Maybe getting late to the party was a good thing for the US Offshore Wind industry?
Jumping in when the costly development of the technology has been done by others saves doing up again the mistakes and early steps in the development process.
US may go directly onto installing high efficiency, large capacity windmills instead of slowly building up from small and inefficient ones: https://gcaptain.com/worlds-largest-offshore-wind-turbines-coming-to-u-s-waters/
PS> I notice that the article doesnât mention the fact that GEâs development and production of large nacelles are all at their offshore wind facilities and HQ in France, which they bought over from Alstrom some years ago.
Development costs are high. In any capital intensive industry nobody wants to be the first to adapt a new technology but will happily be the second once it is proven. In 2006 while I was in Korea one of the companies I was work alongside was a Greek tanker company. They were just getting into the LNG business. Their first LNG tanker was steam powered as it was a proven technology for the time even though all their regular tankers were diesel. Their subsequent LNG newbuildings were diesel as that has proven the new norm.
That said the US has a rather large land based Wind Industry where many lessons were learned over the years.
If T Boone Pickens ( RIP) bailed out of wind you know its a loss maker.
After several years of wind farms I think the long term costs are coming home to roost
He doesnât know what heâs talking about, T Boone gave up, the Chinese came in and Texas produces more wind generated electricity than California. Wind isnât going away.
T Boone was just a bit early in the game. His plan for fleets of NG powered semiâs and wind power were spot on, timing just wasnât there for him. Wind costs were much higher then too. Always liked that guy. And agree, wind power is not going away by any means, nor is solar.
True. What are you guys doing to prepare yourself for all the marine work that will come with Offshore wind power? (Once resistance to it diminish in the US)
Canât bitch about other nations vessels doing the work if we donât have the equipment ourselves. Some are being purpose built, but way behind the curve.
what backs up wind and solar so you have power when you need it?
the 36% figure surprises me knowing UK weather?
Nuclear âstill neededâ
However, the nuclear industry said that because wind power is intermittent, nuclear energy would still be needed.
Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: âIt doesnât matter how low the price of offshore wind is. On last yearâs figures it only produced electricity for 36% of the time.â
EDF, which is building the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant, said the UK still needed a âdiverse, well-balancedâ mix of low-carbon energy.
âNew nuclear remains competitive for consumers who face extra costs in providing back-up power when the wind doesnât blow or the sun doesnât shine,â the French firm said.
âThere are also costs of dealing with excess electricity when there is too much wind or sun.â
I think the storage is the secret to wind and solar beating all other forms of power.
I do like the solar plants that heat salt as they can store the liquid hot salt to run the turbines at night.
Norway has enough hydro power to send surplus to Europe most of the time.
If not enough they can import wind, coal or nuclear generated power the other way. (Through the same cable system)
PS> I was in Australia when a Norwegian company developed the Snowy Mountain hydroelectric project. (Early 1960s) Lots of Finnish workers were used on the project- They came to Sydney for their 2 weeks R&R. (Many retured after 1 week)