Horizon 2020 funds wind farm management project

Horizon 2020 is funding a project to cater for the growing demand of knowledge and the lack of qualified workers in wind farm management and maintenance.

The AWESOME (Advanced Wind Energy System Operation and Maintenance Experience) is being co-ordinated by the Research for Energy Resources and Consumption. The project will tackle the current obstacles hindering smooth wind turbine operation and maintenance, and will receive €2.8m from Horizon 2020.

As wind power facilities in Europe age and new wind farms are largely set up offshore, operating and maintaining them become particularly important in order to ensure their optimal performance.

The European Technology Platform for Wind Energy has said that the sector could create up to 50,000 employment opportunities by 2030.

The project will develop new default maintenance planning and prevention strategies and will create new knowhow and experiences by training specialised professionals. To achieve this, AWESOME will select 11 researchers and guide them through their doctoral theses on topics related to wind farm operation and maintenance.