DNV GL Launches Improved Service Specs for Wind Power Plants

DNV GL has published a fully revised set of service specifications for project certification of wind power plants, the DNVGL-SE-0190, designed to ensure the safe and reliable operation of wind power plants, their assets and components throughout the project life cycle.

DNV Gl says that this fully revised certification scheme is the most complete set of specifications to date, designed to mitigate risks at each stage of the project certification phases, ensuring that wind power plants operate safely and cost efficiently and all technical, design and construction requirements are met.

The new service specification DNVGL-SE-0190 encompasses more risk-related features for state-of-the art power plant certification than any other project certification standard available on the market, adding value beyond common certification practices.

To provide ultimate flexibility, the new DNV GL scheme addresses individual project needs. By reducing the costs over the project lifetime, it allows the split into project phases and asset related certifications, providing stakeholders the opportunity to add optional service elements based on individual needs and preferences.

To address the demand for standards spanning across the entire project life cycle, the set of specifications provides a toolbox of certification elements, including:

• New complementary services such as site suitability, met masts, navigation and aviation aids or power plant performance certifications to increase the possibilities and value of the wind power plant if desired;
• Opportunity to implement an optional asset-related certification procedure for wind turbines, substations, power cables and newly control station; and
• New optional phases such as concept, lifetime extension, decommissioning and repowering.

Reducing the levelized cost of energy is the key driver for the advancement of the wind energy industry and can be achieved through the optimisation of practices from all sources during the project life cycle from development, manufacturing, construction and operational lifetime of the wind power plant. This implicitly includes increased focus on state-of-the-art technical requirements, safety aspects and quality.

Fabio Pollicino, Service Line Leader for Project Management at DNV GL Renewables Certification, said: ”Providing better guidance and simplifying the applicability for developers, owners, contractors and other stakeholders during the whole life cycle of the wind power plant, lies at the heart of the new service specification. We see that the wind energy sector is rapidly progressing, which is why we put a strong emphasis on ensuring that this certification scheme and our standards ensure the safety and reliability of current state-of-the-art projects and beyond.”