Wind Farm Maintenance | SWALEK for High Voltage Cable Jointing

Published 13 Jun 2022

Solar & Wind Farm Maintenance

• Special thanks to Tristan Jones Business Development Manager at Swalek High Voltage Services 

  for kind permission to share

Wind Farm Fault Emergency Call-Out

11kV | 33kV | 132kV

Swalek provide a comprehensive range of Solar & Wind Farm Maintenance Services including high voltage power cable installation, jointing, termination and testing.

Swalek cover design, consultancy, installation, testing and commissioning, energisation, operation and maintenance for electrical networks and cables up to 132kV.

Having built over 30 wind farms and operating and maintaining renewable energy assets across the UK, Swalek is well placed to provide high voltage electric power consultancy, operation and maintenance services including:

• Wind Farm Maintenance Services 
• GWO Certified
• High Voltage Turnkey Solutions
• Installation
• SAP Service
• Fault Analysis & Management
• Consultancy & HV Safety
• Operation & Maintenance
• Commissioning

A Recent Wind Farm Maintenance Project Application

Swalek’s wind farm maintenance division supported a customer yesterday with their off-supply issue at a wind farm in Scotland, near Falkirk. An engineer attended site to assess the problem and found that the site had lost communications. The engineer checked the Scottish Power Network and didn’t find any problems. It was assumed that there was a loss of supply.

An investigation was then carried out and it was found that there was no supply to site or to the transformer to Scottish Power. The engineer contacted Scottish Power Energy Networks and discovered their switch had tripped on fault which was feeding the wind farm transformer.

A visual inspection was carried out on the transformer which didn’t indicate any stress or irregularities. The decision was made by Scottish Power to attempt a re-energization. The network tripped again immediately on fault and the decision was made to carry out an intrusive investigation.

The engineer then carried out a detailed investigation and it was discovered that Transformer 1 had a failure. An 11kV insulation resistance test was carried out which proved a fault on the HV winding. Swalek High Voltage Services are now in the process of sourcing and installing a new 800kVA transformer to replace the faulty transformer and ensure the wind farm continues to generate.

Swalek carry out wind farm high voltage design, build, operation & maintenance services throughout the UK and across Europe. Swalek deliver operation, maintenance and turnkey HV Design & Build (Civil & Electrical) balance of plant solutions for wind farm projects.

Wind Farm High Voltage Services

• Site Management / SAP Duties up to 132kV
• Control & Operation /HV Safety HV Consultancy
• Switchgear & Transformer Installation & Testing
• Design and Network Analysis, Discrimination Studies
• Earthing Design
• HV Electrical System Design
• HV Electrical Installation Primary Substation: Construction & Commissioning
• Switchgear, Transformers, Plant & Apparatus: Installation & Refurbishment
• Cable Containment: HV/LV, Cable Ladders Trays & Trunking Earthing Systems
• Panel Wiring: Relay Panels, Remote Terminal Unit (RTUs) and LVAC boards
• Lighting, Heating, Power & Security Systems: Substations & Control Rooms Retrofit
• Upgrade & Decommissioning: Equipment Protection, Design, Testing & Commissioning
• VLF & Partial Discharge Testing
• Cable Connections: HV/LV, Multi-Core & Power, Cable Laying, Pulling, Jointing
• Maintenance of HV & LV Switchgear
• HV Inspection & Testing Services up to 68kV (Peak)
• HV Switching
• Fault Finding Analysis & Management
• Transformer Repairs Oil Sampling – Laboratory Analysis Dissolved Gas Analysis
• Cable Installation & Jointing Services – 11kV, 33kV & 66kV
• Contestable Grid Connections
• Operation & Maintenance
• Asset Management, Condition Inspection & Monitoring

Wind Farm Maintenance – Swalek Project Photos

Swalek High Voltage Services design, installation, construction, commissioning, energising, maintaining and operating high voltage electrical infrastructures on 11kV, 33kV and 132kV private networks.

• High Voltage Cable Spiking – provide specialist engineering teams to carry out cable spiking on underground cables
• Switchgear & Transformer Maintenance – support you with Switchgear and transformer maintenance throughout your network
• Design & Earthing Studies – professional and competent specialists ensure your earthing system is appropriate for the installation
• Transformer & Switchgear Installation – installations are carried out to the highest safety standards and by fully trained engineers

Find out more about the operation & maintenance options Swalek High Voltage Services can provide to support you with maintaining the security of your electricity supply to your wind farm’s high voltage private network.

Alternatively call +44(0)1792 923199, or email: [email protected]

Jointing Gallery

Specialist Distributors of High Voltage Jointing & Electrical Safety Equipment

Thorne & Derrick International are Specialist Suppliers to the UK and international Wind Industry of products to provide safe and reliable LV HV Electrical Cable Termination, Jointing, Installation & Power Systems up to 66kV.

We are based in North-East England, recognised as a key strategic location to service the offshore renewables energy market in the UK, from the North Sea to the Nordics – our Exports Division support international offshore wind power projects from USA to China.

Key Product Categories: Connectors, Joints & Terminations MV HV | Cable Preparation & Jointing Tools | Duct Seals | Cable Transits | Cable Cleats | Cable Glands | Electrical Safety | Arc Flash Clothing & Protection | Cable Pulling | Earthing & Lightning Protection | Feeder Pillars

Thorne & Derrick distribute the most extensive range of MV HV Medium & High Voltage Cable Joints, Terminations & Connectors from manufacturers including 3M, Prysmian, Nexans Euromold, Elastimold, Pfisterer CONNEX & SEANEX.