In response to the changing renewable energy market in the U.K. and the move toward significantly reduced and zero subsidies for onshore wind projects, Wind Prospect, a leading independent consultancy, has developed a package of measures to extend the typical 20-year life expectancy for a wind project. Wind Prospect will work in collaboration with Nabla Wind Power, an independent wind engineering service provider that specializes in predicting site-specific component life, and a wind farm certification body to accredit the service.
“With more than 20 years’ expertise in all aspects of wind, offshore wind, and solar farm design, permitting, construction, operation, and commercialization, Wind Prospect’s multi-disciplinary teams have unsurpassed practical experience and are renowned for providing the detailed technical advice that helps clients to deliver projects,” said Robert Speht, Wind Prospect’s advisory services general manager. “We have harnessed these skills to introduce a series of measures to advise and support those in the market who are currently reviewing their assets and looking for ways in which to maximize their investment.”
According to Speht, Wind Prospect believes that where wind projects have traditionally been based on a standard 20-year lifespan, existing and future projects now need to be engineered for a 40-year lifespan.
“This raises an interesting question about what owners and operators need to do to extend the lifespan of their project,” Speht said. “We can answer this question and help our clients take the next step from a high level review of each project to the practical steps of implementing the engineering solutions. Furthermore, by extending the project design life cycle, we could see the levelized cost of electricity being brought down significantly. In the U.K., where the government has withdrawn subsidies, this is incredibly valuable.”
As part of the launch of this new service, Wind Prospect and Nabla Wind Power have compiled a free guide that can be downloaded from Wind Prospect’s website. The guide sets out the benefits of extending a wind farm design life and how to make it feasible. It provides invaluable advice on permitting, land rights, wind turbine OEM, components, balance of plant, O&M strategy, siting inspection strategies, grids, power purchase agreements, tariffs, and certifications.
“The combination of our skills will bring to owners and operators the best information to support decision-making by identifying the optimal financial life extension potential for our clients’ assets, how to achieve it, and the plan for making it possible, leading to the protection and maximization of the asset value of your wind farm,” said Ruben Ruiz de Gordejuela, CTO of Nabla Wind Power.
— Source: Wind Prospect
For more information, go to www.windprospect.com.
