EPV Tuulivoima has been one of Finland’s leading wind power producers for many years. The company currently operates five wind farms in the Ostrobothnia region, with a combined production capacity of more than 450 megawatts.
Efficient and sustainable wind power production requires, above all, ensuring that wind turbines remain operational. Preventive maintenance therefore plays a key role in ensuring that the turbines achieve their planned service life.
Maintenance measures are carefully planned
Annual maintenance tasks have been defined for the wind turbines. These ensure that the various components of the turbines remain in good condition and that the turbines can continue operating safely without longer production interruptions.
During maintenance, all components are thoroughly inspected. This includes, among other things, inspections of the blades, drivetrain, sensors, electrical components, lifts, hydraulic and cooling systems, emergency and aviation obstruction lights, and bolts.
“Comprehensive and detailed documentation is maintained on both completed and upcoming maintenance measures. In the long term, this helps us, for example, monitor the condition of components and prepare maintenance plans,” says Raine Laaksonen, Group Manager at EPV Tuulivoima.
The turbine blades are a key focus of maintenance. Strong winds and winter conditions wear down the surface of the blades, while lightning can also strike the blades during the summer. The blades are therefore photographed regularly to assess the need for repairs.
The inspections are carried out annually in early spring using drones. Images are taken from the air close to the surface of the blades, allowing detailed plans to be drawn up for any necessary repairs.
“After the inspections, we assess whether the blades have, for example, cracks or damage that would require action during the next maintenance round. We aim to schedule any maintenance shutdowns for the summer, when repair materials can cure on the surface of the blades in dry conditions,” explains Johnny Wik, Operations Manager at EPV Tuulivoima.
Observations from control rooms and wind farms
The operation and condition of the wind turbines are monitored both remotely from control rooms and on site through reported observations. Anyone working at the wind farms is required to report any abnormalities they observe in the turbines.
In the control rooms, the turbines are monitored using a condition monitoring system. The system enables real-time monitoring of technical data from the turbines, such as temperatures, pressures, wind speed and electricity production. It also generates alerts if faults occur in individual turbines.
“Not all alerts generated by the condition monitoring system require immediate action. However, if fault alerts begin to occur repeatedly, the issue is investigated on site. The monitoring system is a highly effective tool for monitoring the turbines and sharing information with maintenance service providers,” Laaksonen says.
Wind power production for decades to come
EPV Tuulivoima’s current wind farms have another 25–30 years of their life cycles ahead of them. Preventive maintenance ensures that the turbines continue to produce electricity as planned and that potential problems are addressed proactively at an early stage.
“Thanks to preventive maintenance, potential production interruptions and risks at the wind farms can be effectively minimised over the years. At the same time, we ensure that the wind farm areas remain safe for everyone working or moving around in them,” Wik says.