UDT tests carried out on equipment for the Baltic Power farm – a joint venture between the ORLEN Group and Northland Power – yielded positive results, confirming their safety. The tests were conducted in port on an installation vessel.
“The Technical Inspection Authority has been involved in wind energy, both onshore and offshore, from the very beginning. We are prepared to support safety in this area. We have a qualified team of engineers who have been testing wind turbine equipment for years. In this way, we support not only the durability of wind farms, but also the safety of the people working on them,‘ said Paweł Urbańczyk, President of the UDT, adding: ’Given the possible increase in the number of wind farms, and thus the number of devices, we are constantly monitoring the required number of qualified inspectors to carry out tests in the field of renewable energy sources.
A team of nearly 220 inspectors at the Technical Inspection Authority ensures the safety of equipment at wind farms. Listening to the industry, the Authority optimises the time spent on inspections by expanding the competences of inspectors assigned to tasks on wind turbines. Thanks to double authorisation, UDT inspectors can inspect material handling equipment, such as platforms, and pressure equipment, such as hydraulic accumulators, at the same time, which reduces wind farm downtime. In turn, the use of modern testing methods, such as acoustic emission, avoids the need to dismantle parts of the equipment.
In addition to the appropriate qualifications to work on wind turbines, UDT inspectors have the industry-required GWO (Global Wind Organisation) training.
Currently, over 22,000 devices operating for wind farms are under the supervision of the UDT. The office also ensures the safety of employees in this area by certifying wind farm services. Thanks to certification, wind farm owners can be sure of the appropriate level of service provided.
Source: UDT
