Scotland's largest offshore wind farm 'paid to turn off most of the time', report says
A report covered by The National Scot finds that Scotland's largest offshore wind farm receives constraint payments — effectively being paid to curtail output — for the majority of its operating hours. The finding highlights persistent grid bottleneck risk for offshore assets in Scotland, where transmission capacity has not kept pace with generation build-out. For asset managers, constraint payments distort revenue forecasting and can materially affect project IRRs; for insurers, prolonged curtailment regimes may complicate business-interruption assessments. The story also reinforces concerns raised at the Onshore Wind 2026 conference, where RenewableUK called for urgent grid action.
Read at Google News (EN)Europe on course for record wind installations in 2026, though WindEurope trims full-year forecast
WindEurope's mid-year report, published 1 September, shows European wind installations running approximately 30% ahead of the same period in 2025, on track for a record full year. However, the industry body has simultaneously lowered its forecast for total 2026 installations, citing permitting and grid-connection hurdles that continue to delay projects in the back half of the year. Windpower Monthly notes the organisation argues imminent policy choices — particularly on grid and permitting reform — will determine whether the momentum is sustained. Asset managers should factor the revised forecast into pipeline assumptions for H2 2026 commissioning schedules.
Read at Windpower MonthlyBerlin considers inflation indexation for offshore wind contracts-for-difference
Germany's government is reportedly weighing whether to introduce indexation mechanisms into offshore wind CfD contracts, according to reNEWS. The move would link strike prices to a cost index, reducing developers' exposure to input-cost inflation over the contract period. A parallel reNEWS item reports industry calls to overhaul Berlin's offshore policy framework to provide longer-term investment security. If adopted, indexation would alter risk allocation between developers and the state, with potential knock-on effects for project finance structures and coverage requirements that insurers and lenders price into deals.
Read at reNewsRWE COO: offshore wind O&M strategy must shift from reactive to predictive
In an interview reported by Offshore Magazine, RWE's COO states that the future of offshore wind operations and maintenance is predictive rather than reactive, reflecting a broader industry push to reduce unplanned downtime on large offshore fleets. The remarks come as RWE simultaneously navigates its exit from US offshore wind leases and continues turbine installation at the 660 MW Nordseecluster A project in Germany, which has reached the halfway mark. For operators and asset managers, the COO's position signals that O&M budget structures and service-contract models are under active review at one of Europe's largest offshore wind owners. Insurers tracking loss frequency on large offshore portfolios may also find the strategic direction relevant to underwriting assumptions.
Read at Google News (EN)Each item is generated by AI from publicly available wind-energy press, with the source cited. Headlines and summaries are written by a language model and may contain errors — always check the source link. The briefing does not promote Turbit, its products, or any other predictive-maintenance vendor.
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