Windbiz

Barrow Turbines Erected at '04 Prices

DONG and Centrica are now erecting turbines for the 30 x 3 MW project offshore at Barrow. One assumes they locked in Vestas at acceptable prices, as the price tag in the article suggests €1.73 mln/MW installed - about what Scroby Sands and North Hoyle cost.

Aside from the news capsule, check out the comment below on the same Evening Mail article.  A. Gearanch of Scotland assumes a 24% capacity factor on this offshore farm - rather absurd considering most offshore farms are at 35% and above (North Hoyle: 38%).  Also thanks to Gearanch for underlining the evil subsidies to wind, because, um, there are no subsidies to coal, nuclear, or oil.  So anyway, since wind's not going to do anything to control climate change, the UK should accept nice, clear skies like this.  More champagne anyone?      

Energi E2, E.ON UK Put Scarweather Sands on Hold

This is bad short term news for the wind industry.  According to an article in Danish paper Jyllands-Posten, a 70% increase in turbine prices since 2002 has made Scarweather Sands unprofitable. The 90 MW Round 1 Project is one of the furthest along, behind Kentish Flats (90 MW installed this year) and before Barrow (2007 construction schedule).  You can bet these price hikes are for Vestas and Siemens turbines, and they are throwing off business plans for all projects in the queue--which is going to push back MW installed forecasts, and the UK hitting its RO target.  Hopefully the Vestas 108 MW project in the Netherlands, and other projects in Sweden can pick up the industry slack as the UK projects return to the business model drawing board. 

UPDATE

E.ON Renewables went ahead and made the postponement official, shooting for 2009 and giving reassurances the project is not totally dead. We'll be hearing more announcements like these.