A range of wind turbine lubricants is available from African Group Lubricants (AG Lubricants), the authorised distributor of Mobil lubricants in South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana, Mozambique and the DRC. These include the Mobil SHC Gear 320 WT fully synthetic gear oil for wind turbines, which has such long-lasting durability that it comes with a ten-year warranty. “The particular feature of this synthetic gear oil is its long drain interval that significantly reduces maintenance costs and downtime while enhancing turbine availability and production,” explains Johnny Moolman, coastal sales and technical manager at AG Lubricants.
Wind turbines tend to be located in more remote areas and operate in extreme conditions, handling higher loads in increasingly compact gearboxes. Mobil SHC 320 WT oil provides outstanding protection in a wide range of temperatures and operating conditions, both onshore and offshore. It offers excellent foam control, even after filtration, and has excellent resistance to oil degradation at high temperatures to ensure long, trouble-free component life. Customers can easily change the oil in their wind turbine gearboxes with Mobil Flush 320. This wind turbine gear flushing oil is designed specifically to flush and remove contaminants to ensure long-term performance of Mobil SHC Gear 320 WT during the oil change process.
However, it also functions as a standalone flushing product to ensure the gearbox is ready for replacing the oil currently in use as indicated by condition monitoring. “Some wind farms use the main gearbox oil as a flushing product before filling again, which is far less cost-effective,” points out Moolman.
There are various lubrication points in a wind turbine. Gear oil is used to lubricate gearboxes, while 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.
Optimising the operation and maintenance of wind farms is becoming increasingly important as Bid Window 7 of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) looks to procure 9600 MWW of wind and 3940 MW of solar energy. “Green energy is a major growth area in South Africa,” explains Jake Govender, sales director at AG Lubricants. Internationally, global renewable energy capacity is fast approaching 1 TW. Africa is emerging as a key player, led by South Africa’s 30% share of the continent’s 9 GW capacity. Wind farms represent a major investment for companies that rely on wind turbines to generate electricity and revenue. Lubricants play a crucial role in the proactive maintenance and optimal efficiency of wind turbines, reducing friction between moving parts to minimise wear and tear. This is essential to extend the lifespan of critical components such as gearboxes, bearings and hydraulic systems.
“What differentiates AG Lubricants in the marketplace is our stock availability and full basket of products, combined with an in-depth understanding of customer requirements and our expertise and experience in assisting with issues,” highlights Moolman. The company offers customers technical support for Mobil Serv Oil Analysis (MSLA), benefit reports, onsite assistance, warehousing, stock management and main gearbox oil conversion support.
Sustained output from wind turbines requires a maximum reduction in unscheduled and costly downtime. This presents a particular challenge as wind turbines operate in extreme conditions of temperature, load and water contamination. Mobil synthetic oils and greases protect critical components and enhance wind turbine availability, while AG Lubricants also offers bespoke lubrication service solutions.
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