Wednesday 7th January 2015

Statnett eyes €2bn cable decision in Q1

Statnett is set to make a final decision by the end of March on whether to build a €2bn cable between the UK and Norway.

The Norwegian grid operator is working with UK operator National Grid on a plan to build a 700km-long subsea cable in the North Sea by 2020. The plan would enable Norway to import wind and solar power from the UK, and export hydropower to the UK.

State-owned Statnett won backing for the development from the Norwegian government in October, but said the timing of its final investment decision worth depend on negotiations with contractors.

GDF Suez names Hartmann as CFO

French utility GDF Suez has announced that Judith Hartmann is set to replace CEO-in-waiting Isabelle Kocher as chief financial officer.

The company, which is a leading player in onshore wind in France and at the forefront of the French offshore sector, announced the appointment yesterday. Hartmann was previously chief financial officer at media company Bertlesman, and held senior roles at GE.

The appointment means that GDF Suez is set to be the first leading French firm with women in the top two jobs. Kocher is expected to take over as chief executive officer of GDF Suez when current CEO Gerard Mestrallet’s term expires in May 2016.

DW shuts N.I. scheme after collapse

DW Consulting has closed its 20MW Screggagh project in Northern Ireland after one of its eight 2.5MW Nordex turbines collapsed.

The developer has closed the scheme until it finds out the reason for the collapse of the Nordex N80 turbine at the wind farm, which is located near Fintona in County Tyrone, on 2 January. The £26m project was commissioned in early 2011.

DW said the wind farm would remain offline until it completed a full investigation into the reason for the collapse. Nordex said it is investigating the cause of the turbine failure.

US coop signs 300MW US wind deals

US energy cooperative Basin Electric has signed power purchase agreements totalling 300MW with two schemes in North Dakota.

The cooperative, which is parent of eight subsidiary companies, has signed the deals with NextEra Energy Resources, for power from its 150MW Dickinson Wind Energy Center; and Tradewind Energy, for energy from its 150MW Lindahl Wind Project.

NextEra plans to commission its project by the end of 2015, while Tradewind is due to commission its scheme by the end of 2016.

RWE eyes Galloper resurrection

RWE Innogy is set to clarify the future of its scrapped 340MW Galloper offshore wind farm by the end of April.

The German developer announced in October that it had shelved the 68-turbine scheme off the east coast of England. However, it has now said it is in talks with potential new partners on the project and plans to make an announcement by the end of April.

The developer has been working on Galloper with utility SSE, which announced in March 2014 that it was pulling out of the project. The pair are still working on on the project until its future is clear.

Statnett eyes €2bn cable decision in Q1

Statnett is set to make a final decision by the end of March on whether to build a €2bn cable between the UK and Norway.

The Norwegian grid operator is working with UK operator National Grid on a plan to build a 700km-long subsea cable in the North Sea by 2020. The plan would enable Norway to import wind and solar power from the UK, and export hydropower to the UK.

State-owned Statnett won backing for the development from the Norwegian government in October, but said the timing of its final investment decision worth depend on negotiations with contractors.

GDF Suez names Hartmann as CFO

French utility GDF Suez has announced that Judith Hartmann is set to replace CEO-in-waiting Isabelle Kocher as chief financial officer.

The company, which is a leading player in onshore wind in France and at the forefront of the French offshore sector, announced the appointment yesterday. Hartmann was previously chief financial officer at media company Bertlesman, and held senior roles at GE.

The appointment means that GDF Suez is set to be the first leading French firm with women in the top two jobs. Kocher is expected to take over as chief executive officer of GDF Suez when current CEO Gerard Mestrallet’s term expires in May 2016.

DW shuts N.I. scheme after collapse

DW Consulting has closed its 20MW Screggagh project in Northern Ireland after one of its eight 2.5MW Nordex turbines collapsed.

The developer has closed the scheme until it finds out the reason for the collapse of the Nordex N80 turbine at the wind farm, which is located near Fintona in County Tyrone, on 2 January. The £26m project was commissioned in early 2011.

DW said the wind farm would remain offline until it completed a full investigation into the reason for the collapse. Nordex said it is investigating the cause of the turbine failure.

US coop signs 300MW US wind deals

US energy cooperative Basin Electric has signed power purchase agreements totalling 300MW with two schemes in North Dakota.

The cooperative, which is parent of eight subsidiary companies, has signed the deals with NextEra Energy Resources, for power from its 150MW Dickinson Wind Energy Center; and Tradewind Energy, for energy from its 150MW Lindahl Wind Project.

NextEra plans to commission its project by the end of 2015, while Tradewind is due to commission its scheme by the end of 2016.

RWE eyes Galloper resurrection

RWE Innogy is set to clarify the future of its scrapped 340MW Galloper offshore wind farm by the end of April.

The German developer announced in October that it had shelved the 68-turbine scheme off the east coast of England. However, it has now said it is in talks with potential new partners on the project and plans to make an announcement by the end of April.

The developer has been working on Galloper with utility SSE, which announced in March 2014 that it was pulling out of the project. The pair are still working on on the project until its future is clear.

Statnett eyes €2bn cable decision in Q1

Statnett is set to make a final decision by the end of March on whether to build a €2bn cable between the UK and Norway.

The Norwegian grid operator is working with UK operator National Grid on a plan to build a 700km-long subsea cable in the North Sea by 2020. The plan would enable Norway to import wind and solar power from the UK, and export hydropower to the UK.

State-owned Statnett won backing for the development from the Norwegian government in October, but said the timing of its final investment decision worth depend on negotiations with contractors.

GDF Suez names Hartmann as CFO

French utility GDF Suez has announced that Judith Hartmann is set to replace CEO-in-waiting Isabelle Kocher as chief financial officer.

The company, which is a leading player in onshore wind in France and at the forefront of the French offshore sector, announced the appointment yesterday. Hartmann was previously chief financial officer at media company Bertlesman, and held senior roles at GE.

The appointment means that GDF Suez is set to be the first leading French firm with women in the top two jobs. Kocher is expected to take over as chief executive officer of GDF Suez when current CEO Gerard Mestrallet’s term expires in May 2016.

DW shuts N.I. scheme after collapse

DW Consulting has closed its 20MW Screggagh project in Northern Ireland after one of its eight 2.5MW Nordex turbines collapsed.

The developer has closed the scheme until it finds out the reason for the collapse of the Nordex N80 turbine at the wind farm, which is located near Fintona in County Tyrone, on 2 January. The £26m project was commissioned in early 2011.

DW said the wind farm would remain offline until it completed a full investigation into the reason for the collapse. Nordex said it is investigating the cause of the turbine failure.

US coop signs 300MW US wind deals

US energy cooperative Basin Electric has signed power purchase agreements totalling 300MW with two schemes in North Dakota.

The cooperative, which is parent of eight subsidiary companies, has signed the deals with NextEra Energy Resources, for power from its 150MW Dickinson Wind Energy Center; and Tradewind Energy, for energy from its 150MW Lindahl Wind Project.

NextEra plans to commission its project by the end of 2015, while Tradewind is due to commission its scheme by the end of 2016.

RWE eyes Galloper resurrection

RWE Innogy is set to clarify the future of its scrapped 340MW Galloper offshore wind farm by the end of April.

The German developer announced in October that it had shelved the 68-turbine scheme off the east coast of England. However, it has now said it is in talks with potential new partners on the project and plans to make an announcement by the end of April.

The developer has been working on Galloper with utility SSE, which announced in March 2014 that it was pulling out of the project. The pair are still working on on the project until its future is clear.