Forthbank Wind Energy Development - Partnerships for Renewables

Forthbank Wind Energy Development
• Turbine shutdown and restart are logged in the alarm list of the turbine control and
are held available for subsequent verification. After shutdown due to icing the
turbine can be restarted only manually on-site.
General Servicing
4.11.6 Routine maintenance or servicing of turbines is carried out twice a year, with a main service at
12 monthly intervals and a minor service at 6 months. In year 1, there may also be an initial 3-
month service after commissioning. The turbine being serviced is switched off for the duration
of its service.
4.11.7 Teams of two people with a 4 x 4 vehicle would carry out the servicing. It takes two people (on
average) 1 day to service each turbine.
Extended Services
4.11.8 At regular periods through the project life, oils and components will require general
maintenance, which will increase the service time on-site per machine. Gearbox oil changes
are required approximately every 18 months. Changing the oil and worn components will
extend each turbine service by one day. Blade inspections will occur as required (somewhere
between every 2 and 5 years) utilising a ‘Cherry Picker’ or similar, but may also be performed
with a 50T crane and a man-basket. It could take 2 or 3 weeks to inspect the turbines on the
whole site.
4.11.9 Repairs to blades would utilise the same equipment. Blade inspection and repair work is
especially weather-dependent. Light winds and warm, dry conditions are required for blade
repairs. Hence mid-summer (June, July and August) is the most appropriate period for this
work.
Unscheduled Operations
4.11.10 The following factors could have significant effects on the duration of unscheduled operations:
• weather-dependent crane operations;
• availability of spares;
• stage in component life cycle; and
• track maintenance.
4.11.11 Frequency of track maintenance depends largely on the volume and nature of the traffic using
the track. Weathering of the track surface may also have a significant effect. Ongoing
maintenance will generally be undertaken in the summer months when the tracks are dry.
However, maintenance can be carried out as required.
November 2010 Chapter 4 Page 15
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