Power Technology lists five of the most popular tweets on wind in Q4 2021 based on data from GlobalData’s Power Influencer Platform.

The top tweets are based on total engagements (likes and retweets) received on tweets from more than 150 wind power experts tracked by GlobalData’s Power Influencer platform during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021.

The most popular tweets on wind in Q4 2021: Top five

1. Erik Solheim’s tweet on a wind turbine that generates energy from traffic

Erik Solheim, vice chair at The China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, an international advisory body for sustainable development, shared a video on a vertical axis wind turbine named ENLIL in Turkey that generates energy from traffic. Developed by the Istanbul Technical University, the turbines are designed to utilise the air currents generated by passing vehicles and transform into electricity. The turbine can generate 1kW per hour of energy, which is enough to power two homes.

Currently being tested on Istanbul’s streets, it features solar panels to capture energy from sunlight. Rapid urbanisation in major cities of Turkey has led to an increase in energy demand, which is projected to rise by 6% a year over the next five years. Turkey is searching for new energy sources to meet this demand and plans to source 30% of its power from renewable sources by 2023, the article highlighted.

Username: Erik Solheim

Twitter handle: @ErikSolheim

Likes: 440

Retweets: 102

2. Assaad Razzouk’s tweet on wind power being the largest source of electricity for the first time in Turkey

Assaad Razzouk, CEO of Gurin Energy, a renewable energy company, shared an article on wind power becoming the largest source of electricity generation for the first time in Turkey accounting for 22.6% of total generation in November 2021. Wind farms produced 178,964 megawatt-hours (MWh) out of a total of 791,794MWh of daily electricity generation.

Turkey’s push to diversify its energy mix has helped in expanding domestic renewable electricity generation. The country is one of the top five European countries that invested in wind energy in 2020 with an investment of more than $1.17bn in land-based wind energy projects, according to WindEurope, an organisation that promotes wind energy in Europe and rest of the world.

Username: Assaad Razzouk

Twitter handle: @AssaadRazzouk

Likes: 343

Retweets: 115

3. Mike Hudema’s tweet on Denmark supplying electricity generated from wind farms to the UK

Mike Hudema, director of communications at Canopy Planet, an environmental non-profit organisation, shared a discussion on Denmark supplying the UK with electricity generated from its wind farms. The electricity will be delivered through the 765km-long Viking Link, which is the world’s longest underwater direct-current power cable stretching from Vejen in Denmark to Bicker Fen in the UK. The electricity supplied by the cable will help in reducing carbon emissions from the UK’s electricity grid and provide power for 1.4 million households.

Denmark’s ability to export electricity to the UK is thanks to the early investments made by the country in wind turbines and wind power generation technologies since the 1970s. The country was able to generate 47% of its electricity from wind energy by 2019. Furthermore, Denmark aims to produce 90% of its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2030. Wind energy accounts for a large portion of the power generated in various countries and regions including the European Union (EU), where 14% of electricity was generated from wind at the end of 2020.

Username: Mike Hudema

Twitter handle: @MikeHudema

Likes: 302

Retweets: 130

4. Kees van der Leun’s tweet on Siemens Gamesa’s prototype wind turbine SG 14-222 DD

Kees van der Leun, managing director at Common Futures, an energy transition consultancy, shared an article on Spanish-German wind turbines manufacturer Siemens Gamesa’sprototypewind turbine SG 14-222 DD producing first electricity. The wind turbine was installed at the company’s test centre in Østerild, Denmark. It has a capacity of 14MW and features a 222m-diameter rotor and 108m-long blades. A single turbine can generate energy to power about 18,000 European homes a year.

Furthermore, the 39,000m2 swept area of the turbine enables it to deliver a 25% improvement in annual energy production compared to the company’s SG 11.0-200 DD offshore wind turbine. The model is expected to be commercially available in 2024. Siemens Gamesa has received the first order for the turbine from RWE for the 1.4GW Sofia wind farm being developed offshore the UK.

Username: Kees van der Leun

Twitter handle: @Sustainable2050

Likes: 66

Retweets: 30

5. Svein Tveitdal’s tweet on offshore wind energy capacity expansion plans of the US

Svein Tveitdal, founder and CEO of Klima2020, an environmental consultancy based in Norway, shared an article on the offshore wind energy capacity expansion plans of the US. President Joe Biden’s administration plans to hold up to seven major offshore lease sales by 2025 to develop wind farms offshore the Gulf of Maine, and the New York Bight.

The Departments of the Interior, Energy, and Commerce have committed to a joint target of producing 30GW of offshore wind in the country by 2030. The plan is aimed at addressing climate change and transition towards green energy and will create approximately 80,000 jobs. A lease sale for offshore wind in the New York Bight is expected to generate 7GW of energy, which is sufficient to power more than 2.6 million households, the article noted.

Username: Svein Tveitdal

Twitter handle: @tveitdal

Likes: 38

Retweets: 23