The forthcoming Service Specification applies to type certification of wind turbines as well as for component certification. The experiences gathered from certification projects specifically component and type certification of on- and offshore wind turbines realised over the last years has been taken into account for this new service specification. Correspondingly the type and component certification schemes have been adapted to meet market needs and expectations.
The pressure on reduction of cost of energy is high in the renewable energy sector. Focusing on reducing costs increases the risk for safety, quality and reliability. Hence, the independent evaluation of a third party is of an even higher importance to ensure the highest level of safety, quality and reliability.
This service specification identifies DNV’s services for type and component certification of onshore and offshore wind turbines and serves as a:
- facilitator to identify and apply relevant technical standards
- guidance for engineers from concept to serial production
- description to meet state-of-the-art requirements for modern wind turbines, and beyond
- common communication platform for describing the scope and extent of activities performed for certification of a wind turbine and its components
- contractual basis for certification of wind turbines and components
The conceptual and prototype stages of the development process are covered considering technology qualification and risk analysis. The interface to project certification is addressed through the introduction of a new Type Certificate which will be site/product specific, covering the full lifecycle of the wind turbine.
The lifetime of a wind farm is typically 20 years. Yet to the cost reduction pressure in the power sector makes it vital to consider increasing their design lifetime to 25 or 30 years. Such wind farm design lifetime can be chosen and it is advisable to take it into consideration at the start of a project through all relevant phases.
The certification services are adjusted to follow the wind turbine or component development phases from concept to serial production and beyond, see Figure 1. These development phases may be supported during the wind turbine development by respective certification deliverables.
Figure 1: Certification services aligned with the development process
The new Service Specification is divided into four main sections:
- Section 1 includes the introduction to the service specification.
- Section 2 gives an overview of the certification scheme and its certification modules.
- Section 3 gives a detailed description of the certification scheme and its modules.
- Section 4 describes the final deliverables as well as the maintenance of the certificates.
The completely new and revised DNV document system is organized according to a three-level document hierarchy, with these main features:
- Principles and procedures related to DNV’s certification services are separated from technical requirements and are presented in DNV service specifications (SE). Service specifications present the scope and extent of DNV’s services.
- Technical requirements are issued as self-contained DNV standards (ST). Standards are issued as neutral technical standards to enable their use by national authorities, as international codes and as company or project specifications without reference to DNV’s services.
- Associated product documents are issued as DNV recommended practices (RP). Recommended practices provide DNV’s interpretation of safe engineering practice for general use by industry.
The latest revision of all DNV documents can be found in the ”rules and standards” pages on the DNV website https://www.dnv.com/rules-standards/index.html
The main differentiators of the DNV certification scheme to other existing schemes are:
- more guidance and descriptions to facilitate application
- all wind turbine relevant topics addressed in one service specification
- all wind turbine development phases are supported by the certification scheme
- certification may be tailored by adding multiple optional services, e.g. based on additional SE
The benefits of applying this service specification can be:
- independent approval of the wind turbine and component to reduce own risk in developing and designing
- building of trust in the design and construction
- reducing costs by early detection of non-conformities
- confidence in technical integrity
- confirmation of requirements as stated by project developers, investors, operators, manufacturers, governmental and non-governmental organisations
- prove by an independent body to meet the national and international acknowledged state-of-the-art and to ease market entry
- utilise statements and certificates for authorisation by governmental institutions
- prove to investors or insurer that third party approval is successfully performed
- securing sustainable energy production throughout life-cycle
- minimising technical risks
- document stepwise the maturity of the wind turbine development project
- mitigate risks to environment and people
Component certification as a term used in this service specification covers e.g. major and minor components, systems, single parts or assemblies used in a wind turbine or attached to it. The mandatory certification modules comprise design, manufacturing and testing at different stages of the wind turbine development process.
The specification together with referred DNV standards and recommended practices represents a completely re¬vised and expanded version of the GL-IV-1 “Guideline for the Certification of Wind Turbines”, Edition 2010 and GL-IV-2 “Guideline for the Certification of Offshore Wind Turbines”, Edition 2012; both with a history of 30 years.
If you are interested in finding out more about our new Service Specification for type and component certification of wind turbines, please feel free to contact us directly by clicking the contact us button on the top of the page.