A crane carefully manoeuvres the final turbine blade into position at Coopers Gap in April this year … the process will now have to be reversed on one of the towers (Photo: AGL)

November 9, 2020

One of the 123 turbines at the Coopers Gap wind farm will be disassembled after faults were discovered recently during the commissioning process.

The turbine will be replaced with a new unit.

The faults were located during routine inspections and testing by GE Catcon prior to the official handover to the Powering Australian Renewables Fund (PARF).

“During GE’s routine inspection and testing, it was identified that one of the turbines will need to be replaced,” a GE spokesperson said.

“This turbine has been taken out of service while the Coopers Gap project continues to remain operational.”

An exclusion zone has been erected around the tower to ensure safety on site.

During the commissioning process, another fault was also identified with the generators inside the nacelles of 50 of the towers.

These towers are still generating power but GE had concerns about the long-term operational life of the generators.

These components will be gradually replaced.

“GE takes reliability of our equipment seriously and is taking a proactive approach to change out generators,” the spokesperson said.

“We have already commenced planning for a repair program conducted in phases to minimise disruption.”

In 2018, GE CATCON was appointed by the Powering Australian Renewables Fund (PARF) to construct the 123 wind turbines.

PARF is a joint funding venture between AGL and several partners.

An AGL spokesperson said a significant milestone occurred earlier this year when the last of the turbines was installed.

“During the commissioning process, rigorous tests were carried out to ensure the long-term operational capability and reliability of each component,” the spokesperson said.

This was when the various faults were identified.

“All parties will work closely with the landowners and the community during this period to ensure any concerns they may have are addressed throughout this process,” the spokesperson said.

The Coopers Gap Wind Farm can generate a maximum 453MW at full capacity.

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