Wind Energy

Having a dry-air strategy for your wind turbine starts at the design process. Onshore and offshore turbines are designed with different locations and weather conditions in mind, yet they face similar challenges with mould, corrosion and electrical faults.

Effective, reliable control of corrosion means wind turbine manufacturers are able to work with lower ISO 9223 classification requirements and lower IP classes — which means lower costs for wind turbine materials, coatings and components. Cotes technology and know-how enable you to roll back key manufacturing costs by as much as 10–30% because standard-spec coatings, parts and fittings are sufficient.

The nacelles, hubs and towers of wind turbines – and all the sensitive equipment and electronics inside them – are exposed to tough conditions from the moment they leave the factory all the way to the site. Some turbines are in transit for months on end before becoming operational.

Cotes dehumidifiers keep nacelles and towers — and the expensive fixtures inside them — in ready-for-service condition while en route to the site. This provides big savings on commissioning as well as rolling back maintenance and service costs — and keeps up the in-service revenue stream.

© Vestas Turbine Parts at Able Seaton Port’s Installation Base for the 857MW Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm

En route to the wind farm site, towers and nacelles are often stored out in the open on trucks, rail cars, ship decks, storage areas and quaysides, exposed to fluctuating temperatures and weather conditions for extended periods of time. Cotes dehumidifiers can help you protect these assists even before they become operational.

In the case of offshore wind turbine installation, the foundations of these turbines can be installed for many months, even years before the turbine arrives on site. This leaves the foundation and electrical equipment exposed to moist and salt-laden air. 

Conditions don’t get easier once the nacelles and towers are erected on-site and become operational. Nearshore and offshore wind turbines (offshore in particular) are exposed to harsh weather conditions and the corrosive combinations of airborne humidity and salts 365 days a year, for the entire duration of their service lives, can have a detrimental impact to the turbine's profitability if there isn't an effective dry-air strategy in place.

A good dry-air strategy does not stop at the wind turbine. The substations that gather the power from the wind farm and connects it to the grid are also vulnerable to the elements. These substations are full of sensitive electrical equipment that need to be protected from corrosion and mould and if they shut down due to electrical faults, it means the whole wind farm becomes nonoperational. Some substations are required to be operational without servicing or maintenance for up to 12 months at a time which makes having an effective dry-air strategy crucial.