MS#06.11 On service life management of wind turbines

S. THÖNS¹, J.D. SØRENSEN², F. SCHOEFS³, S. LOCKWOOD⁴
¹ Lund University, Sweden|² Aalborg University, Denmark|³ University of Nantes, France|⁴  Generating Better, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Reliability, monitoring and sensing, O&M

Wind energy plays a significant role in the global shift towards sustainable and renewable energy sources. As the global fleet of wind turbines continues to grow, so too does the complexity of managing these assets effectively over their service life. The costs associated with turbine failures, unexpected downtime, and maintenance can be significant, directly impacting the economic viability of wind energy projects.
The motivation behind this Mini-Symposium lies in the urgent needs to optimize the service life of wind turbines and the service life management. An efficient service life management may include extending the operational period of turbines, reducing maintenance costs, improving reliability - all contributing to lowering cost of energy and enhancing sustainability of the production assets.
As wind turbines age, the industry faces unique challenges in balancing the cost of extending service life against decommissioning and replacing outdated assets as well as against repowering strategies. Operators must navigate regulatory, technical, and financial boundaries in managing end-of-life decisions, including repowering, recycling, or upgrading turbine components. This session aims to foster discussion on these challenges, addressing how the wind energy sector can embrace data-driven approaches, structural health monitoring systems, predictive maintenance and decision support for the service life management.