Offshore Wind: Time for a Market Take-off?

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/10/large-wind

The offshore wind market is finding its feet across the globe, with major projects completed and under construction in the UK, swiftly gathering momentum for renewables under the Obama administration in the United States, increasing focus and investment in China, and new projects planned in Germany, Belgium and other European countries.

From virtually nothing in 2000, the industry today can boast 1.5 GW of installed offshore wind capacity, of which 334 MW – more than one fifth – was installed in 2008 alone, see Figure 1, (below). An additional 1.5 GW is currently under construction, and Douglas-Westwood forecasts more than 5 GW will be in the water by 2012.

Offshore in Europe

The United Kingdom, in particular, has assumed the mantle of leadership in the industry. With seven operating wind power plants sporting 530 MW of capacity, the UK leads the industry by far. And that gap will grow. The UK has six projects totalling 1.2 GW under construction, and looks to add another 900 MW by 2012.

The offshore industry can trace its lineage to the Danes, for it was Denmark which first championed offshore wind in scale. From 2001–2003, Denmark built 500 MW of offshore wind with its groundbreaking Horns Rev and Nysted projects. After taking a pause to gain experience in the operation and integration of wind power into its energy portfolio, the Danes will be back from 2009, and we expect them to add nearly 1 GW of capacity by 2012.

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There was no regulatory framework for developing offshore wind - that area is publicly owned and there was no process for managing the wind resource for commercial development. It could have been addressed more quickly than it was, but the Congressional representatives of nuclear and fossil fuel interests have done everything possible to delay the process.

The current status is a full go on the regulatory side, but now we are running into constraints due to turbine availability and lack of properly equipped vessels to do the installation.

"Drill, Drill, Drill!" rhetoric, fundie boy?

Denmark is a dangerous fossil fuel exporter and consumer, using all its wonderful new offshore platforms.

We'll put this with the Utsira wishful thinking you offered here several years ago.

If it is that agencies responsible for offshore wind tend to be the same ones that have historically also regulated offshore fossil energy, then I have to agree, many countries do extend the authority of existing regulatory agencies to cover the NEW offshore energy resources such as wind and tidal. For example we gave over the job to the Minerals Management Service because they have the most expertise in leasing public lands for energy extraction. Here is a blurb from their website.



If, as is more probable, you are attempting to find a deeper meaning in the fact that countries are co-locating regulatory authority for offshore wind with the regulators for offshore oil and gas, then you are once more proving just how scatterbrained you are.

You have zero interest in confronting the dangerous fossil fuel crisis and are fucking clueless who its players are.

I have pointed out elsewhere, unsing something called data directly from the Danish Energy Agency with whose pages I am infinitely familiar that the entire wind industry in the entire nation of Denmark produces less energy than the Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant in New Jersey, the one that people who favor nuclear ignorance oppose.

But the point is, in case you missed it, Kiddie, is that Denmark is actively running oil and gas drilling rigs in the North Sea. A country that gives a fuck about phasing out fossil fuels wouldn't be drilling and drilling and drilling and drilling.

It's all over the website, which as it happens tonight is down.

My point is that there is NOT ONE, zero, anti-nuke fundies anywhere on this fucking planet who give a fuck about dangerous fossil fuel waste and zero anti-nuke fundies who are the least bit interested in phasing out dangerous fossil fuels, from the little shit Danes who have disgraced the nation of Neils Bohr, to the little F-150 driving twirps who write oblvious stupid little about "someday" IGCC coal plants filling huge dangerous fossil fuel dumps.

Got it?

No?

Why am I not suprised?

My position is kiddie, although you can't seem to get it, is that a phase out of dangerous fossil fuels is an essential task before humanity and you are too fucking oblivious to grasp it.

Maybe you think you're OK because you can drive your car uphill:

"The Danish wind industry hasn't ended fossil fuel use."

That would be a succinct version of your tirade.

That makes it obvious how crazy your thinking is, but just to put a point on it: the nuclear industry has been getting vastly more support for a very, very long time, and as far as I know that hasn't ended fossil fuel use either.

AND if we follow your (?)logic(?) to its ultimate conclusion we must realize that since nothing has yet ended fossil fuel use, then it must follow from your (?)argument(?) against wind that NOTHING can displace fossil fuels.

My, but you are such a clever and erudite person to work that out all by yourself.

is that why we haven't built a nuclear plant in 30 years?

And count the $$.

:rofl:

North Sea doesn't it?

http://images.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=72164">On the Nini Fields with the Maersk Resolute!

The, um, Nini field?

That can't be a coincidence can it? The largest exporter of dangerous fossil fuels to Germany other than Russia, Denmark, has a Nini field?

They certainly have a bunch of Ninnys here greenwashing their disinterest in phasing out dangerous fossil fuels don't they.

Have a nice airhead giggly evening Nini boy.