“The nature of the application means that we have to pay particular attention to regular maintenance, as bearings and seals in drive shafts and fan spindles, in particular, can wear or fail. In the past, worn bearings on the drive end of gearboxes led to excessive gear wear, reaching the point where gearboxes had to be replaced or removed for overhaul. This is an expensive operation, requiring partial dismantling of a cell, using heavy lifting gear. A similar situation could occur if fan spindle bearings ran out of alignment, as excessive vibration would eventually lead to de-lamination of the fibreglass blades. In each instance, it means taking a cooling cell offline, which can affect our generating capacity and thus our revenue earning potential from the National Grid.”

“They helped us throughout the planning and implementation phase, providing valuable information and practical advice. They also gave us comprehensive training and undertook the installation in a professional and efficient manner; indeed, they have been one of the few outside contractors with an almost perfect on-site safety record – this is an important factor for us as we have a strong health and safety policy that everybody entering the site has to follow.”