E.ON Energy Services, E.ON's recently launched operations and maintenance (O&M) business, has announced plans to use new technology from Liftra, a provider of lifting and transport solutions, to help with wind turbine repairs.
Liftra has developed a new technology, the Liftra Crane, which the partners say could dramatically lower the total costs to change out gearboxes and generators for certain turbines. E.ON Energy Services has purchased this technology from Liftra and will offer it as part of a new service offering to customers in the North American market.
‘The Liftra technology can help lower the total repair costs by 20 to 30 percent,’ says E.ON Energy Services Vice President Guy Dees. ‘This technology replaces a traditional crane, has easier mobility and can operate in harsher wind conditions."
‘Doing business with E.ON was a natural fit for us,’ adds Liftra CEO Per Fenger. ‘E.ON is an international player in the renewables business, and working with them to bring this to customers in the North American market made sense for both companies.’
The Liftra technology is currently applicable on the GE 1.5, the Vestas V82 and Siemens 2.3 platforms.
‘E.ON believes in pushing the development of new technologies to increase safety, reduce operating costs and increase performance whenever possible," says E.ON Energy Services President Keith Day. "With our Owner's Eye approach, we intend to test the Liftra Crane on our own fleet initially and offer it to customers later this year. Once proven out, this could have wide-reaching benefit to the industry, especially sites in the most remote areas.’
