OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS

Over the years EPS has provided engineering and design services to 83 UK renewable energy projects.

The professional technical services included conceptual design, assistance to connect to the distribution network, detailed design, earthing studies and transformer energisation studies to name a few. We offer technical electrical support for your onshore and offshore wind turbines, hydro, tidal, solar and anaerobic digestion plant projects.

What services do we offer?

Working with leading global manufacturers of cable systems and T&D products (ABB, Siemens and GE), for over 9 years we have collectively built an extensive knowledge base and lessons learnt data base for equipment located in harsh offshore environments.

We offer a variety of services to support you and your team:

• Power System Modelling & Investigative Analysis
• HV Asset Manuals
• Thermal Management Review and Optimisation
• Electrical Safety Management
• SCADA System Optimisation
• Subsea Cable Management and Solutions

HV Asset Manuals

The HV Asset Manual is the go to document explaining how all the systems work showing parameter settings and technical data all in one document, making reference to key drawings and documents located within the document management system. Typical structure as follows:

Primary and secondary equipment

• System location and nomenclature as per SLD
• Brief technical description
• Brief technical data sheet tables
• Reference documents
• Design technical specification
• O&M Manual (s)
• Technical Files (containing FAT and Commissioning Results)

Protection equipment – brief technical description

• Relay Settings
• Protection Philosophy
• Thermal settings (transformers and SVC Plus equipment)

HV and LV power modelling

• Power System Reactive Power and Active Power Flow Studies
• Reactive Power Flow Optimisation Studies
• SVC (Static Var Compensation) modelling and optimisation
• Protection Co-ordination Studies
• Circuit Breaker and Protection Tripping Investigations
• Protection Settings Checks

Failure Investigations

• Cable and Termination Failure Investigations

Electrical Safety Management

We provide expert consultancy and advice services for blue chip organisations concerned with the safe management of risk associated with all electrical work activities. Typical services include:

• Bespoke Electrical Safety Audits
• Arc Flash Assessments
• Arc Flash Awareness Training
• Electrical Safety Rules
• HV Switching Courses / Training

Asset Management

• Protection Setting Schedules
• Interpretation of SCADA system values
• SCADA System monitoring
• Electrical Equipment TAG Numbering
• Electrical Obsolescence Studies
• Critical Spares Lists
• Lessons Learnt

SCADA System Review and Optimisation 

Typical points considered from the review and or optimisation of the current I/O:

• Obsolescence Report
• SCADA system monitoring services
• Alarm Management
• Cyber Security – firewalls
• NIS Regulations
• UPS batteries – stability
• Relative merits of a single combined SCADA system (multiple servers)
• Review opportunities to draw any further data integration of existing equipment (e.g. SGT, Hydrans)
• DGA with moisture in oil
• Partial Discharge Testing
• Bushing Monitoring
• OLTC temperature monitoring
• Load current and analogue signals from the actual gauges (WTI, LTI)
• Analog outputs from the Buchholz gas accumulation
• Core ground current
• External tank temperature sensors
• Consider the areas of concern where additional monitoring may assist with life extensions
• SGT’s thermal ambient measurements withing noise enclosures
• Grid Transformer 33kV busducts thermal monitoring
• SVC Plus IGBT container thermal monitoring of ambient temperature trending with MVAR outputs

O&M agreement with manufacturers for modifications

Thermal Management Review and Optimisation

We’ve found that some offshore wind farms have been designed without taking into account thermal issues associated with electrical equipment operating at full capacity where HVAC systems or attenuation are not adequately rated to dissipate the heat generated by static electronic equipment.

Typical Structure as follows: –

• SVC Thermal Management
• GT Cooling Systems
• SGT Cooling Systems

Review and Optimisation as follows: –

• IGBT Failure Analysis
• Alarm and tripping investigations and solutions
• Smart online monitoring analysis
• Evaluation of transformer monitoring results

Specialist grid connection consultancy services:

• Renewable energy conceptual designs to integrate the renewable energy system into the existing building / manufacturing plants electrical system.
• Grid connection support for power generation systems for Low Voltage (415V), Medium Voltage (6.6kV and 11kV), High Voltage from 33kV up to 132kV grid connections.
• Grid connection application forms.
• Transformer energisation studies.
• Subsea cable specifications.
• G99 Grid Code Compliance Studies
• Energy efficiency calculations.
• Feed in Tariff revenue calculations.
• Soil resistivity testing.
• Reactive and active power flow studies (kVAr and kW).
• Earthing solutions for substations and power generation equipment.
• Solution provider for onshore and offshore condition monitoring equipment.

Engineering & design:

Due to the high capital expenditure costs associated with renewable generation technology EPS can provide you with a cost effective electrical design for your installation. Typical documentation EPS has provided to previous renewable energy installations include:

• Design & Installation of DTS cable monitoring systems.
• Substation and plant layout drawings.
• Electrical protection calculations for both LV and HV equipment.
• Substation lighting and small power supplies.
• Earthing and lightning conductor design.
• High Voltage and Low Voltage equipment specifications.
• Cable routing drawings.
• Cable calculations for both Low Voltage and High Voltage cable networks.
• Bill of Materials.
• Project capital cost estimates.

Specialist Consultancy:

Using electrical engineering software such as SKM Power Tools, ETAP, ERACs, IPSA or DigSILENT our electrical engineers can provide you with a study report for your power system.

Whether it’s a power system study for the entire wind farm, solar farm, hydro electrical distribution system or a modification / addition to the electrical system EPS can provide you with the following technical services:

Power System Modelling & Investigative Analysis

Typical studies (but not exhaustive) as follows: –

• Transformer energisation studies.
• Load flow analysis studies.
• Short circuit studies.
• Transient Motor Starting Studies.
• Harmonic analysis.
• Protection co-ordination.
• Arc Flash Assessments and switchgear risk assessments.
• Electrical thermal imaging survey reports.

Additional services:

• Attend meeting with the DNO (Distributed Network Operator), SSE, Scottish Hydro, Northern Powergrid, Western Power etc.
• Provide solutions to grid connection issues.
• Offshore and onshore surveys.
• Factory Acceptance Testing.
• Mechanical and electrical thermal imaging reports for wind turbine machinery, gearboxes, braking systems, generator, electrical equipment (onshore and offshore).

Typical projects:

Whether your project is an offshore or onshore installation we have the expertise and experience to drive your project forward no matter how large or how small:

• Nacelle, tower, platform lighting or warning beacon.
• LV or HV grid connection (wind turbine, solar farm, hydro, anaerobic digestion plant, bio diesel).
• Auxiliary supplies to retrofit equipment.
• Grid connection of auxiliary loads.
• Onshore outdoor / indoor plant lighting and small power.
• Primary and Secondary engineering & design.
• HV and LV electrical protection co-ordination.
• Modification to existing electrical installations.
• Additional power generation plant to existing network.
• Reactive power compensation solutions.
• kW generation curtailment / control.
• Offshore wind turbine routine thermal imaging – gearboxes, generators, invertors.
• Wind turbine remote / condition monitoring.

Installation and Commissioning Documentation / Guidelines

If your business is looking to install or carry out commissioning and cable / termination testing then you’ll require a comprehensive set of documents to support your technicians / engineers. EPS has sound knowledge and experience creating such documentation, as a minimum we provide / develop the following documentation:

Daily Progress Report (Team)
Daily Progress Report (OIM/Supervisor Summary)

Project Quality Plan
Project HSE Plan

Jointing/Termination Procedure
Jointing/Termination Testing Procedure
Cable Fault Location & Analysis Procedure

Jointing/Termination Risk Assessment
Jointing/Termination Testing Risk Assessment
Cable Fault Location & Analysis Risk Assessment
Point of Work Risk Assessment Hazard Identification Tool Box Talk

Site Instruction
Technical Query
Inspection & Test Plan
Test Sheet – Phase ID, Conductor/Screen Resistance, Insulation Resistance
Test Sheet – Over Sheath
Test Sheet – Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR)
Test Sheet – Very Low Frequency (VLF)
Test Sheet – Optical Time Domain Reflectometry (OTDR)
Test Sheet – Surge (Thump)
Test Sheet – Bridge
Joint/Termination Record Form – HV Subsea Joint
Picture Document Report Form – HV Subsea Joint
Picture Document Report Form – FO Terms
Picture Document Report Form – CSR Test
Picture Document Report Form – IR Test
Picture Document Report Form – OTDR Test
Picture Document Report Form – Oversheath Test
Picture Document Report Form – Phase ID Test
Picture Document Report Form – SCR Test
Picture Document Report Form – TDR Test
Picture Document Report Form – VLF Test
Mechanical Completion Certificate
Handback / As Built Report