Our ultimate objective is to achieve the optimum solution for our customers’ needs. The technical know-how and experience gained during almost a decade allows us offering the following technical services:
Design certification of wind turbine towers is essential to guarantee compliance with applicable international codes and assure highest quality standards. Due to this fact, we have worked in the past few years with several distinct certification institutions, such as Germanischer Lloyd (GL), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), TÜV Nord and Huanghe Design Institute. Hence, we can offer a wide variety of precast concrete solutions for wind turbine platforms, all of which are approved by independent organizations.
The precast concrete technology applied to wind turbine platforms constitutes a unique technique where a broad range of specific fields of knowledge merge, among others:
Additionally, we regularly work with engineering companies worldwide (e.g. United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany) and also collaborate with universities and research centers (e.g. Tecnalia, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Tianjin University, etc.).
Besides the obvious structural functionality requisites, precast concrete towers shall also satisfactorily fulfill other requirements in terms of accessibility and maintenance of the turbine and all its components. This is achieved by means of various internal elements, whose design shall take into account both the structural details of the tower and the definition of the manufacturing and erection processes.
The design criteria of these internal elements for concrete towers is different from those considered when dealing with steel towers, since the priority shall be to allow placing as many components as possible in the production plant, in order to reduce and simplify the assembly operations on site and, consequently, optimize the overall cost of the internals.
Windtechnic Engineering provides expertise in designing, manufacturing and assembling internals for wind turbine towers according to several internationally recognized standards, such as IEC, EN and OSHA requirements.
The pieces of which a wind turbine mast consists are characterized by their large dimensions and by very demanding tolerance requirements, which are generally lower than for any other precast concrete piece used in civil works. The design optimization of these concrete pieces leads to strict thicknesses and, consequently, to very low tolerances. In order to obtain a minimum final tolerance, the design must be adequate and the manufacturing process has to be capable of minimizing the tolerances.
In mould manufacturing, the steel qualities, welding and painting procedures and maximum tolerances demanded must meet the European Standards. The moulds manufactured in different countries are constructed in agreement with local standards and materials. To this end, Windtechnic controls the manufacturing of moulds in situ. Moreover, we demand and advise the manufacturer so as to guarantee a quality up to the standard demanded by wind energy industry.
In order to develop a product fulfilling all the stringent technical requirements and assuring the highest quality level at a competitive price, the manufacturing and erection processes, as well as the quality control requisites, shall be considered in detail from the very beginning of the design process. This can only be achieved by an appropriate industrialization of the production and assembly processes.
Windtechnic’s international experience in manufacturing and erecting precast concrete towers for wind turbines is proven by the production inspections (IPE) carried out by independent certification institutions in those facilities run or supervised by our personnel and it covers all project phases: from the selection and inspection of local manufacturers, until the certification of the assembly process.
Forty six precast concrete towers were deployed for the construction of one of South Africa’s largest wind farms to date situated on farmland in the Gouda district of the Western Cape. The towers stand at 100 m and each one supports a 3 MW turbine.
The towers were manufactured by Cape Town-based precast concrete producer Concrete Units, in a joint venture with Windtechnic.
Windtechnic Engineering designed a 110 m high precast concrete tower, as well as its internal elements, for Eolicabras. In March 2013, the design certification was granted by TÜV Nord.
Moreover, Windtechnic Engineering defined the manufacturing and erection procedures and also the quality control system, providing highly skilled personnel on site for the implementation of the said procedures.
Windtechnic Engineering designed the molds for a 110 m high precast concrete tower, taking into consideration from the very beginning of the project the local requirements and materials.
The project also included writing the user’s manual, supervising the manufacturing of the molds, assuring the quality control during this process, and assembling and commissioning the molds at the production facility.
Windtechnic Engineering designed the molds for the concrete part of a 120 m high hybrid tower, taking into account the challenging requirement to transport and store them in standard containers
The project also included writing the user’s handbook, as well as the loading, unloading, packing and storing instructions, and providing the quality control supervision during the manufacturing process by specialized personnel on site.
Windtechnic Engineering adapted the design of a 120 m high concrete-steel hybrid tower to the Chinese codes and materials, as well as high-corrosion environments. The design certificate by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) was given in August 2012 but the project also included the approval by the Tianjin University’s Design Institute, which authorizes the manufacturing of this tower in China.
Windtechnic Engineering designed both the precast concrete tower and its internals for a hybrid 120 m high tower for Gamesa’s G10X platform. The certification process with Germanischer Lloyd (GL) according to IEC standards concluded successfully in 2011.
Windtechnic Engineering adapted the structural design of a 120 m high concrete-steel hybrid tower to the American market, taking into account the locally available materials as well as the applicable concrete and construction codes. Det Norske Veritas (DNV) certified the design in 2011.
Windtechnic Engineering carried out the structural design of the precast concrete part of the hybrid 120 m high tower for Gamesa’s G10X platform. The design took into account the applicable German national requirements, according to DIBt, and the corresponding design certification was issued by Germanischer Lloyd (GL) in April 2012.
For such purpose, several tests were performed in the Tech University Munich (TUM).
The 10 towers of this windfarm, located in Szurkowo, are 120 m high and support Acciona Windpower’s AW3000 turbines.
The 220 concrete keystones were manufactured by the Pekabex-Windtechnic consortium in Pekabex’s facilities in Poznań and transported by road in less than 9 weeks, during the second quarter of 2015.
The 54 concrete towers of these two wind farms, located near Parazinho and Pedra Grande, are 120 m tall and support Gamesa’s G114 2,10 MW turbines.
The design of the tower, as well as its internal elements, was fully developed by Windtechnic based on a previously certified generic tower design for 2,00-3,00 MW and 120 m hub height turbines. Additionally, Windtechnic also created the manuals and the quality control system concerning all processes and operations, such as the reception of the raw materials, the manufacturing, the transportation, the erection, and the maintenance.
Windtechnic Engineering designed the molds for a 120 m high precast concrete tower and provided technical support during the manufacturing process, particularly focusing on the quality control and final validation of the molds.
The 100 concrete towers of this windfarm, located in the northwestern region of the country, will be 120 m tall and support two types of 2 MW wind turbines: Haizhuang Windpower’s (HZ) H111 and Goldwind’s (GW) GW115.
The design of the tower (including its internal elements) and the foundations was fully developed by Windtechnic based on a previously certified generic tower design for 2,00-3,00 MW and 120 m hub height turbines. Moreover, Windtechnic also created the manuals and the quality control system for all processes and operations and it is currently providing technical assistance on site.
This wind farm is located in the Karoo and it is made of 47 turbines, all of which are 100 m high and support Nordex Energy’s 3 MW turbines.
As in previous projects in the region, the tower units were manufactured by ACME, a joint venture created by Concrete Units (precast concrete manufacturer based in Cape Town) and Windtechnic Engineering.
These two wind farms located in the north of The Araucanía comprise 89 precast concrete towers, all of which have a hub height of 120 m. The turbines installed on them are 3 MW and were supplied by Nordex Energy.
The precast concrete units were manufactured by Consorcio VSL Windtechnic, a joint venture created by VSL and Windtechnic Engineering, in a production facility next to the wind farms. This manufacturing plant was built specifically for this purpose and allowed achieving a production rate of more than 2,50 towers per week.
Tres Picos wind farm is located in Buenos Aires Province, close to the city of Bahía Blanca, and it comprises 30 wind turbine generators supported by 120 m concrete towers.
The precast concrete units were supplied by a joint venture created by Windtechnic Engineering and PREAR Pretensados Argentinos, a well-known Mendoza-based precast concrete company. This project required building a new production plant in Bahía Blanca, and besides casting the concrete units, the tower internal elements were also assembled in the facilities to achieve a just-in-time supply.
29 wind turbines supported on 120 m high precast concrete towers were installed in Vientos Neuquinos wind farm. These towers were manufactured by PREAR Pretensados Argentinos in the specifically-built production facility in Allen (Río Negro Province). Windtechnic Engineering supported PREAR on the factory setting up and commissioning process, as well as in the quality control management.
The 36 precast concrete towers of this wind farm, located close to Mossoró and developed by Voltalia, are 120 m tall and support Siemens Gamesa’s SG132-3,40 MW turbines.
The design of the tower was fully developed by Windtechnic, who also created the manuals and the quality control system concerning all processes and operations. Moreover, the design was certified by TÜV Nord.
This wind farm, made of 26 wind turbines, is located nearby the town of Tubiba and was developed by Total Eren using SG132-3,40 MW turbines.
The 120 m hub height precast concrete tower was designed by Windtechnic, as an evolution of a previous tower, both for Siemens Gamesa’s wind turbines. As in the previous case, the design was certified by TÜV Nord.
The 19 precast concrete towers of this wind farm, located next to Mossoró, are 120 m tall and support Siemens Gamesa’s SG132-3,40 MW turbines. The project was developed by Total Eren.
The design of the tower was fully made by Windtechnic Engineering and certified by TÜV Nord. Furthermore, Windtechnic also developed the manuals and the quality control system concerning all manufacturing and erection operations.
This wind farm, developed by CPFL, was built next to Touros and it has 23 SG132-3,40 MW wind turbine generators, all of which are supported on 120 m hub height precast concrete towers.
The design as well as the production and erection procedures were entirely developed by Windtechnic Engineering considering the particular characteristics of this specific project, based on the broad experience in the region.
PROGRAMA DE AYUDAS DE APOYO A LA I+D EMPRESARIAL - HAZITEK
Actuación cofinanciada por el Gobierno Vasco y la Unión Europea a través del Fondo Europeo de desarrollo regional 2021-2027 (Feder)
