Wind farm oil collection - Turbine Oil Collection

Bay Oil Ltd offers a turbine oil collection and recycling service for your used oil and oily rags.

Why do wind turbines need oil?

In short, for lubricants and wind power. Gear oil is used in lubricating gearboxes; grease is used on the main rotor shaft bearing, yaw bearing, pitch drive gears, blade bearing and generator bearing. Hydraulic fluid is used in hydraulic systems for blade pitch control. Synthetic industrial gear oils formulated with polyalphaolefin (PAO) are used in wind turbine gearboxes to maintain oil performance for longer periods of time while keeping a low operating temperature compared to conventional mineral oil-based industrial gear oil. Gearboxes on the generally smaller-sized turbines installed in the mid-1980s hold about 10 gallons of oil or less. Newer, larger machines might hold as much as 60 gallons.

Why does wind farm oil need to be collected?

Just like any other waste oil, used turbine oil, is one of the most dangerous pollutants due to the harmful components that are present in the oil. Turbines are a source of used oil, which causes nearly irreparable damage to soil and water.

Incineration of waste oil, which is still in use in some countries, also harms the environment. The process releases gases and heavy metal compounds in the atmosphere, with harmful effects on plants, animals and humans.

Reuse of old oils, including turbine oils, is mandated by EU legislation. Oil is not considered a waste, but a valuable resource suitable for production of new oil or reprocessing are reuse.

How often does the oil in wind turbines need to be changed?

Typically, wind turbine gear oils have an oil drain interval of 36 months. Advanced synthetic lubricants have been proven to extend intervals up to 7+ years. In theory, you could hypothetically eliminate one oil change over 20 years, reducing costs.

What happens after collection?

Usually, wind farm oil that has been collected can be restored and reused with the choice of restoration method depending on the oil properties and the composition of contaminants. Often, the best results of turbine oil restoration can be achieved with a comprehensive process of heating, filtering and subjecting the oil to vacuum. Gentle application of heat and vacuum removes water from the oil, and the filters remove solid impurities etc. Additionally, the appropriate choice of turbine oil purification method significantly improves the reliability of wind turbines, making them last longer and ensuring uninterrupted supply of electricity.

For more information about wind farm oil collection, please feel free to get in touch with our friendly team of experts today who will be more than happy to help you with your query. You can do this by contacting Bay Oils Ltd on 01524 927582 or 07770 952 826 or by emailing your enquiry to enquiries@bayoils.co.uk