AI Rewrites the Rules of Power Resilience

With the offshore wind industry rapidly deploying scaled-up turbines – swelling from 2MW versions in 2000 to potential 20MW+ variants by 2030 – new operations and maintenance (O&M) challenges threaten to undermine profitability, efficiency, and safety in the sector.

At the same time, an aging fleet of wind farms now require either repowering or intelligently modified O&M strategies, adding significant layers of complexity to their ongoing viability and financial success.

These dual challenges are part of the focus of a new white paper released by Shoreline Wind; How Robust O&M Plans Boost the Profitability of Offshore Wind Farms.

“The industry is at a crossroads. Larger turbines have increased energy production and reduced costs, but they’ve also introduced new O&M risks. A single failure in these larger turbines can lead to significant downtime and financial loss, an issue already seen in onshore, and now emerging offshore. Combined with aging assets, the need to review and update offshore O&M strategies is more vital than ever,” says Michael Bjerrum, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder at Shoreline Wind.

The white paper explores how larger turbines require a more sophisticated approach to O&M as well as managing balance of plant, including maintenance of larger foundations, Offshore Substations and cables. Bigger turbines demand a seamlessly integrated O&M approach, where every component, must be meticulously evaluated and managed to avoid costly disruptions.

Additionally, over 8GW of offshore wind farms are now more than a decade old – a figure expected to triple in the next four years. Asset owners need tailored O&M plans to cope with the numerous and nuanced technical issues experienced by older machines. On top of this, owners may have to manage these turbines themselves once the initial OEM service deal expires.

Considering these twofold challenges, the paper advocates for early and proactive O&M planning that begins even before a wind farm is fully commissioned. As the scale of offshore projects increase, there is a growing overlap between construction and operations activities, making early O&M planning essential to avoid costly delays and ensure a smooth transition from construction to full operation.

The paper simultaneously highlights the importance of adapting O&M to regional nuances and conditions, as new markets open up and the unique challenges presented by older assets become apparent. It offers guidance on how to tailor O&M plans to diverse geographies, accounting for differences in local conditions, climate, and supply chain constraints.

In addition to larger turbine and aging asset challenges, Shoreline Wind’s white paper addresses several other critical topics, including:

• The impact of global variability in site and climate conditions: adapting O&M strategies to diverse geographical and environmental challenges.
• The importance of aligning O&M plans with partners: ensuring seamless collaboration between owners, OEMs, and contractors.
• Leveraging digital technology: using advanced data-driven systems to enhance O&M efficiency and decision-making.

How Robust O&M Plans Boost the Profitability of Offshore Wind Farms is available to download at Shoreline Wind’s website.

Shoreline Wind | https://shoreline.no/

GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV) has been chosen by Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners (Quinbrook) as the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) integration provider for the second stage, comprising 250 MW/1,000 MWh of storage, of their Supernode BESS project in Queensland, Australia. 

Quinsbrook’s Supernode project, involves the creation of a BESS and data center complex in Queensland. Once complete, the 750 MW (2–4 Hour) BESS site is expected to be one of the largest battery storage installations in the Australian national electricity market. Construction of this 250 MW/1,000MWh battery storage system is the second stage of a proposed three-stage project. In early 2024, GE Vernova was also awarded the contract for BESS integration for Stage 1 of the project comprising 250 MW/500 MWh, which is already underway.

“We believe GE Vernova’s product portfolio, engineering expertise, and project delivery capabilities align perfectly with the needs of the Supernode project,” said Ed Torres, Business Leader of GE Vernova’s Solar & Storage Solutions business. “This project is a testament to the strength of our value proposition and capabilities in this space. We expect to continue to be a valued and trusted collaborator for large grid-scale integrated BESS projects in the region and around the world. We thank Quinbrook for their continued trust in GE Vernova as a technology partner for the Supernode project.’ 

GE Vernova I https://www.gevernova.com/

Clarios, a global leader in advanced low-voltage battery solutions, announced an agreement to develop 24-volt lithium-ion batteries for heavy-duty applications together with a major European commercial truck manufacturer.

The trend in trucking is the integration of more electrical devices, such as parking, heating, and cooling systems, to enhance driver comfort. Electrification trends, including the shift of auxiliaries from hydraulic and air pressure systems to electric ones, and the implementation of x-by-wire technologies like brake-by-wire and steer-by-wire, are significantly impacting the low-voltage power network in commercial vehicles and trucks. These advancements, along with increased demands from Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS), infotainment, and connectivity, are transforming heavy-duty vehicles and raising safety requirements and the need for redundancy in Electrical/Electronic (E/E) architecture. Current energy demands may require up to 30 percent more battery capacity during an overnight stay, with improved hoteling comfort features contributing to higher electrical loads and anti-idle limitations resulting in deeper discharge cycles of up to 80 percent daily.

Lithium-ion systems are an excellent fit for these new demands, offering versatile electrochemistry with multiple design options. Clarios's Lithium-Ion system is robust enough to withstand the harsh vibrations of over-the-road trucking and integrates seamlessly with all necessary safety and autonomous-driving functions. The enhanced performance supports overnight stays without idling and powers the low-voltage network, enabling cabin comfort features and key-off loads, such as over-the-air software updates when needed. In line with its commitment to expanding the portfolio beyond current AGM battery offerings, Clarios is also exploring future technologies, including Sodium-Ion and other chemistries. This approach allows Clarios to remain adaptable and responsive to the evolving needs of the heavy-duty market, without being confined to a single technology.

"Battery failure can account for as much as 20 percent of a truck's downtime," said Federico Morales Zimmermann, vice president and GM, Global Customers, Products and Engineering at Clarios. "Our new 24-volt Lithium-Ion battery for heavy-duty commercial vehicles not only addresses this challenge by reducing downtime but also introduces advanced energy management capabilities that optimize the overall efficiency of fleet operations. By integrating smart diagnostics and predictive maintenance features, these batteries allow operators to anticipate and prevent failures before they occur, resulting in significant savings on emergency repairs and premature replacements. We are planning to market this development in EMEA under VARTA Automotive, Europe's leading brand for low-voltage batteries, further solidifying our position as innovators in fleet electrification and power management solutions."

Clarios, the world's largest low-voltage battery manufacturer for mobility, has close to 20 years of experience developing Lithium-Ion cells. Its expertise includes chemistry, cell design, supplier screening, performance and abuse testing, and manufacturing.

Clarios | https://www.clarios.com/

Evolectric, a pioneer in circular electric vehicle technology, announces its strategic partnership with Geotab, a global leader in connected transportation solutions. This collaboration highlights Evolectric's innovative approach, combining their proprietary software and advanced predictive analytics with a decentralized installation process. Leveraging Geotab's data insights, Evolectric provides fleet owners with the tools to optimize performance and sustainability, while streamlining the transition to electric fleets.

The integration of Evolectric's cutting-edge CircularEV Solutions with Geotab's AI-driven platform signifies a major leap forward in fleet management. This synergy combines Evolectric's expertise in battery monitoring and vehicle data with robust data analytics and actionable insights from the MyGeotab platform, providing fleet owners access to high-quality CircularEV data. This partnership provides fleet operators with a unified solution for informed decision-making and effective connectivity across various fleet sizes.

Scott Sutarik, Vice President, Enterprise Solutions of Geotab, comments on the importance of this partnership: "Sustainability is core to our purpose, and we firmly believe that our greatest impact is empowering customers with data-driven solutions to accelerate their carbon reduction objectives. We recognize that such an ambitious goal is a team effort, so we are happy to partner with companies like Evolectric to provide solutions that help customers efficiently manage electric fleets." 

Evolectric's approach to fleet electrification integrates vehicles with a smart, electric system powered by cloud computing and machine analytics. Bill Beverley, Co-Founder & CTO of Evolectric, highlighted the strategic importance of the partnership: "With Geotab as our partner, we can offer a comprehensive suite of insights and analytics to our fleet owner customers, helping them to understand the benefits of our vehicle products and achieve cost savings."

The collaboration between Evolectric and Geotab marks a significant commitment to EV technology and a greener future. It enables access to comprehensive data and telematics, enhancing understanding of customer behaviors and product performance, and empowering fleet owners with insights into vehicle operation, driver behavior, and operational efficiency, leading to significant cost reductions through energy savings.

Evolectric | https://evolectricnow.com/

Lithium-ion batteries are at the heart of the transition from fossil fuels, but fundamental supply chain changes are needed to eliminate widespread forced labour and child labour abuses. Research by AI supply chain risk platform Infyos has identified that companies accounting for 75% of the global battery market have connections to one or more companies in the supply chain facing allegations of severe human rights abuses. Most major battery manufacturers and end batteries applications are exposed including many of the world’s largest automotive, energy storage and electronics brands. 

This new industry data is compiled from evidence on Infyos’ AI supply chain risk platform using thousands of government datasets, NGO reports, news articles and social media sources. Infyos’ AI technology is developed specifically for the battery industry to automate the gathering, cleansing and classification of unstructured data to identify and assign confidence ratings to allegations of human rights abuses with accuracy and speed that previously was not possible. 

The AI-driven platform is working with some of the world’s largest renewable energy and automotive companies to combine open-source data with additional proprietary data sources to identify which companies a customer may be connected to across the supply chain and where there is exposure to or allegations of human rights abuses.

Tony To, Co-founder & CTO, said: “Our platform is designed to provide users with insights into the complexities of the battery supply chain so they can take proactive measures to identify and mitigate risks. By leveraging AI in our technology we’ve created a system that delivers accurate data despite the complexity of the battery industry and most importantly provides users with simple actionable mitigations to collaborate with their suppliers to address risks and improve the sustainability of the industry.”

The widespread human rights abuses identified range from people being forced to work in lithium refining facilities under the threat of no or minimal pay to five-year-old children mining cobalt materials out of the ground in hazardous conditions. Severe human rights incidents are occurring globally, especially in resource-rich countries with fragile and corrupt governments like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar. 

However, most of the allegations of severe human rights abuses involve companies who are mining and refining raw materials in China that end up in batteries around the world, particularly in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwest China where the battery, automotive and solar industry has already been hit with public allegations of widespread forced labour from journalists, government agencies and non-profit organisations.

Electric vehicle and battery manufacturers have a complex supply chain, sometimes with over 10,000 suppliers across their network, from mines to chemical refineries and automotive manufacturers. Human rights abuses frequently occur upstream in the supply chain, notably at the raw material mining and refining stages, making it difficult for companies purchasing batteries to identify their supply chain risks. 

The battery industry’s connections to these incidents stem from manufacturers sourcing components or materials from unethical companies in their supply chain network or entering business relationships, including joint ventures or equity investments hidden in complex and changing ownership structures, which conceals the reality of the unethical connections. 

Sarah Montgomery, CEO & Co-Founder, Infyos, said: “The relative opaqueness of battery supply chains and the complexity of supply chain legal requirements means current approaches like ESG audits are out of date and don’t comply with new regulations. Most battery manufacturers and their customers, including automotive companies and grid-scale battery energy storage developers, still don’t have complete supply chain oversight.”

Sourcing is coming under growing scrutiny, particularly in Europe and the US, where failure to address the issues means companies could be in breach of current and future regulations. This is damaging the battery industry’s clean credentials and hampering investment into the global battery market forecast to be worth nearly $500 billion in 2030¹. With more legislation such as the EU Battery Regulation and the US’s Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA) being phased in, action must be taken now so companies can still sell their products. 

Jeff Williamson, Head of Sustainability, Infyos, said: “Companies manufacturing or purchasing batteries are at risk of having their products blocked at the market, further delaying and increasing the costs of renewable energy projects or tarnishing their reputation because of human rights risks.”

The UFLPA prohibits the import of goods made with forced labour in the Xinjiang region of China. The penalties for non-compliance can be extreme: earlier this year inspectors blocked vehicles they found to violate the regulations.² The US Senate Finance Committee Chair has accused automotive manufacturers of ‘sticking their heads in the sand’ over forced labour in their supply chains³ and a subsequent report recommended that the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection take further measures to strength enforcement of the forced labour ban in automotive supply chains, including placing CATL – the world’s largest battery cell manufacturer – on a list of companies banned due to their connection to forced labour. Europe is following suit with its forced labour ban while a proposal has been submitted to increase the fines for non-compliance with the UK’s Modern Slavery Act to 4 per cent of global annual turnover. 

Sarah Montgomery, CEO & Co-Founder, Infyos, said: “We have already seen how forced labour incidents in supply chains for the solar industry have blocked the largest solar suppliers from the US market and slowed down the transition to clean energy: as the battery industry faces the paradigm shift to electrification, the lessons learnt in solar must be applied to the battery industry if the energy transition is to stay on track.”

Battery-specific regulations within Europe are becoming more stringent too. New EU Battery Regulations coming into effect between 2024 and 2036 require much more rigorous supply chain visibility and risk management starting in 2025 with non-compliance leading to products being blocked from the European market. These pressing supply chain requirements, which many in the industry are struggling to comply with, are foundational to the much-talked-about battery passports in 2027. The UFLPA and EU Battery Regulation are widely seen as the battery industry gold standard due to their strict requirements on due diligence and supply chain visibility, and many companies operating outside of the regions are voluntarily aiming to meet their requirements.

By addressing issues within their supply chain, companies not only continue to have a licence to operate and avoid costly fines but can also actively grow their business: Research from PwC found that 89 per cent of institutional investors are considering or have already rejected investments in firms with ESG shortcomings. Additional human rights pressure is coming from investors, who are now mandating deeper supply chain risk management and visibility as a condition of lending or investment to minimise their own financial risk. While financial and regulatory pressures are increasing awareness of human rights abuses in battery supply chains, more industry action to address human rights abuses is needed to drive battery applications forward and ensure 2050 net-zero emissions targets don’t face total failure.

Infyos | https://www.infyos.com/

¹ https://www.iea.org/reports/batteries-and-secure-energy-transitions/executive-summary

² https://www.ft.com/content/ab63cc9b-1c57-43d0-89c2-8f63e5c06eba

³ https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/automakers-shipped-cars-and-parts-made-by-chinese-company-banned-for-forced-labor-to-the-united-states-car-companies-are-failing-to-police-their-supply-chains-for-chinese-components-made-with-forced-labor-finance-committee-majority-staff-investigation-finds

⁴ https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/doing-business-eu/sustainability-due-diligence-responsible-business/corporate-sustainability-due-diligence_en

⁴ https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/7a3e9980-5fda-4760-8f25-bc5571806033_en?filename=240719_CSDD_FAQ_final.pdf

⁵ https://www.iea.org/reports/batteries-and-secure-energy-transitions/executive-summary

Arevon Energy, Inc., a leading renewable energy developer, owner, and operator,announced the continued expansion of its clean energy portfolio, with more than 4,000 megawatts (MW) of operational capacity, 2,000 MW of new projects under construction, and projections for future growth through its 6 gigawatt development pipeline. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and with a regional office in New York City, Arevon maintains a portfolio of utility-scale solar, energy storage, and solar + storage hybrid projects, as well as select distributed generation solar assets. Over the last 12 months, the company has completed $3 billion in project financings for new projects that have initiated construction across the United States.

Since Arevon established itself as an independent power producer in 2021, the company has evolved into an industry leader in U.S. clean energy development, finance, construction, and operation as the sector continues to expand. A recent BloombergNEF report found that zero-carbon technologies comprised more than 40% of global electricity generation for the first time in 2023. Remarkably, solar and wind represented more than 90% of global energy capacity additions last year, a step up from 2022, with solar now the fastest growing and most cost-effective source of new electricity supply worldwide.

“Arevon is doing its part to accelerate the energy transition and bring clean and sustainable energy to communities while creating thousands of jobs and generating tax revenue to support local goverments, schools, and emergency services,” said Kevin Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Arevon. “The renewable energy sector is poised to continue trending upwards, with strong support from the Inflation Reduction Act and a dynamic workforce among a growing number of companies that support the industry. The solar energy industry is also leading the rapid increase in new manufacturing jobs and activities in the United States.”

Arevon Powers the Energy Transition
Arevon owns and operates a diverse generation portfolio of more than 4,000 MW of renewable energy projects across 17 U.S. states – which includes more than 3,500 MWdc of solar and 500 MW of energy storage. These capacity figures include solar PV projects, solar + storage hybrid projects, as well as standalone energy storage projects.

The company is constructing approximately 2,000 MW of new clean energy installations, including more than 1,500 MWdc of solar as well as 500 MW of energy storage, of which two projects are solar + storage hybrid projects. Arevon is currently building projects in six U.S. states: California, Indiana, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New Jersey.

In addition to its rising capacity, Arevon’s headcount is also increasing. To support its operational fleet and projected growth, Arevon employs more than 250 mission-driven employees who are dedicated to advancing clean energy. The company plans to continue to expand its staff over the coming years.

Arevon Leads Industry-First Investments
With six project financing transactions totaling $3 billion completed over the past year, Arevon’s innovative climate finance structures have set new standards for renewable energy projects.

In November 2023, Arevon announced a $529 million financial close on the Vikings Solar-plus-Storage Project. Vikings pairs 157 MWdc of solar with 150 megawatt/600 megawatt hours of battery energy storage. As one of only a handful of hybrid peakers nationwide, it was lauded for its unique 1:1 configuration of solar to energy storage. Notably, Vikings was one of the first utility-scale solar-plus-storage investment tax credit and production tax credit transferability transactions since the Inflation Reduction Act passed in August 2022. The deal was named IJGlobal’s Renewables Deal of the Year – Energy Storage Award.

In addition to Vikings Solar-plus-Storage, Arevon has announced more executed financial deals, including a $299 million financing package for its Ratts 1 and Heirloom Solar Projects; a $352 million financial close for the Posey Solar Project; a $350 million preferred equity, debt, and ITC transfer financing for its Condor Energy Storage Project; and a $1.1 billion tax equity commitment and debt financing including a construction-to-term loan, a tax equity bridge loan, and letter of credit facilities for its Eland 2 Solar-plus-Storage Project.

What’s Next for Arevon
In 2024 and beyond, Arevon will continue to leverage its industry expertise, financial prowess, and technical innovation to enhance the structuring and performance of its renewable energy projects.

“Our diversified, high-performance portfolio, along with our strong partnerships with financial, commercial, and supplier counterparties, as well as the diverse communities where our projects reside, underscore our success as a leading renewable energy company,” said Smith. “Looking ahead, Arevon will continue to focus on our exceptional safety record and close collaboration with construction and operations and maintenance contractors to maintain a strong safety culture across all of our projects. Moreover, we will carry on with delivering value to our partners, project stakeholders, and host communities as we work to propel clean energy generation across the United States to create a sustainable energy future for our children and grandchildren.”

Arevon anticipates announcing more news pertaining to commercial, financial, commercial operation, sustainability, and other project-related milestones throughout the remainder of the year.

Arevon | www.arevonenergy.com

Affordable Wire Management (AWM), a leading provider of utility-scale solar Cable Management Systems (CMS), officially announced their Pinyon Hanger at RE+ 2024. Pinyon, part of AWM’s CMS, represents a significant advancement in utility-scale solar wire management, offering an efficient, cost-effective solution tailored for North-South trunk bus systems.

The Pinyon Hanger’s innovative design sets it apart from traditional offerings. The asymmetrical structure supports the messenger cable directly at the piles, eliminating the need for support brackets.   This reduces material and labor, reduces the moment-load on piles, and minimizes the required area to accommodate a CMS.

Moreover, Pinyon is particularly useful in specific site conditions and layouts, especially where multiple trackers are installed in long columns north to south. Its versatile application extends beyond trackers to include fixed-tilt mounting systems, further demonstrating its adaptability in various utility-scale solar configurations.

Integrated into the larger Electrical Balance of System (eBoS), the Pinyon Hanger plays a crucial role in supporting the increasing trend of North-South Trunk bus designs, given  lower DC voltage drop and improved O&M access. By working closely with eBoS trunk bus cable providers, AWM ensures that the Pinyon Hanger contributes to achieving excellence in North-South designs.

Engineered for durability, the Pinyon Hanger, like all of AWM’s offerings, will last 90+ years, ensuring long-term performance and reliability. This all translates into time and cost savings, making it an ideal solution for EPCs looking to optimize their projects’ budgets.

Scott Rand, CEO and Co-Founder of AWM explained, “Pinyon delivers on cost reductions and installation efficiencies, but it also extends these benefits into long-term O+M. Longevity makes Pinyon – and our other hanger offerings – a sustainable choice for solar projects, aligning with industry goals for creating resilient, long-lasting renewable energy infrastructure. As we continue to adapt and refine these systems, we’re committed to providing comprehensive solutions that enable performance throughout the entire lifecycle of solar power plants.”

In addition to the Pinyon Hanger, AWM’s innovative CMS includes the Arden Hanger, the Hail-Stow Hanger, the HELIOS Beam Rod and the PHOTON Toolkit.

Affordable Wire Management | https://affordablewm.com/