Safety of Onshore and Offshore Wind Turbines

Specialists from DEKRA will be showcasing their expertise at the HUSUM WIND – Transforming Energy trade show, which is taking place in Husum, Germany, from September 12 to 15, 2023. DEKRA will be sharing solutions for the entire wind turbine lifecycle. In addition to testing and inspection services, DEKRA also provides special structural assessment services and support for the safe and cost-effective operation of older systems.

In day-to-day use, wind turbines must withstand high, alternating loads while remaining safe and commercially viable. Failures and accidents cause serious economic damage. Wind energy is a key technology in the clean energy revolution. The surplus energy generated is often converted into climate-friendly, storable energy sources such as hydrogen.
Safe and cost-effective continued operation
There is currently a growing focus on the continued operation of wind turbines beyond their originally planned lifespan. The experts at DEKRA support operators as they navigate the associated legal and technical landscape. DEKRA experts carry out both the on-site inspections and the performance analyses in relation to load level and reserve capacity, which are required to allow operations to continue.
Focus on design and planning
DEKRA is also there to support investors and operators in the planning, design, and approval of new projects. During the construction phase, the company’s experts are responsible for safety at work and site safety coordination, and perform risk assessments and technical acceptance testing.
Periodic inspections maintain safety standards
As an accredited inspection body (AIB), DEKRA is responsible for the periodic inspections that are carried out during the operating phase in accordance with the German industrial safety regulations (BetrSichV), as well as further compulsory inspections such as the inspection of access systems, cranes, pressure vessels, and electrical equipment.
The structural integrity of wind turbines (tower and foundation) is determined in periodic inspections carried out by DEKRA experts in accordance with the corresponding directive (2012) from the Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik (German Institute for Civil Engineering). After longer periods of operation, DEKRA experts also perform a number of special services to assess economic viability and condition, such as vibration measurements, drive train and blade angle measurement, endoscopic inspections, or oil and grease analyses.
DEKRA experts provide due diligence reports for insurance companies or courts in the event of damage or a change of operator. They are also responsible for providing operating personnel with further instruction and safety training.
Sector coupling with the hydrogen economy
DEKRA provides a number of safety-related services for sector coupling with hydrogen as an energy source: for example, in its role as an accredited inspection body for explosion protection according to the German industrial safety regulations (BetrSichV) and for hydrogen tank pressure. Added to this is an entire wealth of expertise relating to the containment of dangerous goods and hydrogen filling equipment according to ADR/TPED. DEKRA also carries out feasibility studies and compiles reports on the repurposing of gas pipelines and new pipelines. Furthermore, DEKRA has testing concepts for fittings, along with a tester for the inspection of existing equipment.
DEKRA’s commitment to the wind energy sector is part of its ambitious Sustainability Strategy 2025. DEKRA supports the vision of a sustainable world economy and pledges to observe the basic principles of the UN Global Compact. DEKRA is a member of Hydrogen Europe and is actively involved in the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (DWV).
DEKRA at HUSUM WIND 2023
September 12 to 15, 2023
Hall 5, Booth: 5C27
https://www​.dekra​.de/windenergie