Duke Energy Renewables is offering a service option to wind energy producers around the United States. An alternative lifting service is now available through Duke Energy Renewable Services, an operator and maintenance provider for third-party wind and solar photovoltaic facilities in the U.S.
Traditional wind turbine maintenance requires cranes, a construction zone and scheduling multiple contractors and equipment.
“Streamlining the wind turbine maintenance process to one call, one truck, one team and in as little as one day is a new service, we’re thrilled to offer our commercial wind energy customers,” said Jeff Wehner, VP of Duke Energy Renewables. “U.S. wind power has more than tripled over the past decade. As wind energy resources continue to grow, utilizing more efficient maintenance services will help to optimize wind energy resources so that they produce the greatest amount of renewable energy possible.”
The service leverages the GenHook LT crane package from KenzFigee — a global specialist supplier and service provider of tailor-made cranes and equipment for the marine, offshore and wind energy industries.
“KenzFigee is proud to deliver a product that reflects Duke Energy’s commitment to sustainability and service excellence,” said Jan-Pieter Klaver, CEO of KenzFigee.
Wehner added: “The complexity and coordination of so many people and pieces of equipment often results in costly project delays. We knew there had to be a better way, and working closely with KenzFigee, we found it.”
Some features of the service:
- Mobilization requires a standard 40-foot shipping container, eliminating the need for oversized or overweight road permits as well as the typical caravan of heavy trucks emitting fossil-fuel exhaust.
- Mobile cranes often require an entire day for setup before work can begin and another day for equipment removal.
- Engineered to eliminate ground stability issues and operate in wind speeds up to about 40 MPH (18 M per second), the service enables wind turbine repair and replacement up to 100 M in the air with fewer unexpected delays.
- One contractor versus many and a smaller construction zone result in a more easily coordinated project that keeps workers safe, while projects are kept on schedule and on budget.
- Powered by a wind turbine’s back-feed circuit, the new up-tower crane is fully electrical and produces zero greenhouse emissions as compared to traditional cranes that run on fossil fuels. The reduced project footprint also minimizes damage to local terrain and wildlife.
Follow this link for an animated video demonstrating the alternative lifting service.
Corrective Services
Duke Energy Renewable Services offers preventive and corrective services for commercial wind sites within the U.S.
The Large Corrective Team services and replaces major components in wind turbines in excess of 100 M tall. The massive turbine blades can sweep a vertical airspace of about an acre and the blades contribute to a total wind turbine height exceeding 400 ft.
The Large Corrective Team is ISO 9001:2015-certified, using technicians familiar with specialized tooling, dedicated project management, scheduling, crane management and lift planning.
“Wind power is already a top clean energy source,” said Tony Morelli, manager of the Large Corrective Team. “We’re proud to deploy this state-of-the-art, zero-emission crane to make it even cleaner.”
News item from Duke Energy Renewables
Filed Under: News, O&M, Services
