Sector News
Ground broken on new test stand for generator/converter systems
Work recently got under way on the Institute’s latest construction project with digging a whole for the heavy-duty foundations of a 250 m 2 hall in the direct vicinity of IWES´s nacelle test bench. If all goes to plan, a new test stand for minimal systems – comprising a high-speed generator and converter system – is set to open there in spring 2019. This test facility is being financed in the scope of the HilGridCop project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economics Affairs and Energy (BMWi). The aim of its use is accelerated electrical certification testing of wind energy turbines at considerably lower costs than those associated with the testing of a complete nacelle. The new test stand and the DyNaLab will share a virtual grid, which will be expanded substantially so as to allow additional and more advanced functions.
Construction projects so close to the port quay in Bremerhaven bring with them special requirements: in order to be able to lay resilient heavy-duty foundations with a 15 cm-thick steel plate in the sandy ground, there are 30 piles measuring 15 meters in length in place to secure the foundation plate. This results in a load-bearing capacity of 650 tonnes. The costs for the new building will be shared between Fraunhofer IWES and the parent company. The funding for the test structure for power engineering components that will be housed within it will come from the “HilGridCop” project. The testing of minimal systems for certification of the electrical system on its own requires high speeds and a low torque. The test structure will be equipped with a 9 MW drive unit (max. 13 MW in overload) for the reproduction of realistic generator moments using the hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) method. The use of detailed real-time models will ensure optimal exchange of data with the test stand control.
In parallel to the construction of the building, a testing method is also being developed. Its objective is to perform electrical certifications of systems up to 6-7 MW with two- to three-stage gearboxes completely in the laboratory at minimal costs. This offers system manufacturers the advantage of lower time and financial requirements in comparison with tests on the nacelle test stand thanks to the partial automation of processes and simplified logistics:
“For software-supported test management, we are integrating approaches from the automobile industry with the aim, for example, of establishing standardized interfaces to the customer, generating test profiles from the test specification, and only having to control part of the test process manually,” explained Dipl.-Ing. Torben Jersch, Head of Department, Division Turbine and System Technology.
In addition, there are already plans for considerable expansion of the functionalities of the existing virtual grid that will be shared by DyNaLab and the new test stand in order to satisfy the grid integration requirements of future wind turbines: the aim is to be able to replicate systems from extremely weak grids up to special harmonic interference spectra. The first users of the HilGridCop test stand are already waiting in line: the project partners Senvion, Nordex, and Vestas will be the first to test out their minimal systems using the new test structure in 2019. In order to compare and evaluate the results from the laboratory tests, they will also be providing operating data obtained in the field. Each partner is then supplied with only his results for validation purposes.
Testing of grid compatibility for certification of the electrical characteristics of new wind energy turbines (or for recertification of existing models in case of modifications and further developments) is currently almost exclusively performed in situ in the field. The certification campaign generally lasts up to two years in order to test the turbine’s capacity in all weather conditions and grid situations. As such, the industry’s interest in concluding the certification by a defined date and shortening development times whilst obtaining reproducible results all the while is correspondingly high and consistent.
Sector News
Large construction site for the energy transition: RWE modernises two wind farms and increases power generation
Ground frost, gusts of wind, cold – the RWE team braved the adverse conditions. Over the next few weeks, a total of around 100 employees and experts from RWE and its partner companies will be working on two wind farms to dismantle 17 older wind turbines and replace them with 11 new, more powerful ones. By repowering the wind farms in this way, RWE can significantly increase electricity production despite using fewer turbines. This is due to the larger rotor blades being able to capture more wind and produce green electricity even when the wind is weak. At the Lesse and Barbecke sites, the company will increase capacity from 30.6 to 61.8 megawatts (MW).
Katja Wünschel, CEO RWE Renewables Europe & Australia: “43,500 is the number of the day. Once operational, the wind farms will be able to supply the equivalent of 43,500 households with green electricity. Electricity production at both sites will more than triple. Repowering is therefore making an important contribution to the success of the energy transition. But it is not only the climate that benefits, since we voluntarily pay an RWE climate bonus of 0.2 cents per kilowatt hour produced to the local communities. The town of Salzgitter and the municipalities of Lengede, Burgdorf and Söhlde can look forward to a total annual income of up to €280,000, which will be distributed among the municipalities.”
RWE opts for established wind sites in Lesse and Barbecke
The local conditions make the area suitable for wind power, with sufficient distance from the nearest villages and good wind conditions. In Lesse, RWE will replace eleven turbines of the oldest generation (total capacity 19.8 MW) with eight modern turbines with a total capacity of 44.7 MW.
In Barbecke, RWE will replace six existing turbines (total capacity 10.8 MW) with three turbines with an installed capacity of 5.7 MW each (total capacity 17.1 MW). The team has started to set up the construction site and carry out initial road works.
Any repowering project is a logistical challenge. In parallel with the new construction, the old turbines need to remain connected to the grid for as long as possible in order to continue generating green electricity.
Jens Meyer, Project manager at RWE: “We really have our hands full. While we have already laid the first foundation with a diameter of more than 26 metres for the new wind farm in Lesse, we were able to start dismantling the old plant at the same time. We are doing this in the most environmentally-friendly and resource-efficient way possible. We are leaving areas that are no longer required in such a way that they can be used without restriction after dismantling. We also reuse some of the gravel removed from roads and crane pads in the new wind farm.”
How communities benefit from wind power
RWE operates around 90 onshore wind farms in its home market. Involving citizens and local authorities in renewable energy projects is a key element in driving forward the energy transition. It promotes local acceptance. In Germany, the company gives all municipalities with an RWE wind farm a share of the profits. As the RWE climate bonus is paid per kilowatt hour of electricity generated, communities where high-capacity plants are based benefit the most. This creates an additional incentive to replace older plants with modern ones. In Lesse and Barbecke, electricity production will more than triple after repowering. Municipalities can expect to receive up to €280,000 per year of wind farm operation, up from up to €80,000. The additional income can be used, for example, to financially support local facilities such as day-care centres for children, schools and fire brigades. RWE plans to commission all new plants this coming winter.
Sector News
The EU built a record 17 GW of new wind energy in 2023 – wind now 19% of electricity production
The EU built 17 GW of new wind energy in 2023, slightly up on 2022 – and more than ever in a single year in fact. But it’s not enough to reach the EU’s 2030 targets. The EU should be building 30 GW of new wind every year between now and 2030. The actions set out in the EU Wind Power Package and European Wind Charter will help increase the annual build-out – national implementation is key. Wind was 19% of all electricity produced in Europe’s last year.
According to WindEurope data, the EU built 17 GW of new wind farms in 2023: 14 GW onshore; 3 GW offshore. These numbers are slightly up on 2022 and are the most the EU has ever built in a single year. But it’s well below the 30 GW a year that the EU needs to build to meet its new 2030 climate and energy security targets.
Germany built the most new wind capacity followed by the Netherlands and Sweden. The Netherlands built the most new offshore wind, including the 1.5 GW “Hollandse Kust Zuid” – for now the world’s largest wind farm.
The IEA estimates that Europe will build 23 GW a year of new wind over 2024-28. The actions set out in the EU Wind Power Package should deliver a significant increase in the annual build-out – and strengthen Europe’s wind energy supply chain. National implementation of the actions is key.
To that end the commitment to deliver the Wind Power Package that 26 EU Energy Ministers signed before Christmas in the European Wind Charter was key. Crucial actions include the further simplification of permitting, improvements in the design of the auctions to build new wind farms and public financial support for wind turbine manufacturing and key infrastructure.
Wind was 19% of the electricity produced in the EU last year. Hydro was 13%, solar 8% and biomass 3%. Renewables in total amounted to 44% of electricity produced.
The amount of electricity produced from 1 GW of wind continued to grow. The “capacity factor” of new onshore wind farms now ranges from 30-48%, and new offshore wind is consistently 50%. The capacity factor measures how much output you get from a unit of capacity – it varies between different renewable technologies.
Sector News
A Race to the Top China 2023: China’s quest for energy security drives wind and solar development
China is on track to double its utility-scale solar and wind power capacity and shatter the central government’s ambitious 2030 target of 1,200 gigawatts (GW) five years ahead of schedule, if all prospective projects are successfully built and commissioned, according to a new report from Global Energy Monitor (GEM).
China on track to exceed 2030 wind & solar target
With 757 GW of already operating wind and solar, and an additional 750 GW of prospective wind and solar, the majority of which expected to come online by 2025, the central government’s 2030 target is expected to be met 5 years ahead of schedule.
The Global Solar and Wind Power Trackers identify prospective projects that have been announced or are in the pre-construction and construction phases totalling approximately 379 GW of large utility-scale solar and 371 GW of wind capacity, which is roughly equal to China’s current installed operating capacity.
Nearly all of this prospective capacity is part of the government’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and enough to increase the global wind fleet by nearly half and large utility-scale solar installations by over 85%. This amount of prospective solar capacity is triple that of the United States, and accompanied by China’s significant share of approximately one-fifth of the global prospective wind capacity.
The Global Solar and Wind Power Trackers also show:
. China’s operating large utility-scale solar capacity has reached 228 GW – more than the rest of the world combined.
. China’s combined onshore and offshore wind capacity has doubled from what it was in 2017 and now surpasses 310 GW.
. Operating offshore wind capacity has reached 31.4 GW, and accounts for approximately 10% of China’s total wind capacity and exceeds the operating offshore capacity of all of Europe
“This new data provides unrivaled granularity about China’s jaw-dropping surge in solar and wind capacity. As we closely monitor the implementation of prospective projects, this detailed information becomes indispensable in navigating the country’s energy landscape.” Dorothy Mei, Project Manager at Global Energy Monitor
“China is making strides, but with coal still holding sway as the dominant power source, the country needs bolder advancements in energy storage and green technologies for a secure energy future.” Martin Weil, Researcher at Global Energy Monitor
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