Written by David McPhee
Newer windfarms require more than double the amount of maintenance than
older ones, according to an independent inspection firm.
Windfarms under five years of age require on average seven repairs per
turbine in contrast to those older than that period only needing 2.2 repairs.
A report by UK blade repair firm Altitec claims that new projects are
likely to “require more active monitoring and maintenance”, despite
operators expecting to prioritise older developments.
Altitc say that the emergence of larger capacity turbine models has led to
an increase in blade spans resulting in unforseen operation and maintenance
(O&M) challenges.
Tom Dyffort, managing director, Altitec Group, said: “We recommend that all
wind farms undergo regular blade inspections, no matter their age, to
ensure they continue to perform at their optimal levels and that energy
production remains as high as possible. But our records indicate that,
during the first five years of a wind farm’s operational lifetime, O&M
managers may be more prone to overlooking the need for blade maintenance.
“Ultimately, this will only result in more serious faults developing, more
repairs being required and longer periods of turbine downtime.”
The turbine repair firm say that external repairs account for the vast
majority of work required on wind turbines, adding that structures
become”damaged and distorted due to the mechanical stresses placed upon
them as the blades flex and twist under loading”.
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