What was the aim of the work?
The Natural Power Inspection team was appointed to undertake post commissioning inspections on behalf of Vattenfall. The site consists of 50 x Nordex N133 Delta 4 Series wind turbines, with an installed capacity of 240MW. The main aim of the work was to inform our client of any outstanding defects or snags that should be addressed prior to final acceptance of the wind farm.
What was the outcome?
Through each thorough inspection conducted by the team, a list of operational snags were identified and shared with the client. A report detailing the condition of each asset was also provided. By having this information, the client was able to assess the extent of the non-conformities and get a full understanding of their implications before passing them to the OEM for action prior to final handover. This provided the client with the confidence that all turbines would be in an acceptable condition before transitioning into the operational phase.
What did Natural Power do to get this result?
The Inspections team worked alongside Nordex and Vattenfall to carry out detailed visual inspections on each wind turbine. The process, developed by Natural Power, ensured that all non-conformities were documented and communicated to both Vattenfall and Nordex in a timely manner. Regular meetings to discuss any emerging issues were also conducted. As Natural Power was also contracted as owner’s engineer on the South Kyle project throughout the construction and commissioning phase, a number of actionable items were discovered early on. The consequence of this was a reduction in non-conformities observed as the project progressed, as they could be resolved during construction and the commissioning phase.
"The Natural Power Inspection team provided an invaluable service to Vattenfall and the South Kyle Wind Farm project. Natural Power provided both an experienced and knowledgeable team that completed detailed inspections of all turbines on the Wind Farm to a very high standard. Further Natural Power were both responsive and flexible in their approach, meeting the variable demands and timetable of the project, often at short notice, something which was greatly appreciated. The quality of reporting following any turbine inspections was excellent and always to a very high professional standard. This significantly contributed towards a smooth process with the OEM, as all defects identified by the Natural Power Inspection team were acknowledge by the OEM and rectified. In addition, the comprehensive extent of reporting to the Wind Farm owner’s gave valuable assurance as to the quality and acceptance of the turbines. Overall, I would have no hesitation in recommending Natural Power to other interest parties for similar work, and they will be top of the list for any future projects with Vattenfall, having provided a cost effective and invaluable service throughout."
Chris Ranner, Turbine Package Manager, Vattenfall