PEAK Wind Insights

“Increase the value of your wind farm – know your O&M strategy right from the beginning”

Too often we see wind farm projects being built without a clear plan for the operational phase. This leads to reactive behavior and loss of production once the project enters operations. To ensure proactive O&M (operations and maintenance), it is key to establish a clear O&M strategy and project planning in the early project stage.

“The TSA – not just a construction contract!”

Often we see Owners and Operators with OEM service and maintenance agreements that do not fully provision for alternative asset operational management strategies. As a wind farm owner with long-term exposure to the operational performance of the asset, you need to ensure that the right level of detail is given to the “post take-over” sections of the contract.

“The SMA - key questions to address during negotiations”

Operational expenditure (‘OPEX’) can equate to 25-30% of the total lifetime cost of a wind farm - even more when it concerns an offshore asset. The majority of these costs fall under one single contract - the turbines’ Service and Maintenance Agreement (‘SMA’). Considering the large impact of the SMA on the Owner’s overall business case, it is crucial to have a well-defined and optimized contract.

“Define and prepare the optimal operational set-up for your wind farm”

Optimal preparation for the operational phase needs to be started in due time, to accommodate for the broad scope and minimize unexpected roadblocks that can otherwise cause delays in the preparation for operation.