UK to Invest £400 Million in Offshore Wind, 40 Years of Nordex, Overcoming Drone Threats
Highlights from EP 273 & exclusive content
⏱️ 6 minute read ⏱️
All four hosts were on hand for Tuesday’s Uptime Wind Energy Podcast, and they had a lot to cover. The wind industry moves fast!
We hit the highlights in this newsletter - and include some items that didn’t fit in the recording - but you’ll always get more context when you listen to the podcast.
UK’s Big Investment in Wind is a Big Deal
It turns out that King Charles III’s visit to SeAH Wind at Teeside earlier this year was no accident: the King’s Crown Estate just announced it will invest £400 million investment in the supply chain for wind turbines at sea.
A law that passed in April allows the Crown Estate to borrow from the Treasury, so it can now use its cash reserves for investing in energy and decarbonization projects - and it will.
Our hosts agree that it’s a big deal and a smart strategic move. Not surprisingly, our hosts don’t agree if, how, or when other countries (and of course we mean the U.S.) should or could make a similar move.
But if they always agreed, then it wouldn’t be the most exciting wind energy podcast on the planet, would it? Don’t miss an episode; subscribe for free on YouTube.
Nordex Looks Good at 40
Since 1985, Nordex has developed 46 different onshore turbine designs. Hub heights increased from 30 meters to 179 meters and machines evolved from 250 kilowatt to 7 megawatts. Among the company’s cool innovations: its N117/2400 was the first to include carbon fiber girders in rotor blades. And in 2016, it unified what was initially two separate companies (Nordex SE and Acciona) to become Nordex Group.
Lots of accomplishments in the first 40 years! Wonder what’s next? Us too. Last week’s discussion centered on the company’s patent application for a new design of a two-part turbine blade. We got nitty-gritty level with the financial trade-offs and manufacturing process requirements. Listen here.
PES Exclusive: Pemamek Modernizing Monopile Fabrication Methods
Open the latest PES Wind magazine to the article about Pemamek, and you’ll get a good look at the future of welding and intelligent manufacturing solutions.
Today’s monopiles are up to 15 meters in diameter with steel thickness reaching 180 millimeters - that’s 7 inches thick.
“Finding welders who can weld 7-inch thick steel is incredibly difficult,” Allen said.
The family-owned company’s heavy-duty welding automation, high-end processes, integrated material handling, and digitalized production control boost throughput while improving quality.
We discussed the process and why it’s so important to offshore. Learn more in the PES article.
TotalEnergies Wins Major German Offshore Wind Auction
French energy giant TotalEnergies, through its subsidiary Offshore Wind One, won the competitive bidding process with a final price of 180 million euros for the 141-km site.
Mandatory overplanting requires 10-20% excess capacity installation, increasing project complexity. The auction featured multiple zero-subsidy bids, which triggered a dynamic bidding round and highlighted increasing risks in offshore wind development.
Our team breaks it down and looks at the risks - and opportunities - in this evolving process.
Suspicious drone activities near German military bases; where are they from?
Multiple suspicious drone flights have been spotted over German military and other critical infrastructure, including a chemical factory, and a LNG terminal. Concerns about hybrid warfare and unconventional threats to European security infrastructure are growing.
The suspicious drones escaped police drones by fleeing at 100 km/hr. German intelligence suspects Russian involvement in surveillance activities.
Our crew discusses the use of temporary flight restrictions for drones in the U.S. and EU, and that the threat to undersea (offshore) installations is just as real.
Questions? Comments? We love to hear our listeners and readers. The more people who are involved in these discussions, the better! Let us know what you think here, or join the conversation on our LinkedIn page.
Links below take you straight to the stories we’re covering, so share with confidence, knowing you’re not sending clickbait to your colleagues.
Subscribe, listen, read the notes below and stay up to date with the wind energy world with us.
Wind Farm of the Week: Rural Charm, Real Power
Visible from Indiana’s Interstate 65, Meadow Lake Wind Farm is one of the largest wind farms in the United States with an 801 MW capacity. Operated by EDP Renewables North America, Meadow Lake’s 414 turbines deliver clean electricity to approximately 240,000 homes annually.
Yes, that’s Indiana, with its traditionally coal-heavy grid.
Nestled in farm fields, Meadow Lake shows America’s heartland is embracing wind energy - in part because of the economic impact renewables bring to communities.
For Meadow Lake, that includes $20 million annually in economic activity for the region, supporting jobs in construction, maintenance, and local services. Landowner lease payments provide a stable income stream for farmers, preserving agricultural land while diversifying revenue. An estimated $30 million in property taxes over the project’s life supports ocal schools and infrastructure.
The wind farm offsets approximately 1.2 million tons of CO2 emissions each year, equivalent to removing 260,000 cars from the road, and saves more than 1.4 Billion gallons of water each year. Extensive studies and post-construction monitoring have been conducted to minimize impacts on wildlife.
Congratulations to everyone working at Meadow Lake Wind Farm! We are happy to feature you as our Wind Farm of the Week!
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Where’s the Lightning Near You? Find Out
The Western US was getting hammered earlier this week. What are your turbines up against? Find out. Lightning will shorten the life of your equipment if it’s not protected.
How StrikeTape differs from other lightning diverters
StrikeTape is proven to protect wind turbine blades in the real-world conditions where wind farms operate. Many other diverters fail in the field because they’re inadequately designed, not made of high-quality materials, not properly positioned, or not properly installed.
StrikeTape lightning diverters were designed and manufactured specifically for the wind industry.
The materials used in StrikeTape have been rain-erosion and UV tested. (See the specs here.)
Our engineers work with clients to ensure that the diverter’s placement is optimal for their equipment and site conditions, and that they are installed to maximize protection and longevity.
Want the best protection for your blades? Get StrikeTape.
Got questions? Get answers ➡️Joel.saxum@wglightning.com
➡️ NEW Webinar, plus Replay Links
Did you catch this week’s Uptime Podcast, PES Wind & SkySpecs webinar?
It focused on when to do drone inspections, and which tools are best to address specific problems.
Want a link to the replay? Just ask us!
⚡️NEWSFLASH 6/23/25:
🔆 SPOTLIGHT 6/19/25:
🖥️ More than a MILLION people subscribe to our YouTube channel. Do you?
Interesting Finds From Around the Web
Drone sightings near bases, infrastructure unnerve German officials
German wind farms asked to install radar amid security concerns
Chartwell Marine commissioned for ‘Defiant Class’ CTV to serve legacy wind turbines
Wind Energy Stock Watch
Vestas (VWDRY) $5.21 USD
GE (GEV) $510.84 USD
Siemens Energy AG (SMNEY) $106.68 USD
Goldwind (XJNGF) $.88USD
Iberdrola (IBE.MC) €16.70 EUR
Nordex (NRDXF) $18.83 USD
Stock prices as of close Tuesday, June 24. Note some stocks use OTC Delayed Price.
Stay informed: Uptime Tech News delivers wind energy news and insights on the latest technology, fresh from experts around the world. If you learned something, please forward to a friend. If this newsletter was forwarded to you, subscribe now.
Have a great week and thanks for listening! - Allen, Rosie, Joel, Phil & everyone from the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast
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Thanks for improving Wind Energy with Us!
The Uptime Wind Energy Podcast is brought to you by Weather Guard Lightning Tech and BuildTurbines.com. Listen now, read previous issues of the newsletter here, and whatever you do, don’t miss an episode.
