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New Aberdeen Gearbox Cell Cuts Wind Turbine Downtime
Downtime has long been one of the most stubborn challenges facing onshore wind operators. When yaw gearboxes fail, turbines can be left idle for months while replacement units are sourced - a delay that can translate into hundreds of thousands of pounds in lost generation revenue.
ERIKS has addressed this issue with the launch of a dedicated Yaw Gearbox Cell at its Centre of Excellence for Renewables in Aberdeen, designed to return turbines to service in hours rather than months.
Developed in collaboration with ERIKS’ European Centre of Excellence in Pensnett and refined alongside leading UK wind operators, the new cell enables yaw gearboxes to be received, inspected and refurbished in as little as 16 hours. By contrast, lead times for new replacement units can stretch to nine months, leaving operators exposed to prolonged outages and significant revenue loss.
At the heart of the initiative is a well-documented failure mode affecting yaw gearboxes used on widely deployed 2.3 MW onshore turbines. Each turbine contains eight yaw gearboxes, responsible for aligning the nacelle with changing wind direction.
Failures in the fourth-stage carrier were found to be causing premature breakdowns under normal operating loads - a problem compounded by limited OEM spare-parts availability.
Rather than treating the issue as a straightforward repair challenge, ERIKS adopted a more forensic, engineering-led approach. Critical components were reverse-engineered using 3D scanning and full metallurgical analysis, allowing parts to be upgraded and recast to a higher material specification.
Improved bearings, advanced polymer seals and increased load-handling capacity have resulted in a design that not only restores performance, but improves on the original.
The Aberdeen facility has been purpose-built to support rapid turnaround and repeatable quality. Clean and dirty zones, specialist craneage, custom tooling and full test rigs allow refurbished units to be processed efficiently, while on-site stockholding of replacement components eliminates delays between inspection and rebuild.
In total, ERIKS has invested £500,000 in the yaw gearbox cell, with more than £750,000 invested in the Aberdeen site over the past 12 months.
The service also delivers clear sustainability benefits. By replacing just 16 kg of material in a 250 kg gearbox, more than 90 per cent of the original unit is reused, diverting over 230 kg from landfill with each refurbishment.
For operators under increasing pressure to demonstrate circular-economy practices, the approach offers a practical way to reduce waste without compromising reliability.
Each refurbished gearbox is supplied with a laser-etched QR code linked to ERIKS’ Smart Asset Management (SAM) system, giving operators instant access to inspection reports, material certificates and full repair histories. The result is not only faster return to service, but improved traceability and asset governance across the turbine lifecycle.
The yaw gearbox cell forms part of ERIKS’ broader Lifetime Extension and Through-Life Management offering, supporting wind farm owners looking to safely extend turbine operating life through a combination of engineering insight, physical inspection and data-led maintenance strategies.
For a sector focused on resilience, sustainability and long-term performance, the Aberdeen yaw gearbox cell represents a shift away from long replacement cycles - and towards faster, smarter life-extension solutions built around the realities of operating wind assets in the field.
For more information on Renewables, or get in touch with your local ERIKS Service Centre who will be happy to discuss your options.
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