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Lifetime Extension of Wind Turbines

Continued Operation of Wind Turbines | TÜV Rheinland

Assessing the potential of a safe and reliable wind turbine operation beyond the end of the service life.

Most wind turbines have a design life of 20 to 25 years. However, it does not mean they cannot continue in operation beyond the design lifespan. Owners and operators must therefore evaluate the options they have at the end of the service life.

Our independent advisory services provide assistance to different stake holders of wind assets on the evaluation process of the different end-of-life alternatives, i.e. repowering, decommissioning or lifetime extension.

Lifetime extension of wind turbines – Your benefits with TÜV Rheinland

Solid basis
for decision
Basis of the application for lifetime extension
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Solid basis
for decision

Our customers have the opportunity to evaluate and make informed decisions about the potential of their wind turbines to remain fit and in safe operation after the design lifespan. The recommendations in our expert report also assists different stakeholders to make informed decisions about O&M strategies for the critical components and systems identified in the study.

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Basis of the application for lifetime extension

In Germany, TÜV Rheinland is registered with Bundesverband Windenergie (BWE) for lifetime extension services. Our experts have proven experience and deep knowledge of additional relevant standards in the market in lifetime extension adopted by the market, such as Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik (DIBt-2012) and DNV.

Our independent expert review reports are fundamental part of the core documentation submitted to relevant authorities when applying for wind turbine life extension.

International
market
Tailored to our customer needs
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International
market

Our expert review reports can be based on either the BWE or on any other accepted LTE guideline and/or standard, and are generally accepted by national and local regulatory authorities in the international market.

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Tailored to our customer needs

Based on our extensive experience gained from more than 300 life extension projects in recent years, our experts can provide life extension consultancy services tailored to the client's needs. Our Pre-Check service can form part of any technical due diligence process to assess the integrity and operational condition of any wind turbine.

Our lifetime extension assessment services in detail

Our service of lifetime extension is a combination of onsite inspection tasks and analytic assessment, along with unmatched expertise acquired on more than 300 lifetime extension services undertaken. The goal of the onsite inspection activities is to determine the structural integrity and the condition of the wind turbine.

On-site inspection
Analytical assessment

Our expert engineers inspect components and systems to determine the status of integrity of the turbine. This involves also examining the functionality of different systems and components such hub spinner and pitch system, gearbox (endoscopic examination and oil analysis), power train, hydraulic system, tower & foundation integrity analysis, etc.

Our wind experts focus undertake a deep analysis of site conditions, evaluating the standard used for load calculation, performing a load simulation, analyzing turbine design parameters, etc. Conclusions about the structural integrity and operational stability of the wind turbine are drawn along with an estimate of the expected remaining service life.

A complete and detail report is handed to the customer providing findings and detailed reporting with pictures.

Special Services: BPW Pre-Check to quickly assess whether a wind turbine may continue in safe and reliable operation

Our BPW Pre-check service combines site specific data at load level of critical components with site-specific conditions. Thanks to our unmatched expertise acquired in more than 300 Lifetime extension projects along with the extensive data base of different wind turbines models from different OEM’s, our experts are able to provide our customers a cost-effective initial analysis on the remaining lifetime of critical wind turbine components. This initial analysis allows us to provide our customers with an expertise-based opinion as to whether a comprehensive inspection work and analysis is needed for the lifetime extension of the wind turbine.

Our Pre-Check service can be part of any technical due diligence process to evaluate the integrity and operating condition of any wind turbine, allowing different wind stakeholders to make informed decisions.

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