SGS Successfully Completes In-Service Inspection of Dahao and Chaonan Wind Farms in Guangdong, China

Geneva, the 16th April 2012. One of the major concerns in wind farm projects is the reliability of the wind farm turbine, a highly critical wind farm component. Since even a minor failure within the components of a wind turbine can cause unacceptable downtime and substantial decreases in energy production, it is of the utmost importance to ensure the reliability of the wind turbines in order to guarantee that the wind farm will perform effectively and profitably throughout its entire lifetime. With the rapid development of wind power industry and technology, the demands for high quality wind farm assets have been given a higher priority.

In order to ensure the best possible performance and quality at the Dahao and Chaonan wind farms, China Resources New Energy Group Co., Ltd. (CRNE), the renewable energy arm of China Resources Power (CRP), which is engaged in the investment, development, operation and management of power plants, awarded SGS the contract to provide third-party inspection services of wind farm components due to its first-rate expertise in projects of this kind.

In December 2011, SGS successfully completed the in-service inspection of 50 wind turbines to the full satisfaction of the client. For the entire duration of the contract, scheduled from October 2011, SGS conducted comprehensive inspection services of the wind farm structures by applying various testing methods and analysis systems which check the wind turbines for defects and discontinuities, including toothing and bearing problems, gear box and generator failures, blade damage and rotor imbalance. In addition, based on extensive experience and competence in the renewable energy sector, a team of SGS’s experts carried out hydraulic oil and endoscopic analysis, vibration detection and analysis of drive trains to assess the condition of the wind turbines effectively.

In recent years, more and more companies are beginning to prioritize regular in-service inspection and maintenance due to the fact that the quality issues associated with wind turbines usually occur after the first 24 months of operation and become more obvious after 36 months, at which point the structures are typically outside the warranty period of the equipment supplier. To ensure safe, efficient operation throughout the operational lifetime of the wind turbines after the warranty period has expired, companies in the domestic Chinese market are now turning to quality wind turbine in-service inspection, such as that provided by SGS. With in-service inspection, SGS aids clients in detecting the failure of critical wind farm components at an early stage, thereby increasing the overall performance of the asset and reducing downtime, which in turn helps to optimize the economical operation of the wind farm and achieve the required return on investment.

About SGS Renewable Energy Services
Based on its first-rate experience and expertise, SGS offers third-party consultancy, inspection, verification, testing and certification services for renewable energy projects, including wind and tidal energy projects. For each phase of a project lifecycle, SGS Renewable Energy Competence Center offers a wide range of renewable energy services designed to minimize failure rates in operational renewable energy projects in order to improve the financial viability of the assets. In this way, SGS services bring benefits not only to project owners, but also to financiers and underwriters, all of whom have a stake in renewable energy projects.