This article published first by Wind Energy Update.
The German utility has deployed a range of “Hands-on” supplier-operator partnerships to improve wind farm operations and greater knowledge-sharing between partners will generate further savings, Roland Flaig, Head of Wind Operations-Onshore Europe, at E.ON Climate & Renewables, said.
Low wholesale prices and expiring support mechanisms have raised the importance of operations and maintenance (O&M) for new wind power projects as well as existing plants.
The levelized cost of energy of wind power has fallen on greater turbine efficiency and O&M market competition between original equipment manufacturers, independent service providers, and operator in-house teams.
Further savings are expected through improved turbine performance and a combination of “Hands-on” O&M relationships, data analytics and smart maintenance efficiencies, Flaig told the Wind O&M Europe 2017 conference on February 7.
“The levelized cost of energy, at least from an E.ON perspective, looks like it could be somewhere around 35 euros/MWh [$37/MWh]…That’s not really good enough for us, we need to go below 30 [euros],” he said.
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