Wind energy has arguably become the dominant renewable energy in Europe.
The number of turbines now production in mean that operators are looking at reducing O&M costs to see significant gains in profitability. With no fuel costs, a wind farm is totally dependent on smart use of operational expenditure (OPEX) to be profitable.
In less than five years, a wind turbine will likely have its warranty expire. 79% of wind turbines are set to move out of warranty. O&M costs for wind power are double or triple the figures that were originally predicted in the financial models used to secure investment and finance. 0.019 euro per kWh is the average real cost of O&M compared with estimated costs from a leading wind turbine OEM of $0.005 per kWh.
Leading operators demand that now is the time to plan for ways to boost ROI and increase profit margins by planning ahead and accurately forecasting O&M costs. Greater investment in O&M can have proven positive returns.
A robust, repeatable and cost effective O&M strategy can have an immediate impact on an operator’s bottom line.
As a result we are seeing a fundamental change in the way the Utility companies and IPPs are changing their shift away from the availability figure and moving towards establishing a process that is repeatable, consistent and that has an ease of knowledge transfer.
Operations and maintenance of wind energy in this Europe is costly, technically challenging and potentially a brief investment if your staff can not be retained. In order to do set yourself up for success the following challenges must be faced:
