GE、ヨーロッパのオフショア風力発電の大型プロジェクトを発表。洋上風車の総合的な開発で英国、ノルウェー、スウェーデン、ドイツの各国間で3.4億ユーロ（400億円超）にのぼる投資計画に合意: ソフトエネルギー

GE、ヨーロッパのオフショア風力発電の大型プロジェクトを発表。洋上風車の総合的な開発で英国、ノルウェー、スウェーデン、ドイツの各国間で3.4億ユーロ（400億円超）にのぼる投資計画に合意

　GE Energyは、オフショア風力発電の総合的な開発計画を、英国、ノルウェー、スウェーデン、ドイツとの間で結んだと発表しました。ドルにして4億五千万ドルに達する計画により、GE ゼネラル・エレクトリックは、洋上風車の開発競争において、大きな一歩をシェア争いで先んじたということになりそうです。

　再生可能エネルギーの世界で、風力発電は世界的には大きな発電シェアをもっています。欧米、そして中国などの風力発電に積極的な国ではさらに大型投資案件の増加が見込めそうです。

プレスリリース / GE Energy,March 25, 2010
・GE Announces Major European Offshore Wind Expansion with a Planned (ユーロ記号)340 Million Investment for Manufacturing, Engineering and Service Facilities in Four Countries

-----image(”GE Wind Turbines - Offshore Demonstration Image 2 ”) : 同リリースより

" GE (NYSE: GE) today announced plans to invest approximately (ユーロ記号)340 million to develop or expand its wind turbine manufacturing, engineering and service facilities in four European countries?the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden and Germany?signaling GE’s deep commitment to the promising European offshore wind sector.

“Offshore wind will play a vital role in meeting the growing global demand for cleaner, renewable energy and has a bright future here in Europe,” said Ferdinando (Nani) Beccalli-Falco, president and CEO of GE International. “These investments will position us to help develop Europe’s vast, untapped offshore wind resources, while also creating new jobs for both GE and our suppliers.”
..........
The European Wind Energy Association expects that Europe’s offshore wind sector will grow more than 70% in 2010, with continued growth forecast over the next several years. If all of the offshore wind projects currently in development are completed, they could produce 10% of the European Union’s total electricity while avoiding 200 million tons of CO2 emissions each year. Overall, offshore wind is expected to make a major contribution in helping the European Union reach its goal to have 20% of its energy produced from renewable resources by the year 2020.

Key elements of GE’s European expansion announcement include:

Norway
GE will add to its existing presence in Norway with plans to create a new Offshore Technology Development Center in Oslo and will expand its advanced demonstration unit production and service facilities in Verdal. GE also has joined the Nowitech Research Center in Norway to participate in joint research projects on offshore wind topics. Norway is the planned site for the testing and demonstration of the first 4-megawatt wind turbines offshore. This will result in approximately 100 jobs and a ?75 million investment related to GE’s offshore wind business in Norway by 2016.

Sweden
In Sweden, GE also will expand its current offshore wind facilities by developing a Conceptual and Systems Design Center in Karlstad, Sweden. A technology demonstration unit is planned to be installed in Gothenburg harbor, and GE also will join the Chalmers Wind Energy Center in Gothenburg. This will result in approximately 50 jobs and a ?50 million investment related to GE’s offshore wind business in Sweden by 2016.

Germany
A new engineering center in Hamburg will feature product development, application engineering and advanced technology. GE also plans to expand its resources at its existing wind turbine manufacturing facility in Salzbergen, as well as the GE Global Research Center in Munich. This will result in approximately 100 jobs and a ?105 million investment related to GE’s offshore wind business in Germany by 2016.

United Kingdom
GE plans to establish its offshore wind turbine manufacturing in the United Kingdom. In addition, GE will locate application and service engineering resources in the country and will bring partners and suppliers of towers, blades, nacelles and other offshore wind components to the manufacturing facility. The plan will result in up to ?110 million investment related to GE’s offshore wind business in the United Kingdom and could ultimately deliver nearly 2,000 jobs by 2020. This investment will follow the successful outcome of the U.K. government’s infrastructure competition, aimed at supporting the development of renewable energy in the United Kingdom.
.......... "

関連
・Statement - Ed Miliband and Peter Mandelson Respond to Investment by General Electric in UK Offshore Wind-----Department of Energy and Climate Change,25 March 2010

参考動画
Clean, Renewable Energy Adds Luster to the Emerald Isle

(GEreports,2008年10月20日)

参考エントリー
・スコットランドは、再生可能エネルギーに熱心ですね!　North Sea Grid計画----ソフトエネルギー、2010/03/10

・エネルギー部門、GEの今後占う大きな要素に＝2 / クリッピング NIKKEI NET-----自然エネルギー、2008/12/16

コメント続き

　翻って国内の状況、狭く急峻で住居に接近して風力発電を建てること、また日本の自然環境の中で大型風力が普及発展するのには、まだまだ問題点が多く時間がかかりそうです。とはいっても、再生可能エネルギーへの以降を進めるならば産業、国内基盤整備、技術の保有などすべて時間との勝負です。日本の政治の遅滞や原子力エネルギーの偏重などが、毎日気になります。(t_t)

参考記事
・コスト負担論議、難航も＝再生エネ買い取り制度導入で-----時事ドットコム、2010/03/24

・温室効果ガス：「２５％削減」やれば、ＧＤＰ逆に０．４％増　阪大教授ら試算-----毎日jp,2010年3月27日