GE Vernova Closes Brazil Factory, Decommissioning Bonds for Wind Farms
Weather Guard Lightning Tech
We Make Lightning Protection Easy | Wind Turbines & Aircraft
?? 4 minute read ??
GE Vernova is closing a Brazilian blade factory as installations have dropped 30%. The closure affects about 1,000 workers. Australia faces concerning issues with trailing edge serrations falling from turbines. The team also discusses blade recycling challenges, the need for decommissioning bonds as the industry matures, and (some of) the cultural differences between European and American work environments.
But BEFORE YOU TUNE IN, please fill out our Uptime listener survey! You can enter to win an Uptime mug ?? and more importantly, help improve the podcast. Thanks!
Now - listen up, read on, and if you’re a regular Uptime follower, please share this with a friend!
Big Slowdown in Brazil - But How Long will it Last?
The “slowdown” isn’t the whole story, of course. Recent investments in solar and other power generation efforts took a bite out of wind manufacturing in Brazil, just last year. Our hosts think the GE Vernova/ LM factory that’s being closed will be attractive to another buyer, and soon.
But blade manufacturing facilities in the southeastern and southwestern US could affect Brazil’s prospects. Joel, Allen, and Phil identify and explain some of the legal, logistical, and financial factors at play in both countries.
Double Jeopardy? Second Set of Trailing Edge Serrations Fall Off at Australian Wind Farm
When two sets of trailing edge serrations fell off a Vestas wind turbine in short order at at the Golden Plains Wind Farm, Australia’s largest wind project, a host of concerns were raised. While the incident followed a (fairly unexceptional) storm, Joel notes that construction specs are necessarily over-engineered to avoid failures like this.
And two? At a relatively new wind farm?
Listen as the crew considers design issues and manufacturing methods, how shipping could have played a role, and most importantly, now what?
US Companies' Paltry PTO, Vacation Policy Leave German Worker Longing for Home
With a potential influx of wind industry engineers and technicians coming into the US this summer, we’ve got to ask, just how attractive are those jobs, really? One engineer new to the States was appalled to swap his German package of paid sick leave (six weeks) for basically zero (zilch!) from his new US employer.
Our discussion aims to be fair-minded, but frankly, when looking at the amount of regulation in other countries, from safety to the maximum number of hours in a work-week, things sound a little lopsided.
Allen has some advice for employees coming to the US to work in wind: Be prepared, and ask questions about PTO, starting and quitting times, and what does a work week really look like?
Check out the whole conversation in this week’s podcast.
Blades Underfoot? ACCIONA’s Recycling Efforts, and why no decommissioning bonds in the US?
ACCIONA is to be commended for innovative recycling efforts (see the sneakers, developed with fashion company El Ganso, here) but creative and practical solutions are often two different things. Using shredded blades as road building material seems like a better use of a greater volume of recycled material - and some Chinese projects are already using it.
Back in the U.S, though, we ask why there are no decommissioning bond requirements in any of the States. A family farming in Iowa sure could have benefitted from one there when lightning struck turbines there twice - leaving a mess on their land with no clear answer to the question, who’s going to clean this up?
There are a lot of complicated pieces to the blade-recycling puzzle, which is why we revisit it from time to time. This conversation focuses on the financial, legal, and other responsibilities as well as the practicalities of recycling and remediation when it’s time to decommission wind equipment. Listen in and let us know what you think in the comments here, or on our LinkedIn page.
Wind Farm of the Week
Coopers Gap Wind Farm is a 453MW wind farm in the Western Downs and South Burnett regions of Queensland, Australia, approximately 175 km north-west of Brisbane.
With up to 123 turbines, it will be one of the country’s biggest wind farms and it is our wind farm of the week!
As the second greenfield project developed by Tilt Renewables, the Coopers Gap Wind Farm will produce around 1,510,000 MWh of renewable energy – powering approximately 279,000 Australian homes. Find out more about in this week’s Uptime podcast!
Thanks for Keeping Up with Wind Energy with Us!
The Uptime Wind Energy Podcast is brought to you by Weather Guard Lightning Tech and BuildTurbines.com. Listen now, read previous issues of the newsletter here, and whatever you do, don’t miss an episode.
What can we do better? Please tell us how we can improve this newsletter and the Uptime podcast. ?? ?? Take this quick survey! ?? ??
?? NEWS FLASH 2/24/25:
Got 3 minutes? catch up on the latest news!
??SPOTLIGHT 2/20/25:
Interesting Finds From Around the Web
BuildTurbines.com
Wind energy jobs offer outstanding opportunities and excellent earning potential. Find the training you need to be successful at BuildTurbines.com. Coming from outside the US to join a wind operation in the States? This week’s podcast has some tips for you!
StrikeTape Ships with No-Maintenance Lightning Sensors
Here’s why we’re now shipping EOLOGIX-PING’s low-cost, low-maintenance lightning sensors with StrikeTape: quite simply, installing sensors and lightning protection is the best way to ensure your production now and to protect your equipment over time. Learn more or order now: [email protected].
Stay informed: Uptime Tech News delivers wind energy news and insights on the latest technology, fresh from experts around the world. If you learned something, please forward to a friend. If this newsletter was forwarded to you, subscribe now.
Have a great week and thanks for listening! - Allen, Rosie, Joel, Phil & everyone from the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast
Find Uptime Podcast hosts on X