Wind turbine manufacturer Suzlon Energy has announced a retrofit program to resolve blade cracking issues discovered during the operations of some of its S88 turbines in the US.
The retrofit program involves the structural strengthening of 1,251 or 417 sets of blades on its S88 2.1MW turbines, of which 930 blades are already installed while the remaining blades are in transit or inventory.
Suzlon said that the retrofit program will be carried out by maintaining a rolling stock of temporary replacement blades, to minimize the downtime for operational turbines, and will be completed over a period of six months.
The program will reportedly utilize Suzlon’s global technical capabilities and its blade manufacturing and service facility in Pipestone, Minnesota, for blades. The total estimated cost of the retrofit program is estimated at INR1 billion.
Andre Horbach, CEO of the Suzlon Group, said: We have a close working relationship with our customers, and this program is a proactive measure to safeguard the interest of all our stakeholders. The retrofit program is designed to minimize impact for our customers and Suzlon.