TILTING AT WINDMILLS

Siemens d.d. based in Zagreb, a global leader in manufacturing and supply of wind turbines, contracted us to replace the oil in the gearboxes of five wind turbines in northern Dalmatia.  The gearbox connects the low-speed shaft to the high-speed shaft and increases the rotational speeds required to produce electricity. Synthetic gear oils are most commonly used to lubricate the gearbox, and they need to be changed at regular intervals. Such work is performed in a confined space - only the companies that specialise in such services can perform such work. Siemens has put in place a rigorous prequalification procedure in order to add the candidates who are capable of performing work as Siemens' contractors to qualified vendor’s list. Once the oil has been changed, the used oil is disposed of in line with the Croatian law, and all the necessary supporting documents are issued.  Gearboxes are situated in the wind turbine at the height of 70 m, and access equipment is required in order to perform work on them. In addition to these challenges, our project manager Mr. Don Quixote faced other ordeals such as the fog and the wind.