Posters

Abstract

A significant portion of the worldwide fleet is ageing and getting the initial design lifetime and this percentage will increase dramatically in the next 5 years. +35,000 wind turbines in Europe are now 15 years or older, representing 38 GW of capacity. Most of the ageing capacity is in Germany. Spain, France, UK and Italy also have ageing installed fleets, +9 of the 38 GW are 20-24 years old and over 1 GW are 25 years or older. From 2021 to 2028 an average of 4GW turbines per year will safely and profitably extend their operational lifetime. Country regulations are more and more supporting the extension of the operational life and the upgrading of the existing wind farms with specific policies that provide economical incentives to the asset owners. Allowing fast permitting and overlapping FITs they robust their renewable installed fleet attending to EU requirements. Siemens Gamesa developed a wind turbine life-extension program for their technologies backed with O&M service contracts, designed to efficiently and safely prolong the useful life of WTGs beyond that of the original design specifications. SGRE is progressing further offering now a portfolio of technical solutions for aging fleets that would combine repowering of existing turbines and life extension programs to improve the short-mid term return on the investment with H&S state of the art. Our main goal is to give in the 5 to 10 years horizon technical improvements that will revamp the assets and increase their output.