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Project Certification
Version 1 - December 2016
BUREAU VERITAS, Bureau Veritas Certification and the Bureau Veritas 1828 device are
registered trademarks and are owned by BUREAU VERITAS SA.
All information provided in the Guide for Wind Farm Project Certification for the purpose
of clarification of the project certification process is protected by copyright and is the
property of Bureau Veritas Certification unless otherwise stated. No part of the documents
may be reproduced, copied, downloaded or transmitted, in any form and by any means,
without the prior written consent of Bureau Veritas Certification.
No express or implied licence or right of any kind is granted regarding any information
contained in the document, any trademarks or other intellectual property rights of
Bureau Veritas Certification or any third party.
In no event shall Bureau Veritas Certification, its agents, consultants, and
subcontractors, be liable for special, indirect or consequential damages resulting
from or arising out of the use of Guide for Offshore Wind Farm Project Certification,
including, without limitation, loss of profit or business interruptions, however these
may be caused.
Every effort is made to provide general information. However, Bureau Veritas
Certification does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, adequacy or
usefulness of the content of the documents, including but not limited to, any
information, product, service or process disclosed herein. Bureau Veritas
Certification hereby disclaims all warranties and guarantees, whether expressed
or implied, including any warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular
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documents provided.
Copyright 2016 Bureau Veritas Certification, All rights reserved.
1. Introduction 10
1.1. Purpose 10
1.2. Scope 10
1.2.1. Certification scheme 10
1.2.2. Scope of application 10
1.3. Structure 11
3. References 20
3.1. Bureau Veritas Certification documents 20
3.2. Normative references 20
3.2.1. IEC 20
3.2.2. ISO 20
3.2.3. Other standards 21
3.3. Informative references 21
4. Project certification 24
4.1. Objective and scope 24
4.2. Reference set of standards 24
4.2.1. Definition of the reference set of standards 24
4.2.2. Recognsed standards 25
4.2.3. Limitations 25
4.3. Project certification process 25
4.3.1. Evaluation scheme 25
4.3.2. Deliverables 27
4.3.3. Validity and maintenance 28
4.3.4. Integration of conformity statements from other certification bodies 28
4.3.5. Specific requirements for the WTG type certificate 29
4.3.6. Other requirements for certification 29
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9. Site-specific design evaluation 62
9.1. Introduction 62
9.2. Site-specific wind turbine / RNA design evaluation 62
9.2.1. Verification of Type certificate 62
9.2.2. Verification of load level 63
9.2.3. Modifications 63
9.2.4. Electrical systems 63
9.3. Site-specific support structure design evaluation 64
9.3.1. General 64
9.3.2. Design Evaluation of the tower 65
9.3.3. Design Evaluation of onshore foundations 65
9.3.4. Design Evaluation of offshore sub-structures and foundations 66
9.3.5. Independent analyses for the sub-structure 67
9.3.6. Corrosion protection 68
9.4. Other installations design evaluation 68
9.4.1. General description 68
9.4.2. Electrical substation 69
9.4.3. Electrical cables 70
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1
1. Introduction
1.Introduction
1.1.Purpose
This document describes the general process for the certification of a wind farm project
by Bureau Veritas Certification. It is meant as a public guide for the potential third party
certification Applicant and intends to clarify the project certification process by listing
mandatory requirements and necessary steps to be undertaken by the Applicant, as well
as explaining Bureau Veritas Certifications methodology for the evaluation. Complying
with the requirements and recommendations mentioned in this document will make the
certification a more efficient and effective process.
This document shall not be understood as a contractual document planned to be referred
to in the certification process. When a certification contract is signed, Bureau Veritas
Certification will provide the Applicant with a detailed evaluation plan which describes in
more detail the specific requirements and procedures to follow for a project certification.
Reference is also made to the Bureau Veritas Certification General Procedure for
Certification of Wind Turbines, Wind Turbine Components and Wind Turbine Projects
(GP01-WT), which describes the procedural requirements for certification.
1.2.Scope
1.2.1. Certification scheme
This document refers to the certification process described in IEC 61400-22 and is thus based
on the IEC 61400 series, which constitutes the international standard for wind turbines.
Other similar project certification reference documents, such as the DNVGL-SE-0073, are
based on similar requirements, such that this document would remain generally applicable
for such certification scheme.
This document covers only the internationally recognised IEC 61400 certification scheme.
National certification schemes such as the BSH in Germany, though generally similar
to the IEC 61400 series, might impose different requirements on specific topics. These
particularities are not covered in this document.
1.2.2. Scope of application
This document is applicable to the certification of:
Onshore wind farm projects
Fixed offshore wind farm projects
This document is generally also applicable to floating offshore wind farm projects. However,
due to the specificities of these projects, appropriate adaptations might be necessary
to some parts of the certification process. The Bureau Veritas Guidance Note NI572
Classification and Certification of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines might also be used for
such projects.
For the sake of conciseness, the discussion is focused on horizontal-axis wind turbines,
though most sections remain valid for vertical-axis wind turbines with appropriate
modifications.
The process covers the whole lifecycle of the project with the exception of decommissioning:
design, manufacturing, transportation, installation, commissioning and operation.
Requirements for decommissioning are usually specified by local regulations and are thus
project-specific.
1.3.Structure
certification procedure described in IEC 61400-22. Following a few introductory chapters
(chapters 1 to 5), each chapter (chapters 6 to 15) corresponds to an individual module of
the certification process.
When a module can be broken down into several sub-modules the relevant chapter is
divided into several sections to cover these sub-modules. Typically, each section consists
of the following three parts:
A description of the module or sub-module content and objective
A description of the methodology that Bureau Veritas Certification applies to the
specific item
A list of requirements and recommendations that the Applicant should strive to
follow
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2
2.1.Definitions
2.1.1.IEC terms
All definitions from the IEC 61400 series (especially IEC 61400-22) apply in this document.
For a better readability, some definitions are reproduced here 1.
Certification
Procedure by which a third party gives written assurance that a product, process or service
conforms to specified requirements; also known as conformity assessment.
Evaluation for conformity
Systematic examination of the extent to which a product, process or service fulfils specified
requirements.
Inspection
Systematic examination of the extent to which a product, process or service fulfils
specified requirements by means of measuring, observing, testing or gauging the relevant
characteristics.
Surveillance
Continued monitoring and verification of the status of procedures, products and services, and
analysis of records in relation to referenced documents to ensure specified requirements
are met.
The following terms are used for the components of a wind turbine, according to the
vocabulary of IEC 61400 (see Figure 1):
Rotor-Nacelle Assembly (RNA)
Support structure
- Tower
- Sub-structure (only applicable for offshore projects)
- Foundation
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2.1.3.Verbal forms
Might / may / can: When referring to the Applicant, indicates a possible action. When
referring to Bureau Veritas Certification, indicates a non-mandatory action, whose actual
realisation will be decided by Bureau Veritas Certification on a case by case basis.
Shall / must: Indicates a mandatory requirement to be followed by the Applicant.
Should: Indicates a recommendation or preferred course of action, but does not exclude
other possible options which would be examined on a case by case basis.
Will: Indicates an action to be undertaken by Bureau Veritas Certification.
2.2.Acronyms
ALS Accidental Limit State
API American Petroleum Institute
BSH Bundesamt fr Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (Federal Maritime and
Hydrographic Agency of Germany)
DLC Design Load Case
FE Finite Element
FLS Fatigue Limit State
GBS Gravity-Based Structure
IEA International Energy Agency
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission
IECRE IEC System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in
Renewable Energy Applications
ISO International Organization for Standardization
ISSMGE International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
NDT Non-Destructive Testing
O&M Operation and Maintenance
PC Project Certificate
RNA Rotor / Nacelle Assembly
SLS Serviceability Limit State
SWT Samcef for Wind Turbines
TC Type Certificate
T&I Transportation and Installation
ULS Ultimate Limit State
WTG Wind Turbine Generator
3. References
3. References
For the sake of brevity, only the main standards are listed here. The complete certification
references mentioned by Bureau Veritas Certification are available on request.
3.2.2. ISO
Reference Title
ISO 9001 Quality management systems Requirements
Paints and varnishes Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint
ISO 12944
systems
Petroleum and natural gas industries Design and operation of subsea production
ISO 13628-5
systems Part 5: Subsea umbilicals
Conformity assessment Requirements for the operation of various types of bodies
ISO/IEC 17020
performing inspection
Conformity assessment Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification
ISO/IEC 17021
of management systems
ISO/IEC 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
Petroleum and natural gas industries General requirements for offshore
ISO 19900
structures
Petroleum and natural gas industries Specific requirements for offshore
ISO 19901-1
structures Part 1: Metocean design and operating considerations
Petroleum and natural gas industries Specific requirements for offshore
ISO 19901-2
structures Part 2: Seismic design procedures and criteria
Petroleum and natural gas industries Specific requirements for offshore
ISO 19901-3
structures Part 3: Topsides structure
ISO 19903 Petroleum and natural gas industries Fixed concrete offshore structures
Paints and varnishes - Performance requirements for protective paint systems for
ISO 20340 offshore and related structures
Reference Title
Bureau Veritas Marine Division, Guidance Note NI 423,
BV NI 423
Corrosion Protection of Steel Offshore Units and Installations
Bureau Veritas Marine Division, Rule Note NR 493,
BV NR 493
Classification of Mooring Systems for Permanent Offshore Units
Bureau Veritas Marine Division, Guidance Note NI 572,
BV NI 572
Classification and Certification of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines
Bureau Veritas Marine Division, Guidance Note NI 605,
BV NI 605
Geotechnical and Foundation Design
IEA
International Energy Agency, Recommended Practice for Wind Turbine Testing 11.
Recommended
Wind speed measurement and use of cup anemometry
Practice
International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering,
ISSMGE Geotechnical & geophysical investigations for offshore and near shore
developments
MEASNET MEASNET Procedure: Evaluation of Site Specific Wind Conditions. Version 1,
Procedure November 2009
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4. Project certification
4. Project certification
4.1. Objective and scope
The purpose of project certification is to evaluate whether a specific wind farm, including
type-certified wind turbines, their support structures and possibly other auxiliary
installations, is designed and built taking into account the external conditions at the intended
location and in conformity with the applicable standards, construction and electrical codes
and other relevant site-specific requirements.
The completion of project certification might be required by national regulations or by
investors and insurance companies. It might also be the result of a voluntary initiative from
the Applicant to ensure the quality of the project.
The Applicant for project certification is usually the developer of the wind farm, though
for the optional other installations the certification might fall under the scope of the
corresponding contractor.
The exact scope of the certification shall be clearly defined at the beginning of the procedure,
and will be mentioned in the Project Certificate (PC). The PC shall at least cover the wind
turbines and their support structures, but can, on the Applicants request, also encompass
other equipment from the wind farm, such as:
Substations (e.g. transformer substation) and their support structures
Meteorological masts and their support structures
Electrical cables: array cables from the wind turbines to the transformer
substation, or export cable from the offshore to the onshore substation
The certification procedure involves document review, independent calculations and audits
and inspections programs. It covers safety and quality.
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The list of standards for which Bureau Veritas Certification can deliver accredited
certificates is available on the Bureau Veritas Certification website at the following address:
Certification de produits et services / Accrditation n 5-0051 - norme NF EN ISO/CEI 17065
The accredited scope includes in particular project certification according to the IEC 61400-
22 certification scheme, including the codes and standards referenced therein.
The general project certification procedure is described in IEC 61400-22 and is illustrated
in Figure 2. It is divided into several modules that are evaluated individually, though not
independently from each other as they will use the results from previous modules as inputs.
Site conditions
assessment
Type
Certificate Design basis evaluation
Commissioning
surveillance
Project characteristics
measurements
Final evaluation
Operation and
Project certificate maintenance
surveillance
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4.3.3. Validity and maintenance
A Project Certificate attests that a given wind farm was designed and installed according
to a given set of standards. This set of standards is not subject to revision, and the
evaluation results consequently do not have any period of validity, as mentioned in IEC
61400-22. However, the PC does not provide any guarantee regarding future operation and
maintenance (O&M) of the wind farm. This is why the maintenance of the PC must depend
on a regular surveillance of the O&M activities.
As a consequence, the validity of a PC delivered by Bureau Veritas Certification may be
renewed annually for one additional year at a time, up to the design life of the project, under
the following conditions (mentioned in IEC 61400-22):
Bureau Veritas Certification shall have performed O&M surveillance of the wind
farm according to the corresponding module of IEC 61400-22 and as described
in section 15, in order to verify that the wind farm is operated and maintained
according to the procedures described in the certified O&M manuals and that
these procedures are compliant with the IEC 61400 series standards. The
corresponding conformity statement shall have been issued less than a year prior
to the issuance of the updated PC.
The Applicant shall report all repairs and modifications performed, and all
planned major modifications, in comparison to the certified design and provide
the updated documentation for Bureau Veritas Certification to review.
The Applicant shall provide a report describing operating experience as well as
any deviation from expected behaviour for both the wind turbines and all other
installations included in the PC.
Applications for the extension of the PC validity on an annual basis is a good way to ensure
that the operation and maintenance of the wind farm is performed correctly, that problems
are detected early enough and that the latest updates of the standards are correctly
implemented through adaptations of the wind farm design when possible, thus maximizing
the wind farm lifetime and production.
It should be noted that if maintenance of the PC is not performed for a certain period,
it might not be possible to resume the maintenance later on. Therefore, it is strongly
recommended to perform regular maintenance of the PC as described in IEC 61400-22.
4.3.4. Integration of conformity statements from other certification bodies
The IEC certification process being modular, allows for different certification bodies to be
involved in the certification. As part of the certification process, the Applicant may therefore
submit conformity statements or certificates from other certification bodies (e.g. WTG Type
Certificate) to Bureau Veritas Certification.
For the integration of other certification bodies Conformity statements and / or certificates,
Bureau Veritas Certification will follow the procedure prescribed by the IECRE Conformity
Assessment System and described in IECRE clarification sheet n 6A Project Certification
Recognition Arrangement. This clarification sheet is available on the IECRE webpage
(http://www.iecre.org/).
In particular, Bureau Veritas Certification will not take responsibility for other Certification
Bodies work and this will be stated as such in the Conformity Statements.
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The quality management system evaluation is normally limited to the verification that
the quality systems of the different manufacturers or operators involved are certified
according to ISO 9001 by accredited certification bodies. A valid certificate for ISO 9001
shall be provided to Bureau Veritas Certification, covering the scope evaluated as part of the
project certification. In this case, no additional audit of the quality system will be needed.
However, if the quality system is not properly certified, Bureau Veritas Certification will have
to evaluate that it meets sufficient quality management requirements as per IEC 61400-22.
The evaluation of the compliance of the procedures usually consists of reviewing the
different documents related to the process under scrutiny (manuals, checklists, reports,
etc.) and verifying their compliance to the specified requirements.
Finally, the verification of the correct application of the procedures involves review of
records and reports related to the process under scrutiny and several on-site inspections
of the process. The exact scope and extent of the inspections and audits to be carried out
for project certification will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis depending on the project
specificities. Bureau Veritas Certification will tailor a scope of work for inspection service
which will include use of international standards together with input from the design
evaluation. Such input from the design evaluation may be:
critical items and processes identified during the design evaluation
test programs and procedures for serial production
approved design documentation such as drawings and specifications
details from the prototype testing of the wind turbine
The number of inspections required is then derived based on the corresponding Inspection
and Test Plan (ITP), using the calculated sampling rate as a basis for the witness points in
the ITP. The final number of inspections will be set so that at least this percentage of the
total number of components to be manufactured are witnessed.
The base inspection rate corresponds to the theoretical sampling rate to be applied. It
is then multiplied by a performance coefficient based on the results from the previous
inspections, which is displayed in the table below.
Table 2. Performance coefficient
Results of inspections Impact on inspection frequency
Fully under control 0,5
Under control 1
Deviations 2
Critical deviations 4
Example:
If the manufacturing of blades has been assessed as High criticality, the base case is 20% inspection
rate. If the results of the first inspections show that notable deviations to the intended quality level
have occurred, the inspection rate will be increased to 40 % over the next period. On the contrary,
if the first inspections show that the process is fully under control, the inspection rate would be
decreased to 10%.
For the manufacturing surveillance of the support structure, the sampling rate should be
understood as applying to the construction period rather than to the components themselves: a
sampling rate of 20 % means that a Bureau Veritas Certification inspector will be present in the
yard 20% of the time.
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5.3. In-parallel approach
Bureau Veritas Certification implements an innovative in-parallel approach that embeds
the certification body within the project and not standing outside. This approach:
Reduces the risk of delay to the project schedule caused by the certification
process
Ensures early identification of possible non-conformities
The certification process shall be designed so that it brings maximum added value to the
project owner while limiting to the minimum the risks involved by the certification on the
project schedule. Traditionally a major risk linked to offshore wind projects comes from
Project Certification potentially being a source of schedule delay: non-conformities
identified late in the design process may indeed require significant time to correct or even
an additional design iteration, with potential impact on other design aspects. Incomplete
documentation may also cause delay of evaluation, this is very closely related to a common
modular approach. Whilst it is cited as the most optimum use of the certification bodies
resources, it does not reflect the dynamic nature of the development of an offshore wind
farm and therefore does not address the needs of project owners.
Therefore, Bureau Veritas Certification has chosen to perform a maximum of certification
activities in parallel of the design when feasible, instead of waiting until a final design
is agreed. This requires additional flexibility and greater reactivity from the certification
team, but provides greater confidence to the project owner and the design team as
part of the design process. The certification team being more integrated into the project
life, can support the design team on certification issues (e.g. impact on the certification
process of two different design options). This allows the design team to be fully aware of
the certification process and understand how its decisions might impact the certification
and thus the project schedules.
Bureau Veritas Certification will therefore follow the project timeframe defined by the
Applicant and in particular will put its best effort to:
Interact regularly with the project management team
Communicate possible non-conformities that could impact the project as soon
as they are identified
Bureau Veritas Certification also recognises that service during the certification process
is as important as technical rigour. Bureau Veritas Certification has developed a unique
system of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that will be reported monthly. It is a traffic
light based system that allows for continuous joint monitoring of document turnaround
speed, allowing regular monitoring and adjustment of resources or notice from both Bureau
Veritas Certification and the project owner.
The objective is to keep the turnaround to the lower half of any agreed contractual document
turnaround limit to ensure that certification does not become a hindrance.
This has been successfully implemented in a number of projects with excellent feedback
as to the resulting service levels. There is a significant contribution to reducing the risk of
over spend in the project certification process with this approach, as keeping the schedule
on track and identifying risks early are keys to staying on budget.
6.2. Methodology
6.2.1. Review of the site assessment program
Bureau Veritas Certification will verify that the site assessment program is sufficient to
define the Design Basis as specified in IEC 61400-22 and IEC 61400-1 (for onshore projects)
or IEC 61400-3 (for offshore projects), such that possible shortcomings can be identified
early in the project and that the program can be changed correspondingly. This includes
the following activities:
Review of the list of codes and standards used as a basis for site assessment
and design
Review the site assessment program in accordance with selected codes and
standards, with regard to the future use of measured data; to ensure that it is
sufficient to define the Design Basis,
Quality of the testing laboratories and companies carrying out the
measurements (ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation or experience in the selected fields
in particular)
As a rule, the testing laboratories shall be accredited according to ISO/IEC 17025 for their
specific field. If this is not the case, then Bureau Veritas Certification will need to verify
their capacity to perform the corresponding measurements. In particular, Bureau Veritas
Certification will audit their quality management system towards specific ISO/IEC 17025
requirements and may need to be more deeply involved in the measurement campaign and
witness the measurements. Therefore, it is highly recommended to engage the certification
process prior to the measuring campaign.
4 For offshore wind projects only
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Additionally, it is highly advised to measure the air temperature, the pressure and the air
humidity in order to derive the air density and the icing risk.
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Weather windows and weather downtime are of importance for transportation, installation
and maintenance of an offshore wind turbine. An assessment of weather windows and
weather downtime shall be undertaken for the site of the wind turbine.
Bureau Veritas Certification will review all the documentation related to the oceanographic
measurements and calculations, as described in 6.2. Particular attention will be devoted to
the review of the statistical and numerical extrapolation methods.
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6.6. Earthquake conditions
Earthquake conditions shall be assessed according to section 11.6 of IEC 61400-1. Local
regulations shall be considered as applicable.
For offshore projects located in seismically active areas, the assessment of the seismic risk
shall be performed according to ISO 19901-2.
7.2. Methodology
The design basis is typically split into three parts, which are all covered by the review
activities:
The Design Basis Part A (Site Conditions and general requirements, e.g. from
the owner)
The Design Basis Part B (WTG requirements)
The Design Basis Part C (Support Structure requirements)
completeness of the combined design basis. A specific review of each part of the design
basis will be performed as described below.
The evaluation is solely based on a documentation review.
7.3. Requirements
7.3.1. General information
As described in IEC 61400-22, the design basis shall identify all requirements, assumptions
and methodologies essential for the design, including:
Site-specific design parameters
Codes and standards used for the design
Design assumptions, methodologies and principles
Wind turbine type and design parameters
Support structure concept
Requirements for manufacturing, transportation, installation and commissioning
(in particular environmental conditions relevant for installation)
Requirements for operation and maintenance, in particular the inspection scope
and frequency
Grid connection requirements
Other requirements (e.g. local regulations for e.g. embarkation, rescue and
decommissioning or employer requirements)
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7.3.4. Support structure
The Design Basis Part C is generally the responsibility of the support structure designer,
and describes the general design requirements, methodology and assumptions for the
design of the support structure.
Bureau Veritas Certification will check that the codes defined as references are appropriate
and adapted to the specificities of the project and that the selected codes are compatible.
The coherence of the design methodologies and assumptions will be evaluated.
The following issues should be addressed (if applicable):
Description of the support structure concept
Design environmental parameters
Geotechnical interpretation of the soil data
Applicable codes and standards
Design requirements and methodologies for the geotechnical and structural
design analyses, including:
- Natural frequencies analysis
- Ultimate Limit State (ULS)
- Serviceability Limit State (SLS)
- Fatigue Limit State (FLS)
- Accidental Limit State (ALS)
Primary structure design requirements and methodology
Secondary structure design requirements and methodology
Provisional structures design requirements and methodology
Design requirements and methodologies for bolted connections / grouted
connections
Interface with WTG supplier, in particular regarding load calculations
Corrosion protection strategy
Scour protection strategy (for offshore projects)
Requirements for manufacturing, transportation, installation and
commissioning (in particular environmental conditions relevant for installation)
Requirements for operation and maintenance, in particular the inspection scope
and frequency
Requirements for decommissioning
7.3.6. Substation
Similarly to the other assets, the design basis for the substation shall identify all
requirements, assumptions and methodologies essential for the design, including:
Site-specific design parameters
Codes and standards used for the design
Design assumptions, methodologies and principles
Support structure concept
Requirements for manufacturing, transportation, installation and
commissioning (in particular environmental conditions relevant for installation)
Requirements for operation and maintenance, in particular the inspection scope
and frequency
Grid connection requirements
Other requirements (e.g. local regulations for e.g. embarkation, rescue and
decommissioning or employer requirements)
7.3.7. Cables
Similarly to the other assets, the design basis for the cables shall identify all requirements,
assumptions and methodologies essential for the design, including:
Site-specific design parameters
Codes and standards used for the design
Design assumptions, methodologies and principles
Cable type and design parameters
Requirements for manufacturing, transportation, installation and
commissioning (in particular environmental conditions relevant for installation)
Requirements for operation and maintenance, in particular the inspection scope
and frequency
Grid connection requirements
Other requirements (e.g. local regulations or employer requirements)
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8.2. Methodology
8.2.1. General
Bureau Veritas Certification will verify the load calculations in three steps:
Review of the calculation methodology and comparison with the Design Basis
Review of the associated design reports and of the plausibility of the results
Independent calculations based on an integrated model (depending on the site)
Bureau Veritas Certification will verify the calculations provided by the Applicant by
reviewing the load reports. Compliance with the approved design basis will be verified for
the following aspects in particular:
Combinations of external conditions and design situations (e.g. normal, fault,
transport, installation)
Respective partial load safety factors
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The aerodynamic part of the code is based on the blade element momentum theory and
on the Kaimal turbulence, capable of handling dynamic inflow, dynamic stall, skew inflow,
shear effects on the induction and effects from large deflections.
The soil model is based on non-linear springs modelling the deflection of the foundation
with respect to the soil resistance.
The waves are generated based on the Jonswap spectra.
8.3. Requirements
As a general rule, the requirements from IEC 61400-1 or IEC 61400-3 shall be followed. The
wind turbine and support structure should be modelled as an integrated structure and all
relevant load cases analysed.
For offshore wind farms, it is common practice to model only a few locations within the
wind farm. In such a case, the choice of these design locations will need to be properly
justified, and their representativeness will be verified by Bureau Veritas Certification. The
methodology to extrapolate the loads to the other wind turbine locations shall be described
and justified.
Bureau Veritas Certification will need to review the following documentation as a minimum:
Load reports from the WTG supplier and support structure designer, including
extreme and fatigue loads
Timeseries of loads for selected DLCs
Mode shapes and frequencies analysis
Description of the software used for the calculations, including a validation file.
All references listed in the documents shall be provided upon request. The documentation
provided shall address the issues described in the above sections.
Bureau Veritas Certification will require the load reports to be presented in a practical
format, allowing for ready identification and verification of the different DLCs. Additionally,
the load values submitted shall be accompanied by a description of the assumptions and
methods used for each DLC. The aero-elastic model and input data shall also be extensively
described, including in particular:
Aerodynamic parameters
Structural characteristics
Control and protection system parameters
Environmental conditions and models used (turbulence model, soil properties, etc.)
For the independent model, Bureau Veritas Certification will require the following data and
information from the WTG supplier:
General description of the turbine
Centre of Gravity positions
Main dimensions
Mass and stiffness distributions
Blade properties
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9. Site-specific design
evaluation
9. Site-specific design evaluation
9.1. Introduction
The purpose of site-specific design evaluation is to examine whether the wind turbines,
the support structures and any other installation covered by the project certification are
designed and documented in conformity with the design basis and if the design is adapted
to the actual site conditions.
The following components are mandatorily covered by the site-specific design evaluation:
RNA
Support structure: wind turbine tower, sub-structure, foundation
The following components may optionally also be covered by the site-specific design
evaluation:
Substations (e.g. transformer substation) and their support structures
Meteorological masts and their support structures
Electrical cables:
- array cables from the wind turbines to the transformer substation
-export cable from the offshore to the onshore substation
The design evaluation will mainly consist in reviewing calculation notes, specifications,
drawings, data sheets, reports and certificates, and verifying their conformity to the
agreed certification references and the design basis for the site-specific conditions under
consideration. Independent structural and mechanical calculations might also be performed
in order to verify that the fatigue and ultimate loads previously calculated for the complete
structure do not endanger the structural stability of the component.
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the design of the electrical system taking into account the fluctuating nature of
the power generation from wind turbines;
provisions made to ensure adequate protection of all electrical components and
systems against the effects of corrosion.
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Fatigue strength
Overall stability
Bearing capacity of the soil
Rotational stiffness of foundation
Anchors failure analysis
Crack widths analysis
Manufacturing, transportation, installation and maintenance plans
In addition, an independent calculation will be performed to verify the designer calculations.
The exact scope and extent of the calculations will be determined on a case-by-case basis
depending on the project specificities and dimensioning criteria.
9.3.4. Design Evaluation of offshore sub-structures and foundations
A detailed examination of the documentation produced by the designer will be performed.
It will include review of design calculations, specification of materials, manufacturing
specification, weight reports, etc. Bureau Veritas Certification will evaluate the conformity
of the design with the approved Design Basis and the site-specific loads calculated as part
of the Integrated Load Analysis.
The following design reports and calculations notes will typically be reviewed for the sub-
structure and foundation (if applicable):
Geotechnical interpretation
Foundation design
Natural frequency analysis
ULS analysis
SLS analysis
FLS analysis
ALS analysis (Ship impact)
Finite Element (FE) analyses
Bolted connections (e.g. tower interface)
Grouted connections (if applicable)
Scour assessment (local and global) and scour protection system
Transportation and Installation analyses
- Sea transport
- Lifting
- Driveability (if applicable)
- Pile driving (pile fatigue, pile upending, pile sway with/without hammer)
Corrosion protection system
For hybrid (steel-concrete) structures, particular attention will be devoted to the concrete-
steel interface.
Comparisons between the designer calculations and Bureau Veritas Certification analyses
(see next section) will be made for the most significant structural elements. The compliance
of drawings and calculations with the applicable standards and project specifications will
be checked.
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9.3.6. Corrosion protection
Offshore installations operate in a very aggressive environment regarding corrosion.
Therefore, extensive protection is needed to prevent or mitigate the effects of corrosion on
the wind turbine components and the support structures.
The wind turbines and other relevant installations such as the electrical substation should
be sealed in order to maintain a dry, non-corrosive environment inside the installation.
Additional protection can be provided by de-humidifying devices and special protective
systems, in particular for the electrical components.
In the atmospheric zone, which is normally not exposed to waves, corrosion protection shall
be provided by adequate protective paints and coatings. ISO 12944 and ISO 20340 can be
referred to for guidance in this regard.
Additional protection systems, such as steel wear plates, might be required in the splash
zone to complement the protective coatings. The effect of corrosion might also be taken into
account by increasing the steel thickness.
For the permanently submerged area of the support structure, cathodic protection systems
shall be implemented. These cover sacrificial anodes or impressed current systems.
Methods and requirements regarding cathodic protection are described in EN 12495.
Protective coating may also be applied to complement the cathodic protection.
Bureau Veritas Marine Division Guidance Note NI 423 gives more information about
corrosion protection for offshore installations.
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9.4.3. Electrical cables
Wind farms will typically comprise two types of electrical cables:
Inter-array cables: medium voltage (e.g. 33-66 kV) cables linking the individual
wind turbines to the electrical substation
Export cables: high voltage (> 100 kV) from the electrical substation to the shore
to transport the generated power and feed it into the power network
There is no international standard specific to subsea power cables. Nonetheless, electrical
cables shall meet the requirements of the relevant part of IEC 60502, depending on their
voltage level. ISO 13628-5, which applies to subsea umbilicals, can also be used for the
design, material selection, manufacture, design verification, testing, installation and
operation of the subsea power cables.
If included in the certification process, the following aspects may be reviewed:
Cable design documentation: design basis, system descriptions, datasheets,
specifications, drawings, type test reports
Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
Heat loss calculations
Cable termination accessories
Cable protection systems
Burial assessment study, including cable layout and soil conditions assessment
Cable installation plan
10. Manufacturing
surveillance
10. Manufacturing surveillance
10.1. Introduction
The purpose of manufacturing evaluation is to verify that the wind turbines, the support
structures and any other installation covered by the project certification are manufactured
in conformity with the approved design, manufacturing and inspection documentation and
that the manufacturing is carried out with the intended quality level.
This evaluation includes the following elements:
Quality system evaluation
Manufacturing inspection and surveillance
The extent of inspection and audits to be carried out for project certification will be evaluated
for each single project.
This evaluation is not limited to the final assembly plant and will consider the complete
supply chain, in particular the manufacturers of the main components. Lower-level
subcontractors will normally not be subjected to the manufacturing surveillance. However,
Bureau Veritas Certification reserves the right to extend the scope of inspection in case
critical components, unusual materials or special processes are involved.
Prior to the beginning of the manufacturing, the Applicant shall provide sufficient
information about the suppliers involved and the manufacturing processes, so that Bureau
Veritas Certification can set up a detailed inspection and test plan.
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10.3.2. Rotor-Nacelle Assembly
The manufacturers involved in the fabrication of the main wind turbine components shall
undergo the quality system evaluation described in 9.2. The suppliers of the following
components might be considered for inspection:
Rotor blades
Hub
Rotor shaft
Main, pitch and yaw bearings, including bearing housings
Gearbox
Locking devices and mechanical brakes
Generator
Power converter
Transformer
Main frame, generator frame
This list is indicative and will need to be adjusted for each project depending on the
specificities of the wind turbine type and the manufacturing strategy.
Normally, those suppliers should have been evaluated as part of the type certification
process. However, the manufacturing inspection during type certification is based on one
specimen only. For project certification, additional surveillance activities are included in
order to verify that the manufacturing of wind turbines for the specific project is carried out
according to the approved design and with the intended quality, in particular with regards
to modified components.
For components that are produced as serial products, it might be difficult to identify the
products which will be allocated to a specific project. In such a case, visual inspections will
be reduced and the evaluation will rather be focused on a documentation review.
Additionally, the hub and nacelle assembly will also be subjected to inspections based
on random sampling. These inspections will cover both the assembly process and the
final assembled hub and nacelle. They will focus in particular on the welded and bolted
connections and the electrical installations. These inspections will take place at hub and
nacelle assembly plant. During these inspections, the incoming good inspections for the
other components of the hub and nacelle assembly will be thoroughly verified.
The sampling rate for inspections will be determined individually for each component and
each manufacturer depending on the different criteria described in section5.2.5.Modified
components will be targeted in priority. On the contrary, if the manufacturer holds a valid
Component Certificate according to IEC 61400-22, the corresponding criticality will be
reduced. If necessary, several inspections will be performed in order to witness all phases
of the manufacturing process.
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Survey of fabrication of concrete structures and sub-assemblies (GBS, onshore
foundations)
- Materials traceability
- Radial and tangential reinforcement
- Embedment
- Concrete casting
- Curing conditions
- Construction joints, grouting
- Measuring and testing equipment
- Material tests
- Visual random checks
- Identification of NDT operators
- Witnessing of non-destructive testing
- Final visual inspection
- Contractors site queries
- Contractors non conformity reports
It is assumed that operators are qualified. The qualifications of welding & NDT operators
are not in the scope of work, but only the review of the qualifications.
10.3.4. Other installations
If other installations are to be included in the Project Certificate, they shall be submitted
to a manufacturing inspection as well. As this module is optional, the exact scope of the
inspections will be determined on a case-by-case basis and in collaboration with the
Applicant. If the manufacturing surveillance does not cover the complete installation, the
limited scope will be mentioned on the corresponding Conformity Statement and on the
final Project Certificate.
For electrical substations, meteorological masts or any installation involving a support
structure, the manufacturing inspection of the support structure will be carried out as
mentioned in the previous section. The topsides however will necessitate a specific
inspection plan, which will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the type of
installation and the installation design.
A specific inspection and testing plan will also be set up for electrical cables.
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In addition, Bureau Veritas Certification will witness the installation of the support structure
and RNA with the aim to verify compliance with the design requirements and approved
procedures for installation. The surveillance may cover in particular the following aspects
(if applicable):
Compliance with the requirements for acceptable weather conditions
Surveillance of soil preparation (if applicable)
Verification for damage to the structure prior to installation, in particular to the
corrosion protection system if applicable
Surveillance of lifting operations
Surveillance of ballasting (if applicable)
Surveillance of welding, bolting, non-destructive testing, etc.
Surveillance of grouting system (if applicable)
Surveillance of scour protection installation (if applicable)
Final visual inspection after installation
Follow-up procedure on installation damages and non-conformities
Finally, Bureau Veritas Certification will, in addition to these inspections, review the
installation records (pile driving records, grouting and grout test reports) on a spot
check basis. Any deviation from the intended procedures shall be justified, and may involve
subsequent inspections.
12. Commissioning
surveillance
12. Commissionning surveillance
12.1. Introduction
The purpose of the commissioning surveillance is to ensure that the procedures described
in the commissioning manual are in conformance with the design basis and the IEC 61400
series (in particular IEC 61400-22 and IEC 61400-3), and that the final commissioning of
the wind farm is actually carried out according to these procedures. It consists of two
successive steps:
Review of the commissioning instructions submitted by the manufacturer, prior to
the commissioning of the wind farm (if not already covered by the type certificate)
Surveillance of the commissioning, through both witnessing of the commissioning
of a random sample of wind turbines and review of the final commissioning reports
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13
13. Project characteristics
measurements
13. Project characteristics measurements
13.1. Introduction
Project characteristics measurements constitute an optional module of the project
certification and aim at verifying particular performance-related characteristics of the wind
turbines at the specific site. They complement the measurements carried out for the type
certification of the wind turbine. They can include the following measurements:
Grid connection compatibility according to the local grid codes
Verification of the power performance
Verification of acoustic noise emission
This module will only be evaluated if requested by the Applicant.
Bureau Veritas Certification will review the test plan and the measurement reports in order
to verify their conformity to the IEC 61400 series or other applicable standards.
As this module is optional, the Applicant is not obliged to perform all tests within the
module and may select only one or two of them. The conformity statement for this module
will then naturally only mention those measurements that were verified by Bureau Veritas
Certification. Additionally, when no IEC standards are available, the reference standards
applied for the measurements as well as the compliance criteria will also be clearly
identified in the final conformity statement.
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14. Final evaluation and
project certificate 14
14. Final evaluation and project certificate
14.1. Final evaluation
As a final step of the certification scheme, Bureau Veritas Certification will go through the
different evaluation reports and conformity statements for all modules of the certification
scheme. The objective of the review is to ensure the completeness of all evaluations
performed and document all findings and observations. It will be verified that all findings
have been closed out properly.
Particular attention will be devoted to the interface between the different modules and
especially between modules performed by different certification bodies, if applicable.
The evaluation activities performed by other certification bodies and the corresponding
certification documentation will be reviewed as specified in section 4.3.4, to an extent
sufficient for the acceptance of the conformity statements and their integration in the final
Project Certificate.
The verification activities and results will be documented in the Final Evaluation Report.
This Final Evaluation Report will also reference all the documentation relevant to the
Project Certificate.
A final assessment will be carried out on this basis and the decision whether or not to issue
a Project Certificate will be made. In all cases, even if the certification is denied, the final
evaluation report will be delivered to the Applicant.
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15.3. Operation and maintenance surveillance
The O&M surveillance includes both a review of the O&M records and reports and periodic
inspections of the wind farm. The overall objective is to ensure that the wind farm is
operated and maintained in conformity with the relevant manuals included in the design
documentation.
Bureau Veritas Certification will periodically inspect the wind farm in order to verify that the
procedures described in the O&M manuals and in the inspection and test plan, are correctly
followed, and to assess the general condition of the turbines and other installations that are
covered by the certificate. These inspections are not meant to directly verify the integrity
of the wind turbines and thus do not replace the inspections planned in the inspection and
test plan. They will cover in particular:
Witnessing of regular maintenance operations, if possible
Witnessing of function tests, if possible
Check of the settings of the control system with regard to conformance with the
limiting values specified in the design documentation
Visual inspection of the general condition of the wind turbines and its main
components: check for external cracks, deformations, dents, leakages (lubricant,
cooling medium, etc.), etc.
The components covered by inspection may include:
Rotor blades
Drive train, including the gearbox if applicable
Generator
Electrical installations
Safety and control systems
Locking devices and mechanical brakes
Main structural components (tower, nacelle frame, etc.)
Lightning protection system
Corrosion protection system
Submerged structures (support structure and foundations)
Scour protection system, if applicable
Any outstanding issue shall be properly documented as well as the actions undertaken to
resolve it. All modifications of the original design shall be reported without delay to Bureau
Veritas Certification for evaluation.
AIM 4 WIND
In addition to the activities performed as part of the O&M module of the
project certification scheme, Bureau Veritas is currently developing a
new service package covering Asset Integrity Management (AIM)
for wind turbines, called AIM 4 WIND.
This service package will in particular include a guide for Life-Time Extension (LTE)
of wind turbine components, wind turbines or wind farms,
which is scheduled for issue in December 2017.
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16. Appendix A
16
16. Appendix A
CERTIFICATION DOCUMENTS TEMPLATES
A.1 Conformity statement template
<Module>
Conformity Statement
Issued to
<Client name>
<Client address>
<Postal code and Country>
IEC 61400-22: Wind Turbines Part 22: Conformity testing and certification
The wind farm characteristics are specified in Appendix 1 which is an integral part of the present
conformity statement.
Changes in the design are to be approved by Bureau Veritas Certification. Without approval, this
conformity statement loses its validity.
XXXX
General Manager
p.p. XXXX
Wind turbine certification Manager
Bureau Veritas Certification France 60, avenue du Gnral de Gaulle 92046 Paris La Dfense France
"This certificate will not be valid if and when the approved product is modified without any notification of such modification and prior
approval by BUREAU VERITAS CERTIFICATION. This certificate is issued in accordance with the General Conditions of Service of
BUREAU VERITAS CERTIFICATION. No third party to the contract pursuant to which this document is delivered may assert a claim
against BUREAU VERITAS CERTIFICATION for any liability arising out of errors or omissions which may be contained in said document,
or for errors of judgment, fault or negligence committed by the personnel of BUREAU VERITAS CERTIFICATION or of its Agents in the
establishment or issuance of this document, and/or in connection with any activities for which it may provide, BUREAU VERITAS
CERTIFICATION is holding harmless by the client from any claims made by third party."
Project Certificate
Issued to
<Client name>
<Client address>
<Postal code and Country>
Bureau Veritas Certification attests that the wind farm at the site
IEC 61400-22: Wind Turbines Part 22: Conformity testing and certification
This certificate is based on the documents listed in Appendix 1 which is an integral part of the present
certificate.
The exact extent of this Project Certificate and the wind farm characteristics are specified in Appendix
2 which is an integral part of the present certificate.
The project certificate is valid for wind turbine(s) and additional installation(s) as installed at the site
specified in the certificate at the date of issue.
XXXX
General Manager
p.p. XXXX
Wind turbine certification Manager
Bureau Veritas Certification France 60, avenue du Gnral de Gaulle 92046 Paris La Dfense France
"This certificate will not be valid if and when the approved product is modified without any notification of such modification and prior
approval by BUREAU VERITAS CERTIFICATION. This certificate is issued in accordance with the General Conditions of Service of
BUREAU VERITAS CERTIFICATION. No third party to the contract pursuant to which this document is delivered may assert a claim
against BUREAU VERITAS CERTIFICATION for any liability arising out of errors or omissions which may be contained in said document,
or for errors of judgment, fault or negligence committed by the personnel of BUREAU VERITAS CERTIFICATION or of its Agents in the
establishment or issuance of this document, and/or in connection with any activities for which it may provide, BUREAU VERITAS
CERTIFICATION is holding harmless by the client from any claims made by third party."
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