Blade inspection and maintenance specialist, Altitec, has completed end of warranty (EOW) blade inspections at the Amakhala Wind Farm in South African’s Eastern Cape. The inspections were undertaken in partnership with Nordex Energy South Africa (RF) (PTY) Ltd.
Under the terms of the contract, Altitec carried out EOW inspections on 54 turbines, each with a height of 91m. Inspection work began on the first turbine blades in December 2016, and was completed this summer.
Anne Henschel, Managing Director of Nordex Energy South Africa: at Nordex said: “We know that turbine blades that are regularly inspected and maintained to a high standard remain cost-efficient. By partnering with Altitec to deliver EOW services, our clients can be assured that their turbines will perform at optimal levels for as long as possible, reducing costs and improving overall wind farm performance in the process.”
Agreements
EOW inspections and maintenance are essential to the successful long-term operation and financial returns of wind farms such as that at Amakhala. With the end of the warranty period, responsibility for assessing turbines moves from the original manufacturer to the project owner. By carrying out maintenance at this point, Nordex is helping to avoid any project downtime or financial losses later in the wind farm’s lifecycle.
As a trusted and experienced international partner, Altitec employed its considerable experience in the field at the Amakhala site, helping the manufacturer to fulfil its warranty obligations.
Altitec also benefits from the range of technological equipment and expertise at its disposal; use of the Actsafe powered rope ascender, for instance, boosts the efficiency of Altitec’s technicians, allowing them to carry out up to 35% more work when compared with traditional rope access techniques.
“EOW inspections are not only necessary, but a great opportunity for turbine manufacturers to add value and optimise performance into the future. We were delighted to continue developing our global footprint by carrying out this work at Amakhala on behalf of Nordex,” said Tom Dyffort, Managing Director, Altitec Group.
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“Carrying out blade inspections and maintenance on 54 turbines is a significant undertaking, but the skills and experience of our technicians allowed us to complete this work as quickly as possible, while adhering to the high standards Altitec’s customers have come to expect.”
