Moventas Completing Full Wind Turbine Drivetrain Service Projects in Extreme Conditions

Moventas, the leading wind and industrial gear manufacturer and service provider, has recently completed one and entered another full wind turbine drivetrain service project in extreme conditions. Successful execution of these challenging repairs goes to show that Moventas is able to carry out the most difficult drivetrain repairs in the wind industry, proactively creating solutions and adding value.

Moventas recently completed a full wind turbine drivetrain service project up on the mountains of Swedish tundra. One of two 3MW turbines was fully repaired in a well-planned service project, thanks to early detection of threatening damages by the Moventas CMaS Condition Management System. A second turbine will be repaired later this year. The project, including extreme weather and lifting conditions as well as workshop repair and a replacement gear, was filled with challenges but successfully completed on schedule.

This week, Moventas will begin a similar, even more challenging service project for Vindpark Vänern, including full drivetrain service of four offshore turbines in Sweden’s largest lake, the Vänern. Again, damages in this wind park were detected early on with CMaS, and Vindpark Vänern Kraft AB turned to its suppliers to come up with a service project that would hinder the operation of this offshore windpark the least.

– Being able to implement a rapid exchange is a prerequisite for keeping down production losses as much as possible, and has been part of the decision to use a service partner who acts quickly and takes a lot of responsibility, says Mats Enmark from Vindpark Vänern Kraft AB.

The scope of service in this project as well as the previous one, is as wide as it is challenging. It includes the refurbishment of four damaged 3MW drivetrains, two of which will be replaced with Moventas replacement gears. This encompasses project management, partial crane services and supervisory of those, disassembly and assembly on-site and commissioning, oil changes, special tooling and four full factory services with refurbishment of components.

Possibly the main challenge of the project is the weather; the windy season on Vänern begins in September. Offshore logistics bring an extra challenge to the repairs that include workshop repair, transports and replacements, making the schedule extremely tight. The project is planned by ÅF Industry in Karlstad.

– Only a fully committed service partner and good cooperation of all involved will have the job done, says ÅF Project Manager Jan Lundberg .

– While the cranes wait on-site, the factory repairs need to be fast-track. This we already have very recent experience of. We have proved that we are able to carry out these extreme projects successfully, says Moventas’ Vice President of New Service Products, Antti Turunen .

The CMaS system was originally installed in some of the Vindpark Vänern turbines. With this project, CMaS will be installed in all of them, completed with remote diagnostics service from the Moventas Remote Center in Finland, preventing future damages and providing peace of mind for Vinpark Vänern as an operator.

[mappress]

Press release, April 29, 2013; Image: Vindpark Vänern’s