Typhoon damage in China highlights importance of standards in wind tower manufacturing: Weld Australia

Industry body Weld Australia has cited the damage caused by Super Typhoon Yagi earlier this month in China in its push for quality control and local sourcing for Australian wind farms.

Yagi hit the Philippines, then China, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos. Weld Australia said that the more than 300 kilometre-per-hour winds after making Yagi made landfall on September 7 created “severe damage to at least five or six massive turbines” at a wind farm in Hainan.

CEO Geoff Crittenden said the destruction should put Australia’s governments on alert, and highlighted “the critical importance of stringent quality control measures in wind turbine manufacturing.

“By bringing production onshore, Australia can implement rigorous standards and oversight, ensuring that our wind infrastructure is built to withstand the unique challenges of our climate and protect public safety.”

He added: “By onshoring wind tower production, Australia can set new global standards for quality and safety in renewable energy infrastructure.”

According to a report in the South China Morning Post, the farm in Wenchang — operated by Huaneng Hainan Power Generation Co — was not in operation at the time.

The farm was the only in southern China wrecked by Yagi’s winds, the article states, and is currently “undergoing an upgrade that will replace 32 small wind turbines with 16 larger and more efficient typhoon-resistant versions.”

Australia’s main competitors for manufacture of wind turbines are in Vietnam, China and Indonesia, according to Weld Australia

The issue is the “appalling” quality of imports, according to Weld Australia, and a non-compliance to internationally recognised Australian Standards such as AS/NZS ISO 3834 and certification by the relevant Australian authority.

Picture: Cullerin Range Wind Farm in New South Wales (credit MDRX, CC BY-SA 4.0)