The Generator Stock is part of ABB’s new Center of Excellence for servicing wind generators, and it serves wind park operators who need a replacement of equipment. Most large parks keep spare generators in stock, but failure can occur when the spare units are already in the repair loop. In this situation, the park can either wait until one of its spares is repaired, order a third-party refurbished unit – which may prove less reliable in the long term – or place an order for a completely new generator.
New wind generators typically have a lead time of 22–25 weeks, as most of them are manufactured to order.
Keeping a turbine out of production for such a long period is very expensive. In the case of a 3.6 MW offshore turbine, for example, 22 weeks of lost production could cost around EUR 1.28 million1.
Significantly cutting turbine downtime
The Generator Stock enables wind parks to significantly reduce turbine downtime after a generator failure. Replacement units are available in as little as 5 to 10 business days, which can cut the production losses of a 3.6 MW turbine by as much as EUR 1.2 million – a saving of more than 93%.
This is key to avoiding lengthy downtime. The Generator Stock at our Center of Excellence in Estonia is ready to help wind parks operators that experience a failure when generators from their own stock are under repair. They can quickly get a replacement that is tower-ready, and it will usually have exactly the same electrical specifications as the failed generator. All they need to do is install it and connect it. Markus Terhorst, Global Sales Manager, ABB Renewable Power
Updated with latest technology
ABB’s stock consists of generators that are either brand new or OEM refurbished, as Markus Terhorst explains: “When refurbishing a generator for our stock, we generally use new capital spare parts for components like the stator core. This approach leads to better results than rewinding, which is a common practice among third-party workshops. Our stock units feature the latest technology, incorporating all the reliability enhancements developed since the generator’s initial launch.”
At the Center of Excellence, we store the generators in ideal ambient conditions and maintain them ready for immediate delivery. We also provide a standard two-year warranty from the date of delivery. This can be extended to up to five years upon request.
In addition to offering fast replacements, if the failed unit is an ABB product, the Center of Excellence can handle the necessary repair and refurbishment work or accept the generator as an exchange unit for trade-in against the replacement.
Services to help avoid unplanned downtime
ABB also provides services to help wind park operators transition from reactive to predictive maintenance. Its advanced solutions allow for continuous monitoring and analysis, identifying turbines at risk of failure within a specific timeframe. This proactive approach enables operators to plan and optimize maintenance interventions, even replacing generators before failure to minimize unplanned downtime. Through a strategic partnership with WindESCo, a leading analytics software provider, ABB is expanding its offerings with end-to-end solutions that enhance the performance and reliability of wind turbines.
Meeting wind parks’ needs
“We supplied the first ABB wind generators in the 1980s, and deliveries to turbine OEMs worldwide now total more than 35,000 generators, says Markus Terhorst. “Of course, the failure rate increases as the generators get older, so more replacements are needed. As part of our new Center of Excellence, the Generator Stock is closely integrated with our training, repair and refurbishment facilities. This will put us in an even stronger position to meet wind park operators’ needs and help them boost electrical availability.”
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[1] Calculation based on:
- average output of 12 million kWh/year or 32,877 kWh/day (How Much Energy Does A Wind Turbine Produce? | Inspire Clean Energy);
- average electricity price in the EU of EUR 0.253/kWh (Electricity and gas prices in the first half of 2022 - Products Eurostat News – Eurostat, europa.eu).
