The results are in - Nabla Wind Hub have completed their Turbine Life Analysis Study to determine the remaining life of the turbines at Windcluster’s Haverigg site in Cumbria, revealing high life expectancy above 40 years for the site.
The report concludes that due to the benign, smooth airflow at the site, most of the major components are predicted to have lives in excess of 40 years. This includes key components like the towers and foundations, as well as the blades. This doubles the original projected lifespan of the turbines, which were given a 20 year life expectancy when they were installed in 2005.
Colin Palmer, Managing Director of Windcluster Ltd said: “These results confirm our expectation of the quality of our site at Haverigg and the robust design of the Vestas V52 turbines. We were hoping for at least 10 years of extra life, but it looks it could be more like 20 years before the costs of renewal becomes uneconomic. Now we have the results of the Nabla study we will develop a plan for monitoring the critical components and a schedule for phased refurbishment or renewal as necessary.”
Whilst the report indicates a small number of components that are predicted to reach the end of their lives in less than 40 years, none require immediate attention, and all can be effectively managed through routine maintenance, ageing management planning and retrofits over the coming years.
Ruben Ruiz de Gordejuela, CTO of Nabla Wind Hub adds: “Haverigg is a very good example of the potential for life extension in the UK: robust turbines and benign wind conditions in conjunction with very good wind farm management - expert, attentive and technically driven, has led to a complete redevelopment of the original business model. We have identified the hidden potential which can be unlocked using Nabla’s advanced techniques in life extension and health monitoring.”
Work will now begin to install a condition monitoring system to determine the ongoing health of the turbine components. A baseline dataset will also be established from which future performance of key components can be closely monitored, and a preventative maintenance strategy developed.