Operations & Maintenance
RSS feedNews & in-depth analysis of wind farm and turbine operations & maintenance, including turbine & blade failure, access, monitoring & control systems, health & safety, refitting, repowering, wind monitoring and site security.
Warning over heavy lift vessel 'bottleneck' for offshore wind
Analysis from Rystad Energy indicates demand from offshore wind's development pipeline is outpacing the number vessels capable of installing large components
Exclusive: Vestas deploys remotely operated blade-correcting installation tool
Vestas has started using a new remotely operated blade installation tool that removes the need for handheld taglines
‘Wind turbines don’t turn forever’: Industry issues new end-of-life guidance
WindEurope has issued new guidance on dismantling onshore turbines, many thousands of which are due to be decommissioned over the next three years
News and Analysis
Offshore blade maintenance robot wins major backing from GE
Novel remote blade maintenance technique for offshore wind farms wins accolades in an important competition organised by GE Renewable Energy and renewable energy research groups
MHI Vestas installs 'most powerful' floating offshore wind turbine
A 9.5MW MHI Vestas wind turbine has been installed on a floating platform for the first time
'Wind will be the backbone of future energy systems', WindEurope CEO
In a wide-ranging interview, WindEurope head Giles Dickson assesses the current and near-future state of play for wind power
Blade repair robot performs offshore wind's 'moon walk'
A six-legged inspect-and-repair robot repeatedly scaled a vertically positioned blade on an offshore demonstration turbine, proving its real-world capabilities
Vestas turbines halted following lightning storm
Vestas and MidAmerican Energy are investigating the causes of a turbine breakdown at an Iowa wind farm
In depth
Windtech: Click-on and go device promises fast turbine evacuation
Quick access to a safe way to escape from a turbine fire is key to saving lives. Eize de Vries finds out why a new evacuation system claims to have the edge over traditional rope-based rescue solutions
Big turbines push down O&M costs
Advances in turbine technology have improved reliability, reducing unscheduled downtime and cutting service costs. While offshore projects remain more expensive to operate, economies of scale will play an increasing role as arrays featuring hundreds of units become the norm.
Material considerations: covering up the cracks on turbine failure
The Material Failure Investigation Group of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) has been listening to, and acting on, presentations on the subject of wind turbine failures for the past two years.
What to do with turbines after they leave support system
With around 6,000 turbines due to leave the support system in 2021, Germany's environment agency has assessed the country's readiness to recycle this potential flood of turbine components, and at what cost.
Windpower Monthly review of 2019 -- part 2
The next generation of new turbines continues apace in the second half of the year, but financial woes among many of the industry's western OEMs also bite. Here are the top articles from the latter half of 2019.
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