November 2009 Newsletter

What we can do for you

HUSUM Wind Energy 2010

Thanks to those companies and regions who have registered their interest in joining the UK pavilion at HUSUM Wind Energy in Germany, September 2010. We  will be following up with you regarding your requirements very shortly.

Further events where DECC and other stakeholders will be promoting the UK as a place for wind investment and the UK's capabilities are: 

• WFES 18-21 January, Abu Dhabi
  
• Renewable Energy World  23-25 February, Austin
  
• EWEC 20-23 April, Warsaw
• All Energy 19-20 May, Aberdeen
  
• AWEA 23- 26 May, Dallas
• HUSUM Wind Energy  21-25 September, Husum

If you would like to register your interest, or find out more about the costs and associated packages available for each of these events please contact:  mirelle.ball@ukrenewables.com.

For how DECC's UK Renewables Service can help you expand your business in the UK offshore wind market, please email enquiries@ukrenewables.com or call 01664 565 083.

DECC's UK Renewables Service News

The UK: the number one offshore wind market  DECC's UK Renewables Service in collaboration with UK Trade and Investment and Scottish Development  International hosted a UK pavilion at EWEA European  Offshore Wind. This is the largest European Offshore Wind conference over three days in Stockholm. It attracted 260 exhibitors and 4,850 delegates from over 59 countries.

The Service highlighted the UK as a place for inward  investment as well as the UK's companies and their capabilities in offshore wind through joint activities which  included; a UK seminar involving speakers from DECC,  UKTI, The Crown Estate, Clipper and Skykon who presented the business opportunities in the UKs offshore wind sector.

Alongside the side event other activities included a  whisky reception on the pavilion, reception at the Ambassador's Residence, an enquiry and information service on the pavilion as well as planned one to one  meetings with prospective investors. The UK Minister and Parliamentary Under-Secretary David Kidney also attended the event and presented the UK as the global number one in installed capacity a summary of his speech can be found here.

The event, the stand, receptions and side event were very  well attended and there were very positive messages about  the UK, with a lot of interest in its policies, planning and  future developments in offshore wind.

Success continued at China Wind Power last month. Prior to the event, 22 delegates from 16 UK companies were part of a two day mission in Nanjing, Shanghai and Beijing, involving two site visits to key Chinese manufacturers and a UK-Nanjing workshop which was attended by over 100 Chinese companies. This was followed by a three day exhibition in Beijing at China Wind Power showcasing nine UK companies on a large UK pavilion. The week's activities saw strong UK networking opportunities for all involved and great
exposure for the UK and its strength in offshore wind in terms of its experience, expertise, skills and R&D capability

Through high value missions, effective networking  receptions, UK seminars and visual stand presence, the Service is showing the UK is the world's best offshore wind opportunity and successfully exposing UK business opportunities to international markets - powering ahead to achieve its 2020 targets. 

Industry News

Wind passes 4GW milestone – now powers 2.3  million homes in UK.

DECC is helping the UK wind industry gear up to reach the UK's Renewable Energy Strategy target of 30GW of wind energy by 2020. The industry has now passed 4GW of installed capacity and is now generating the equivalent  electricity for 2.3 million homes.

The 4GW milestone in installed wind energy capacity was broken by the final commissioning of three wind farms – the EDF Energy Renewables 38MW Longpark, Scottish Power Renewables 30 MW Dun Law extension and the first phase of Dong Energy's 173MW Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm.

There are currently over 12GW offshore wind schemes either operational, being built or already with planning permission. When this pipeline of projects is built out in 2012, wind energy could overtake nuclear in installed capacity. The  Crown Estate are expected to announce which developers will be contracted for each of the nine zones going into Round 3 by the end of the year.

Click here for more information

World's biggest blades to be made in UK

DECC has announced new government grants for three offshore wind energy companies at the TUC annual conference, including production of the world's biggest blades.

With strong government backing, the UK is consolidating its lead in offshore wind energy. The UK already has more offshore wind energy than any other country, the biggest wind farm in the world about to start construction and now the biggest turbine blades in the world will be made here.

As part of the £120m committed by the Government for UK offshore wind development, three of the latest companies to receive funding are: 

• Clipper Wind Power – £4.4m to develop their first prototype 70m blade for the Britannia project – the largest wind turbines in the world.
  
• Artemis Intelligent Power – £1m to transfer their existing technology from automotive to wind energy. 
  
• Siemens Wind Power UK – £1.1m to develop the next generation power convertors for their larger offshore turbine.