VEO’s maintenance knowhow has reached Norway

VEO’s Expert Services has signed a 7-year maintenance agreement concerning the electrification and automation of a substation at Egersund wind farm (112 MW) in Southern Norway. The tailormade agreement covers both critical and non-critical maintenance operations, including proactive maintenance and periodic testing of the entire electrification and automation equipment. With this agreement, VEO has now officially expanded its Expert Services’ operations to the Norwegian market.

Norway added to the list

VEO has been providing maintenance expertise for nearly 15 years and taken care of many long-term maintenance customers in Finland, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Germany. Although the longest agreements span over a decade, the agreement with Norsk Vind Egersund AS is the first of its kind when it comes to both wind power and Norway. The wind farm was commissioned in 2017 as the 33 wind turbines were connected to the grid and started to generate electricity. VEO has already carried out the first preventive maintenance operations after the signing of the agreement in September 2018.

”The agreement with VEO gives us comfort knowing that the technical availability will be high and that potential failures can be corrected in a quick and effective manner.”

VEO, a local actor in Norway

Even if the management of the wind farm’s maintenance projects takes place in Finland, Norsk Vind Egersund AS feels that it is important for VEO to count itself as a local actor. Thanks to VEO’s subsidiary in Norway, VEO AS, the company’s expertise is nearby if a sudden maintenance need occurs. However, according to Esa Ala-Honkola, the Director of VEO’s Expert Services, VEO’s remote access and advisory services – as well as VEO247 fault detection service – make it possible to get a quick response and help from VEO, regardless of the geography. All these services are included in the Egersund agreement.

The whole lifecycle in VEO’s hands

When it comes to the maintenance of Egersund wind farm, VEO has one advantage over their competitors – familiarity with the whole set of electrification and automation products and solutions. As it happens, the substation connecting the turbines to the grid was delivered by VEO earlier last year. According to Ala-Honkola, the previous substation delivery now makes it easier for VEO to ensure the availability of expertise, which makes the whole maintenance agreement a trouble-free choice for the customer.

“Ensuring the technical integrity of critical equipment in the wind farms we operate is of utmost importance. The agreement with VEO gives us comfort knowing that the technical availability will be high and that potential failures can be corrected in a quick and effective manner”, says Head of Operations John Amund Lund from Norsk Vind Energi AS.

Favourable winds for VEO in Norway

According to Ala-Honkola, the demand for VEO’s Expert Services in Norway seems promising. During the past few years, VEO has delivered substations to several actors in the Norwegian wind power industry with good results. Since Egersund wind farm was financed by a significant actor responsible for several other initiated wind farm projects, there is a good chance that VEO’s expertise will be required for them too.

More information:

Viktor Forss, Managing Director, VEO AS, +47 916 70 699, viktor.forss@veo.no

Esa Ala-Honkola, Director, Expert Services, Veo Oy, +358 207 190 287, esa.ala-honkola@veo.fi

VEO’s Expert Services has signed a 7-year maintenance agreement in Southern Norway.