Invest in operations and maintenance R&D warns Romax 28 March 2014

Following Siemens investment in wind turbine production in Hull, engineering specialist Romax Technology is warning that R&D is key to driving the UK's renewable energy industry.

Romax CEO Andy Poon says that Siemens decision, which confirms the UK as among the global wind generation leaders, should act as a catalyst to drive innovation across the renewable energy sector.

Romax Technology provides monitoring services for some 40% of all UK offshore wind turbines, and Poon insists that innovation needs to go wider than design and production – out to operation and maintenance to ensure that wind turbines generate power optimally and also achieve their projected lifespan.

"It's worth noting that wind energy is still a relatively young industry and, like all things in its infancy, it's susceptible to error and failure," comments Poon.

"There are plenty of examples of wind turbines not meeting their expected lifecycle and therefore putting pressure on manufacturers to address issues around this," he continues.

"It's these examples which bring to light the importance of continual R&D."

Poon makes the point that currently 75% of post-construction spend is related to a site's operations and maintenance spend.

"Innovations across technologies has allowed us to address O&M concerns through the creation of condition monitoring systems as well as data analytics – allowing us to identify faults across a turbines drivetrain," he explains.

"Continual investment in R&D has been core to this and, by doing so, we are able to provide facilities like Hull with the necessary technology and data to build more robust and efficient turbines," he adds.

Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Romax Technology Ltd
Siemens Industry Ltd

This material is protected by MA Business copyright
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies contact the sales team.