EDF Renewables Elevates Wind Farm Operations through Advanced Monitoring
In a significant step towards enhancing operational efficiency, EDF Renewables has adopted ONYX Insight's innovative fleetMONITOR platform. This strategic move allows for the centralisation of condition monitoring across its extensive wind turbine fleet, comprising over 5GW of renewable energy assets. The centralisation ensures that EDF Renewables can improve drivetrain health assessments, streamline maintenance processes, and overall, boost operational performance.
Challenges in Data Management
With a global portfolio exceeding 14.2GW of renewable assets, EDF Renewables discovered that managing data from various Condition Monitoring Systems (CMS) posed considerable challenges. The need for a consolidated solution became evident. By transitioning to the fleetMONITOR platform, EDF Renewables is set to improve its monitoring and maintenance strategies significantly.
The Necessity for a Unified Solution
EDF Renewables' wind fleet operates across various geographical regions, utilising multiple CMS hardware options, including third-party solutions and ONYX's own ecoCMS and ecoCMS Flex. This fragmentation increased the risk of overlooking critical faults and resulted in inefficient maintenance planning. To mitigate these risks, EDF Renewables required a cohesive analytics platform capable of integrating various CMS technologies. The goal was to provide actionable insights that enhance operations and maintenance practices.
Advancements with fleetMONITOR
ONYX Insight launched fleetMONITOR to empower EDF Renewables' Condition Monitoring Engineers based at its e-Diagnostic Centre (eDC) locations. The platform has been meticulously refined over a decade, utilising a wealth of failure data to bolster predictive maintenance capabilities, facilitate swift fault detection, and ultimately enhance operational efficiencies.
Partnership and Training
Following a comprehensive technical evaluation, EDF Renewables determined that ONYX Insight was the ideal partner due to their extensive experience in hardware-agnostic condition monitoring. After initiating a pilot program in 2022, the partnership evolved into a long-term collaboration, with ONYX providing detailed training to ensure a seamless integration of the fleetMONITOR platform.
Future-Proofing Wind Energy Monitoring
By the conclusion of 2025, EDF Renewables anticipates that it will monitor in excess of 5GW of assets across the globe using fleetMONITOR. This projection highlights the platform's scalability and its operational benefits in managing extensive renewable resources.
"Our partnership with EDF Renewables underscores fleetMONITOR's scalability and versatility," noted Sven Thiesen, Director of Sales & Engineering - Europe at ONYX Insight. "Equipping EDF's team with essential tools and training has enabled the eDC to maximise the potential of their wind energy assets effectively."
Understanding ONYX Insight
ONYX Insight, under the ownership of Macquarie Capital, provides cutting-edge predictive analytics, advanced sensing capabilities, and engineering support tailored for the wind industry. Monitoring more than 28,000 turbines across over 35 countries, ONYX is regarded as a trusted partner by eight of the top ten global wind asset owners. Additionally, the company has been selected by GE as the exclusive provider of condition monitoring for its onshore platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is fleetMONITOR?
fleetMONITOR is a hardware-agnostic platform developed by ONYX Insight that centralises condition monitoring for wind turbines and supports optimised maintenance strategies.
How does fleetMONITOR benefit EDF Renewables?
It enhances EDF Renewables' ability to assess drone health, streamline maintenance, and improve operational efficiency across its substantial wind turbine assets.
What challenges did EDF Renewables face prior to fleetMONITOR?
They faced difficulties in managing data from various Condition Monitoring Systems, which increased the risk of missed faults and inefficient maintenance planning.
When did EDF Renewables partner with ONYX Insight?
The partnership began with a pilot program in 2022, focusing on improving condition monitoring practices.
What is the ultimate goal of using fleetMONITOR?
The main goal is to enable EDF Renewables to monitor over 5GW of assets by the end of 2025, showcasing the platform's scalability and operational advantages.
