Blade protection specialist Edge Solutions has completed the second installation of its rotor blade protection system at the Riffgat offshore wind farm off Germany.
The Scottish outfit has also secured a follow-on order to complete further turbines in 2023 with its Armour Edge blade protection system.
The 2022 programme was completed by technicians from Hemmerschütz on behalf of wind farm owner Offshore Windpark Riffgat and coordinated by the operating company Omexom Renewable Energies Offshore.
The campaign follows the trial application of the custom-made erosion shields at the same site in 2020.
The shields have been developed using a bespoke version of INEOS’s ultra-tough Luran SC thermoplastic material, created specifically for wind turbine blades.
A 2022 study by ORE Catapult predicted the shields would have an operational lifetime in excess of 50 years.
Edge Solutions Managing Director David Urch (pictured) said: “This installation is a great validation for our product.
“Each new commission gives us increasing confidence in the ease of application of our system, resulting in less downtime for operators.
“We’ve used feedback to improve the Armour Edge system with end-to-end flush joints to further simplify application and enhance performance.”
Dirk Warnecke, Managing Director of Offshore-Windpark Riffgat, added: “The learning curve concerning handling and installation of the shields, which Edge Solutions made from the first tests in 2020 to today’s product is impressive.
“After a very smooth application, we are looking forward to see the product’s performance in the upcoming operation years.”
Edge Solutions is now shipping orders to a number of unnamed wind farms, in the UK, USA and India, and is rolling out product training to installation technicians in advance of an expected uptick in orders for 2023.
Each Armour Edge shield is up to one metre long and is custom formed to the exact blade type and then bonded into place by trained technicians.
It is designed to allow rapid installation which results in less downtime and improved profitability for wind farm owners.
Riffgat has a fleet of thirty Siemens 3.6 -120 turbines installed on monopiles 15 km off the island of Borkum and was commissioned in 2014.