Here is a great video on the M5000, AREVA Multibrid’s 5 Megawatt offshore wind turbine. AREVA has installed six of these wind-powered giants in the North Sea as part of the Alpha Ventus project.

More information on the Alpha Ventus project is available here.

And while on YouTube, be sure to look at the other videos on AREVA Inc.’s channel.

If you cannot access the video, you can also find it on the AREVA Multibrid site, which is on key part of AREVA’s Renewables growing portfolio of renewable energy options.

By Katherine Berezowskyj

AREVA Multibrid M5000 offshore wind turbines

Not too far from Copenhagen, AREVA is making sure that some progress in reducing CO2 emissions is a reality. AREVA, through its German subsidiary Multibrid, has installed and commissioned six of its specially designed offshore M5000 turbines.

Located in the North Sea, these AREVA turbines are part of the Alpha Ventus project, the first German offshore wind park nearly 28 miles from the Island of Borkum. This is a major achievement for renewable energy because of the technical merit and large energy output these wind turbines have successfully demonstrated.

These five megawatt M5000 turbines are specially designed for the harsh marine climate and are able to capitalize on these excellent wind conditions. Already the six Alpha Ventus turbines have generated almost 30 million kWh, including nearly 10 million kWh with 99% percent availability in the last two weeks of November.

AREVA is very proud and excited about these technical achievements and what the M5000 contributes to the offshore wind industry.

For more information, check out the press release and the AREVA Multibrid Site.

by Mary Douglas
Reprinted from AREVA Energy Business, Issue 8

Other Carbon-Free Energies

Nuclear is only one option, albeit a key one, among AREVA’s range of carbon-free energy choices. The group is developing synergistic solutions including a range of renewable energies that make sense in a balanced energy mix.

Renewable energy use is increasing worldwide. In emerging countries they supply inexpensive electricity from local resources. In Europe and North America they help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Europe has set an objective of a 20% share for renewable energies in final energy consumption by 2020, and AREVA has technologies capable of supporting that growth.

The group is currently offering its customers a portfolio of four renewable energies: wind power, bioenergy, concentrated solar power, as well as next-generation hydrogen carrier and storage solutions. Several of these have already reached technical maturity, such as wind power and bio energies. They can still be improved in terms of yield and distribution. For example, following its acquisition of 51% of Multibrid in 2007, AREVA has developed pioneering technology to become a leader in the emerging offshore wind power market.

In bioenergy, AREVA is no. 1 in turnkey solutions. The group has built over 100 operating bioenergy power units all over the world, totaling more than 2,800 MWe of installed capacity. AREVA is also reshaping the hydrogen industry by providing CO2-free Hydrogen production. These solutions enable hydrogen to be generated via electrolysis and electricity from fuel cells, with no greenhouse gas emissions.

AREVA is also developing concentrated solar power solutions, which will deliver more than 20% efficiency and grid parity.

Improving Efficiency of Nuclear Power Generation and Fuel Management

The cleanest energy is energy that is not used at all. AREVA is working to improve efficiency in both power generation and fuel supply. The aim is to maximize the availability of operating nuclear power plants to produce more energy with the same amount of fuel. It includes working to improve load factors at new reactors such as the state-of-the-art Generation III+ EPR™ reactor.

AREVA's Saint Alban plant in France

One advantage of this new generation of reactors is its fuel burn-up coefficient. Compared to the previous generation reactor, the EPR™ reduces uranium consumption by 15% for the same amount of electricity generated. In line with its commitment to sustainable development and environmental protection – by making energy more efficient – AREVA is also helping to conserve valuable resources by improving fuel management. Reusable uranium and plutonium are recovered from used fuel for recycling in nuclear reactors as MOX fuel (a mixture of the two materials) or as enriched reprocessed uranium (ERU). Using its advanced technologies, AREVA is therefore able to recycle 96% of the materials contained in used nuclear fuel which significantly reduces the volume and radiotoxicity of final waste to be disposed of. Through its recycling operation, under strict international safeguards, AREVA also supports non-proliferation objectives since used fuel is unloaded from a power plants it can be sent directly to recycling operations and MOX production, avoiding the accumulation and aging of used nuclear fuel at multiple reactor sites worldwide..

Waking to the Dangers

The world is finally awakening to the dangers of climate change, and as a global leader in solutions for CO2-free power generation AREVA is ready to offer its entire portfolio of energy solutions to solve the problems which will increasingly face its customers.

In July, leaders at G8 agreed to at least a 50% reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with developed countries achieving an 80% reduction to ensure that global average temperatures do not rise by more than 2ºC above preindustrial levels.

In October, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Washington was “deeply committed” to finding a solution to climate change in the run-up to Copenhagen. “This is a fundamental trust we are about to break if we don’t act as aggressively as we can,” he told a meeting at the IEA in Paris. AREVA is well prepared to meet this challenge.

• AREVA Leads the Way in Tackling Climate Change, Part I
• Find the article on page 22 of AREVA Energy Business Magazine

by Mary Douglas
Reprinted from AREVA Energy Business, Issue 8

Climate change is a reality and some of its impacts may already be irreversible. The Catlin Arctic Survey team has found out that most of the ice in the region is first-year ice that will melt next summer. Within a decade, the North Pole will turn into an open sea every summer. Kashmir University’s geology and geophysics department says Indian Kashmir’s glaciers are melting fast because of rising temperatures, threatening the water supply of millions.

AREVA is aware of these challenges and leading the field in offering solutions for CO2-free power generation as delegates from 200 countries prepare to meet in Copenhagen in December, to hammer out a new climate agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol whose first phase ends in 2012.

With world electricity demand expected to double by 2030, alternatives to fossil fuels must be applied whenever possible to ensure a balanced and reliable energy mix. AREVA is helping to achieve these goals by offering customers a wide-ranging portfolio of both nuclear and “renewable energy” solutions.

International concern

Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change says he will be happy if the UN climate conference in Copenhagen (COP15) can deliver on “four essentials”:

• How much industrialized countrieswill reduce emissions,
• How much major developing countries will limit the growth of their emissions,
• How the help needed by developing countries to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change will be financed, and
• How that money will be managed.

Danish Minister for Climate and Energy Connie Hedegaard, incoming COP15 president, says Copenhagen is a “window of opportunity” which should not be missed. She is optimistic that after months of political stalemate key countries are now coming forward with new targets. “In that sense,” she says, “Copenhagen has already delivered results.”

Connie Hedegaard, Danish Minister for Climate and Energy

To achieve stabilisation of CO2 emissions by 2030, The International Energy Agency’s annual World Energy Outlook for 2009 divides the world into several sectors and considers policy options for each. It looks at what the power sector could achieve under “a plausible set of commitments and policies which could emerge.” The IEA suggests “much faster roll-out of renewables and nuclear including urgent investment in carbon capture and storage,” while the richest countries should “facilitate the transfer of low-carbon technologies – through international sector agreements and the purchase of carbon credits and other measures.”

This would need some $12 trillion beyond the ’business as usual’ scenario, mostly for investment in energy efficiency, modernization of transport and construction of low-carbon power generation. The cost would be offset by savings in pollution control amounting to $100 billion a year. Investment in nuclear power could be boosted by $125 billion in 2010-2020, increasing to $491 billion in the decade to 2030, says the IEA. This would be in addition to growth already planned for nuclear power and would save an extra 1.87 billion tons in emissions a year.

AREVA’s Nuclear Asset

Nuclear isn’t the only solution for clean energy generation, but there is no solution without nuclear. As world leader in nuclear power and the only company to cover all industrial activities in this field, AREVA offers solutions throughout the nuclear fuel cycle. With more than forty years’ experience, its integrated business model in nuclear power is a major asset.

AREVA’s activities encompass everything from uranium exploration, mining and processing, reactor design, construction and maintenance, expended fuel and waste management. With this unique organization the group is able to meet the needs of utilities for CO2-free power generation.

Representing about 15% of the global electricity mix, nuclear power reduces the world’s emissions by almost 10% each year, avoiding the release of some 2.1 billion tons of CO2. Installed nuclear generating capacity will double by 2030, and AREVA is working to offer reactors suited to the requirements of each country.

AREVA is also developing next-generation fuel assemblies for light water reactors and, as part of an international research program, is working on Generation IV nuclear reactors, which are expected to increase power plant yields considerably.

Look for Part II tomorrow!

• Find the article on page 22 of AREVA Energy Business Magazine

By Katherine Berezowskyj

This week The Economist, like many other news sources, got into the spirit of Copenhagen. The timely section “Getting Warmer: A special report on climate change and the carbon economy,” covered a series of issues that being debated at the summit right now.

In particular, the article, “Good Policy, and Bad; some mitigation policies are effective, some are efficient, and some are neither,” discusses the mechanisms that are available for emissions reduction and how effectively can incentivize clean technologies.

“Greenhouse-gas emission targets can be implemented through three sorts of policy instruments—regulation, carbon-pricing and subsidies. Governments generally like regulation (because it appears to be cost-free), economists like carbon prices (because they are efficient) and businesses like subsidies (because they get the handouts).”

As part of their analysis on some of the blunders made through subsidy incentives, they included this positive note on nuclear energy:

“Europe’s energy subsidies, unlike America’s, do not include nuclear, largely because of German opposition (which may change, following Angela Merkel’s recent election victory). Nuclear power is more expensive than coal and gas, but probably cheaper than most renewables—though nobody is sure, since political opposition has ensured that few plants have been built in the West in recent years. Nuclear power does, however, have the virtue of scale. For renewables a gigawatt of power is a massive amount; for nuclear power it is the basic unit.”

By Tom DePonty

Rendering of proposed Gadsden plant

Residents, area leaders, and local business people from Greater Gadsden County packed the City Commission Building in Gretna, Florida on Wednesday to learn about ADAGE’s new partnership with the community to build its second biopower facility in Florida.

ADAGE President Reed Wills joined City of Gretna Mayor Anthony Baker, Gadsden County Commission Chairman Eugene Lamb, State Representative Alan Williams, and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director David Gardner to deliver this exciting news.

Photo Caption: From Left: Reed Wills, President, ADAGE; Anthony Baker, Mayor, City of Gretna; Eugene Lamb, Chairman, Gadsden County Commission; David Gardner, Executive Director, Gadsden County Chamber of Commerce; and Representative Alan Williams

“We are excited to partner with the community here in Gadsden County as ADAGE continues to work to build a biopower industry in Florida that will deliver clean energy and new economic development to the state,” said Reed Wills. “ADAGE looks forward to working with the City of Gretna to deliver new job opportunities to Florida in 2010.”

“The people of Gretna share ADAGE’s vision for creating new economic development opportunities through 21st century clean energy technology,” said Gretna Mayor Anthony J. Baker.

ADAGE has secured the rights to a site in Gretna and plans to submit the applications for the state environmental permits before the end of the year. ADAGE hopes to begin construction before the end of 2010.

By Katherine Berezowskyj

Multibrid M5000 Turbine

Earlier this week, the first offshore wind farm in Germany, alpha ventus, was completed. Located in the North Sea, alpha ventus features twelve 5 megawatt turbines, half of which were developed and constructed by AREVA Multibrid. Taking just under seven months to complete the entire project, this also becomes the world’s first offshore wind park to have a dozen turbines this size. This a major project for Germany as the country works to generate a larger percentage of its energy from renewable resources.

The M5000 turbine made by AREVA Multibrid is designed specifically for the difficult marine weather conditions. The installation of the Multibrid M5000 began in April of this year, and their six tripod foundations were secured within two months. The first offshore turbine was completed in the middle of July, making it the country’s first. All six of the M500 offshore turbines are complete and undergoing test runs. Already, they have produced more than 13 million kilowatt hours of clean, offshore wind generation. AREVA Multibrid is working right now to bring this renewable energy source to the United States. With the constancy of wind and generating capacity, offshore wind turbines, like the M5000, could make a huge impact in renewable energy generation for the United States.

AREVA subsidiary T&D is also contributing its knowledge and practical expertise to the alpha ventus project—they are delivering a high-voltage transformer-station platform which will receive the wind generated energy and distribute it to the shore. Please download “Offshore Wind Farm ‘alpha ventus’ 110/30 kV transformer station on an offshore platform” for more information.

By Katherine Berezowskyj

As part of the audience yesterday during the opening plenary of the American Nuclear Society’s annual conference, I heard speeches from some of the industry’s most prominent leaders, government officials, and distinguished politicians. They spoke of the critical need for new nuclear builds over the next few decades, but never has this message had so much at stake. Facing a global crisis on multiple fronts, they have all come forward to say that while nuclear is not the answer, it must be part of the solution.

America needs nuclear because it will be a domestic energy source that is clean and reliable, and one that can provide thousands of jobs. But these leaders already understand this message and are working right now to develop new projects and legislation for a cleaner, secure energy future. It is now up to Americans really look at our needs, the problems we face and make a decision.

“I do believe that climate change is an issue and we need to deal with carbon in the air…I think the most effective way to do it is to double nuclear production and to do heavy (research and development) on alternative energy.”

– Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, who had just announced with Democratic Senator Webb a plan to issue legislation doubling nuclear power in the US within 20 years and funding research into renewables and recycling of nuclear waste.

Closing the session along with Virginia Senator Jim Webb, Senator Lemar Alexander (Tennessee) had a poignant analogy: if we were going to war, we would not mothball our nuclear navy and start investing in sailboats. (video).

by Katherine Berezowskyj

350─it’s the number that has been estimated by scientists as the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere (measured in parts per million, or ppm). Until 200 years ago, the CO2 in our atmosphere measured at 275 parts per million, and now our carbon-emitting technologies and energy sources have pushed this level up to 390 ppm.

350 is also an international campaign “dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis–the solutions that science and justice demand.” The focus is on the number 350 because “it’s a symbol of where we need to head as a plant.”

We are behind this campaign because of its important messages: the immediate need to reduce our CO2-emissions, including that “We need to stop taking carbon out of the ground and putting it into the air.” This means using more renewable and nuclear energy sources provide CO2-free energy.
In addition to expanding renewables, we remember that nuclear energy is a major factor in helping prevent emissions and already generates nearly 75% of the CO2-free electricity for the United States.

Tomorrow, October 24, is the International Day of Climate Action. People from all around the world will participate in acts to call attention to 350 and to “inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis—to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet.”

Please check out the 350.org campaign.

Renewable energy – It’s a hot theme right now as states look at their future energy options, and wind is considered an excellent solution for producing electricity while protecting the environment. Just yesterday, the Daily Press of Newport News wrote a piece about how the “prospect of harvesting energy from the steady wind off the coast of Virginia appears to be gaining momentum.”

With a much per unit larger capacity than its onshore cousins, offshore wind turbines are increasingly under consideration as states like Virginia look at renewable energy sources they want to see developed.

AREVA is part of this conversation too, with our continually maturing renewables portfolio. This includes our 5 MW offshore wind turbines which we design and manufacture through our Multibrid subsidiary at our facility in Germany. Today, six of these turbines have been installed at Germany’s first offshore wind farm.

As part of the article’s look at wind in Virginia, the Daily Press identified AREVA as one of the companies examining potential projects in Virginia. In fact, AREVA is considering possible locations for wind farms throughout North America, in particular along the U.S. East Coast and Great Lakes.

Regarding possibilities in Virginia “at this point it’s still exploratory. But based on what we see, there’s certainly the potential and opportunity here if the offshore wind market should move ahead in the U.S.,” said AREVA spokeswoman Denise Woernle.

Another dimension of the AREVA renewable portfolio is ADAGE, a joint-venture with Duke Energy. ADAGE is currently developing 50 MW biopower (biomass to electricity) plants for construction in the U.S. and has already announced its first proposed site for Hamilton County, Florida.

For more information about ADAGE and biopower, check out the site here.

To read the rest of the piece, check out Daily Press article here.