Burradale Blade Refurbishment Completed

The rotors from Sally, one of the two Vestas V52 turbines at the windfarm just outside Lerwick, were hoisted back onto their nacelle on Tuesday night by two Peterson SBS cranes.

Last week the rotors from Karen, the other V52, were re-attached in a similar operation masterminded by L&M Engineering and Wind Turbine Services.

The blades had been taken down and transported to a workshop at the Greenhead Base, where Shetland Composites rubbed them down, filled in any blemishes and applied weather-resistant paint.

The blades from all five of Burradale’s turbines have now been refurbished – those from the three V47 machines (Mina, Betsy and Brenda) were done in the summer of 2012.

Angus Ward, managing director of Shetland Aerogenerators, said: “Thanks to the expertise of the firms who have carried out this work, it has been a smooth process which will keep the blades turning and producing clean electricity for another 10 years at least.”

The Burradale turbines were erected in 2000 and 2002 and have consistently produced electricity for the local grid with a capacity or load factor of over 50 per cent.