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Range of Activities
Many complex steps are necessary before a wind farm produces energy
ABO Wind employs mechanical, building and environmental engineers,
geographers, physicists, landscape designers and economists in order
to take a wind farm project from the planning stage all the way through
to the operational stage.
Site Appraisal and Procurement | Planning, Permits and Financing | Construction of the Wind Farm
Site Appraisal and Procurement
To begin with, a large amount of criteria must be taken into account in
order to assess whether a designated construction site is feasible for
an ABO wind farm. Land surveys are commissioned to provide information about
local structural conditions. For example, a potential site is examined
for its wind power potential: Is it exposed directly to wind currents
or is the wind affected by geographical structures or vegetation
growth? ABO Wind always has at least two independent wind assessments
taken to evaluate a potential site. The experts determine the expected
long-term resource yield of the site. From a short-term perspective,
this potential is hard to gauge because some months and years produce
very different outputs. In order to gain a long-term perspective on the
yield potential of a site, wind indexes are used. These indexes are
based upon output capacities of existing wind farms and other wind
measurement instruments and can give an indication about a site’s
expected yield. A more accurate estimate can only be gotten when the
site is operational and statistics can be compiled over several years.
Another important aspect of site selection is the cost-effectiveness of
the possibilities to connect the site to the power grid.
If a site is determined to be feasible, ABO Wind establishes contact
with the communities, townships and citizens right from the beginning
in order to involve them in the project and ensure that the project is
as socially and environmentally friendly as possible. Land leasing
contracts are made during this phase of the project.top
Planning, Permits and Financing
A Global Positioning System (GPS) is used to determine the most
ideal position for the individual turbines. The decision is made
on the basis of factors like energy yield estimations, noise level
estimates, safety studies and shadow flicker evaluations. These
factors can be gathered by the planning department with a special
computer program. The findings are then presented with the permit
applications to the local authorities.
A forecast of potential earnings is also made during this phase. The
amount of capital investments needed and the expected revenues of the
wind farm over its lifetime are the basics that are considered in the
financing concept. Through its experience ABO Wind can offer a myriad
of international financing possibilities, which does not only accelerate
a project but also enhance its value.top
Construction of the Wind Farm
ABO Wind also manages the wind farm construction in order to ensure
that due dates, quality standards and cost calculations are met. In
other words, ABO Wind plans, coordinates and supervises the
construction phase.
Installation of the Foundation
Local small and medium sized construction firms are normally
used as much as possible to do the construction work. The first steps
in wind farm construction are to install the foundation and to build
access roads if necessary. Existing access roads are used whenever
possible and are gravelled if needed.
Cable installation
Cables
that run the distance from the wind farm to the power stations are
usually laid underground parallel to the access roads. By using a cable
plough, up to 1,000 meters of cable can be laid daily.
Construction of the Wind Turbine
The actual construction of the wind turbine takes place within a few days in three steps.
First, the tower segments are delivered and are built up by using two cranes.
Then the nacelle, which houses the electrical generator, is mounted
with high-strength screws. Finally, the three rotor blades are
connected to the hub. top
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