July 2, 2013
Massachusetts

Hanover wind turbine may fall even further behind schedule because of problems

By Mark Burridge | Wicked Local | Posted Jul 02, 2013 | www.patriotledger.com

HANOVER – Problems with the Hanover wind turbine have been coming up so frequently that Lumus construction, the company building it, wants the India-based manufacturing company, Siva, to send an inspector from India to help get the turbine up and running.

But that inspector needs to get here first.

Hanover DPW Director Victor Diniak said the manufacturer’s representatives have been held up because of problems with getting visas.

Meanwhile, Element Energy Works of Oregon, the project commissioner working with Lumus, has been helping to examine the site.

As recently as last month, Diniak said he thought the turbine was close to completion and that final tests were being run. But problems persist. He said one problem that might lead to longer-term issues hasn’t gone away.

“There seems to be a defect in the tank for hydraulic fluid,” he said. “The issue has been ongoing for about the last two months.”

Diniak said the wind turbine has two generators on top: one for low-speed winds and one for high-speed winds. He said the problem crops up during the transition from the low-speed generator to the high-speed generator.

“We’ve been trying to isolate the issue, but part of the problem is it is 150 feet in the air,” Diniak said.

In an attempt to solve the problem, Diniak said several components of the tank have been replaced. At this point, Lumus and Element Energy Works are both starting to think the problem is bigger.

“They’re talking about a new tank,” Diniak said.

Diniak said the new tank still falls under the warranty, so the town would not be paying for it.

However, a replacement would mean more time to complete a project which is already roughly two years behind schedule.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/07/02/hanover-wind-turbine-may-fall-even-further-behind-schedule-because-of-problems/