continue to strengthen business cooperation by leveraging our respective strengths to support the growth of clean energy around the

world, especially in Japan.”

These partnerships, along with the ongoing and regular additions to the company’s order book, cement Vestas’ position as a global industry leader. Its long-term vision – to be the global leader in sustainable energy solutions – is certainly achievable, and if the mid-term objectives of becoming the global leader in wind power plant solutions and wind service solutions are obtained then there is no reason why Vestas cannot continue on its path to the top of the wind energy power pyramid.

WWW.VESTAS.COM

Courtesy of Vestas Wind Systems A/S

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E.ON - AUDI

Powerful Partnership

Completes Europe’s Largest Rooftop PV Project PRODUCTION: David Napier

Two very recognisable brands have come together to build the largest rooftop photovoltaic system. The 160,000 m2 site in Hungary is the product of Audi and E.ON has set the bar for future projects to follow.

//

While solar has for some time been recognised as one of the world’s most important renewable energy solutions, its technology and roll out has often failed to match its potential. However, in recent years, uptake by commercial organisations around the world has helped to further the influence of solar energy. New, modern, highly efficient panels, alongside effective economical systems and storage solutions have resulted in solar being utilised to power individual factories and buildings as well as entire portions of some cities.

In California, Apple uses a 101 MW installation to power its corporate HQ. Ikea has invested more than $1.6 billion in an attempt to meet its target of producing as much energy as it uses by the end of 2020 – now with more than 100 stores utilising rooftop solar installations. In South Africa, ABB installed a rooftop plant across its 96,000 m2 facility in Johannesburg.

Tesla is now producing a roof tile that

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doubles as a solar panel with Elon Musk promising that the third iteration of the product will be cheaper, more efficient and easier to install.

For many, it seems not more of an expectation rather than an exception.

Big business must set the example and ensure its energy usage is responsible and clean.

In the automotive sector – one plagued by a reputation of pollution and over reliance on fossil fuels – Audi is hoping to alter perception.

Like many, it has invested heavily in making the shift from manufacturing petrol and diesel to hybrid and all electric vehicles.

E-POWER Reports suggest that electric vehicles in Europe emit three times less CO2 than petrol or diesel (including the amount of CO2 emitted when electricity is produced or fuel is burnt, as well as the carbon impact of resource extraction for batteries or of building a power

plant), according to Transport & Environment - Europe’s leading clean transport campaign group.

“In the worst-case scenario, an electric car with a battery produced in China and driven in Poland still emits 22% less CO2 than diesel and 28% less than petrol. And in the best-case scenario, an electric car with a battery produced in Sweden and driven in Sweden can emit 80% less CO2 than diesel and 81% less than petrol. We also see that electric cars will reduce CO2 emissions four-fold by 2030 thanks to an EU grid relying more and more on renewables,” the NPO states.

For Audi, electric vehicles are now a key component of its product make up. Since 2009, the company has been promoting electric cars, and in 2019 its first all-electric SUV went into production. Currently, the company offers the e-tron brand and is also experimenting with electric power through its racing team and the RS e-tron GT prototype.

INDUSTRY FOCUS: RENEWABLES

ROOFTOP SOLAR In October, staying up to date with trends in renewable energy production and usage, Audi – in partnership with energy giant E.ON – officially began operation of its rooftop solar power system at its logistics centres in Hungary. The 160,000 m2 site can produce up to 12 MW and is Europe’s largest rooftop photovoltaic system.

E.ON is a privately owned energy business based in Germany, with operations across many countries and with a reputation for delivering clean energy projects. Audi was one of the first automobile manufacturers to commit to the Paris Climate Agreement and is actively seeking carbon emissions reduction tactics alongside development of its electric vehicle range.

The new rooftop installation contains around 35,000 solar panels which generate around 9.5 GWh per year, the equivalent to the needs of

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around 5000 households. This should result in a reduction of around 6000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

For Alfons Dintner, CEO of Audi Hungaria, this important milestone is just one in an ambitious plan to go carbon neutral.

“Sustainability is essential for Audi Hungaria. The solar park makes a contribution to our attainment of a neutral carbon balance. It is of great importance to us to make our production more and more environmentally friendly and to reduce continuously the ecological footprint of our activities,” he says.

Peter Kössler, Member of the Board of Management for Audi Production agreed, saying: “Our goal is clear: By 2025, all Audi sites should be CO2neutral financially. By converting our factories to renewable energies, we are making an important contribution to climate protection.”

// IT IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO US TO MAKE OUR PRODUCTION MORE AND MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND TO REDUCE CONTINUOUSLY THE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT OF OUR ACTIVITIES // At E.ON, this type of project is vital for the future and caps off a decent 2020 despite the challenges thrown up

by Covid-19.

“This project represents in many

E.ON - AUDI

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ways what’s needed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To do so, we need to rebuild the energy systems in urban areas and in the industry toward CO2neutral systems. I consider the project with our partner Audi to be an important step in our endeavour to create the sustainable energy world of tomorrow and hope that it will be followed by further projects of this kind,” says E.ON Board Member Karsten Wildberger.

// THIS PROJECT REPRESENTS IN MANY WAYS WHAT’S NEEDED TO ACHIEVE CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2050 //

AMBITIOUS E.ON In August, E.ON announced completion of its steam generator project in Terneuzen, Netherlands. The €30 million project for chemical producer Dow Benelux uses off gases from production which can contain 45% hydrogen. By using the heat from the flue gas, the plant is highly efficient and achieves a thermal efficiency of 95%.

E.ON was also active in Germany where it announced it would build new geothermal plants. In Kirchweidach, Bavaria, the company will build several small-scale power plants with a total capacity of around 6 MW, designed to produce clean power and heat. The idea is to use waste heat from thermal waters at a depth of 4000m. The heat, part of which is currently used to supply an agricultural firm, can be converted into electricity in a highly efficient way. This

method ensures, 4000 tons of CO2 are saved annually – the same amount of emissions as 2700 terraced houses.

Clearly, the responsibility and expectation of big businesses to produce and manage electricity ethically is being by acted on by E.ON and Audi. These major global brands are making the transition and doing so in a way that will set a benchmark for others. As more and more companies begin down this route, carbon emissions can be significantly reduced – a great thing for the environment and future generations.

WWW.EON.COM

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EQUINOR

Floating Offshore Wind

Buoys Equinor’s Renewable Ambitions PRODUCTION: Karl Pietersen

As Equinor starts to further its floating offshore wind prospect, the rest of the world is waking up to the possibilities of this exciting sector.

With wind resources strongest in deep, harsh environments, floating offshore could be the way for offshore wind to reach its potential.

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© Øyvind_Gravås - Woldcam / Equinor ASA

INDUSTRY FOCUS: RENEWABLES

//

Offshore wind is currently one of the most promising hopes when it comes to renewable energy transition.

But, even with massive potential, the industry needs continuous innovation and development to reach its promise. According to Dr Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director, offshore wind only contributes 0.3% of global power generation but the potential is there to produce more than 420,000 TWh per year worldwide – that’s 18 times current global energy demand.

In the UK in 2019, 9.9% of the total energy mix came from offshore wind (according to the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)), almost a 20% rise on the previous year. With major new wind farms coming online, this number should jump again, and developers will be buoyed by UK government’s suggestion that wind power could fuel every home in the country by 2030.

There is an appetite for invention and progress. But very quickly, the obvious land and sea for development is taken up and new solutions are needed. Going further out to sea, in deeper water, with harsher environments is the next stage. The winds are stronger, more consistent, making turbines more efficient. But

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fixing towers to the seabed becomes nearly impossible, testing the limits of current technologies.

So why not make them float? Easy to tow into place, fixed to the floor with anchors and cables, and balanced with modern technology with roots in the oil and gas industry, perhaps the future of offshore wind is much more manoeuvrable than we thought.

At Equinor – formerly Statoil -, a leading global energy major, floating offshore wind has been in development for more than a decade.

The idea came from Norwegian retired engineers Dag Christensen and Knut Solberg while competing in a sailing race. They saw a floating buoy and began thinking about the possibility of positioning a 100m tower on top. What seemed like a whimsical passing thought turned out to be the future of offshore wind with Equinor acquiring their research project in the early 2000s.

HYWIND Today, Equinor is a leader in the floating offshore wind arena. The concept dreamt up by the two engineers has been developed and tested significantly. For eight years, the idea was trialled at Equinor’s Karmøy site, before being rolled out full scale in the North Sea off the

// AS THE WHOLE INDUSTRY IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING MUCH UNCERTAINTY, IT IS VITAL THAT WE PROGRESS PROJECTS THAT SPUR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN THE RENEWABLES SEGMENT AND CREATE SPINOFF EFFECTS ON THE NORWEGIAN SUPPLIER INDUSTRY // coast of Scotland. Opening in 2017, Hywind Scotland put all the theory into practice and confirmed that Equinor’s concept was commercially viable. The 30 MW installation produced enough power for more than 36,000 households. The five 6 MW turbines cover an area of four km2 and float in waters between 95 and 129 m depth. Power is brought ashore by a 30 km export cable.

Success in Scotland helped drive Equinor’s next floating offshore wind project – Hywind Tampen. This project would see a new floating wind farm put in place to power the oil and gas platforms Snorre A and B and Gullfaks A, B and C. With a capacity of 88 MW, the wind farm’s 11 turbines will contribute 35% of the annual power needs of the platforms, reducing the need for gas turbine usage and saving 200,000 tons of carbon emissions each year.

Construction of Hywind Tampen

EQUINOR

officially began on October 1 with Prime Minister Erna Solberg starting activities alongside Kværner apprentice Arne Linga.

Equinor President and CEO Eldar Sætre highlighted the importance of the project.

“Hywind Tampen is a new chapter in Norway’s narrative as an energy nation. With support from the Norwegian authorities, we’re not only building Norway’s first offshore wind project; we’re refining floating offshore wind technology along with the Norwegian supplier industry,” he said.

“80% of the world’s offshore wind resources are located in deep water areas and are available for floating offshore wind projects. If we can use projects like Hywind Tampen to make floating offshore wind competitive with other forms

of energy, the technology will be able to deliver large-scale renewable power and contribute to a more sustainable global energy supply. A floating offshore wind market will also open up considerable industrial opportunities for Norwegian industry,” Sætre says.

Hywind Tampen Project Director Olav-Bernt Haga provided further specifics: “By using larger turbines, concrete substructures, new technology and a new assembly method, we’re well on our way toward delivering on the objective to reduce costs by more than 40% compared with Hywind Scotland.

This is an important step to establish floating wind as a sustainable power supply alternative.”

“If more major floating offshore wind projects are realised in the future,

// 80% OF THE WORLD’S OFFSHORE WIND RESOURCES ARE LOCATED IN DEEP WATER AREAS AND ARE AVAILABLE FOR FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS // it will be possible to reduce costs even further, and we could see a development in cost reductions equivalent to the one we’ve seen in fixed foundation offshore wind,” he added.

In April, as the Covid-19 pandemic continued to surge around the world, Equinor was not distracted

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: RENEWABLES

from its mission and the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Industry approved the development of Hywind Tampen.

“Hywind Tampen is a pioneering project and a central contribution to reducing emissions from Gullfaks and Snorre, and I am pleased that both ESA and Norwegian authorities have approved the project. We are experiencing very challenging times, and we are focusing on continuing our transition effort while attending to and developing the value on the Norwegian continental shelf and at the same time reducing the climate footprint from our operations,” said Arne Sigve Nylund, Equinor’s executive vice president for Development & Production Norway.

Anders Opedal, executive vice

Øyvind Gravås - WoldCam / Equinor ASA

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// EQUINOR HAS FOR YEARS DEMONSTRATED AN ABILITY TO DELIVER ON CLIMATE AMBITIONS AND HAS A STRONG TRACK RECORD ON LOWERING EMISSIONS FROM OIL AND GAS // president for Technology, Projects & Drilling was excited about the potential of the project for the wider community.

“On behalf of the partners, Equinor has awarded contracts totalling NOK 3.4 billion, subject to final project approval by Norwegian authorities. It is a plus that the oil and gas industry is competitive in renewables projects as well, and the contracts will lead to considerable spinoff effects in Norway. As the whole industry is currently

experiencing much uncertainty, it is vital that we progress projects that spur technology development in the renewables segment and create spinoff effects on the Norwegian supplier industry,” he said.

The news of approval from the government was welcomed after Equinor signed contracts with several service providers in 2019.

“The signing of five major contracts is a key milestone in realizing the Hywind Tampen

EQUINOR

NG-5500X SELF-PROPELLED MULTI-PURPOSE JACK-UP

DEEPER WATERS & LIFE CYCLE SUPPORT

THE PIONEERS OF OFFSHORE ENGINEERING

pioneer project. Won in international competition, the contracts prove that the oil and gas industry is also competitive for renewables projects.

The awarded contracts will generate considerable spin-offs in Norway,” added Opedal.

ON TRACK FOR 2050 As the entire industry now realises the potential of floating offshore wind, more players have started investigations. In Japan, three organisations have begun development of a new floating wind platform and mooring system.

MODEC, Toyo Construction and Furukawa Electric propose using Tension Leg Platform (TLP) instead of catenary mooring. In Germany, a dual turbine floating system is being piloted. Known as Nezzy, the project

is the product of a collaboration between Aerodyn Energiesysteme and utility EnBW. In the USA, the State of Maine has indicated ambition to become more involved with the floating offshore wind market.

With this global shift towards the concept, we can expect that offshore wind will quickly become a larger part of the global energy mix, and floating turbines will start to make up more of the construction in more challenging seas.

For Equinor, in November came an announcement that the company would aim for net-zero energy production by 2050. This means carbon neutrality from production and emissions – a lofty ambition but achievable with the implementation of projects like floating offshore wind.

“Equinor has for years

www.gustomsc.com

demonstrated an ability to deliver on climate ambitions and has a strong track record on lowering emissions from oil and gas. Now, we are ready to further strengthen our climate ambitions, aiming to reach net zero by 2050,” says Opedal.

With Europe leading the way in offshore wind, and Equinor driving ambition and innovation across Europe, the company is perfectly positioned to help floating offshore wind to thrive, and renewable energy as a whole to grow and grow.

WWW.ENGIE.COM

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A&P FALMOUTH

Ship Repair Expertise Vital to Energy Future PRODUCTION: Timothy Reeder

With seven dry docks across four strategic locations in the UK, A&P Group’s rich heritage of marine engineering skills and experience combines to deliver global engineering excellence to the commercial shipping, marine, offshore wind and oil and gas industries across the UK. Home to one of the world’s largest natural deep-water harbours, A&P Falmouth is the largest ship-repair complex in the UK and has just been declared Fit For Nuclear (F4N), paving the way for diversification into the civil new build nuclear market.

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Adonia at Falmouth in 2012 Š A&P Falmouth

INDUSTRY FOCUS: MARINE ENGINEERING

Falmouth Docks © A&P Falmouth

//

On its way to becoming the largest commercial ship repair and conversion specialist in the UK, A&P has earned an enviable reputation for delivering engineering strength across the commercial marine, major fabrication and defence sectors, pairing a highly skilled workforce and management team with first class waterfront engineering infrastructure and exceptional customer focus.

“Global ship repair, conversion and marine specialist A&P Group has a proud history of quality-driven engineering and marine excellence spanning six decades,” the group says of its journey to date. “With far-reaching capabilities from our four UK locations, we combine a rich heritage of marine engineering skills and experience to provide ship owners, governments and energy companies with all the precision skills needed to complete the most demanding projects.

“Our success stems from our ongoing commitment to being the partner of choice to all of our customers,” continues A&P Group.

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“Our team of industry leading marine technicians has years of experience at the cutting edge of multi-discipline project delivery.”

KEY RENEWABLE ROLE While much of A&P’s historic success has been based on its expertise in ship construction, it now finds itself one of the key contributors to the UK’s push for a greater reliance on offshore energy.

“A&P has honed its specialist expertise in the renewable energy sector by servicing the UK’s expanding offshore wind industry,” the group explains, and its strategic locations in A&P Tyne, A&P Tees and A&P Great Yarmouth are ideally located to serve offshore wind projects in the North Sea such as East Anglia One, Hornsea and Dudgeon wind farms.

With a highly-experienced project management team comprising architects, designers, fabricators and port operations specialists, large-scale fabrication capabilities and experience delivering technically challenging projects, “A&P is well placed to deliver a world-class service to the offshore

wind sector,” it surmises.

Although less well-publicised than the likes of wind and solar, tidal energy is one of the oldest forms of energy generation, a renewable form that converts the natural rise and fall of the tides into electricity. Much more predictable than forecasting the appearance of wind and the sun, it has great potential for future electricity generation.

Recognising the commercial need to constantly re-evaluate costs and so achieve lower energy costs, A&P Group works collaboratively with key players in this emerging sector.

“A&P Group offers worldwide development management for tidal technology developers and works collaboratively with major renewable companies throughout the sector,” the group says of its role. “Well positioned on the South West and North East coasts, A&P Group has the facilities, expertise and marine heritage to push the boundaries of tidal development and manufacturing techniques, in order to lower costs without compromising quality.”

A&P FALMOUTH

FALMOUTH FACILITY Situated in the world’s third largest natural deep-water harbour, A&P Falmouth is tasked with synthesising the group’s famed marine, fabrication and engineering expertise, bringing together its specialist ancient art of ship repair with the new and growing need to harness the power of renewable energy.

It is the largest ship-repair complex in the UK, with three large graving docks and extensive deep-water berthing

providing capacity for vessels up to 100,000 tonnes, and offers a complete range of marine repair services through on-site engineering, electrical, paint and fabrication workshops and historic relationships with specialist contractors and OEMs. Illustrative of A&P Falmouth’s full range cross-disciplinary capabilities came last year in the successful completion of leg extension and repairs on Fugro’s Excalibur Jack-Up vessel. An intensive two-month programme of work, at its end all eight of Excalibur’s legs had been repaired and upgraded, while two also required sections to be replaced and another pair received a 10-15 metre extension in length.

The largest in the Fugro fleet of jack-up barges, it is capable of working in water depths up to 40 metres and has been used extensively

e // FALMOUTH IS o th t s ONE OF THE MOST r v ice e STRATEGICALLYor t S pp IMPORTANT SuPORTS IN THE UK //

ine Ma r

&I

for installing foundations for offshore wind farm projects.

“A&P were able to deliver to our high standards of detail and precision, which are vital for a works of this kind,” said Les Lugg, Fugro Director.

“We have called on the team for Jack-Up mobilisation work in the past, providing support for mobilisations and demobilisation of our equipment as required, and their facilities and locality to our head office in Falmouth certainly adds value to our operations.”

trial ndus

Sectors

PERFECTLY POSITIONED A&P Falmouth’s location is particularly suited to jack-ups thanks to its large expanse of clear water, and this is just one of a long line of examples whereby A&P Falmouth’s prize location enables it to capitalise on high-profile, highvalue projects.

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: MARINE ENGINEERING

Of its placement, Drystan Jones, Port Operations Director, remarks that, “Falmouth is one of the most strategically important ports in the UK, at the head of the South Western approaches and with the natural advantage of safe anchorage in the estuary.

“As a business, we have been able to build on the opportunities presented by our location, maximising the many opportunities to develop

// GLOBAL SHIP REPAIR, CONVERSION AND MARINE SPECIALIST A&P GROUP HAS A PROUD HISTORY OF QUALITYDRIVEN ENGINEERING AND MARINE EXCELLENCE //

Falmouth at Sunset © A&P Falmouth

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a thriving marine-tech business,” he underlines. “We are particularly wellsuited to jack up operations, including mobilisations for changes to blade racks and modifications. Around a hundred vessels come through the port each year.”

Falmouth again came into its own in June, undertaking a four-week contract to provide offshore services to Stena Drilling’s Stena IceMAX. Another feather in the A&P cap, the Stena IceMAX is the world’s first dynamically positioned, dual mast ice-class drillship, and was anchored in Falmouth Bay for the duration of its stay.

Falmouth Docks and Engineering Company (FDEC) oversaw the delivery of equipment and stores to the drillship’s undercover storage facility, as well as the transfer of those stores and the crews to the ship. “Stena Drilling needed a deep-water area where they could undertake crew changes and load stores prior to going to a job in southern Ireland,” explained

Jones. “We were delighted that they identified Falmouth as an ideal location to complete these works.

“We provided a shore-base for Stena which included a through-store capability for bringing the equipment they needed for the vessel through our secure storage facility and the crew transfer operation.

GOING NUCLEAR “A&P has been providing quality engineering services to the marine industry for over 155 years and has built up a highly skilled workforce over the last few decades,” Jones sums up of the group’s ability to adapt and diversify to the needs of the market, bringing it in line with the updated needs of the world today while retaining what it does best.

“The company’s vision is to continue to build the core business supporting the global shipping and maritime, oil and gas industries, while continuing to diversify further into the civil defence, nuclear and

A&P FALMOUTH

Falmouth Docks © A&P Falmouth

// THE COMPANY’S VISION IS TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THE CORE BUSINESS SUPPORTING THE GLOBAL SHIPPING AND MARITIME, OIL AND GAS INDUSTRIES, WHILE CONTINUING TO DIVERSIFY FURTHER // renewable energy sectors, as well as exciting emerging areas such as autonomous vessels.”

Just last month A&P Falmouth made major progress toward one of the key aspects of this vision, being granted Fit For Nuclear (F4N) status by

the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC). It is an award given only to companies which have benchmarked their performance against the standards demanded by the nuclear industry’s top tiers.

“Over the last two years A&P Falmouth has undergone a series of rigorous and challenging quality and cultural assessments, invested heavily in staff training and infrastructure and embedded Nuclear safety culture into every aspect of our ethos and operations,” said Steve Jones, Managing Director of Operations and Site Director at A&P Falmouth.

“At A&P Falmouth,” added Dave Cook, Sector Lead for Nuclear at A&P Falmouth, “we have the skills, flexible workforce and experience to pursue these specialist fabrication projects, as well as the capacity and space required for projects of this scale. Plus, our large on-site machine shop also brings some new and unique skills

to the table which can be used to produce large turbine shafts, bearing shafts and turn-buckles to Quality Grade 1 specifications. There are few businesses as well placed as ours to pursue this market.”

“As one of only a few companies in Cornwall to receive F4N recognition,” rounded off Steve Jones, “we are immensely proud of our achievement and it is testament to our team’s hard work, commitment and belief, that we have achieved this goal. Now we have the award the message is clear: A&P Falmouth is ready to work in the nuclear sector.”

WWW.AP-GROUP.CO.UK

www.emea-energy.net / 41

SEABASED

No Waves,

No Glory for Seabased

PRODUCTION: David Napier

Seabased - the Norwegian wave energy company - is on the cusp of something big. As it rides out stormy global economic conditions, this inventive organisation is ready to take the plunge into a renewable sector that is coming to the fore faster than ever before. Inking contracts around the world, Seabased is leading the push for wave power to make up more of the global energy mix. www.emea-energy.net / 43

INDUSTRY FOCUS: WAVE ENERGY

//

Two obvious trends in the global energy market – even in developing markets there is a desire to reduce emissions and reliability on fossil fuel powered generators, and despite its long-understood potential, wave power is now being taken seriously as a renewable energy generation option. In the past, wave power has been overlooked while the renewable industry has focused on solar, wind and, to some extent, tidal. It was classed as expensive and there was often a high risk of damage to equipment – even during testing.

However, the potential of waves is now clearer than ever. The US Energy Information Administration suggested that, in 2017, wave power could have delivered 66% of the total generation if a tried and tested system was in place.

Wave power has traditionally been more popular in Europe, but now major

44 / www.emea-energy.net

economies such as China, Australia, and the USA have started to seriously investigate potential.

For island nations, this type of energy generation is obvious and has already proven successful.

One company at the forefront is Seabased. Established in 2001, Seabased is a Norwegian-based business that was founded by noted Swedish scientist and inventor, Mats Leijon. For this exciting organisation, turning the immense power of waves into useable energy is not an idea, it is a must.

Seabased wave parks produce electricity using unique wave energy converters (WECs) consisting of buoys which are connected to linear generators. The buoys move with the force of the waves, and the motion generates power. A switchgear then makes the electricity suitable for transmission for grid usage.

CARIBBEAN WAVES In May 2019, Seabased announced that it would create offshore wave parks, that could create renewable energy for the national grid, in the Caribbean.

In partnership with Bermuda General Agency Ltd (BGA), Seabased would deliver two 20 MW wave energy parks; the first phase is a five MW plant in the Bahamas.

Wendall Brown, CEO and Chairman of BGA welcomed the technology and ideas from Seabased.

“We have long wrestled with limited energy supply and very high prices throughout the Caribbean,” Brown said. “We have relied primarily on fossil fuels which damage our environment and threaten our children’s future.

Recognising the vast energy resource represented in the waves that roll onto our beaches every day, I have researched every opportunity to harness this energy.

Seabased’s Ocean Wave Energy Solution

SEABASED

is not only the most efficient in the market, but it is also the most sustainable and economical.”

The Caribbean represents a vast opportunity for the company with a

// THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HELP ADVANCE THE EMERGING WAVE ENERGY SECTOR WHICH HAS SUCH POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE CLEAN, RENEWABLE ENERGY TO THE WORLD //

population of more than 40 million across different islands. The number of people can swell with tourism figures boosting GDP, and in order to preserve the environment and natural beauty of the region, alternative sources of energy are being investigated as diesel generators become more and more unpopular.

“BGA and its leadership are very forward-thinking and committed to protecting the environment of the Caribbean,” said Seabased Chairman, Øivind Magnussen. “We believe that Seabased’s technology, which has been developed over two decades, with 100+ unique patents, is a perfect option for islands like those in the Caribbean with desirable wave climates and a high need for energy. Yet it takes people with vision to help really bring wave energy into its proper place among renewables - BGA and its supporter, the Bank of Butterfield & Son, have that vision.”

ALWAYS INNOVATING At the beginning of 2020, in a move which would help the company innovate for the new decade, Seabased announced that it had entered a partnership with Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult to design a new software tool which will help Seabased to accurately simulate the performance of its systems in different wave environments. With projects scheduled in area across the world, this software is vital to ensure maximum efficiency.

This partnership demonstrates the brilliant work that can be done when EU and UK organisations collaborate with a single shared vision.

Seabased CEO Laurent Albert said: “With the ability to accurately simulate different wave environments from buoy to grid, we can tailor our wave parks to maximise system output, whether they are placed in the gentle Caribbean or

www.emea-energy.net / 45

INDUSTRY FOCUS: WAVE ENERGY

// CERTIFICATION IS A COMPLEX PROCESS THAT MARKS A NEW LEVEL OF MATURITY IN AN INDUSTRY WHOSE TIME HAS COME TO TAKE ITS PLACE AMONG RENEWABLES // the turbulent Atlantic.

“We’re pleased to be partnering with ORE Catapult on this project as they have a strong track record of creating the kinds of simulations that we rely upon to reflect the actual conditions we’ll confront in all the markets we serve.”

Simon Cheeseman, Wave and Tidal Sector Specialist at ORE Catapult, said: “ORE Catapult works with global leaders in offshore renewable energy and we’re looking forward to this project with

46 / www.emea-energy.net

Seabased on this novel and innovative design that we hope will contribute to accelerating the wave industry towards full-scale commercialisation.”

The industry can expect the software development programme to be finalised in Q2 2020.

CERTIFICATION The latest stage in Seabased’s progress comes in the form of certification for systems and projects. Full certification will allow the company to improve quality-controlled manufacturing and could result in many benefits in terms of cost, time, and job creation.

Seabased has partnered with the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) and the pair will design a testing programme for state-of-theart wave-to-grid wave energy park technology. Following an EMEC review, recommendations will be made on how to meet certification standards in the most cost and time efficient manner.

“EMEC is a premier facility and is accredited for marine energy testing.

They understand our industry and we trust their expertise. Certification is

a complex process that marks a new level of maturity in an industry whose time has come to take its place among renewables. This partnership is one important step toward the realisation of that goal,” said Laurent Albert.

Technical Manager at EMEC, Elaine Buck, said: “We are delighted to be working with Seabased. This is a great opportunity to help advance the emerging wave energy sector which has such potential to provide clean, renewable energy to the world. And it’s great to be working with a company that is advancing wave power and is so committed to delivering performance for its customers.”

The Interreg North Sea Region Ocean Energy Scale-up Alliance (OESA) project is responsible for part funding the partnership, in line with its responsibility to accelerate the deployment of large scale marine energy pilots.

GHANA Perhaps the biggest coup for Seabased over the past two years – and perhaps a major boost for the reputation of the

SEABASED

wave power industry globally – came in the form of a contract signed between Seabased and TC’s Energy, a Ghanaian renewable energy production business.

The two companies agreed to install a 100 MW wave plant close to Ada. The project could provide power for thousands of Ghanaian homes from an almost invisible system, with no noise pollution, while creating an artificial reef for sea life. The zeroemission plant will act as an example of what is possible for many coastal cities – where wave power will become a real player in the future.

At the contract signing in Brussels, Øivind Magnussen and TC’s Energy Chief Executive Officer Anthony Opoku,

// IT TAKES PEOPLE WITH VISION TO HELP REALLY BRING WAVE ENERGY INTO ITS PROPER PLACE AMONG RENEWABLES //

discussed the potential of wave energy.

“This is a very exciting day for Seabased, and one both companies have been preparing for diligently for years. The necessary studies, permits and PPA are all in place, and we have the experience of a successful pilot under our belt. We feel well-prepared to step into this final phase of manufacturing and delivering the wave park,” said Magnussen.

“We are proud to be working with TC’s Energy, a pioneer in the commercial development of the fantastic wave resource in Ghana,” he added.

“This contract marks the culmination of a long process toward building Africa’s first utility scale wave park, and we hope will lead to the expansion of renewable energy across Ghana and West Africa. The commercial viability of Seabased’s mechanically simple, yet robust design appealed from the beginning. It is very well suited for the wave climate of Ghana,” said Opoku.

Ocean Energy Europe, the industry organisation driving implementation of ocean energy technologies, commended both TC’s Energy and Seabased on completing the deal.

“This deal is a world first, and a bold step towards commercialization for wave energy,” said Rémi Gruet, Ocean Energy Europe CEO. “We applaud the Ghanaian government’s out-of-the-box thinking and visionary approach to electricity production.

While at an early stage, ocean energy is already investigating global markets and benefiting both the EU and local economies through access to electricity, local jobs, and energy security.”

With demands on the renewable energy sector growing, Seabased is perfectly positioned to take advantage of a market with a large need by deploying proven technology that can power cities without pollution. For this innovative and ambitious business, it’s anchors up and time to set sail – the waves will do their work 24/7, and that is all that is needed.

WWW.SEABASED.COM

www.emea-energy.net / 47

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Photograph by Arne Reidar Mortensen, courtesy of Equinor ASA.

DESIGN.BUILD.CONNECT. Jan De Nul Group offers specialized services for the installation of subsea structures for oil, gas and renewable energy industries.

They comprise seabed preparation, trenching, stabilization and ballasting and can be related to subsea pipelines, cables, umbilicals, foundations or platforms. In addition, Jan De Nul Group also installs cables and umbilicals for these three offshore industries. These types of services are offered on an EPC basis and are always tailor-made to the client’s specific wishes.

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