Mirova chose H2air GT for the commercial and technical running of wind park in Useroles (Burgundy).

Built in 2019 and composed of 8 Nordex N117 turbines, this park has innovative camera systems for the protection of the avifauna, for which H2air GT will ensure the operational qualification in cooperation with the manufacturer and the administration.

This agreement brings the wind power volume entrusted by Mirova to 63 MW.

Bruno Lafont, Director of Operations, says: « I would like to thank warmly Mirova asset management team which renews its confidence in the services provided by H2air GT, and also for the quality of the relationships which combines high standards with mutual respect ».

H2air GT now operates the new Tulipes windfarm (Somme), which won the first french wind public tender bid. There are nine Vestas V126 turbines and one V117 with a total capacity of 36 MW.

H2air GT teams took over the turbines, set up on February 1, 2021.

The windfarm is connected to HTA/HTB network (225 kV) with Tulipes connection station, built by H2air group. This station will be operated by Somme SICAE, in partnership with H2air GT.

Our windfarm managers are responsible for the compliance of the electric sites with the legal requirements.  Our team uses the latest big data technologies to make an optimal running from the start.

H2air GT technical team organized today a refresher training for working at heights and rescue in a wind turbine environment, on the wind farm Coquelicot 2.

A tailor-made training program based on GWO standard has been supervised by Pierre Launay, wind energy expert within the training organization IFOPSE. The Wind Farm Managers were trained to handle various emergency situations and get familiar with different evacuation equipment.

Where regulations expect a retraining every 2 years, H2air GT goes beyond with an annual exercise as part of its training program and skills development.

Today, the implementation of Vestas’ PowerPlus^TM program has been finalized on Seine Rive Sud wind turbines. H2air GT suggested this optimization to his client EKZ to improve the performance of the site.

The wind farm consists of 16 wind turbines, Vestas V90, set up at the end of 2012. Developed and built by H2air, it is operated by H2air GT since the beginning.

PowerPlus^TM program consists of physical aerodynamic add-ons on the blades (Gurney Flaps and Vortex Generators) as well as software upgrades. After a test period in 2018 on some of the wind turbines, which demonstrated a power output increase of 1 to 2%, it has been decided to implement the upgrades on the remaining turbines this summer.

Bruno Lafont, Operations Director at H2air GT, is proud of this successful cooperation with the client’s asset manager and the wind turbine manufacturer: « Performance improvement and production optimization is a daily priority for our Wind Farm Managers».

H2air GT together with his partner Heliopales is carrying rope access blade inspections during this summer.

Summer time is always the occasion to organize different types of inspections and maintenances. The good weather conditions, more comfortable for the teams, is also necessary for some works on the blades for example.

An important part of the portfolio under management at H2air GT will then be inspected during this summer. The blade inspections are performed at regular intervals to ensure the good condition of the blades and to check the lightning protection system. When defects are found all necessary repairs are then performed.

H2Air GT, which provides technical park management, is extending its services to a 12 MW park built in 2012, recently commissioned by one of our long-standing clients.

This park is located in the Somme and consists of 6 90V Vestas, bringing the management portfolio to 148 MW.

We would like to thank our clients and partners for their trust.

First of all, before talking about continuous training in “working at heights – evacuation”, let us ask ourselves the question: what is continuous training, also called continuing vocational training? Here is an article that will explain everything you need to know about this subject: What is continuing professional development?

H2air GT is committed to training its teams!

Having highly qualified employees is beneficial from both a business and human point of view. This benefits:

• The company, who can offer quality services while ensuring employee safety

• The employees, who improve their qualifications and thus broaden their career development prospects.

This is why H2air GT attaches great importance to training its teams.

Why continuous training in “Working at heights – evacuation”?

Our team undergoes training in “working at height- evacuation on the wind turbine with rescue system“.

Indeed, it is essential that our team are continuously trained such that they can safely perform the biannual machine inspections.

See also: Intervention exercises on wind turbines

Thus, our operations managers control evacuation in the event of fire or imminent problems with the machinery.

They can also carry out rescue operations safely, by evacuating and rescuing a person who has been injured on the turbine ladder from the nacelle.

This training in working at heights and evacuation takes place every year.

H2air GT and the KJM design office have installed three Batmode S recorders.

In fact, the DREAL, Regional Directorate for the Environment, Planning and Housing requires wind farm operators to listen to the activity of bats at the height of the nacelles.

The Camomile, Julie and Coquelicot 1 wind turbines now have an observation balcony nestling in the nacelles for viewing night-time theatre.

This equipment will produce continuous recordings throughout the summer months, in order to consolidate knowledge of these mammals and their relationship with the wind turbines.

The SDIS 80 GRIMP at H2air for intervention exercises on our wind turbines.

The hazardous environment recognition and response group (GRIMP) from the SDIS of the Somme conducted response exercises on the Coquelicot 2 wind farm, which is operated by H2air GT.

H2air GT wished to make a wind turbine available for one day, so that the rescuers could train on one of the machines in the Coquelicot 2 park. These are Enercon-type wind turbines with a rotor of 82m in diameter and a nacelle at 78m height.

The day of June 20th proved ideal, with little wind and plenty of sunshine. Around twenty fire-fighters climbed the ladder to reach the nacelle.

The SDIS exercises on our wind farm:

• Exercise 1: an injured person was positioned in the smallest part of the machine. He was evacuated on a stretcher via a hatch in the nacelle, from the outside to the ground by means of ropes.
• Exercise 2: all fire-fighters evacuated from the nacelle from the outside using ropes.
• Exercise 3: Evacuation of an injured person from the nacelle through the inside of the tower on a stretcher using ropes. Several narrow hatches to pass through the tower presented various difficulties.

See also: Continuous training in working at heights and evacuation

The objective is twofold:

Fire-fighters discover the site and practise on a wind turbine that is technically different from those of other manufacturers; for H2air GT, which ensures site safety, it is an opportunity to test the procedures in place, identify areas for improvement, and understand the difficulties and needs of the emergency services in the event of an intervention.

“Once or twice a month our group performs manoeuvres at height, but also at depth. It can be on a wind turbine, a large building and even on cliffs, but also in caves. After abseiling twice, we evacuate a stretcher horizontally, with a victim attached, and a rescuer directing the descent. ”

Lieutenant Claude Barray

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The purpose of the Power Plus Upgrade operation is, in short, to optimise wind turbines. How? By whom? What are the results? H2air GT answers your questions.

How to optimise wind turbines?

When we talk about optimising wind turbines, some people think of how wind farms are organised. Whether it is more efficient to install wind turbines in line or offset from each other. Others imagine new types of wind turbines with new shapes,

And for those who are just wondering how a wind turbine works, here is an article that may help you: Wind energy operating principle. Feel free to come back and read more about the optimisation of our wind turbines!!

As far as we ourselves are concerned, we have opted for the Upgrade Power Plus operation. A method that can be applied directly to a wind turbine. There is therefore no need to reorganise an entire wind farm or resort to insane measures.

All you have to do is call in qualified operating managers! This works out well. H2air GT trains its employees through continuing professional development, in order to maintain consistent safety and efficiency, especially in the event of danger.

Upgrade Power Plus?

Indeed, at the suggestion of H2air GT, who have been responsible for park operations since its commissioning, this includes installing components on the blades using a suspended platform.

Today, the park consists of 16 2MW Vestas V90 wind turbines installed in 2012.

The Upgrade Power Plus operation improves the aerodynamics of the blades and optimises the software, thus increasing the efficiency of each wind turbine by around 2%.

This percentage should be multiplied by the total number of wind turbines. In this way we improve the overall performance of the park.