Operations & maintenance
Prune to bloom
A Latvian company has developed a robot that is reportedly capable of providing leading- edge wind turbine blade maintenance and repair, performing tasks fi ve times faster than humans. Liam Murphy speaks to Aerones co-founder and CEO Dainis Kruze about this innovation, and what benefi ts the technology can provide the wind industry.
s the poet Collette Bryce wrote: “These turbines could be a row of daffodils bordering a lawn, signalling the spring.” It certainly does feel like a new beginning for wind energy, as well as for renewables in general. In just ten years, wind energy generation has quadrupled, going from 473TWh in 2011 to 1,870TWh in 2021. As the clamour for a cleaner planet grows ever-louder and more urgent – alongside the need for energy independence following the war in Ukraine – countries have a new target: net zero. Wind energy will undoubtedly play a major role in phasing out fossil fuels, but there are still a few flaws that need to be worked out before it can fully bloom. One of the main issues that the wind energy industry faces is the cost of repairs. In 2019, research by Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables recorded a $15bn cost in onshore wind operations and maintenance. Of this daunting figure, $8.5bn (57%) was spent on unplanned
A World Wind Technology /
www.worldwind-technology.com
repairs. It is imperative that wind energy companies ensure downtime is at an absolute minimum in order to offset the cost of the turbine itself and ensure it is supplying an optimal amount of renewable energy. This means finding an easier way to carry out repairs while protecting against any risks involved in the process. Aerones claims to have the answer.
From wings to winches The company’s initial answer was a drone. “We thought the drone would be the technology – to paint, to measure, to inspect and even to repair,” says co-founder and CEO of Aerones, Dainis Kruze. Though it initially looked fairly promising, after attempting to work on a wind turbine’s blades, Kruze’s partner Janis Putrams told him, “the drone is not the best solution”. Disappointed but in no way defeated, the idea of a winch-based system was identified as a viable
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