OMNI Features｜Parkwind and MJR Power Collaborate to Launch the World-First Offshore Green Energy Charging System．ABL Secures MWS Contract for France-Spain Electricity Interconnection Project．Chinese Wind Turbine Manufacturer Secures First German Order　Rising Tensions in the European Trade Market

｜Parkwind and MJR Power Collaborate to Launch the World-First Offshore Green Energy Charging System
Parkwind has installed an innovative offshore vessel charging station system designed to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from offshore maintenance vessels. This pioneering infrastructure is being utilized for the first time at the Nobelwind wind farm, where vessels can directly use locally produced renewable electricity. Developed by UK partner MJR Power and integrated and deployed in collaboration with Parkwind, this technology represents a crucial milestone in achieving low-carbon maritime transport.

Kristof Verlinden, Head of O&M at Parkwind, stated "We are committed to making all of our activities as sustainable as possible and this is a game changer for our maintenance vessels, which can now access green energy direct from our wind turbines as they carry out their work. The trial proved the system can transfer electricity from a wind farm to the vessels safely without any disruption to the farm."

The system, transported from the dock to the offshore substation, was assembled, connected, and commissioned within 2 days using the substation crane in a modular manner. This innovation successfully enables the safe transfer of electricity to operational offshore wind farms.

Parkwind and MJR Power collaborated on the electrical and mechanical interface engineering to install the system on the substation. Parkwind provided offshore logistics, installation, testing support, and power interface. During operation, the system caused no interference to wind farm operations nor damage to any components of the charging system, superstructure, or vessels. The entire operation was safely conducted with zero incidents.

The system's operational efficiency has been validated, showcasing features such as simple, quick, and safe hands-free connection and disconnection, free floating, effective tension control and chain management, single-point mooring and following, effective overload protection, and automatic and manual emergency release, with non-destructive recovery and reconnection capabilities, requiring no cleaning, drying, or major overhauls. These characteristics ensure the safe transfer of power from the wind farm to the vessels.

｜ABL Secures MWS Contract for France-Spain Electricity Interconnection Project
ABL has been awarded a contract by INELFE (Interconexión Eléctrica Francia-España, or Electricity Interconnection France-Spain) to provide Marine Warranty Survey (MWS) services. This contract involves overseeing the marine transport and installation of the cross-border connector between France and Spain across the Bay of Biscay. INELFE, established by the French transmission system operator Réseau de Transport d'Électricité and the Spanish utility Red Eléctrica de España, is responsible for the development and commissioning of this interconnector to enhance connectivity between the Iberian Peninsula and other parts of Europe.

The project is co-funded by the European Union and is classified as a Project of Common Interest (PCI). It entails the installation of nearly 400 kilometers of HVDC interconnecting cables, both land and seabed, with a transmission capacity of 2 x 1,000 MW, between the Gatika substation near Bilbao in Spain and the Cubnezais substation in the French Aquitaine region.

Hugues Delanoue, Managing Director of ABL France, stated that ABL brings extensive experience from numerous major interconnector projects worldwide, demonstrating its capability to support this challenging endeavor. ABL's responsibilities include reviewing all technical documentation, drawings, and calculations related to warranty operations, conducting seaworthiness investigations for the proposed fleet (including dynamic positioning tests), and supervising offshore operations. The project will be managed by ABL's French subsidiary based in Paris, with support from the MWS teams in France and Spain.

｜Chinese Wind Turbine Manufacturer Secures First German Order　Rising Tensions in the European Trade Market
This month, a Chinese wind turbine manufacturer secured its first order from Germany, raising concerns within the European Union about the survival of its own industry. The European Commission is investigating whether Chinese companies are benefiting from unfair subsidies, exacerbating tensions between Beijing and Brussels. Europe has previously suffered from the collapse of many solar manufacturers due to policies that did not regulate imports of Chinese products, severely impacting the solar industry. According to data from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), China's production capacity stands at approximately 82 GW, significantly exceeding the domestic market's demand last year and nearly four times that of Europe's capacity.

Data from WindEurope indicates that, to date, Chinese manufacturers such as Goldwind, Mingyang Smart Energy, and Windey Energy account for less than 1% of Europe's wind power capacity. However, Chinese orders have reached 1.2 GW in 2023 alone. So far this year, Europe has ordered 546 MW of Chinese-manufactured wind turbines, including a 296 MW order from Germany's Luxcara to Mingyang earlier this month. The German government has stated it will carefully review this decision.

Despite the challenges of transporting large equipment, most Chinese wind turbine manufacturers do not have European production facilities. Vensys, a division of Goldwind is an exception, it plans to produce 86-meter-long wind turbine blades at its factory in Spain, while Zhenshi Holding Group acquired Airbus' (AIR.PA) Spanish factory in March to manufacture wind blades. Zhang Qiying, Chief Technology Officer of Mingyang Smart Energy, commented that Chinese competition benefits Europe, although not everyone may welcome their presence.

Reference: Parkwind｜Reuters