Wind turbine finally repaired

Great Southern Star
Tuesday 24/7/2007 Page: 7

A CRANE towered in the Wonthaggi skyline late last week, as repairs to one of the six turbines of the Wonthaggi Wind Farm got underway. A bearing problem had forced turbine number two out of operation since late March, while the wind farm owners, Wind Power, sourced a replacement bearing from Germany, where the turbines are made. Wind farm manager, Peter Marriott, said the problem was the first of its kind. "Although the bearing failure is considered highly unexpected, full vibration analysis and endoscope inspections of all the turbines have been carried out and the other five turbines are in perfect condition," he said.

'The turbine under repair has been cleared of any other faults or damage to the other components as a result of the failure' Mr Marriott said repairs were "a fairly major job". "Because of the wind and the use of a large crane, the repairs will take a long time;' he said last Thursday. "Replacement of the bearing requires the blades and the rotor to be removed from the turbine using large cranes in order to remove and replace the bearing. "Since the cranes require wind conditions of less than 10m per second to operate, there have been some further delays while we wait for a period of low wind to undertake the works." The crane was moved to the Campbell Street site just over a fortnight ago, ahead of the work.

"The failed component required the turbine to be shut down until the bearing could be replaced to prevent any possible damage to other components of the turbine," Mr Marriott said. "Overall it has not significantly impacted on the performance of the wind farm. "During the period the turbine was shut down, the wind farm has only consumed 0.064 per cent of the energy it has produced in that time. According to Wind Power's web site, the 12MW wind farm produces 34,400MW/h per year, saving the equivalent of 47,830 tonnes of greenhouse gases, or planting 68,000 trees or removing 11,000 cars from the roads. The wind farm as been running at 98 per cent capacity since the wind farm opened in November 2005.

As for the 52 turbine, Bald Hills Wind Farm near Tarwin Lower, Mr Marriott said Wind Power was now negotiating engineering and network connection contracts for the wind farm. The $220 million wind farm will be built on two sites; the first 10km from the coast and 90m above sea level, on beef and sheep farms, and the second on the south end of the Bald Hills, about two kilometres from the coast, on land cleared for grazing. Wind Power claims the wind farm will produce up to 104MW of electricity, enough to supply more than 65.000 homes.