Multi-Turbine Floater Unveiled
A new floating wind system using multiple 1 MW turbines has been unveiled by a Norwegian company that said this floating wind technology could produce electricity at bottom-fixed prices.
Wind Catching Systems, majority-owned by Ferd and North Energy, has entered into cooperation with Aibel as the main contractor to commercialise the new floating wind system on whose development the two companies are also working with the Institute for Energy Technology.
According to the developer, the technology which will have a design life of 50 years can cut acreage use by more than 80 per cent, significantly increase efficiency in comparison to conventional floating offshore wind farms, and will cost substantially less to maintain than today’s floating offshore wind solutions.
One Wind Catching unit can produce energy for 80,000 households, Wind Catching Systems said, adding that the multi-turbine solution would also solve sustainability issues related to the recycling and reuse of turbine blades, marine resources and CO2 emissions from installation and maintenance.
“Wind Catching will make floating offshore wind competitive as soon as in 2022-2023, which is at least ten years earlier than conventional floating offshore wind farms”, said Ole Heggheim, CEO of Wind Catching Systems.
The technology developer and its partners plan to complete the technical testing and verification this year and offer the solution commercially in 2022.
Bees Creating Sweet Sustainability
New efforts to boost the strategic role of bees in agriculture and protect biodiversity are creating a buzz. These small busy workers ensure pollination for over 80% of European crops and wild plants. They also make the fabulous honey that everyone adores and the products we derive from it, like propolis, royal jelly and beeswax. It’s estimated that bees contribute at least 22 billion euros to European agriculture every year.
Romania has the most popular kinds of honey in Europe. This is due to the country’s enormous variety of pollen-producing plant species.
In Iasi in Romania, beekeeper Cristinel Mihaita who runs a family apiculture business called Apicris Natura produces around 400 tonnes of honey a year. To him, taking care of bees means taking care of the environment, as many wild pollinators are threatened by several factors like intensive agriculture, pesticides, pollution and climate change.
Through the Farm to Fork strategy, the EU is investing in bees. The goal is to protect them and preserve their contribution to sustainable environmental models. To do so, the EU is spending 40 million euros a year to fund specific apiculture programmes. Another 40 million is paid by the EU members themselves.
Read about why too much CO2 in our atmosphere is detrimental to planet Earth.
Start-Up Connects Food and Drink Sector with Sustainable Solutions
Greener takes a network-based approach to solving sustainability problems by connecting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food and drink sector with suitable sustainability partners.
Their marketplace platform mimics a dating app, connecting businesses looking for green solutions with suitable partners providing a range of sustainability products or services.
After raising over £140,000 in pre-seed funding – an early funding round where investors provide a startup business with capital to develop its product, in return for equity in the company – the team launched their platform in April 2021.
Greener aims to make it easy for small food and drink businesses to create genuinely sustainable operations around their businesses without the usual barriers of time and money. The funding allows the team to take their product to market, and to test its core technology, with the aim to launch later in summer 2021.
Tune in next week for another round of sustainability news from around the globe.
