Wind Safety, Quality and Experience

Wind energy was one of the victors of Mexico’s first longterm electricity auctions but with the expected surge in these projects, Julio Ramírez, Chief Operating and Technical Officer of inspection and maintenance company Mexión, says regular inspections to detect failures and damages at an early stage is a crucial factor for long-term results. “The expertise of our inspection technicians is the first analytical filter when examining rotors and nacelles,” he says. “Lack of knowledge regarding the behavior of materials can lead to the wrong conclusions being drawn about a turbine’s performance. We design a maintenance procedure based on our vast experience and technical know-how and deliver it to our client’s engineering department or to blade manufacturers to get the go-ahead or to integrate procedural adjustments, if needed.”
Based on its extensive field work, Mexión noticed a prevalent lack of knowledge among technicians purported to be blade specialists contracted by the wind farm owners. Ramírez says Mexión is often called upon to offer a second opinion when insurance claims are made by wind farm owners.
Although he acknowledges the steps being taken by academia to provide qualified technicians to Mexico’s booming wind power market, there is still the need to foment practical experience. “We know that a highly qualified and trained workforce makes all the difference, and therefore we offer young professionals the chance to work with the most experienced wind blade technicians in the Mexican market," he says, adding that the benefits go both ways. "For these young professionals, working for Mexión is the possibility to specialize in blade repair and maintenance services and ensure a durable career in this market.”
Ramírez adds that improper management of components can be fatal in some cases. “Optimal and continuous maintenance services relating to wind farms are primarily composed of three variables: safety, quality and experience,” he says. “Failure to provide any of these three components not only jeopardizes the wind farm’s optimal efficiency but also puts technicians at risk.”
Mexión takes training of its personnel seriously, ensuring all its technicians are fully DC-3 and GWO certified to perform maintenance work at great heights and comply with Basic Safety Training Standards (BST). To further mitigate personal risk, the company carries out a thorough risk assessment on each project prior to beginning, which can sometimes throw social issues into the spotlight. “We coordinate our workforce’s logistics to avoid high-risk zones and engage regularly in security talks with our personnel,” he says.
“Many companies try to perform maintenance tasks using vertical access techniques with ropes. It is a high-risk practice compared to suspended platforms, which include several safety features in the form of anchorage points within a wind turbine’s nacelle. A suspended platform’s steel cables can support dynamic loads and provide stability,” says Ramírez. “This also assures operational and consequently economic advantages, such as better quality due to the 360° access around the blade, coverage of larger areas to be repaired, more room on the platform for technicians and materials, fast and easy ascent and descent of the platform, easy mobilization, less downtime and it is much cheaper than a crane.”
Thinking ahead, Mexión is looking to consolidate its foothold in Brazil, Uruguay and Chile. Conversations with local companies in Mexico are also ongoing to promote Mexión’s service offers. “We are offering integral schemes covering composite materials,” he says. “Cleaning, repairs, inspections and checklist services are also included. For competitive pricing, we are proposing monthly, threemonth and six-month servicing packages.”