Danish wind turbine-maker Vestas has partnered with gearbox manufacturer ZF, as part of its service strategy, to optimise performance of wind energy assets.
Image: Vestas' 3MW turbine. Photo: Courtesy of Vestas Wind Systems A/S.
By expanding the partnership with ZF, Vestas will offer customers solutions that can lower repair costs, decrease downtime, and limit additional future repairs. Leveraging the companies’ complementary service capabilities and global footprints, the partnership also promotes mutual knowledge transfer, cooperation on training, and joint documentation development.
Through the partnership, Vestas becomes ZF’s preferred supplier to perform uptower repair work and ZF becomes Vestas’ preferred supplier for shop repairs and replacement units. Vestas has a long track record of efficiently repairing gearboxes on site, without removing them from the turbine, saving significant time and reducing cost. This expertise will result in unparalleled speed and efficiency offered to fleet owners worldwide.
Vestas Wind Systems global service group senior vice president Christian Venderby said: “By partnering with ZF, we can return the turbine to service faster than anyone in the market and leverage our extensive volume with ZF to have best-in-market pricing, terms and lead times.
“And depending on the customers’ asset management strategy, we can now deliver everything from a standalone uptower repair to a complete exchange and turnkey solution globally. With this new partnership, we are expanding our gearbox capabilities and are at the same time lowering the total cost of ownership — all to the benefit of our customers.”
ZF develops, manufactures and repairs gearboxes for the wind industry at plants and repair shops in Germany, Belgium, China, the US, and India. Going forward, Vestas and ZF will also collaborate on new repair and gearbox service products that can benefit the rest of the industry.
Source: Company Press Release