Offshore Wind Parks: ExxonMobil oils North Sea gears

A synthetic gear oil by ExxonMobil designed to perform in “demanding environments and temperatures” is now protecting more than 300 turbines at four offshore wind farms in the North Sea.

The Alpha Ventus, Bard Offshore 1, Trianel Windpark Borkum and Thornton Bank (pictured) projects use Mobilgear SHC XMP 320, which is claimed to have a significant edge over traditional mineral oils.

ExxonMobil said the product can extend the interval between oil changes from 18 months to five years, meaning operators minimise maintenance and unscheduled downtime.

Beyond the North Sea sites, it is used on 40,000 wind turbines worldwide.

“In an industry that relies on the performance of turbines, which may stand up to 400 feet high in the air, often in remote environments, there is no such thing as a simple oil change or routine maintenance,” said ExxonMobil brand advisor Rainer Lange.

Read more: ExxonMobil oils North Sea gears - Offshore Wind | ReNews - Renewable Energy News

Alternative Energy: U.S. Offshore Wind Farms Still Years Away, But Leases Finally Auctioned Off - by Michelle R. Smith

European Offshore Wind Farm

There are no offshore wind farms in the U.S., though several are being developed, including Cape Wind off Cape Cod and a small 5-turbine project off Block Island, being developed by Deepwater. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management also plans to auction off leases for several other offshore wind development areas, including Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Virginia, where an auction will be held next month.

It will be a few years before energy is generated by any offshore wind farm in the United States, but efforts to get more of the nation's energy from such sources took a major step forward last week when the federal government for the first time auctioned off leases for wind energy on the outer continental shelf.

Providence-based Deepwater Wind was the provisional winner of the two leases for an area that starts around 10 miles off the coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island and stretches between and to the south of Block Island and Martha's Vineyard. The company bid $3.8 million for the two leases combined, beating out two other bidders in the auction held Wednesday by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a division of the U.S. Department of Interior.

Tommy Beaudreau, director of the bureau, called it a historic moment in the future of clean energy in the country and said it would help in meeting President Barack Obama's goal of increasing the amount of clean energy generated on public lands. The Department of Energy has estimated the area could support enough electricity to power more than 1 million homes.

Read more: U.S. Offshore Wind Farms Still Years Away, But Leases Finally Auctioned Off

Alternative Energy: France seen turning to wind energy and solar power for ‘ecological patriotism’

Offshore Wind Park

France’s government begins a review of the world’s most nuclear-dependent country’s energy policy on Friday (14 September), strongly in support of its small and ailing renewables sector in an effort to boost local jobs and growth.

The French government will launch a second tender to build offshore wind parks on Sept. 16, followed by a third next year, a French industry source said on Monday, as the country seeks to become a leading player in the industry.

The French energy ministry declined to confirm the move, which is part of the previous government’s plans to increase offshore wind power capacity to 6 gigawatts (GW) by 2020.

Read more: France seen turning to wind energy and solar power for ‘ecological patriotism’ | REVE