The SME-AGs in the TowerPower consortium aim to develop a tool that will be economically accessible and competitive. The broad benefits of the TowerPower system include:
- Increased wind energy competitiveness in the EU market with potential savings of €37 million in electricity production
- An increase in wind turbine life and productivity from reduced O&M costs for Offshore Wind Turbines (OWT)
- Increased maintenance safety through the use of an economically viable inspection solution
- An increase in SME involvement and increased employment potential for 4,960 SMEs in this sector
- Reduction in greenhouse gas emission within the energy industry through the proliferation of wind energy.
The outcome of this project will provide the wind farm owners, operators and the insurers with extremely valuable data on which to base decisions of extending the life of the wind turbines. In addition, we will produce a best practice and standardisation approach for test methods and implement a programme of information and training for inspection personnel. This will add great value to the wind sector, as there are no standards available at the moment for the inspection of these structural components.