FEATURE SPONSOR
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
ICIENT O&M
The result is highly-concentrated expertise with tremendous flexibility and the ability to anticipate and respond to changing conditions and make intelligent use of downtime. There is almost always important inspections and certification work to be done.
“Fuel bills are lower, carbon footprints are smaller. There is more time for simplified contract negotiations. Pre-qualification is easier. Because we schedule guano cleaning for stormy winter months, boat time is utilised all year round. We are able to streamline everything in one carefully- controlled envelope.” Jones adds.
IN PRACTICE
This is more than just a theory. GMS’ turbine service package has proved popular off the Belgian coast where the maintenance of CCTV, davits, fall-arrest equipment (OSCAR – the offshore climbing retractable unit) and guano control are particularly important.
So much so that GMS is now actively tendering to provide the same high level of services to other major North Sea energy utilities.
Jones, who serves with the RNLI in Cornwall and is a highly trained technician, knows what is needed in a challenging environment. He is leading the hands-on project.
“HSEQ is now sophisticated and demanding. Modern marine co-ordination systems are a vital part of the answer in juggling boats, teams and equipment. But in rough seas there is no substitute for the highly-experienced O&M team who know how to make responsible decisions that balance commercial goals and safe seamanship.” he explains.
“This is exactly what we are now doing at Thornton Bank with our package service that takes advantage of every spare moment of personnel time and boat time. Without regular inspections, turbines can soon break safety regulations. They lose efficiency and become prone to early corrosion and decay that leads to expensive problems later.
“We now have the means to put a cost- effective stop to all this.” he adds.
ALL IN A DAY’S WORK O&M requirements on working windfarms are rigorous but easily overlooked as the operational emphasis swings from construction - with plentiful resources on site - to power production, lean budgets and demanding financial targets. A brief overview highlights some of the priorities.
Falls are a major cause of incidents, 29% of which are fatal. In response, EN365:2004 stipulates that fall protection, support and evacuation equipment must be inspected at a minimum of at least once every 12 months – and more often when subjected to extra wear and tear. Our teams take this very seriously.
CONTINUED
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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