Grannell Community Energy (GCE) owns and operates a refurbished Enercon E48 wind turbine in Ceridigion, Wales. In late 2020, the turbine failed in service due to an earth fault. GCE selected Houghton International to identify the cause of failure and carry out repairs to return the generator to service.
The wind turbine generator was transported to Houghton International’s dedicated Large Machine Shop in Newcastle upon Tyne for repair. With 40 tonne craneage and a 13m working height, the facility could comfortably accommodate the repair of the 26 tonne generator. Considering the age, condition and previous works carried out, Houghton International’s project team recommended a full rewind of both the rotor and stator to minimise risk of further faults and extend the operational lifespan of the turbine.
The project was the first of its kind to be completed at Houghton International, requiring the manufacture of a bespoke frame and motorised jig for the winding of over 50 miles of continuous copper wire.
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Houghton International works with wind turbine operators, OEMs and maintenance providers to increase efficiency, reduce unplanned downtime and extend equipment lifespans. We use our technical expertise to carry out repairs, maintenance and performance improvements for electro mechanical assets such as generators, motors and pumps.
Visit our wind power sector page to learn more about our services for wind energy, or take a look at our generator services to find out more about our generator repair, maintenance, life extension and performance improvement services.
As a community energy group, we have invested significant time, effort and funds into our wind turbine project so when it came to repairs it was particularly important to us to find a repairer that could offer the highest quality of service.
From our first contact with Houghton International, we were impressed by their professionalism, enthusiasm and support for the project. Not only did they have the facilities to accommodate a project of this size, but they also gave us full confidence in their experience and technical expertise.
Throughout the project we received excellent communication from Chris Robson and the project team, who were always on hand to answer any queries, even outside of office hours. This gave us and our stakeholders great reassurance from start to finish.
The support from Houghton International even after the generator left their facility has been excellent. We were able to come back to them with further questions during the installation, and we are reassured to know they are on hand in future for any spares or maintenance support needed.
Having recently reinstalled the generator, initial impressions are that it is generating exceedingly well and we are optimistic it will meet our most ambitious projections for power generation. As a result of the comprehensive and diligent work carried out, we effectively have a brand new turbine in operation and we have every confidence that it will meet its 20 year lifespan expectation.
Grannell Community Energy
26 tonne
weight of the generator
850kW
power of generator
300 miles
distance generator transported to Houghton International
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