Cooperation on the certification of wind farms / Agreement signed / Certification services in accordance with IEC 61400
Cologne, March 29, 2012. TÜV Rheinland has signed a cooperation agreement with FGH (Forschungsgemeinschaft für Elektrische Anlagen und Stromwirtschaft e.V.), a research association and certification body specializing in electrical grid connection based in Mannheim/Germany. The two companies will now cooperate closely on national and international wind energy projects. TÜV Rheinland pursues an expansion course in the field of inspecting and certifying wind turbines and components. With adding the FGH expertise, TÜV Rheinland’s range of services for wind energy industry will now be even more comprehensive. FGH’s main focus is certification in accordance with IEC 61400. This standard mainly regulates technical issues, in particular grid compatibility, to ensure the quality of electricity supply.
The two companies address developing needs of the renewable energy market. “The cooperation with FGH expands our portfolio with expert knowledge on the integration of wind power into the electricity grids,” says Eckhard Lippold, Managing Director at TÜV Rheinland. “FGH is a renowned and leading institution in the energy industry and has pioneered dependable solutions on various wind energy grid connection and integration issues.”
A reliable integration of wind power into the existing electricity systems is one of the main challenges in the context of the energy turnaround in Germany which is based on an increasing contribution of renewable energy sources. By offering suitable certification services in this field, the cooperation partners expect many benefits for customers to arise from the resulting synergy. “With TÜV Rheinland we now have a partner who is an ambitious provider of inspection and assessment services and who enjoys an excellent international reputation,” says Bernhard Schowe-von der Brelie, Acting Manager of the certification body and CEO of FGH GmbH. The companies will now be able to jointly offer comprehensive and complete services for the quality assurance of wind energy facilities, Mr Schowe-von der Brelie points out, and they aim to gain higher market share in the mid-term.
Wind energy already contributes significantly to power generation and promotes a dynamic environment of technical innovation. That is why proofing and testing of operationally reliable energy production is essential. At the same time, quality assurance of wind turbines and farms helps to minimize operational downtime by maximizing reliability. In this respect, inspections are of utmost importance, particularly for the certification of wind turbines and wind energy plants. This ensures compliance with the different technical norms and regulations in the industry. This provides involved stakeholders such as wind farm owners, operators, project developers or investors with the assurance required for investment and safety. Since 2009, certification of electrical power characteristics of wind is required by law in Germany. Experts of FGH and TÜV Rheinland anticipate the development of similar requirements and legal provisions in other countries which will provide a technically sound foundation for meeting international environmental targets.
About FGH
With a heritage stretching back to 1921, FGH GmbH is a commercial arm of the FGH Research Association for Power Systems and Power Economics (FGH e.V.). FGH specializes in providing comprehensive consultancy services for the integration of decentralized power generators into the grid. Besides the performance of network studies and technical analyses of connecting distributed generators to the electricity grid, the certification of their electrical characteristics is a key element of the FGH portfolio. Accredited as a certification body for the verification of grid code compliance, FGH issues certificates in accordance with national and international guidelines for both, individual generation units and entire wind farms. A testing method developed by FGH for assessing the dynamic operational behavior during voltage dips in the medium voltage network (LVRT) is incorporated in an international standard today.
About TÜV Rheinland
TÜV Rheinland offers a wide range of services to manufacturers and operators in the wind energy sector. The company supports customers worldwide with assessments and evaluations, carrying out risk and fault analyses in addition to certification according to IEC 61400. TÜV Rheinland offers technical construction services and expert consultants, such as site assessments and subsurface investigations, as well as manufacturing surveillance, coordination of statics and testing along with quality control and construction monitoring, such as during the construction of towers and foundations. In addition, TÜV Rheinland performs acceptance and periodic inspections of wind farms and constructions.
