Contents In this issue Cover story 5 Numbers The vital stats impacting the market. World outlook


6 Automated solutions for future giants Pemamek


8 Power up


Following huge leaps forward in wind energy production in Europe and China, the US is now primed to follow in their footsteps as its government announces an ambitious set of targets for offshore wind. Abi Millar speaks to Heather Zichal, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, and Professor Barbara Kates-Garnick of Tufts University about what the Biden administration needs to do to get there.


Offshore


11 Pillar of support Wind farms are impossible to both construct and maintain without a fleet of ocean-going vessels on standby. With the offshore sector reaching maturity, a new generation of ships offers greater comfort and far higher environmental standards than their antecedents. Andrea Valentino chats to James Lewis, a business


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sector lead at BMT, and Graham Tyson, a marine specialist at MHI Vestas, about the role ships play in a turbine’s lifespan, how the latest models are helping engineers and the planet alike, and how these ships might develop in future.


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Technology 14 Future fuel


While wind power is going from strength to strength, fossil fuels – most notably, natural gas – remain a vital component of the energy mix for the UK and much of Europe. Fortunately, however, wind is poised to drag the latter into the future by providing the power necessary to create synthetic hydrogen. Greg Noone talks to Angus McIntosh, director of energy futures at SGN, and Kevin Harrison, a senior engineer at NREL, to find out more about the potential of wind-powered electrolysis.


Onshore 17 Storage wars


For decades, the UK has been expanding its wind energy capabilities, with thousands of turbines now scattered across its fields and around its coastlines.


Until recently, however, the country struggled to store all that new electricity. But with loosened regulations, the UK could be at the start of an unprecedented energy storage boom. Andrea Valentino talks to Kayte O’Neill, head of markets at National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), and Professor Phil Taylor, pro vice-chancellor for research and enterprise at the University of Bristol, about how wind has transformed the UK’s energy portfolio, the new importance of battery storage units and how the technology might develop in future.


HSE


20 A double-edged blade As investment in wind power continues to grow, questions have arisen over the environmental impact of wind turbine construction and, as legacy platforms begin to reach the end of their life cycle, their recyclability. Nicholas Kenny speaks to Ray Lewis, market segment manager of wind energy at Diab, and Barry Thompson, CEO of Alpha 311, to learn more about these issues and the ways in which the industry is trying to adapt around them.


Manufacturing 23 Wind affected


From starting 2020 on a high, the wind industry has – inevitably – found itself scrambling to adjust to Covid-19 and all its consequences over the past 18 months. And from disrupted supply chains and delayed projects, there’s certainly plenty to chew on – even if, over the long term, the industry’s future still looks cheery. Andrea Valentino chats to Ken Kaser and Steve Dayney from Siemens Gamesa, and Shashi Barla, a Wood Mackenzie analyst, about how the wind industry has fared in the age of Covid, what that has meant for industry supply chains and how its geographical make-up might change.


26 Beautiful clean power in the US


American Clean Power World Wind Technology / www.worldwind-technology.com


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