Vattenfall’s New Leader, French Floating Wind Farm

Allen Hall covers the appointment of Catrin Jung as Vattenfall's
new head of wind division, the Netherlands reaching 20% renewable
energy in 2024, Quebec's $1.1 billion funding for a major wind
project, and France commissioning its first floating wind farm.
Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all
things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather
Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather
Guard's StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the
show
on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit
Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes'
YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the
show? Email us! Good news from the offshore wind industry
today. Vattenfall has named a new leader for its wind business
division. Catrin Jung will take over as Head of Business Area Wind
starting July first. Jung currently leads the company's offshore
wind operations. She replaces Helene Bistrom, who is leaving the
company. Jung joined Vattenfall in two thousand two. She has
managed some of the company's largest investments in recent years.
The wind division handles both offshore and onshore wind projects.
It also manages large solar and battery projects. Jung says staying
focused on fossil freedom is more important than ever in these
uncertain times. The Netherlands reached a major renewable energy
milestone last year. Renewable energy made up nearly twenty percent
of the country's total energy use in twenty twenty four. That's up
from seventeen point four percent in twenty twenty three.
Statistics Netherlands released the preliminary data. The increase
comes mainly from new offshore wind turbines and more biodiesel use
in transportation. The overall renewable energy consumption reached
three hundred fifty eight petajoules. That's a fifteen percent
increase from twenty twenty three. Biomass remained the largest
renewable source. Wind came second, followed by solar power.
Renewables were mostly used for electricity at sixty percent. Heat
and cooling accounted for twenty eight percent. Transport fuels
made up twelve percent. The share of renewables has more than
doubled compared to five years ago. A major wind energy project in
Quebec has secured its funding. Invenergy and a consortium of 209
municipalities and territories in Eastern Quebec announced the
closing of one point one billion dollars Canadian in financing. The
money will fund the PPAW 1 Wind Energy Centre. The work will create
three hundred fifty jobs during construction. Construction will
happen throughout twenty twenty five and twenty twentysix.
Commercial operation is expected in late twenty twenty six. Once
operational, the project will add three hundred fifty megawatts to
the local grid. France has achieved a renewable energy first. EDF
Renewables has fully commissioned the country's first floating wind
farm. The Provence Grand Large wind farm has a power capacity of
twenty five megawatts. The farm features three floating wind
turbines installed seventeen kilometers off the France's
Mediterranean coast This is the first floating wind farm in France
and across the entire Mediterranean basin. The project uses unique
anchoring technology. Siemens Gamesa built the turbines. They're
installed on floats with tight anchor lines. The technology was
inspired by systems used to stabilize oil platforms. SBM Offshore
and IFP Energies Nouvelles developed this technology. It's suitable
for deep sea areas and provides excellent float stability. Bernard
Fontana, Chairman and CEO of EDF, says the project helps diversify
renewable energy sources. He calls it an important project for
France's energy sovereignty. The experience will help with
construction of EDF's second floating wind farm, Mediterranee Grand
Large. EDF was awarded that contract in December twenty twenty
four.