Altitec has completed lightning damage inspection and repairs at the Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm as part of its maintenance work at the site.
The work followed end of warranty (EOW) inspections carried out last year, and featured two teams operating on-site over a period of six weeks.
Under the contract, Altitec has provided inspections and maintenance at the site, which help safeguard the future operational and financial success of the wind farm, the company said. The affected turbines remained operational right up until repairs were carried out, at which point they were taken offline until the repairs were completed.
During this downtime, Altitec’s technicians inspected and treated blades for damage resulting from general wear and tear and, in some cases, lightning damage. In total, the company inspected 140 turbines at the site, as well as blades with lightning damage.
Kenny Beardsell , Site Manager at Greater Gabbard, said: “Regular inspections of turbine blades are not just a necessity, they really add value. Offshore turbines and turbine blades are exposed to a number of environmental and extreme weather hazards, and Altitec’s services ensure that our turbines will continue to perform at their very best well into the future.”
According to Altitec, wind turbines are susceptible to lightning damage due to their height and high conductivity, and lightning strikes can contribute to a loss of productivity and periods of downtime. On average, the company estimates that it carries out lightning repairs on up to 4% of the turbine blades it inspects each year.
“Lightning damage is a common environmental hazard for rotor blades, but even within the specialism of blade repair, the skills needed to account for it and carry out repairs are extremely technical and require a high level of training,” said Tom Dyffort , Managing Director at Altitec Group.
The Greater Gabbard wind farm, located 23 kilometres off the coast of Suffolk, UK, is owned by SSE Renewables and innogy SE.
The wind farm comprises 140 Siemens 3.6MW wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 504MW.