CRL have been at the forefront of wind turbine base monitoring, inspection and repair for the last 17 years.

Wind turbines that were installed in the early 2000’s were predominantly embedded insert turbines where the first section of the turbine tower was cast directly into the concrete base. This type of turbine has proved prone to developing excessive movement because of water entering the annulus between the embedment and the concrete base.

CRL have developed in-house movement monitoring equipment to record excessive movement of embedded insert wind turbines. This allows us to provide qualified, accurate data to the customer allowing them to transition from reactive maintenance to planned maintenance to deal with these issues. In addition to this CRL have also developed a high-pressure, low viscosity resin injection system to stabilise these turbines with excessive movement and return them to operation with residual movement well within design tolerance.

This service is becoming more relevant where wind farm operators are looking to extend the life of turbines beyond their original end-of-life date. CRL can offer a one-stop-shop for wind turbine base health checks and any subsequent maintenance work that is identified as required. This service can be used by the operator to support their case when applying for a life extension.

The renewables industry in the UK is key to the nations drive towards net zero and CRL have been actively supporting this with our development of specialist skills in wind turbine grouting, inspection and repair.

The Stats:

Existing turbine monitored to date 266
Existing turbines stabilised to date 116
New turbines grouted to date 2390