Europe/Middle East/Africa

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Clean Energy Drives Digitalization In Power Sector. Market Growth: $64Bn by 2025

A shift is coming in the energy industry with a focus on hardware to the increased importance of software in order to make systems more efficient, resilient, and digital. Digital technologies for fossil fuel operation and maintenance are big business today, but activity is shifting towards services for distributed renewables and the connected home. New energy innovations will be centred on digital technologies and the strategic use of data, according to new research published today.

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European Innovation Engine InnoEnergy and World Alliance Pen Landmark Agreement

InnoEnergy, Europe’s sustainable energy innovation engine supported by the EIT, has signed a letter of agreement with the World Alliance for Efficient Solutions (World Alliance) to enhance the impact and increase the synergies of clean, smart and energy efficient technologies. The World Alliance is a not-for-profit organisation, launched by the Solar Impulse Foundation. The companies will collaborate on a range of initiatives, including events and mutual promotion with start-ups and investors, whilst also working more closely with their respective networks of industry experts.

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Microsoft Commits To Clean Energy. Signs Major Power Supply Deal With Vattenfall

Microsoft has signed a ten-year agreement to power its international data centre operations in the Netherlands, with Vattenfall. The deal is the largest in the sector – based entirely on wind power. Production at the Wieringermeer Wind Farm, Netherlands is due to start from 2019. “Investing in local clean energy to power our local data centre is a win-win for our business and the Netherlands. Microsoft is committed to bringing new renewable energy sources online to power our data centres,” said Brian Janous, general manager of energy at Microsoft. The Wind Farm will eventually include 100 windmills, producing approximately 1.3 TWh of renewable electricity, comparable to the consumption of around 370,000 households.

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Dubai’s Transformation Into Smart City Under Way, Using New Technolgy From ABB

ABB technology is supporting the development of new smart solar power systems for the city of Dubai, UAE. Dubai Electric & Water Authority (DEWA) is using the ABB AbilityTM Electrical Distribution Control System to help develop data-driven strategies that maximize year-round solar energy production as part of the Smart Dubai initiative. “We seek to promote Dubai as a smart, sustainable, and integrated city with a high-tech infrastructure to support social and economic development, as well as promote sustainable use of resources by ensuring best practices in consumption, efficiency and governance,” said his Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

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Construction Starts On Horns Rev 3, Denmark’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm

Construction is commencing on Denmark’s largest offshore wind farm, the 406 MW Horns Rev 3. Vattenfall won the contract for its construction in 2015 and is installing the first of a total of 49 foundations in the North Sea. It is the first time in five years that an offshore wind farm will be built in Denmark and when Horns Rev 3 is complete, it will provide enough power to satisfy the annual electricity consumption of 425,000 Danish households. The 8.3 MW turbines are 187 metres high and have a rotor diameter of 164 metres. They are manufactured by MHI Vestas and are today one of the world’s most powerful wind turbines.

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Energy And Corporate Leaders Declare Wind And Solar Can Power Business In Europe

The private sector accounts for around half of the electricity consumption in Europe. Powering corporate consumers with renewable energy could deliver massive reductions in CO2 emissions, save businesses money and make it easier for people to invest in renewables. Large energy consumers such as chemical and aluminium producers, ICT and food & drink companies gathered recently in Brussels with renewable energy producers to consider how to unlock this potential. The RE-Source 2017 event brought together industry leaders such as Google, Mars, IKEA and Alcoa with energy players EDF Energies Nouvelles, ENEL Green Power, Envision and Vestas with policymakers.

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Uganda Inaugurates Breakthrough Tororo PV Plant. A Future Model For Africa?

Production has commenced at the Tororo PV power plant; which, with 16 GWh of renewable energy generated annually, will cater for the energy requirements of 35,838 people and help reduce CO2 emissions by 7,200 tons. Overall, $19.6 million was invested to build the 10 MWp plant, with the engagement of several major organisations including KfW and FMO Development Banks, the World Bank and the EU. Attilio Pacifici, EU Ambassador said, “One of the key objectives of this plan is to encourage private sector participation in higher risk investments and we’re happy to demonstrate that Uganda is well positioned to be successful and a good model for replication.”

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EDF Completes Blythe Installation Of Potent New Turbines, Powering 34,000 Homes

The Blyth Offshore Demonstrator project will produce enough low-carbon electricity to power approximately 34,000 UK households, using 8.0MW wind turbines with a power mode uprating them to 8.3MW. It will save around 57,600 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year and is the first offshore wind project to connect using 66kv rated cables. It’s also the first time that a “float and submerge” gravity-based foundation (GBF) has been used for offshore wind turbines. Each GBF is made up of more than 1,800m3 of concrete and weighs over 15,000 tonnes when fully installed on the seabed, and the structures have a total height of around 60 metres from the base to the access platform.

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Amarenco Consolidates In France; Acquires Clean Energy Developer Groupe Carré

Amarenco, an independent power producer based in Ireland, has announced its acquisition of Groupe Carré, one of the leading renewable energy project developers active in France. The acquisition of Groupe Carré, a company with a long track-record of project development, construction and O&M in France, strengthens Amarenco’s position in France’s promising wind and solar energy markets. It also supports the strategic objectives of the company in France, where over the last few years, it has invested over 300 million euros to build its renewable energy asset portfolio in the country.

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Wind Energy Has The Potential To Provide 30% Of Europe’s Power By 2030

Wind energy has the potential to provide up to 30% of Europe’s power by 2030 according to reports by WindEurope. These state that Europe is on course for an average installation rate of 12.6 GW per year in the years up to 2020, taking it to a total of 204 GW by 2020. By this date wind would be Europe’s largest renewable energy source, surpassing hydro and providing 16.5% of it’s electricity demand. The growth is concentrated in six countries, with Eastern Europe, a platform for growth beyond 2020.

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DEWA Awards World’s Largest CSP Project To ACWA, Shanghai Elec. Led Consortium

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has awarded the 700MW AED14.2 billion-fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to a consortium comprising Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power and China’s Shanghai Electric. This is the largest single-site Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project in the world and will have the world’s tallest solar tower, measuring 260 metres. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is the largest single-site solar park in the world and will generate 1,000MW by 2020 and 5,000MW by 2030.