{"id":283937,"date":"2020-11-09T18:20:58","date_gmt":"2020-11-09T08:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=283937"},"modified":"2020-11-09T19:04:00","modified_gmt":"2020-11-09T09:04:00","slug":"faults-to-be-fixed-at-wind-farm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/11\/09\/faults-to-be-fixed-at-wind-farm\/","title":{"rendered":"Faults To Be Fixed At Wind Farm"},"content":{"rendered":"
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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)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

November 9, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the 123 turbines at the Coopers Gap wind farm will be disassembled after faults were discovered recently during the commissioning process.<\/p>\n

The turbine will be replaced with a new unit.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cDuring GE\u2019s routine inspection and testing, it was identified that one of the turbines will need to be replaced,” a GE spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

“This turbine has been taken out of service while the Coopers Gap project continues to remain operational.”<\/p>\n

An exclusion zone has\u00a0been erected around the tower to ensure safety on site.<\/p>\n

During the commissioning process, another fault was also identified with the generators inside the nacelles of 50 of the towers.<\/p>\n

These towers are still generating power but GE had concerns about the long-term operational life of the generators.<\/p>\n

These components will be gradually replaced.<\/p>\n

“GE takes reliability of our equipment seriously and is taking a proactive approach to change out generators,” the spokesperson said.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“We have already commenced planning for a repair program conducted in phases to minimise disruption.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2018, GE CATCON was appointed by the Powering Australian Renewables Fund (PARF) to construct the 123 wind turbines.<\/p>\n

PARF is a joint funding venture between AGL and several partners.<\/p>\n

An AGL spokesperson said a significant milestone occurred earlier this year when the last of the turbines was installed.<\/p>\n

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

This was when the various faults were identified.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

The Coopers Gap Wind Farm can generate a maximum 453MW at full capacity.<\/p>\n

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