Developments within offshore wind farms are rapidly growing and DONG Energy is a driving force behind them. At DONG Energy we have been working with wind power for many years and it is an area which constantly develops.

The turbines’ capacity is ever-increasing and they are, to a greater extent, being built offshore. We are working intensively within all these areas. We are also focusing on the location of the turbines in order to optimise wind utilization. This increases demands on turbines, foundations, access conditions, operational management and maintenance. At present we are focusing heavily on all these areas.

Knowledge sharing and collaboration across the organisation
We are gaining new knowledge through our experience in operating wind turbines. Our knowledge makes us strong partners for our suppliers, so that they may develop components for new generations of wind turbines. A substantial amount of research and development activity is also taking place in collaboration with Danish and foreign universities.

We are focusing on the following areas, among others:

• Farm layout: The aim is to find the best position possible for placing the turbines within a wind farm. This means the optimal place offshore or onshore, and the best position of the turbines in relation to one another so they can achieve maximum production.

• Production calculations: Precise wind measurements and tools to calculate production from a wind farm in a specific place offshore or onshore, enables us to estimate the economics of a wind farm, if placed in this area.

• Forecasting and wind prognosis: It is important to be able to predict wind speeds and thereby power production from the wind farm as accurately as possible. It means we can therefore regulate the production at our power plants accordingly, thereby supplying the exact quantity of power and heat required by our customers.

• Machine technology: We are working on optimizing turbine surveillance to streamline operation and maintenance. The goal is to reduce costs while also becoming better at utilising the wind by reducing the time the turbine is not in operation. The individual turbine will thus produce more power on an annual basis.

• Electro technology: We have technology that protects against lightning strike, vibrations and other external impact. We are also developing electronics for the demanding offshore environment, as well as electronics that will ensure the quality of the power produced.

• Foundations: At DONG Energy we design our own wind turbine foundations. By improving the construction of the turbines, we can develop cost-effective foundations while also building wind farms further offshore where there is more wind.

• Sea bed conditions: Knowledge of sea bed conditions and research methods for acquiring such knowledge are essential for the best possible positioning and optimal design of a wind turbine foundation.

• Management, regulation and surveillance: DONG Energy collaborates with manufacturers to develop and optimise surveillance concepts to enable the detection of imbalances in the axles, attrition, lubrication problems and others, before damage occurs.