Projects

Using advanced simulations under real wind conditions, ORE Catapult validated turbine performance and issued a comprehensive technical report, available to clients considering optimisation for this platform.

Over a three-month collaboration, engineering teams from REOS and ORE Catapult rigorously assessed the reliability of the proposed solution.

The collaboration started in 2023, when REOS first analysed the performance of an 115 MW wind farm comprising 50 Siemens 2.3–101 turbines. During this initial engagement, REOS identified significant potential to reduce unexpected turbine shutdowns and recover lost production. Building on these results, Sonnedix recently extended the partnership to move deeper into controller assessment and optimisation. REOS is now continuously reviewing turbine control parameters to ensure maximum performance and no lost revenue. Over the past years, REOS has developed strong expertise in identifying real root causes of underperformance—going beyond standard monitoring tools. This allows clear communication with OEMs and delivers measurable improvements for clients.

“This is one of our most exciting projects, where we have been able to deliver impactful changes to one of our most valued customers,” said Juan Pablo Echenique, CTO.

“What Reoptimize has developed is completely different from what’s typically available in the industry. They uncover problems everyone else overlooks,” said an O&M Wind Farm Supervisor at Sonnedix.

This was our first pilot optimisation of a Siemens-2.3-93, and proved an excellent opportunity to implement our technology in a live environment. The turbine was noise-curtailed between the hours of 9 PM and 6 AM to reduce noise.

The aims of the pilot project were:

• Demonstrate a significant increase in AEP
• Demonstrate that Reoptimize Systems technology has no detrimental effects on the turbine and the machine stays within its load envelope
• Show that as a result of Reoptimize control settings there are fewer alarms and a reduced need for unscheduled maintenance

Optimised control settings were first installed on the turbine in April 2021. Results of the Siemens turbine demonstrate:

• 1.5% Annual Energy Production (AEP) uplift

• Reduction in tower loads of 25%

• 2% AEP uplift if loads are instead not reduced from baseline

• 1.5 dBA noise reduction (huge impact if noise curtailed)

• Reduction in unscheduled shutdowns with causes such as rotor overspeed, bearing overheating, excessive vibration etc.

• Elimination in current spikes at turbine startup by an order of magnitude

LOCATION: GERMANY

TURBINE: 2.3-93

Optimisation of a 60 kW direct-drive turbine. The ESPE FX23 has a larger rotor compared to peer designs, and this turbine had been downrated from 120kW to 60kW. The rotor speed had also been reduced by the OEM.

Key considerations:

• The anemometer of the turbine was not properly calibrated

• At this site the wind characteristics vary significantly depending on wind direction

• Very strong turbulence, higher than on previously analysed machines

This machine was successfully optimised to produce an increase in Annual Energy Production of at least 6%, while simultaneously producing a much more stable power curve at higher speeds — remaining within vibration and load envelopes and reducing significantly the thermal stress in the electrical components.

LOCATION: ITALY

TURBINE: ESPE FX23

Wind resource highly turbulent due to terrain roughness and tower height. This was causing extremely frequent vibrations that caused multiple unscheduled shutdowns.

The challenge was to aim for a maximum AEP subject to meet a minimum of 10% reduction of tower vibrations without decreasing output power significantly.

This machine was successfully optimised to produce an increase in Annual Energy Production of at least 5%, while simultaneously producing a much more stable power curve at higher speeds — remaining within vibration and load envelopes and significantly reducing thermal stress in the electrical components.

LOCATION: WALES

TURBINE: ESPE FX21